Hockey skating technique for beginners. Power skating with explosive speed. Coordination exercise
We asked Sergei Novitsky, the European champion in figure skating, to tell us what you need to do in order to confidently skate and feel like a queen or queen on the rink.
1. Choose the right skates
If you want to confidently cut through the ice on skates and develop your skills, then rolling skates will no longer be enough. You need to get your own, in addition, the assortment in stores allows you to choose the optimal model that will fully meet your goals (that is, hockey skates are not suitable for ordinary ice skating). The main thing in this business, of course, is not to make a mistake with the size. Always focus on the insole of the skate - it should be half a centimeter larger than the foot. And be sure to fully lace up the skates before buying and walk around the store in them. The most common mistake is that many people choose skates that are a size larger than they actually need - during the movement, the leg bends and the foot moves back a little. You need to lace up skates in the same way as shoes - with a cross-shaped overlap. Make sure that the ankle is fixed - the shoes should be an extension of the leg.
2. Dress for the weather
If the temperature on indoor skating rinks is quite high, then you need to thoroughly prepare for skating in the fresh air and dress for the weather. The ideal option is three layers of clothing. The first layer, which is also the bottom one, absorbs sweat and quickly evaporates moisture, saving you from hypothermia - cotton underwear is perfect for this. The second layer is just responsible for warming - choose soft sweaters and warm comfortable trousers (skis are also suitable). The top, third layer protects from wind and snow - a light down jacket will not hurt. In any case, the main requirement for clothing is comfort; it should be tight enough, but not restrict movement. Plus, on an open rink, there is a high probability of getting frostbite, so do not forget about gloves, a scarf (it should not be long so as not to accidentally catch on something) and a hat. But you should not wear too thick socks, as the foot must feel the skate, otherwise there may be problems with control.
3. Before you go out on the ice, do a warm-up
Since skating is characterized by not the most familiar movements for a person, be sure to warm up all the muscles before going out on the ice. Such a warm-up is not much different from what you are doing or. From top to bottom, starting at the head, work out the shoulders, arms, pelvis, knees, and ankles. These five minutes will be enough to save you from unnecessary injuries and sprains. Skating is basically a complex coordinating sport that requires good athletic skills such as balance and coordination. To skate correctly and confidently, you must develop flexibility and endurance, know your body and listen to your own sensations. Plus, of course, you need muscles. Very strong muscles.
4. Keep the correct body position when riding
The two most common mistakes while skating are straight legs and bulging back buttocks. So, instead of sliding, the person begins to walk. The correct position of the body is the one in which you are accustomed to feel. Imagine you have two shoulders and two thigh bones, together they form a square, and your task is not to break such a square while riding. At the same time, constantly control your knees - they should always be bent. Hands should also not hang around idle - they help maintain balance, so it is better to take them to the sides. Do not put your socks parallel to each other, on the contrary, spread them slightly outward so that the angle of 45 degrees is maintained during movement. Try to push off with the inside edge of the skate blade (rather than the outside edge or tooth) and shift your weight alternately from one leg to the other, straightening and bending your knees. It can take years to form the ideal sliding step - you need to regularly practice, do special exercises on the floor that imitate skating, and learn to balance, in particular, transfer the center of gravity from one foot to the other.
5. Master the right turn technique
In fact, learning to turn is not so difficult, for this you need to understand what kind of turn you want to make - back or forward. If you pivot from forward to backward, try to rotate your heel by pushing your foot closer to the front of the boot. And when it comes to turning from back to forward, press closer to the heel, turning the tooth of the skate, and not the entire blade. At the same time, try not to twist the body.
6. Learn to slow down
There are several options for braking, the simplest is heel braking. To do this, place your legs parallel to each other and lift the toe of one foot towards you. There are, of course, more complex ways of braking, for example, with the letter “T” - move one leg forward, and slide it across with the blade of the second skate, the braking leg can be both behind and in front. Here it is important to keep the foot with the ankle and not to put the skate on either the outer or the inner edge - otherwise you can fall.
7. Fall right
When falling, first of all, save your head: you need to group, press your chin to your chest and put out one hand - use only a brush and in no case your elbow. While riding, tilt your body slightly forward, so you reduce the risk of the most dangerous fall on your back. If you have not been on the ice for a long time, then at first additional protection will not hurt you. In the US and Europe, in principle, it is customary to ride in helmets and knee pads, but this practice has not yet taken root in our country.
8. Find a good coach
Purely theoretically, you can master the correct technique on your own, but in any case, you need to at least occasionally contact a specialist who can look at your movements from the outside and, if necessary, make adjustments. Still, learning a technique does not mean mastering it, and even more so correctly. If a person skates and does not fall, this does not mean that he is doing everything right. And if you want to not only develop your skills, but also improve them by mastering complex technical elements, then you simply need a coach, since one incorrect movement can lead to serious injuries. At the same time, remember: skating twice a month in order to learn how to confidently skate and make progress is not enough, but 3-4 hour sessions per week will be just right.
The speed of movement and speed of reaction in hockey depends on the physical characteristics of the player and the level of his training.
The most important for hockey players is the speed of skating, dribbling and passing. But if stride length plays an important role in athletics, then in hockey it is exclusively general physical training. In order to develop the ability to move quickly, there are special exercises for speed in hockey. It doesn't hurt to follow some of the recommendations.
- Focus your efforts at distances up to 15 m. Rapid change of direction, endless acceleration and deceleration require the ability to achieve maximum acceleration. This skill plays no less important role than endurance in long-distance skating. During dry training, sprinting and shuttle running are used to develop acceleration skills.
- Develop your skating skills. Of particular importance in hockey is the ability to control not only yourself, but also your opponent. In hockey, all skating skills, without exception, are important, but the main advantage of a hockey player is high speed combined with mastery of the stick and power moves. You need to understand that speed on ice does not depend on fast foot movements, but on the correct technique of repulsion and rolling.
- Observe the measure. Approach your workouts wisely, listen to your body and do not overload it. After sprinting during dry training or speed competitions on ice, learn to rest. Fast recovery in hockey is just as important as high speed. Take breaks between exercises, but during classes give your best.
- Practice lateral accelerations. Movements in hockey are not straightforward, so lateral accelerations occupy an important place in a number of professional skills. Diagonal movements will help to increase speed in hockey - lateral accelerations based on the outer or inner leg.
Remember that speed is not the only advantage in hockey: without studying the tactics and strategy of this exciting game, without regular training, you will not be able to achieve outstanding results. Therefore, the main thing in hockey is training, training and more training. And one more thing: do not give up at the first failures, and in case of success, do not stop at the achieved results! Dancers need fast legs, and hockey players need powerful legs. Therefore, exercises for the development of speed in hockey should be correctly alternated with strength exercises. Only in this case, the speed of your skating will definitely increase. Enlarge as well
Learn to play hockey ice skating is not nearly as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Here, as in any other business, it is important to follow some rules and techniques.
Instruction
First, pay attention to the size of the skates. If they are a little big, then wear thick socks. Make sure that the skates fit snugly on your feet, lace up the skates as high as possible, using all the lacing holes for this. This will not only significantly reduce the chance of injury, but will also make it easier for you to learn how to skate on the ice.
At first, hold on to the board or ask a friend or girlfriend who knows how to ride to support you.
Now about how to move. Standing on the ice, turn one leg outward (you will have a pushing leg) and push off with it, shifting your weight to the other leg on which you are rolling. Do not ride with straight legs - bend them at the knees. This will help you keep your balance on the ice better.
Start the movement by pushing off with the pushing leg and roll onto the other, and as soon as the movement comes to an end, push off in the same way with the foot on which you just rolled and roll on the same leg that you pushed off last time.
As you move, every time you alternate between the pushing leg and the trailing leg, shift your weight to the latter, that is, direct your weight to the leg on which you are rolling. Keep your back slightly tilted forward, and keep your legs half-bent.
To skate backwards, do the same movements as you would with traditional skating. A distinctive feature of this move is that the repulsions are made slightly in an arc. At the same time, leave the weight of the body somewhere in the middle between the left and right legs. When you master all the basics of moving on ice skating back, learn to move left and right back dashes.
Practice more, look at those who already know how to ride well, learn something for yourself, ask them to explain and show some elements that you still do not fully understand.
Any mobile sport develops positive qualities in people - resilience, determination, physicality. In addition, sport allows you to keep yourself in good physical shape, which is very important in the modern rhythm of life. One of the most spectacular sports is figure skating. Hockey is the game of millions. Isn't it time for you to go on the ice to become more confident in yourself?
Instruction
To get started, buy skates or rent them to save money.
Choose the right size skates from the following types: free skating, figure skating and hockey, depending on what kind of sport you plan to play. Hockey skates are more resistant to damage (for example, when hit with a stick). Figure skates are heavier than hockey skates and dull faster.
Choose a skating rink: indoor or regular - in a stadium or a special area. If you are just getting on skates, then an indoor skating rink will suit you. For the first classes, choose a time when the rink has the fewest visitors. Thus, you will overcome the primary stiffness, self-doubt.
Take your first steps on the ice. They must be gentle, to overcome the slide you will need to tighten the muscles of the thighs, which may have been inactively used before. Get comfortable on the ice a little, take a couple of steps, get used to the rhythm of flexion-extension of the muscles when sliding.
Remember that figure skating is a traumatic sport. Therefore, adhere to the following rules when sliding on ice:
Keep your back straight;
The legs should be slightly bent;
Shift body weight from foot to foot, maintaining balance.
Learn the simplest elements of figure skating. Start with the simplest element - "Three" (a loop performed on one leg). First, turn on the right foot on the outer edge of the skate clockwise. Tilt the body slightly forward (toward the center of the circle described by the skater) and perform a turn. Glide on one foot until the movement slows down. After that, straighten the right knee at the same time as turning the torso, the left leg is slightly laid back to maintain balance. Bend your right leg in order to beautifully finish this element in an arc. To learn how to perform this element perfectly, seek help from an instructor or use videos posted on the Internet. Complex figures will require more free time, and most importantly, the desire to train and improve your skills.
Chapter II. Skating
Many hockey players, unfortunately, do not know how to skate properly. Does it surprise you? There's nothing to be done, it's just that most people who follow the course of a hockey match are impressed by the speed of the game and the fury of the power struggle.
For a hockey player, great skating means more than just being able to move quickly from one place on the hockey rink to another. Speed skaters often do it better, but I don’t know a single speed skating specialist who is also a high-class hockey player. You might be even more surprised if I say that in order to play hockey well, you need to be almost completely distracted from skating technique while on the ice. A hockey player must be able to skate so naturally and with such ease that he does not have to think about how to take the skates off the ice and how to put them on the ice. The hockey player's mind should be focused on the stick and the puck, on the choice of position and the development of the attack.
First you need to learn how to skate correctly, and then start playing hockey. This does not mean, however, that the players do not have the opportunity to correct their shortcomings. It means something else: the easiest way to hockey mastery lies through mastering the correct technique of skating.
You can hardly imagine a boy joining a children's basketball team and not being able to throw a ball. However, look at the kids on the beginner hockey teams and you will see how many good guys there are, burning with the desire to learn hockey wisdom, but completely lacking the necessary skating skills. But it must be borne in mind that the boys cannot simultaneously learn both the correct skating and the game of hockey. There is no doubt that they can improve in skating technique, but along with the development of the ability to quickly move across the ice field, they also acquire erroneous skills that put an end to them as future hockey masters.
Not too long ago, I asked a recruiter from our club what the first thing he looks for when he looks at players in children's teams. “On the ability to skate,” the recruiter replied, adding that he can usually instantly determine whether a young hockey player has the prospect of becoming a player in the National Hockey League. "It's a pity," he concluded, "that so few guys pay attention to how they ride."
It is extremely easy to single out a player who skates well among the masters of a high-class team. Watch the next hockey game for a player who will run like crazy on the ice, skating more, and maybe faster than all other players on the field. It is likely that with his external agility he will make a good impression on the audience, but it is almost certain that he does not really know how to skate. It is possible that his biggest problem is that he cannot keep the correct balance while running. You may notice that he often falls and turns to one side faster than the other. This sparkling guy does not even suspect that he could have scored many more goals if he knew how to skate better.
The greatest of the great hockey players of all time, Gordon Howe, is an example of a player with almost perfect skating skills. During the game, he minimizes sharp jerks in the direction of the attack or behind the puck. Many hockey fans believe that he is saving himself, that he is too skilled a player to waste energy on fruitless jerks. This is partly true, but the main thing is that Gordon Howe comprehended all the secrets of skating. He moves on the ice exactly as much as the player needs, who always and everywhere has time. We must also not forget that Gordon Howe knows exactly what he needs to do on the field in any circumstances.
Coaches believe that hockey skating can be divided into three types: free skating, maneuvering skating, and back skating.
Free skating.
With practice, you can achieve the formation of sufficiently strong skating skills, if you always remember that the most effective skating is the one that expends the least energy.
By free skating, or, as some coaches call it, “skating in a straight line,” we mean skating on an ice surface (with or without a puck) without the use of turns, stops, jerks.
Before explaining the technical essence of free skating, I will make a small appeal to the reader. When reading this section, keep in mind that while the advice it contains is very important, everyone should develop their own style of skating, which, despite its individuality, must comply with the general rules of skating.
Correct free skating skills cannot be developed without taking into account the position of the body and the quality of the step. All novice hockey players have heard the coach shouting in training: “Keep your head up!”. By making this remark, the coach does not mean that you need to skate, standing up almost to a vertical position. The coach just wants to say that the riders while running should see where they are going.
It should always be remembered that most of the energy needed to move quickly on skates is created by the oxygen inhaled by the athlete. Therefore, when moving on skates, it is necessary to take the shoulders back somewhat so that the chest can easily expand, opening free access of oxygen to the lungs. This helps the hockey player also see the field better.
To maintain balance in free skating, it is necessary that the upper body is well in front of the skates, and at the same time the head is raised to ensure deep and free breathing. There is no single recipe for achieving balance while skating. For most people, this is provided by the "shoulders in front of the hips" formula, although the shoulders should not be pushed too far forward. However, many lean forward too far.
Dave Keon, a young forward from the Toronto Maple Leafs, typically skates with his shoulders back and his head up. This excellent Quebec-born hockey player found the most comfortable skating position for himself.
Thus, it is necessary to begin with in order to find the best position for the upper body. Remember, you need to keep your head up, keep your balance and not lose the feeling of comfort when riding. Getting these three factors to interact all the time is not easy. Try to skate in a different position at every practice, especially when you're not actually playing hockey. It also means that you should not lose the slightest opportunity to practice skating.
I do not mean endless skating to the music at the local rink, but such skating on any ice, when the hockey player relentlessly monitors the balance, head position, lung function and the convenience of the adopted position.
Now for the step. Never try to take more steps than your sense of balance tells you to. As you develop the habit of taking the most comfortable position for the upper body and gaining confidence in running (as a result of developing the ability to maintain balance), your stride length will increase.
Crashing into the ice, the rear skate creates the pushing moment necessary for movement. Try to apply pressure not only with your feet, but also with your fingers. For years, I simply flexed my fingers in an attempt to give my body a more powerful push. Each step should be calculated so that you slide as far as possible on the ice without losing the pushing force forward.
Remember that the step should be as long as possible. In some cases, such as when trying to get a puck thrown through all the zones or at the initial stage of organizing an attack, you can also shorten the step to quickly gain speed. But you should not forget that as soon as you switch to moving in sharp, jerky jerks, you are threatened with some loss of balance, which is necessary in order to fully control your skates.
In addition to the correct step, the movement of the arms and shoulders plays an important role in ensuring balance. When walking and running, the arm and shoulder move in time with the opposite leg. This is easy to check in practice. When skating, the situation is different. We direct the entire weight of the body in the direction of movement, and the shoulder and arm follow the forward leg.
Watch others from the sidelines and try to identify what mistakes they make when skating. And then analyze your own skating technique by asking yourself a few questions.
How natural, for example, do you take your skates off the ice and put them on the ice?
Many do it well, and some don't. At the next hockey game, keep a close eye on the hockey players as they slowly roll up to the puck faceoff. They either move by inertia, or simply lift the skates and put them back on the ice. They do this slowly, and there is no need for the application of force here.
Another thing is when you roll somewhere with a specific goal. The rear skate should crash into the ice, and at the last moment of movement, a certain push forward should follow. This is far from easy to do, so when you learn to skate or try to improve your skating technique, be sure to consider the need for this strong push with your back foot. It will take a long time before you start doing it unconsciously. Remember that the speed of skating depends on the strength of the push. Even now, I often focus my attention on pushing with the back skate, although I do a lot of stick work quite naturally, without thinking about it at all.
Continuous improvement of skating technique is the responsibility of every hockey player.
What is the position of your ankles? Is it correct?
The ankles can arch either inward or outward, but neither position can be considered normal. True, this defect can be easily eliminated. First things first, make sure your boots fit and that they are laced correctly. If the boots are laced too tight, circulation is interrupted, and if the boots are laced too loosely, the ankles do not have proper support. A good pair of boots with skates is of the utmost importance.
Practice shows that a person with normal physical data usually has fairly strong ankles and can skate without experiencing discomfort. When properly laced, good skates provide the right amount of support, although some players need additional ankle reinforcement to prevent fatigue after a long stay on the ice.
With what force do you throw your skates onto the ice?
If every step on your skates gives you a jarring sensation, you're probably lifting your skates too high off the ice. It is not necessary to lift the skates higher than necessary to move forward with steps. Also, by raising your skate too high off the ice, you put yourself in a position where you can easily be knocked off balance.
How stable is your torso?
Ideally, the center of the chest of hockey players in free skating should be directed in the direction of movement. At the same time, it is important that you, with full control of the movement and position of the torso, allow it to swing naturally. The speed of riding largely depends on how correctly your torso swings and the center of gravity of the body moves.
Maneuverable ride.
The art of maneuvering skating is the key to the success of the game of hockey. Some knowledge in the field of maneuvering skating techniques can also enhance the enjoyment that spectators get from this game. In fact, most National Hockey League players are proficient in this type of skating, performing elements of it with such ease that it seems to be no problem for them to do all these cross steps, braking with two skates, “scooters”, etc.
Otherwise it can not be. A hockey player who was clearly focused on properly shifting his body weight when turning, or angling his lead skate when braking with two skates, would look as clumsy as a basketball player who can't dribble without looking at him.
There are a good dozen maneuverable skating techniques that seem simple from the outside. However, learning to master them is not an easy task. Young hockey players, unfortunately, rarely follow the correct methodology for developing maneuvering skating techniques, and yet their future playing skills - if, of course, they are going to comprehend the mysteries of hockey at all - depends on the extent to which they manage to master the tricks of maneuvering skating.
Turning now to the description of some specific techniques, I would like to remind you of the need for the correct positioning of the torso, maintaining balance and the correct step during free skating. Maneuverable skating requires the player to quickly shift the weight of the body, providing changes in the direction of movement and speed. As a result of prolonged training, all such "adjustments" of balance should become as automatic as the breathing of a hockey player.
Cross step. One of the first skating techniques that beginners master is the cross step, or, as this technique is called in some places, “cut circles”. When a skater enters the ice of a city skating rink, he skates, as it were, in an elongated circle. Along the sides of the rink, it moves in a straight line, and approaching the end of the ice platform, it slows down and throws one skate over the other.
In the National Hockey League, the cross step reaches perfection when, for example, a hockey player like Jean Beliveau of Montreal goes out of his own net and picks up the puck from his defender, starting another attack. Beliveau can enter the gate from either side, and, making a cross step, he never loses his balance. He places the skate behind him at such an angle that it cuts as deep as possible into the ice, and although Beliveau's body is more straightened than that of most hockey players with excellent skating skills, this position is most convenient for him. And most importantly, Beliveau is constantly focused on the puck and the upcoming development of the combination.
Note that I said that Jean Beliveau can go behind his net from either side, while many hockey players do this only when absolutely necessary. The explanation is simple: for most skaters, both hockey players and non-hockey players, cross-stepping one way is more comfortable than the other. However, the ability to cross step equally well to the left and to the right is one of those seemingly small features that distinguish a good hockey player from a "so-so" hockey player.
Each of us can say that he often uses either his right or left hand in his work. As for the legs, we are either left-handed, or our right leg is stronger. Developing the habit of a good cross stride in a naturally familiar direction is relatively easy. By regular practice, however, we can develop the ability to cross step in both directions.
The natural execution of a cross step in the usual direction should always be taken into account by the defender, in the direction of which the attack develops. If a defenseman has learned well the skating style of a dribbler rushing in his direction, he will not make a mistake in determining which side of the attack the attacker will prefer. You can bet that, all other things being equal, the attacker will take a cross step in the usual direction. And this means that the defender will already have a certain advantage over the attacking player.
Every hockey player must learn to cross step both ways with equal ease. In the meantime, most players prefer to perform this technique in the same direction. Therefore, if you know the habits of hockey players, you can predict the pattern of the game.
At the beginning of the cross step, you need to transfer the weight of your body to the skate, in the direction of which you intend to direct the movement. Drive the skate into the ice with the outer edge (located closer to the inside of the turn) and make sure that the knee is sufficiently bent. Then bring the outside leg over the inside, as if describing a circle with it, and lower it onto the ice, all the while remembering that the skate must crash into the ice with the inside edge to create a push forward.
When performing a cross step, the following must be considered: the knees must be sufficiently bent, the outside skate should push off in the direction of movement, the inside skate should push with the outside edge. You need to pay special attention to these elements of the reception when you perform a cross step in your "weak" side.
A coach who doesn't do everything to teach young hockey players how to cross step to both sides is actually neglecting one of the basic skills in skating and thus not doing his duty.
Stops and jerks from a place. The alternation of stops and runs is what makes hockey a spectacularly attractive sport. A great master in this matter, Chico Maki. He can rush across the ice at breakneck speed and suddenly stop in his tracks, crashing both skates into the ice. A column of icy dust rises into the air, and it is already rolling in the other direction. Even the best skater in the world will not become a hockey player if he does not learn to instantly stop and change the direction of movement, up to the opposite, when necessary. You can stop by braking with one or two skates or with a “plough”. However, during the game, as a rule, you have to stop unexpectedly and quickly, and this is best done with two skates.
So think for a second about the importance of double skate braking. For every offensive combination that ends with a goal scored by the opponents, there are at least a hundred that end with a goalkeeper save or intercept a pass. Even in the National Hockey League, there are too many players who, when they see their team's attack being thwarted, do not immediately stop and start moving in the opposite direction. Instead, they slide by inertia, describing large circles. Since no effort is required for inertial sliding, they do not miss this opportunity to give themselves a short break. However, such players can be considered lost to the team if their teammates pick up the puck, starting a new offensive combination, or if they are waiting in their own half of the field to combat the attacking players of the opposing team. There aren't too many players on the field for a coach to put up with even one of them (and even for a moment) being useless offensively or defensively. Such a hockey player can be compared to a football player who, during the game, would suddenly want to sit on the field and take a break.
Watch at the next match how many players roll away from the epicenter of the hockey battle on the field. This will certainly surprise you, and you will often ask yourself why they do not try to be in the thick of the action, using instant stop techniques and moving around the field for the maximum benefit to the team.
When braking with two skates, the hockey player must quickly turn both skates to the right or left, bend the knees and shift the weight of the body back, thereby creating pressure on the ribs of the blades of both skates. The force of pressure is regulated by the extent to which the hockey player straightens his knees. At the moment of stopping, the strength of his legs extinguishes the inertia of forward movement.
Another technique for performing a two-skate brake is for the player to first jump slightly and turn in the air, and then lower himself onto the ice, slamming his skate blades into it. This technique is best used for a quick stop, but controlling your body during a jump is very, very difficult. Trying to master this outwardly effective stopping technique can only be done by someone who has a perfectly developed sense of balance and who has exceptionally strong ankles. Try to stop in this way: jump, turn - and in a cloud of icy dust you are immediately ready to change direction. But remember: the slightest mistake in the calculation and coordination of your movements - and you will fall sideways onto the ice and will helplessly “drift” several meters, not only depriving yourself of the opportunity to be useful to the team, but also making yourself a laughing stock for the public.
The great master of the jump stop is Stan Mikita. Stan's ankles are exceptionally strong, and his calculation is so precise that when he jumps, he barely lifts his skates off the ice. It is also noteworthy that outwardly everything turns out to be extremely simple for Mikita.
When braking with one skate, the technique for performing the technique is the same as when braking with two skates with a jump. You lift your inner skate off the ice and, bending your knee and throwing your body weight back significantly, turn your body sharply. The inner edge of the outer skate blade will cut into the ice, and the stopping speed will be proportional to the force with which you straighten your leg. Whether you stop on the right foot or on the left will depend on where the puck is or in what direction the attack develops. Never turn your back on the puck. You always need to stop so as to keep the game situation in sight.
You can also brake with a "plough", but you can use this technique only when driving at low speed. The hockey player turns the toes of the skates inward and brings the knees together, in much the same way as beginner skiers do the “plow” maneuver. This position of the legs gives the hockey player the opportunity to apply evenly distributed pressure on the inner ribs of the skate blades, which leads to a gradual stop. A technique is usually used when a hockey player rolls up to a group of players participating in a scramble for the puck, or drives up to a face-off place.
At first glance, it may seem that the purpose of stopping in any way is quite obvious and does not require explanation. However, the meaning of the stops is not only that the hockey player wants to stop his progress. Whatever way the hockey player stops, he must also be ready in a moment to start moving again, moving to where the puck or the opposing player is, with whom he must enter into single combat.
Lack of confidence is the biggest challenge young hockey players face when performing braking and stopping techniques. The appearance of uncertainty in one's actions is quite understandable: due to the need to transfer weight and quickly turn the body for a moment, it is in the air, and this in itself is unnatural. The only way to gain confidence in your own actions is through hard training. Only training will also help the novice hockey player develop the correct “eye” for setting the skate blades at the right angle to the ice. If the skates are not tightened, then the hockey player will only change the direction of movement, and if they are turned too much, then the weight of the body will “slip” past the skates and the hockey player will fall.
Most minor leagues coaches appreciate the need for constant work on running and stopping techniques, and their efforts pay off handsomely.
"Scooter". Few players in the National Hockey League take the time to master this move, yet it is one of the easiest and most effective ways to move quickly over short distances.
The essence of the "scooter" is, simply put, that the hockey player accelerates in the right direction on one leg, and the other often and powerfully pushes off the ice.
A hockey player who manages to hook the puck with his stick in the center of a group fight often manages to get out of the thick of struggling players only by using a "scooter". However, very few hockey players use this technique. No one has been working on the “scooter” technique for so long that even the best hockey players try to immediately rush in full swing in a difficult situation and climb through the thicket of legs and sticks of a hockey dump. A hockey player who has mastered the “scooter” technique can quickly get out of the hot battle and be ready for further decisive action. It is not difficult to acquire the skills of this technique, and if the team regularly includes it in their training plan, then hockey players will very soon begin to use it constantly in the game, achieving positive results.
Skating backwards
Here is a well-played five rushing across the ice towards the opponent's goal, passing the puck at such a pace that it seems difficult to keep track of them. Such episodes of a hockey game leave perhaps the most vivid impression. And I must say that these lightning-fast attacks would be even more productive if the defenders could not skate backwards almost as fast as they skate forward.
Nowadays, coaches in the National Hockey League are quite aware of the need for constant practice in skating backwards. But, unfortunately, understanding of the importance of training hockey players in this paramount aspect of the game is fading as we go from the major league of hockey to its lower levels. One of the main reasons for this phenomenon is that skating backwards for long stretches, practice in mastering the technique of stopping and jerking from this position requires daily rough work. Moreover, it requires a lot of work, and improvement comes slowly. However, as a winger, who is far from indifferent to the state of the opponent's defense, I can firmly say that what scares me most about a defender is his ability to skate backwards.
Of course, the attacker must also be able to skate backwards, but the mastery of this difficult to acquire technique may not reach the degree of perfection required by the defender. The offensive player often has the opportunity to stop and turn, while the defender in his zone cannot afford to turn sideways or back to the puck if he wants to be useful to the team.
Perhaps one of the reasons why lower-league clubs don't give enough importance to skating backwards is that the defender usually has to roll backwards for only a few steps (except when the defender meets a player rushing at him). the opponent between the blue line and his defending zone, and the opponent carrying the puck does not have sufficient game thinking and goes directly to the defender). However, one must always remember that those few steps that the defender moves backwards can be the most important factor in this playing episode.
A hockey player rolling backwards looks, however, far from graceful. Another thing is a figure skater moving backwards and taking a cross step. He is graceful when, looking back over his shoulder, he rolls measuredly with long steps. But the skater is alone on the ice, and therefore he can not be afraid that the opponent's players, rushing at a terrible speed, will carry him onto the ice.
The hockey defenseman must maintain perfect balance while moving backwards, keep his eyes on the puck and manipulate the stick like an extension of his arm.
For a hockey player, moving backwards usually comes down to a series of "squirming" movements to the side and back, with the glutes and hips playing a primary role in shifting body weight. By pushing back a slightly bent torso, the hockey player shifts the weight of the body onto one leg and at the same time rotates the skate outward, making sure that most of the weight and pressure is on the toe. The whole secret of speed when skating backwards lies in how fast the hockey player swings the hips and buttocks and how hard he pushes with the body-weight-bearing skate. No doubt, leg and ankle strength is also important, but this strength will develop as you train to create the right speed by rocking the hips from side to side.
Although the defender must usually develop the ability to quickly roll backwards in explosive bursts, he must also be able to transition from a back-to-back movement to a dash that would allow him to instantly move from side to side or even straight forward. And this means that the defender must perfectly master the technique of braking.
You can brake by turning the toes of the skates to the outside and closing the knees with the inside. Leaning slightly forward, the hockey player transfers his body weight to the inner edges of the skate blades and stops, straightening his legs.
Perhaps the most effective way of braking would be some kind of inverted version of braking with two skates while moving forward.
To brake sideways while moving backward, you need to turn both skates to the side against the direction of sliding. Remembering that the blades of the skates should lie flat on the ice, you need to bend down well, keeping your knees bent. The speed of the stop depends on the strength of the straightening of the legs while simultaneously sinking the blades of the skates into the ice.
It should be emphasized, however, that even the world's most skilled performer of backward skating techniques, who can stop quickly and spectacularly beautifully, will be of little use to his team, unless he can immediately start moving forward or to the side after moving backwards and immediately turn on. in Game.
For the young hockey player who is eager to learn the techniques of stopping, jerking and turning while moving backwards, I advise you to take an example from Tim Horton, hockey player of the Toronto Maple Leafs. When Horton, a stocky man with slightly bowed legs, rolls backwards, his movements seem especially clumsy. However, it moves very quickly. His art can be fully appreciated only by seeing how deftly he stops with a sharp movement, and then in the blink of an eye breaks away, rushing to the side or forward.
When Tim Horton stops by, say, turning both legs to the left and straightening them out, it is safe to say that his next move will be to step forward with his left skate, while his right skate bites into the ice to provide the hockey player with the forward momentum he needs. This movement, as it were, a little to the side, immediately, as the hockey player transfers body weight to the left leg, it turns into forward movement.
For any good defenseman (and there are many in the National Hockey League), this transition from moving backwards to moving sideways and then forward is so fast that it seems to be an almost continuous, hardly discernible maneuver. Neither Tim Horton nor anyone else had this ability from birth. It's all about hard training.
Almost any defenseman in the National Hockey League who has been in it for at least five years comprehends this art. Of course, even before joining the National Hockey League, he could skate backwards, stop and perform jerks in the other direction, otherwise he would not have seen the big leagues, but it took him long and long training before he learned to perform this with apparent ease. extremely important move.
In my brief discussion of back-to-front skating, I've mainly talked about skating technique in relation to a defender operating in his defensive zone. The attacker rarely has to resort to this technique, but if need forces him to switch to skating backwards, he, as they say, must hurry. And hockey players of any role, including forwards, will greatly benefit from training in working out the back-to-front cross step.
The back-to-back cross step is the reverse of this move when skating forward and is actually reduced to making a turn with large steps, similar to what a skater does when moving backwards before jumping or spinning. In practice, great speed can be achieved when performing a cross step backwards, although under normal conditions during the game, the hockey player will never have to use this technique for a long time. A defender who meets an opposing player rushing at him and moves backwards often has to change direction. He is obliged to keep an eye on the opponents approaching him, leading the puck. If the attackers change direction, the defender can use the "backward cross step" technique to stay in front of the puck handler at all times.
Above, I outlined tips for developing skating skills of the most general nature, and by learning to skate, everyone will be able to acquire such skills to one degree or another. As for a hockey player who wants to master the technique of skating to perfection, subtleties, special tricks and wisdom of skating are already important for him, which find their practical application dozens of times in any game.
Jerks and accelerations
A dash in hockey can be compared to a swimmer jumping into the water at the start of a sprint distance. It has the same meaning as, say, starting in a hundred-meter race. However, sprinting in hockey requires the ability to start a rapid movement in any direction, both from a stationary position and while moving forward or backward. Here you need the ability to move forward, sideways and backwards with an explosive throw.
To get an idea of how a quick sprint is performed, just watch Gilles Trembley of the Montreal Canadiens during a face-off in his team's defensive zone. Trembley relaxed. He holds the stick firmly on the ice with a hook, one leg is slightly forward, and his knees are slightly bent and almost touching each other. From the side it seems that his knees are turned inward and it is uncomfortable for him to stand in this position. But in fact, Trembley, without taking his eyes off the puck, is ready to rush to where the game fight is about to begin, at the very moment the puck is on the ice.
In hockey, the score is a fraction of a second. Once the puck is dropped, it is considered in play. The attacker must be ready to instantly rush off and join the game. In many game situations that occur immediately after a throw-in, it is the forward's ability to make a breakthrough that determines whether his team controls this playing position or not.
The first three or four steps are the most important. The moment the puck touches the ice, the sprinting player must throw his body weight forward even ahead of his lead foot. At this point, the inner edge of the skate blade cuts hard into the ice, and the other leg goes forward. The step should not be long: something about ten centimeters will be enough, and the forward skate should be raised just enough so that it does not touch the ice, and the toe of the skate should be slightly moved to the side. Then the other leg goes forward. Steps are jerky and seem clumsy from the side, but a hockey player like Gilles Trembley maintains complete balance.
How many meters a hockey player moves at such a rapid pace depends on how game events develop on the field. Many hockey players tend to lengthen their stride too quickly and switch to a normal pace of running, and this is wrong. With a normal step, a hockey player can run a long distance faster, but when he makes a quick dash from the face-off place, he sets himself only one goal - to take possession of the puck.
Young hockey players should practice fast sprints with as much attention to them as to stopping techniques, and the training process should not be limited to straight forward sprints. It is necessary to work out jerks from a place to the left, and to the right, and even back.
Let's go back to Gilles Trembley.
Here he rolled up to the place of the face-off, taking an impeccable stance for this case. This time the throw-in is taken to the right of his team's goal, and Trembley took a place at the circle line, with his back to the goal, but so as not to cover the goalkeeper. As soon as the puck is thrown in, the center forwards immediately begin to fight for it, and suddenly it flies behind Trembley in front of the goal area like a black meteor.
In the blink of an eye, Gilles Trembley throws his body weight to the left and at the same time brings his right skate over his left, making a cross step. While his right skate is in motion in the air, the outer edge of his left skate begins to bite into the ice. Trembley's left knee is bent, and when he straightens it, the thrust generated by his hip throws him forward in the direction he wants. Trembley rotates his shoulders and hips until the center of his chest is pointing exactly at the puck and his right skate touches the ice. There is a new instantaneous transfer of body weight, and the inner edge of the right skate crashes into the ice. Barely moving away from the ice, the left skate of Gilles Trembley "runs" a dozen centimeters ahead of the right one, and now Gilles is already performing a quick jerk, moving in sharp jerks.
All this is happening so fast that some people won't have time to blink an eye. Of course, you cannot learn such a snatch in a few days. The secret to performing a pivoting snatch from the faceoff position lies in the turn of the shoulders and the short strides that allow the player to rush towards the puck.
Unlike Gilles Trembley, some players cannot dash right and left with equal ease, yet it is essential that a player has the ability to dash in either direction and execute it as quickly as possible. Here we again return to the cross step, to the ability to perform it both to the left and to the right. Depending on which hand of the hockey player is stronger, he prefers to make turns in the “convenient” direction. However, through continuous exercises, you can learn to turn in the “uncomfortable” direction, and in such a way that over time there will be almost no difference in the performance of turns.
Reversing direction of travel.
If you happen to watch a minor league team play at, say, a toddler's level, try to find a player there who can move forward, turn around, and rush backwards without stopping. I would be surprised if there was at least one such hockey player, but most likely, there will not be such a player at all. By the time the hockey player becomes a junior, he willy-nilly comprehend the wisdom of maneuvering skating, but even when he is accepted into the National Hockey League, he will not dare to use it. As a striker, I consider myself lucky when a defender ignores the opportunity to use this technique, although many have an open prejudice against him. The indecisiveness of the defender during the lightning attack just allows me to make an unhindered shot on goal.
But some defenders perform this technique excellently. Among them, I would like to name Jacques Laperière first of all. He reverses direction with such ease and does it so quickly that in order for the spectator to catch this maneuver, he needs to concentrate all his attention on the execution of the reception, and not on who has the puck.
How many times, I used to lead the puck at high speed along the boards, and Laperiere was right there, coming up with a sharp turn from the side. Jacques might try to poke the puck from me here, or even try to keep me out of the in front of the net, but more often than not, he turns around sharply and rolls backwards in front of me.
There are two ways to perform this maneuver: jumping and turning. Laperière prefers to do this by turning. Suppose he wants to turn to the left. When the moment of turning comes, Laperrier turns his shoulders and torso to the left as much as possible, all the while maintaining balance. The weight of his body is significantly ahead, and simultaneously with the turn of the shoulders, his right skate also turns, and the hockey player strives to make the move of his skate in the turn in the opposite direction as large as possible and is limited only by the convenience of performing the subsequent elements of the technique. Then Laperière lifts his left skate and turns it around. And finally, while the skate is in the air, Laperrier performs a “fidgeting” movement with his buttocks from side to side, due to which he begins to roll back. Jacques Laperrier has his own continuation in this maneuver: he lowers his stick and glove on the ice and actually becomes the second goalkeeper against whom the attacking striker has to win a duel.
Performing this technique by jumping is more difficult and dangerous. Both skates simultaneously leave the ice, and the hockey player's body makes a rotational movement in the air. At the moment the skates hit the ice at the end of the turn, the legs should be wide apart to ensure proper balance, and the knees brought close enough together so that the hockey player can take the first step already when moving backwards. It is not easy to make such a jump, and a young hockey player would act unwisely if he tried to make it during the game. However, it is necessary to train him as often as possible so that, in the end, he is firmly included in the arsenal of techniques performed by a hockey player.
Although the ability to change direction by jumping or turning is essential for a defenseman, it belongs to those maneuvering skating techniques that all hockey players must master. Compared to the defender, the attacker rarely has to resort to this technique, but if he does perform it, then it must be done in a split second. A forward who knows how to fight an advancing opponent in his own half of the field, and who also knows the technique of instantly changing the direction of movement to the opposite, cannot but rejoice the coach's heart.
Bill Cowley, whose brother coached me on the kids' team in Belleville, was an outstanding player for the New York Rangers. He elevated the zigzag technique to a real art. There is no more difficult maneuvering technique to master, and it has value only for the one who leads the puck when playing an offensive combination.
In fact, the zigzag is a kind of cross step. Sometimes this maneuver is also called a continuous or double cross step. I personally prefer the term "zigzag". However, it's not about the name.
I often resort to zigzag when trying to get around an opponent who is ready to engage me in single combat, provided that there is room to maneuver in both directions or to flank two or three opponents who are trying to attack me in a group.
Usually I start the zigzag to the left, although I practice doing it to the right a lot, and I start with the usual transfer of the right foot over the left. But as soon as my foot touches the ice, I begin to shift my body weight again to the right, performing a push that propels me forward with the outer edge of the right skate blade. The left leg, having come off the ice to a sufficient height, passes over the right. Ideally, the next transfer of body weight to the left should begin in the next step, and then again to the right, and the energy of movement all the time comes from the outer edge of the blade of each skate. The farther the hockey player is able to throw his weight in both directions, the sharper the zigzag elements turn out, but here the danger lies in wait for the player.
Each transfer of body weight inevitably unbalances the performer of this maneuver, and during the execution of a whole series of zigzags, perhaps there is no moment when both skates are on the ice. Receiving all the time the driving force from the outside of the skates, the hockey player focuses his attention on dribbling the puck and, thus, can easily become a victim of an opponent's power reception. But, despite the dangers lurking in it, the zigzag is a very effective way to dribble the puck, and its spectacular appeal cannot but delight the audience.
Only with the help of constant exercises can a beginner hockey player learn to do a zigzag. Its implementation requires a certain strength and confidence, and it can be used in the game only when the hockey player has no doubt that he has mastered the technique of its execution.
Jumping to the side, back and forth are techniques of hockey art, which every player who thinks about the need to avoid contact with an opponent ready to engage in single combat should master it in every possible way.
An excellent performer of jumps is Eddie Shack, and he uses them literally in every game. At the same time, Shack prefers to perform jumps in order to jump out of the fight for the puck, and not in order to avoid martial arts. More than once it seemed to me that Shack could save himself a lot of bruises and bumps if he used a jump to sneak past a defender. But Shack is as strong as a bull, and, using his physical characteristics and high speed, he takes down a defender who comes across him on the way, who, out of thoughtlessness, tries to meet him head-on.
Here Shack rushed with the puck towards the opponent's goal, where two defenders met him behind the blue line. Here he performs a jump stop, crashing both skates into the ice with all the strength of his ninety kilograms. A cloud of icy dust rises into the air, and he is already making a second jump, usually in the same direction he turned when he stopped. Before the second jump, Shack tries to push the puck past the defenders. If luck smiles at him, the puck will be on his stick again, and only he was seen.
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Hockey is an explosive and dynamic sport. A huge proportion of the load falls on the lower body. During a match, a hockey player's center of gravity shifts from one foot to the other more than 5,000 times per game. The player stands on a 3 mm wide blade that only touches the ice a few centimeters at a time.
Imagine the body's momentum at high speed as the player tries to outrun opponents, like in an off-road obstacle course, with no human foothold. Introduced? Now add in control of the puck with the intention of not losing it, passing to a teammate, or hitting the net.
I remember the parting words when I played as a kid: “Watch me push off / keep your back straight, keep your head up / bend your knees / get low.” This has been repeated to me many times over the course of many practices on the ice. Then I was still not strong enough and did not know how to balance to carry out these commands.
BALANCE AND COORDINATION
The higher the intensity of riding, the higher the level of balance it requires. As the player progresses, he learns to stop, turn, turn around, use the edges of the blades. Throw in speed and you have the formidable challenge of executing these movements, which require exceptional balance and coordination skills.
POWER OF THE LEGS
The stronger the player's lower body, the more likely they are to be able to perform the movements needed in the game. Weak muscles lead to a high stance, poor balance, weak push, incorrect short stride, lack of explosive starts, abrupt stops and changes in direction.
At a younger age, weak muscles not only have a bad effect on skating technique, they do not allow the player to learn and perform the exercises correctly. But with an increase in strength and an improvement in balance, the mastery of technical skills in the use of skates and a stick, the art of passing the puck and throwing, stabilizes.
The athlete needs to strengthen the muscles of the lower body to support the movement of the knee, ankle and hip joints when skating. If a player has weak core muscles, then the upper and lower body move inconsistently. Weak core muscles give poor balance. Full body workouts help to “connect” the upper and lower body with a strong core.
BAD RIDING IS BIG PROBLEMS
Great players are very well trained athletes with highly toned muscles that give them the strength, speed, stamina, agility and quickness to reach their best form.
Which car do you think will turn the corner faster: a delivery truck or a sports car? Of course, everyone knows and answers: "sports car". And why? Yes, because it is lower and more stable, and therefore will not roll over, performing a sharp high-speed maneuver!
All young hockey players begin to skate with straight legs, which makes it difficult for them to move and withstand collisions without the risk of falling. We have all seen the children play. Their matches feel like a race on ice to annihilate with natural disaster at every collision. Why?
We think that they have not learned how to balance on skates, but in fact they simply do not know how to move on ice in a low stance. The reason is that children are simply not strong enough.
To understand this better, try doing a half squat, as if you were squatting down. Now try to move the weight forward, backward and side to side. Have you noticed tension in your joints? By maintaining this position, you engage all the joints of the lower body and keep the muscles of the core in tension, but at the same time this position of the body is the most stable of all possible standing positions.
Let's go back to the beginning. If you can't skate, you can't play. Young players have to fight a lot on the court, compensating for the lack of technology by wrestling, the development of which is simply impossible without the development of strength. To perform movements, you need strength not only in the muscles of the lower body, but also in the joints.
CONCLUSION
Building strength and balance for a hockey player is the hardest thing about learning to skate. Technique is the most important aspect, but in order to deliver the right technique, strength is definitely needed.
The words "do this" or "follow me" do not work with young players. They are just very weak to trace "Do so". For a long period of time they do not perceive what you are trying to teach them, because they cannot feel the movement. Ice is too unstable a “slippery” surface, and a skate with a thin steel blade on which you have to move does not add stability.
Skating is not a natural human movement, it strains all joints and muscles. Therefore, strengthening the lower body through exercises that help learn balance will greatly improve the ability to perform the correct movements for skating. If you design your workout to be based on movements similar to those used in skating, then this will affect both technique and low landing on the ice.
