Last Updated on Thursday, 04 October 2012 12:45
By Diane Ness
Being able to have a fifth gear is a trait desired by almost every skater but only few really possess. Can we teach our skaters to develop that extra gear or is their genetic make-up going to hold them back?
The answer is that any skater can get faster and more powerful by mastering a few specific areas. Yes, we are all made up and built differently as skaters, but with some improvement on basic fundamentals, you can increase your top speed no matter what age or level. We even have a 9-year-old girl in one of the photos that was able to increase her speed with quality practice and quality repetition.
When we have studied skaters that seem to have “breakaway speed,” they all seemed to have similar traits. First, each skater at full speed was able to get their knee bend down to 90 degrees (or very close to it). As you can see from the photos, the skaters are at top speed and still able to maintain a low knee bend. Notice where their head is in comparison with the dasher on the boards, it will give you an idea on the outstanding knee bend each skater has. Staying low will help you maintain maximum power for each push.
In addition to the skater’s knee bend, you will notice how each skater is able to get full extension with their push. This means the skater is able to use their entire leg, hip to toe, each time they stride. Notice again on the photos the extension each skater is getting.
Finally, learning to glide is key to getting more distance with each push while being efficient. Gliding properly gives you the feeling as if you are “skating downhill.” The skater should have his/her ankles flexed properly as well as being on the “flat” of the skate blade while gliding. Doing this properly will keep you moving with speed even when you are not pushing.
How can skaters work on this? All of the traits that have been mentioned above should be practiced. Obviously, trying to improve technique is the first and most important step, but skaters can also work any type of drills in which the skater is changing his/her speed. This helps give the skater the feeling of gaining top end speed.
Something even as simple as having the skater go from goal line to goal line progressively changing speed as you go. I like to have the skater start by going ½ speed to the first blue line, ¾ speed from blue to blue and then full speed from blue to goal line. This will give the skater the feeling of what it is like to take their straight line speed to another level by trying push themselves out of their comfort level while getting more and more separation as they skate down the ice.
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.
