Some of you know that I have been working hard to put together an in-depth training course and it is finally finished an online! The course is called the Goalie Buster because it is all about how to beat the goalie. During a game (whether competitive or just for fun) the goalie is the last thing that comes between you and a goal, and a lot of players freeze up! In the course I teach you how to figure out the goalie and know exactly what to do no matter what situation you find yourself in. After watching the videos (and lots of practice) you will have the knowledge and confidence to score goals every time you get a break! I teach over 20 moves, and when the best time to use each move is depending on how you are approaching the goalie. I also teach how to read the goalie, shooting, fakes and much more! To get a sneak peak inside the course and get an idea of what you will be learning watch the video below.
As a hockey coach and a player I am always trying to become smarter, better, and faster. What some players don’t realize is that by knowing your position and knowing your plays you will become a “faster” player. A positionally sound hockey player could be physically slower than every player on the ice, but by […]
How great would it be to step onto the ice next season and be BETTER than the last time you skated? Well it is quite possible and the summer time is a great time to sharpen some of your skills. The only thing that is coming in between you improving over the summer is yourself, below I have made a list of 6 ways you can improve.
Off ice Shooting
You don’t need ice-time to work on your shot, in fact last summer I improved my slapshot by 20 MPH (yeah it sucked before) by simply training with a radar gun and making note of what improved my power and what didn’t. What was the trick? There was no trick, I just got a radar gun and made a commitment to shoot 100 pucks a day (taking some days off of course). While shooting my muscles naturally became better, stronger and more effecient at performing the slapshot. I was training them while shooting over and over, and the radar gun helped me notice my improvements and motivated me to keep shooting.
For this skill I recommend a shooting pad and a radar gun (use our coupon code to save $10)
Here is a Review I did a while back of the radar gun I use
Off ice stickhandling
Stickhandling is easy to practice at home as long as you have something smooth to stickhandle on. If you need some drills to practice you can check out my complete guide to stickhandling (if you don’t learn anything you can have it for free). I also have a few articles and videos that should help you, how to stickhandle, and how to toe drag. All of the above links show you ways to improve your stickhandling at home
Quick stickhandling tips (for the lazy)
Practice “quick hands”or dribling, moving the puck from forehand to backhand as quickly as possible. This keeps the puck moving and the other players thinking
Practice moving the puck around your entire body
Practice moving the puck quickly from one area of your body to the next (front to back, side to side, front to side, etc)
For off-ice stickhandling I recommend a few hockey pucks, the Green Biscuit and a shooting pad. Stickhandling balls are also a lot of fun
Leg Training
It is not too easy to improve your skating technique during the summer (unless you can get ice time) however it is easy to improve your leg power and acceleration. This is a great way to come back next year as a faster hockey player, I think acceleration is a very important skill to have if you want to get more scoring chances so this is a big one to work on. If you want to improve your hockey speed, you have to train your muscles to work in the same way they work on the ice. Short bursts of speed and explosive movements will help improve your leg strength and speed. Wind sprints are a good way to improve your explosive speed and you I also recommend checking out our article from Jarod Palmer of the Minnesota Wild – How to gain speed in hockey with off ice training
Get some Ice Time
I know that for some people this might be very hard, but if you live in a city it is worth your while to check the nearest rinks. In most bigger cities you will be able to find a rink with the ice still in, ask if there are any adult hockey leagues, or open ice time for hockey players. One of the most important skills in hockey is skating so take a few seconds to check if there is a rink near you with ice. You can use Hockey Community to find rinks, games, and pick-up games near you
Play Other Sports
Playing sports that keep your muscles working will help you maintain fast reflexes and good overall strength and speed. Some sports like lacrosse and ball hockey or roller hockey have skills that carry over to hockey. Even something simple like tennis, squash, or soccer can help because they require fast movements, rapid change in direction and hand eye co-ordination. Unfortunately I don’t think golf will help much
Go to a hockey Camp!
Hockey camp is a great way for kids and adults to learn a few new skills and work on sharpening the skills they already have. If you are an adult there are lots of great hockey camps out there, one fan of How To Hockey recommended Heartland Hockey Camp in Minnesot
If you have kids or are under the age of 17 check out the Summer hockey camp that I will be working at over the summer
Thanks a lot for reading the article, you can share it with the tools below, and don’t forget to join us on facebook!
Note: HUGE thanks to Jarod for writing this article for How To Hockey. This article is a detailed account of how he got his speed up to NHL standards. If you want to say thanks you can tweet this article and mention him https://twitter.com/#!/palmfisher
I have always been a hockey player with average speed. As a professional athlete, I am always looking to improve my skill set, especially in finding my way “in” to the NHL. Last season, my coach sat me down and asked me what I thought was keeping me from playing in the NHL. After a few wrong guesses, he told me that my speed, or lack there of, was not at the NHL level. Despite the amount of training I had done the summer before my rookie year, I had to agree with my coach; I was not fast. There was only one answer…I must have been training wrong. I began my quest to successfully build speed in the following summer. I changed my training technique and became stronger, faster, and sturdier on my feet than ever before. Here is how I did it.
Changing Your Mind Set
In order to work your muscles “smarter” rather than “harder,” you must:
Switch the focus from your quadriceps to the “back of the leg” muscles. These muscles include your gluteals, hamstrings and calves.
Shift from two-leg training to single leg training. By doing this you are able to recruit more stabilizer muscles.
Train with little or no weight and focus more on speed than strength.
I’m happy to say that my new techniques paid off. The very next season, I was noticeably faster and did get my shot in the NHL with the very same coach that gave me the great advice.
Back of the Legs
Focus your mind on working the gluteals and hamstrings during all of your hockey exercises, especially sprinting and jumping.
One way to practice flexing the right muscles is by doing a wall set (sit in a chair-like squat with your back against the wall and hold). Most likely your quadriceps muscles will begin to burn. Without changing position, you can relieve the strain on the quads by tightening up your gluteals and hamstrings.
Think about sitting in that squat position with someone in front of you trying to pull your feet out from underneath you. You would automatically flex your hamstring and glute muscles in order to keep your feet beneath you. This is what you want to flex during the exercise.
Make sure your weight is not on your toes but rather on your heels. Try to lift your toes off the ground. You might feel your lower back begin to pull away from the wall. Counter this tendency by flexing your core and keep your back flat against the wall.
Your hamstrings and glutes should be tight during the entire motion of a squat. Try tapping your fingers against your hamstrings. This will help tell your brain to work those muscles.
When you are doing it right, your hamstrings will be hard. Believe me, this is as much of a mental work out as a physical one. It takes practice to get it right.
Wall Sit Video
Having troubles? Try standing tall. Now drop into a squat position as fast as you can and hold. Your body weight should drop faster than gravity can pull you down because your hamstrings flex to pull your body downward. Continue to flex the hamstrings and fire the glutes on your way up finishing with a slight forward hip thrust – thus forcing the glutes to flex as much as possible. Getting the right muscles to fire during the squat motion took me several workouts. Don’t get discouraged if it takes you some time. Unless you are an Olympic sprinter, you are quad dominant. You have to retrain your muscles to become “back of the leg dominant” and this takes practice.
Stablizers
Every time you take a stride you balance on one blade until your other foot recovers. Thus, single leg balance is key to becoming more stable on skates. Stand with one foot on the ground and do a four to five inch squat.
Your free leg should be bent with your foot slightly behind you. Remember the “back of leg” principals learned above.
Your body weight should be over your heel. To maintain balance, tighten up your core, keep your chest and head up with your arms loose.
Try to breath in on your way down and out on your way up. Now try to do the same squat with no shoes on.
Progress in difficulty by squatting deeper each time.
Don’t worry about going fast. Focus on controlling your balance with core body strength. Use your arms as little as possible.
Want More? Try kneeling on an exercise ball. The pros can stand on the ball and do squats.
Speed and Quickness
When attempting to develop strength, movements should be slow and controlled. When trying to develop speed, all movements should be done with speed and grace. Do every exercise as fast as you can while maintaining control. When you do a squat, try to go down quickly. When you reach 90 degrees (more or less) change direction as fast as you can. Doing squats in this motion works both deceleration and acceleration strength. The muscle fibers work one way to stop your body from moving and another way to get it moving again. You need power through both movements in order to be able to change direction quickly on the ice. When doing jumps or lunges focus on landing soft, using your hamstrings to pull your body down quickly with your hamstrings and exploding upward with your glutes. Again, this is very challenging and takes time to get right.
Changing the way I worked my muscles was not easy. My body wanted to revert back to over using the quadriceps. My workouts were as challenging mentally as they were physically. What kept me going were the results. My hamstrings and glutes grew in size and strength. I began to spring off the ground rather than push. I felt lighter and more stable on the ice, which is exactly what I wanted. Without a doubt, training this way improved my speed and stability on the ice.
I hope this information helps you as much as it helped me. Good luck!
The one-timer is a great shot if you can do it properly, it is also a great way to embarrass yourself on the ice if you don’t know how to do it properly. There is nothing worse than completely missing the puck, or sending a muffin towards the net that the goalie easily gloves. In this article and video we will share a number of tips on how to perfect the one timer.
Important note: If you do not know how to take a slapshot, do not even attempt one-timers, it is crucial that you know how to take a decent slap shot before you can learn how to take a one timer. For help with your slapshot check out our article on how to take a slapshot. If you already have a grasp of the slapshot then check out our article and video filled with slapshot tips and our other article and video on increasing slapshot power.
One-Timer Video
In this video we talk about three different types of one-timers, they include standing still, skating, and skating backwards. We also share a little trick at the end on how to go top shelf with a one timer from in close to the net.
Tips for Practicing the One Timer
You need to know how to take a slapshot before you will be able to have a good one timer
The key to a good one timer involves two things, timing and body positioning
One Timer Timing
When timing your shot you need to read how fast the puck is coming at you, you want to strike the puck just like you would with a regular slapshot but when the puck is moving this requires some good timing.
When you start practicing your timing start with slow passes, and low wind-ups. Don’t try to kill the puck every time, just try to connect with it
After you get better you can try bigger wind-ups and faster passes, soon you should be able to connect with almost any pass
If the puck is coming at you slow, you can take your time with the wind up
If the puck is coming at you fast you need a fast wind-up and you will need to start your swing a bit earlier (so that you can connect with the puck in that perfect area)
One Timer Body Positioning
You will only have a few seconds to adjust your body position once you see the puck coming towards you. You need to ensure that you receive the pass in the “slapshot zone” in order to get the one timer off properly. Remember where you normally hit the puck with a regular slapshot, and try to move your body so that you get the puck in that zone.
Adjusting your body position involves taking a stride forwards, backwards or to the sides, if you get a bad pass do not be afraid to bail on the one timer. It is better to just catch the pass and go for a normal shot, than missing the puck, or sending a really weak shot on net.
Dropping the Knee in a One-Timer
A popular trick that some players do to get the puck up high with a one-timer is to drop their knee (We show you how to do this move in the video above). This allows the play to get under the puck and lift it up quickly, while still allowing them to put power on the shot. Brett Hull made this move popular near the end of his career and soon a lot of other NHL players were doing it. Take a look at the video below.
If you are a centermen one of your major responsibilities on the ice is to win face-offs. Some players who are new to the game overlook the importance of this job and approach the face-off dot without much thought, but no matter what level of hockey you play the face-off win is vital for your teams success. A lost face-off could result in a goal for the other team, while a nice clean and well thought out face-off win could lead to the game winning goal. When you think of faceoffs in this manner you begin to understand how important it is to win, hopefully this will get your fired up to win more faceoffs and try some of the tips and tricks I share in the video and article below.
How to Win Face offs Video
NHL’er Wayne Primeau Giving you some tips
I had the opportunity to shoot a quick video with Wayne Primeau, here are a few faceoff tips from a former NHL hockey player.
A step by step guide to winning more face offs
Have a plan when you approach the face-off dot
There are many different ways to win a face-off, how you plan to win the face off depends on where the face-off is taking place. In the neutral zone you may try something cheeky like tapping the puck forwards and blasting past the centermen, in your own end you may tie-up the other centermen and have your defence or winger come in and get the puck, in the offensize zone you could win the puck back on your fore-hand, back-hand, between your legs or even put it right on net. Never approach the face-off without a plan
Let your team mates know about your plan
Think of where you want to win the face-off to, and let your players know. If you are going to win it back to the defencemen, give a little wink to the d-man so he knows the puck is coming. If you are going to tie up the centermen let your players know so they can be prepared.
Get nice and low
I probably said this about 20 times in the video, haha. When you are low to the ice you can react faster to the puck drop and you will be anchored to the ice. It is important to be nice and stable when the puck drops in case the other centermen tries to push into the circle.
Choke up on the stick
In the video I show you how I like to hold the stick, but it’s not just me. Watch almost any NHL player and they move their top hand about halfway down the stick, and their bottom hand right near the blade. This helps increase their reaction time, and allows them to get more power and leverage on the stick. If both players go for the puck at the same time you need to be able to out muscle the other guy, so it is important to get your bottom hand close to the blade.
Switch up your grip
If you are going to win the puck on your backhand or between your legs you should modify the grip on your stick. Roll your bottom hand over and hold the stick as if you were going to cross-check someone in the teeth. This grip helps you improve your quickness and power, I show the grip in the video above.
Use your body!
You don’t always need to win the puck back with your stick, there are other options. You can forget about the puck altogether and just tie up the other centerman (and have your winger or defence come in and get the puck) or you can just chop the other players stick (moving it out of the way) and then go for the puck. You can also try spinning into the face-off dot and then using your feet to kick the puck to one of your players.
Know your opponent
Knowing your opponent is very helpful if you want to win more faceoffs, if the other centermen likes to go for the crisp win every time, modify your face-off plan, instead of going for the puck, just chop his stick out of the way, then get the puck. I had a centermen who would always push the puck forwards and then blast past me, I knew it was coming so I quickly closed my legs. The puck bounced off my shin pad while he flew past me, I then grabbed the puck split the D and got a shot on net.
You can get to know the centermen by paying attention to their technique when you line up for a faceoff and while the other lines are facing off. If there is a particularly good centerman you know of try to remember what team he is on so you can be prepared the next time you play them!
Tape up the slash zone
Centermen tend to break sticks more than other players, it’s because the flex zone of the stick takes so much abuse during faceoffs. I like to tape up the bottom part of my stick to avoid those little chips that eventually lead to the stick breaking mid-shot. The tape also gives you a bit of grip during the face off.
Tips From the Pro’s
David Steckel is consistently among the top NHL face-off winners, last year he was the #1 face-off winner in the league. I have embedded a video below with a few tips from David Steckel.
We have had a lot of requests for more skating videos and articles so here is one for forward skating, we have some basic articles already for how to skate and how to stop, so this one seemed like the net logical video / article to publish. In this video we show you the basics to the crossovers and a few easy drills you can do to improve your crossovers and turning. I have also embedded a video that goes into a lot more detail on different types of crossovers / drills you can do to improve.
Forward Crossovers Video
Forward Crossovers Tips
Keep your knees bent and remember to use your edges
While doing crossovers around the circle your OUTSIDE leg will be pushing and giving you speed / power
While doing the forwards crossovers (zig-zag drill in first video) your INSIDE leg is pushing and giving you power
While doing the circle crossovers try to always keep your stick inside the circle, you can lean on your stick a bit to get lower to the ice
Detailed Hockey Crossover Video
Here is a good video from Hockey Canada that goes into good detail on the crossover and shows a bunch of drills you can practice.
When you are playing organized hockey it is important that everyone on the team plays their positions and does “their job”. I like to teach each player what their job is so they understand where they need to be and what they should be doing in each situation on the ice. If just one player on the ice is out of position it can alter the outcome of the game, so it is important to understand your role on the ice is and the role of the other players. I have already written an article on the role of a winger in hockey, and in this article I will detail what a centerman should be doing in various situations on the ice.
The Responsibilities of a Centerman
In general the centerman is the “support man” this means he is helping out the other players when they are in trouble, the centerman is also considered the quaterback as he will win faceoffs, and lead breakouts. The wingers typically stick to their side of the ice, however the centermen has more freedom to roam. Even though the centerman covers the most amount of ice (and usually does the most skating) that does not mean you can just skate around and hope you get the puck. Your general duties as a centerman are to win faceoffs, cause trouble in front of the other teams net, stop players and pucks in front of your own net, score goals, make passes, help out your wingers, lead break-outs and back check.
Duties of the Centerman in the Offensive Zone
In the offensive zone (as in other zones) the centerman’s job is to offer support to the other team members. A good “general area” to hang out until you are needed is in the slot on whatever side the puck is on. Remember to always keep your feet moving and always be skating, this makes it easier to get going when you need to!
While you are in front of the net you will be reading the play, keep an eye on what the other team is doing and what your team is doing. If your winger has possession of the puck get open in front and call for a pass. Remember your other winger will also be trying to get open in front of the net so don’t block him. If your other winger is close to the net then go to the high slot, if your winger is in the high slot then go to the “backdoor” of the net or if you think your winger will get a pass and shoot just screen the goalie and be there for the garbage goal (rebounds).
If your winger does not have possession of the puck then read the play, will he get possession? If you are unsure get a bit closer so you can help him out if help is needed. Remember you are the support guy, so if your winger is getting double teamed along the boards get in there and dig for the puck to help him out.
Remeber to Give your players options if your winger has the puck and is looking for a pass either get open in front of the net, or head behind the net so your winger can cycle the puck back to you. If the winger is heading up the boards and cycles the puck back to you then look for him moving to the net, this is a great way for the winger to shake the D and then get open and then you can feed him the puck for a shot on net.
What if the other team has the puck?
If the other team has possession in the offensive zone then you should switch to defense. They will be attempting to break out and you don’t want that to happen. While on defense in the offensive zone you need to read the play, see where guys are moving, and watch where the guy with the puck is looking, this will help you predict their moves and hopefully intercept a pass or strip the man of the puck and re-gain possession. Usually when they get possession you should start moving towards the blue line, that way if they try to make a break out pass you can intercept, or at least have a bit of speed going to back-check / keep up with the play, you don’t want to get caught deep in your end with the other team breaking out.
Duties of the Centerman in the Defensive Zone
In the defensive zone your team is trying to stop the other team from scoring and you are trying to get the puck out. Just like in the offensive zone your job as a centerman is to offer support. Also similar to the offensive zone you will be hanging around the slot area, but this time for different reasons.
When the other team has the puck and is trying to score they will be trying to get open in front of the net, usually they will have a winger and a centermen, and sometimes a D-man will sneak in close to the top of the circle if the opportunity arises. This means there are 1-3 men who are looking for a puck in front of the net. On your team you have two defencemen, one is usually busy trying to get the puck, while the other is in front of the net being a BOSS and not letting people get near the net or get open. As a centermen you want to help him out and pick up anyone who might be open. Hang out in the slot, block the cross ice passes, and tie up any open man.
A lot of the goals that get scored come from cross-ice passes, one-timers, and back door tap in goals, these occur when a player on the opposite side of the ice gets open and his team mate feeds him the puck for a nice open net goal (especially if you have a slow goalie). As a centerman you want to make sure this does not happen. Try to see what lanes are open and block them, you don’t have to shadow a player, but keep your head on a swivel and take away any passing opportunities while your d-man battles in the corner to start the break-out. If your defenseman is outnumbered along the boards you can go and help him out, just make sure you aren’t leaving a man wide open in front of the net (in this scenario there would probably only be one person in front of the net and your other defensemen should have him covered anyways).
Tips for clogging up the center area and blocking passes
Read the play and think about the ice in “lanes” what lanes are open? what options does the opposing player with the puck have? if you can get in their head you can stop a lot of plays
Watch the eyes of the player who has the puck, they usually look before they pass so it can give you some clues to where they will be skating or passing
You can take up a lot of ice and still stay mobile, take a look at the picture to the right. This is a good pass-blocking position. The player uses his stick to block in front, his front leg is in a position to block a saucer pass but still allow him to get up quickly if he needs to, and his back leg is kneeling which covers some ice behind him. Of all the pass-blocks I see this one is the most effective (I used this method to stop the other team from scoring an empty net goal recently!)
Remember that this is a good technique for blocking passes, but not as good if the person is taking a slapshot, for that you could read our article and video on how to block a shot.
What happens when your team gets the puck?
When your team gets possession in the defensive zone it is time to start the break-out. There are a number of ways to break out but it usually starts with the d-man passing to the centermen who then feeds a breaking winger, or the winger getting the puck and feeding it to the centerman.
Make sure the puck gets out of your end!
Sometimes when the defensemen gets the puck all three forwards start skating for a breakout pass, but this can cause problems. Read the play, does your d-man have a clear pass to a winger? If he does then great, start skating out of the zone for a pass from your winger. If the defensemen doesn’t have a clear pass you can circle in and get an easy short pass to start the break out. Another option is when the defense have the puck behind the net, this is your cue to skate hard behind the net and either pick up the puck, or leave it and then get a pass from the d-man, or head to center for the d-to-winger-to-centerman pass. Remember you are the support man so you should always be giving your players options for passes
Duties of the Centerman in the Neutral Zone
In the Neutral zone you are either attacking or playing defense. For the break out you will either have the puck, or looking to get the puck. If you have the puck you can pass to the head man (if that’s an option) skate with the puck into the other teams end, or if the defense have you covered just go for a dump and chase, or dump and change.
If your team mates have the puck you have a few options, if your defencemen has the puck you can skate across lanes in the neutral zone in order to give your defencemen someone to pass to, if your winger has the puck you will either get a pass from him in the neutral zone or break into the offensive zone. While breaking in the first man in should go hard to the net, and the second man in will stay high.
If the other team has the puck you are basically trying to stop them from getting into your zone. In most cases you will be playing catch-up so skate hard to get into the play and try to get in the way of passes, or sneak up on the guy with the puck and strip the puck from him. If you are in front of the play you can help the defensemen, try to either pick up the man closest to you who is trying to get open for a pass, or if you are closest to the guy with the puck match his speed and force him to the boards.
Tips for taking and winning Faceoffs
Winning the faceoff is very important no matter who’s end you are in, below I will outline a few tips that should help you win more faceoffs
Choke up on the stick, having your lower hand closer to the blade of the stick allows you to get a lot of power on the draw and react quickly
If you are winning the puck to the back hand turn both your hands over (like the picture to the right) this helps you pull the stick back quickly and gives you a slight advantage
Talk to your wingers and defencemen first and let them know what you plan to do off the faceoff, usually a quick head nod will do the trick but it helps if you have a plan
You don’t always have to win the faceoff with your stick, you can tie the man up and have a winger come in, or you can tie up the wingers stick and kick the puck back with your foot
Watch the refs hand or elbow, if the ref holds the puck high then watch his elbow as this will move first, if the ref holds the puck lower then watch his hand. You don’t have to stare at it, but keep an eye on it in your peripheral vision. When his hand moves you should start moving to win the faceoff.
Read the other player and try to predict what he is going to do, this may help you change your strategy and win more faceoffs.
A good trick for faceoffs in the neutral zone is to tap the puck forwards and try to blast through the defence, it’s a risky move but it works.
How to Win a Faceoff Video
This is a video we did on how to win Faceoffs, if you want a few extra tips you can also see the full article on how to win face-offs
In Summary
WOOH, that only took me a few hours to write and edit, hopefully I covered everything In summary the centermen will usually be hanging out in the slot / circles in the offensive and defensive zones. While in that area the centermen should be looking for opportunities to get the puck either by calling for a pass, intercepting a pass, or by recognizing a moment when his teammate needs help and then going in and getting the puck. The wingers and defence have areas they should always be, but the centermen has the freedom to roam around these areas and help out. Faceoffs are very important so the centermen should take this skill very seriously and always be working to improve his faceoff win percentage. Centermen should also be good skaters and be able to give and receive passes very well.
I think that pretty much sums up the role of the centermen, if I missed anything or you are unclear about something just let me know in the comments below and I will do my best to respond.
I was watching a Detroit Red Wings game recently and I was particularly focused on their star player, Sergei Fedorov. I was interested in trying to understand what makes him so dangerous and explosive on the ice. On might think that because Fedorov is just flat-out faster than everyone else, the opposing team simply has to give him room to operate.
However, what I have discovered is that while his straight-ahead speed is imposing (he regularly vies for the title of fastest skater at the NHL all star skills competition), it is actually the speed and fluidity with which he performs his lateral maneuvers that is perhaps his most lethal weapon. In fact, it is this fundamental that the Europeans, in general, seem to perform with much more regularity, speed and effectiveness than we do here. Therefore, this month’s column is dedicated to helping you improve your side-to-side moves.
Forward Lateral Moves Forward lateral moves in games are used either to elude the defender or to keep them off balance. They can also be used when making a fake, or simply to generate more speed or momentum. Most players use the Crossover Technique to make a lateral move, which is accomplished by first crossing over to one side and then quickly back to the other.
Fundamentals: To improve your crossover lateral moves, it is important that you learn to take them to the side, rather than in a direct, straight line (of course, this does not mean that you simply go side-to-side. You still need to maintain your forward speed, as well). To accomplish this, you should try to think of this maneuver as having three separate parts.
The first part is the crossover maneuver itself, where the outside leg comes over the inside leg and begins to take your momentum to the side.
The second part is the crossing under, or pulling motion of the inside leg against the ice (forming the letter “C” with your legs), which should give you even more speed to the side.
The third part comes when you spring off the inside edge of your crossover foot (the outside foot) as far to the side as possible, landing on the inside edge of the other foot (the one that was pulling under the body). This third aspect of the maneuver will be the fundamental that you will most likely have trouble with. It is very difficult to center all of your body weight over the inside edge in order to get that power to jump to the side. And yet, this is a vital element of the lateral maneuver, and one that can only improve with plenty of practice.
Another excellent lateral maneuver is the side-to-side move without using a crossover, which I like to refer to as Lateral Jumps. This is a move at which the Russians, Finns and Swedes, in particular, excel. However, it is a fundamental that, over the years, has almost been ignored in North American training.
I had the opportunity to see the great Mats Naslund (now back with the Boston Bruins) perform this move up close when I coached him in skating techniques in Sweden last year. It is an incredibly effective move because the defenseman have no idea which way the skater intends to go. In fact, this move can often times work better than the crossover technique, because when you crossover you are fairly committed to going in the direction that you cross, while with the Lateral Jumps you can switch directions much more rapidly.
Fundamentals: To improve your lateral moves without the use of a crossover, you must gain the ability to center your weight directly over one foot—planted firmly on an inside edge—so that you can attain maximum thrust to the side from that pushing foot. For this move to be effective in a game situation, you should already have a good head of steam. (Of course, it is important that you practice this maneuver at slower speeds when first attempting it). You then quickly jump to the side from one inside edge to the other without losing that forward speed.
The first step of the Lateral Jump technique is to roll the ankle of your outside foot inward to grip the ice with a strong inside edge, centering all of your weight over it while bending at the knees. The second step is to then spring off of that foot as far to the side (not up!) as possible, landing on the inside edge of the other foot.
Wide Base vs. Narrow Base
When we talk about the Forward or Backward Stride, we often discuss how important it is that you start with your feet in a narrow base in relation to your body. That is because these are straight line maneuvers, and starting with your feet too wide will actually take your momentum to the side.
That is exactly the point we are trying to make with regard to the side-to-side moves discussed above. Which is to say, you should make sure that you jump to the side with your feet slightly outside your shoulder line; this gives you better balance, and the lateral mobility needed for generating speed when making explosive shifts and fakes out to the side.
Robby Glantz, power skating coach for the Los Angeles Kings, Swedish champions Malmö, and the German National Teams, conducts skating programs throughout North America and Europe.
The beginning roller hockey player often falls prey to some basic mistakes that not only hamper him or her in excelling at the game but, more important, in their enjoyment of the game. While I said “beginner,” all players can benefit by reading through this column and seeing what they can do to improve, and enjoy the game, a little more.
Skates that fit
One of the most common problems is the improperly fitted or tied skate. And don’t think because you have buckles that you can’t fit into this category. A common mistake made by parents is to buy their kids skates that are several sizes too big, so that their children “grow into” them. This will hamper their skating ability and could cause physical damage to their feet. The general rule of thumb in buying skates is that they should be about one half size smaller than the actual shoe size, and once the foot is in the boot, there should be enough room to fit an index finger behind the heel. Once the boot is laced snugly, you should not be able to lift your heel, and your toes should not be touching the front of the skate.
Improperly tied skates are another of the most common problems I see. Most of the time players are so enthusiastic, and want to get onto the surface so quickly, that they do a hurry-up job in tying their skates. Sometimes, however, the player just lacks the physical strength to do an adequate job. The buckle-type closures have solved the latter problem, but they create their own. Buckle closures often pop and open up; often because they are not properly closed, other times because the puck/ball or a stick hits it.
Take your time and make sure your skates are secured properly before trying to go end to end.
Stick length
The next most common mistake made is in the proper length of your stick. Most younger players use a stick that is just too big for them to effectively stickhandle with. When a player is on their wheels, the butt end of the standing stick should come between their nose and chin. If you have a stick that is too long, draw a line even with your mouth and simply cut the stick. If you are an ice hockey player playing roller hockey also, you need to remeasure your stick on the wheels. You will most likely find that your ice hockey stick is a little too short. Also, if you go to a new frame, or change from a set of 72 mm to a 76 mm wheels, you need to remeasure.
Bend, bend, bend
There are three joints that need to be “bent” or flexed when skating, and two of them are usually ignored by beginning skaters. Most people have no problem bending at the waist. It’s the knees and ankles that we have to be forced to bend in the beginning. Ideally, a 90° knee bend and a 60° ankle bend should be achieved. Realistically, a 60° and 30° angle can be achieved at the start.
One ritual that creates problems with the ankle bend is wrapping our skates and ankles too tightly. Many a time I’ve seen young players take an entire roll of tape and wrap their ankles over and over again. This is the worst thing a player can do! It not only cuts off your circulation, but does not allow you to bend.
Keep your head down. You might be missing out on all the fun because you are looking for it in the wrong places. We all need to keep our heads up more—even the seasoned professional. With a fast and unpredictable game like hockey, we must be able to see and react quickly. If we constantly skate with our head down, we see nothing but our own skates and the dust on the floor—and that won’t make you a leading scorer in any league. More importantly, if we are carrying the puck/ball, we need to know who’s open, what lane is open to skate to, where the defensive coverage is weak, etc. So to get into the play, keep the old noggin up.
Stick position
Do you want to score more goals, get more passes during a game, make better defensive plays? If the answer is yes, make sure the blade of your stick is on the surface and in position to accept the puck/ball. That’s right, that’s all it will take. Put your stick down on the surface and you will be a better player.
The other big problem with the stick is the hand position. This is not golf, so we need to separate our hands on the shaft of the stick. The easiest way to figure out where to put your hands is to take your top hand and keep it near the butt end of the stick. Then take the elbow of your other hand and place it directly on top of the thumb of the hand that is nearest the butt end. Next, allow the forearm of your bottom hand (the one with the elbow resting on top of your thumb) to rest lightly on the shaft of the stick. Grasp the stick with this hand where your palm meets the shaft. That hand now becomes the bottom hand in your grip.
Money problems
The major factor in many of these situations—especially the improper fitting or sizing of equipment—is the cost factor. In the long run, however, you may end up spending more by buying the wrong new equipment than if you bought good second-hand equipment. For example, an improperly fitted skate can wear out twice as fast as a properly fitted one.
The most practical answer may be purchasing gear in either a second-hand store (like Play It Again Sports), or the used equipment section of your local sporting goods store. You might inquire with your organization about an equipment swap. There are a lot of people out there in the same boat as you, and if we all do the rowing we might get where we want to go and spend a little less money along the way.
Hope your swap meet is a success, and keep on rolling!
Wayne Anderson is Managing Director of Huron Hockey’s roller hockey schools based in Matawan NJ.
In summary the centermen will usually be hanging out in the slot / circles in the offensive and defensive zones. While in that area the centermen should be looking for opportunities to get the puck either by calling for a pass, intercepting a pass, or by recognizing a moment when his teammate needs help and then going in and getting the puck. The wingers and defence have areas they should always be, but the centermen has the freedom to roam around these areas and help out. Faceoffs are very important so the centermen should take this skill very seriously and always be working to improve his faceoff win percentage. Centermen should also be good skaters and be able to give and receive passes very well.
