Hockey is a game that looks instinctive and natural. However, skating ability is the overall key to a player's ability to make plays. A player who is slow on his skates or a bit unsure will always be chasing the play. Power skating drills can bring a player more speed and stability and help him to reach his potential as an offensive or defensive star.
Snow Cone Drill
This is one of the most important drills in power skating. The object is for the skater to have balance at all times and to get to maximum speed in a short period of time. To do the snow cone drill, start with your feet in the arrow position. The back of your heels should touch and the front part of your skates should be angled outward. Push off the inner blades of your skate to gain speed and power. When you get to top speed, use only the inner toe of your skate to scrape the ice as you bring it back for your next drill. That scrape of the toe will create small cones of snow on the ice.
Endurance Drill
Have your players start out at the endline of the ice. Have them skate to the near blue line and back, center ice and back, the far blue line and back and finally the endline and back. This drill is supposed to be done at full speed and it is most effective when done at the end of practice. Players will be tired by the time they start this drill and probably will be exhausted when they finish, but they will have to keep good form to negotiate the distance at the speed required.
Power Stop
The power stop is one of the most important things a hockey can player can use to become a fast and powerful skate. Hockey is a game that demands quick change of direction and to do that, you have to stop immediately and get going in the right direction. To perform a power stop, you have to turn your hips perpendicular to the direction that you are going. As you lead with your hips, you turn your lead skate in the same direction. Your blade will slide on the ice before digging in and that will allow you to stop quickly and then take off in the opposite direction.
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