Last Updated on Wednesday, 03 June 2015 15:12
By Diane Ness
Throughout many of my articles, I talk a lot about the importance of loading and learning how to push properly. What sometimes goes unmentioned is the importance of every pull as well. Once the leg is loaded and you execute a push, you will then need to be able to pull your leg back underneath you to create speed.
If you look at the photos, you will notice the skater is executing a shuffle, also called a power push. You will notice from the above photo the skater storing all of his power on that outside leg ready to push out. As the skater pushes out, he uses his inside edge to provide power.
Now, the next step is critical. The skater cannot just leave his leg out there. No matter how hard he pushes, he will not travel with any speed unless he is able to pull that leg directly underneath again. The pull also creates speed; it’s not just a means to bring the leg back.
The shuffle can be used all over the ice and it is critical that the skater focus on pulling that leg underneath his hips to create a fluid motion as well as maximum speed.
This is a difficult concept to grasp but once a skater understands it, he/she can generate more speed besides just pushing hard. It is also a skill that can also be used from something as simple as forward swizzles to backward skating.
Good luck!
Diane Ness has been a full-time professional skating coach for over 35 years. She has coached both figure skaters and hockey players alike and is a former U.S. gold medalist in figure skating. She is the Director for the Pro Edge Power hockey camps and the Learn to Skate program at Highland Park Arena. Ness is the skating coach for the New Jersey Devils, the University of Minnesota men’s and women’s hockey teams and the U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey Team. She has trained players in the NHL, AHL, NCAA, USHL and NAHL.
