subject: Hockey Skating Drills For Speed and Power - Tips For Getting Faster on the Ice [print this page] Any player who is trying to become a better player needs to be doing hockey skating drills to try and improve their speed and power. Powerful, fast, skaters dominate on the ice. A big player with speed is an unstoppable force, and for smaller players, speed is the absolute key to success. Here are some great tips on improving your speed and power on the ice.
First of all, do interval and ladder drills in your on-ice workouts. Intervals are simply series of high intensity bursts followed by low intensity rest. For example, skate at maximum speed as hard as you can for 45 seconds, and then skate lightly for a minute or two, and then repeat. Intervals do great things for developing speed, because at periods you're working at maximum intensity, something you can't sustain for long periods.
Another great option is to add extra resistance to your skating drills. As long as you can keep your form correct, adding resistance will force you to work harder and result in solid gains. A great way to do this is by attaching an exercise parachute. Elastic bands can also be used to add resistance, or you could simply have a coach hang on while you skate. When the resistance is removed, you'll feel much lighter, and your power and speed will improve over time.
Finally, time everything. If you don't time yourself, you'll never know for sure that you're improving, or at what rate. Time yourself doing different drills and always work to beat your best time. This simple tip can have some drastic results compared with players who don't time themselves.
These tips will help you improve your speed and power on the ice, but these are only a few of the many different exercises and drills you can do to get faster and more powerful. Consider investing in a good hockey fitness and training manual, or consult a sport-specific trainer.
Hockey Skating Drills For Speed and Power - Tips For Getting Faster on the Ice
