Last Updated on Thursday, 07 November 2013 10:39
By Diane Ness
In last week’s article I explained the importance and the mechanics of building an explosive start. For this article we will discuss how to improve your starts. Improving your starts take time, practice and a lot of hard work. It takes an all-out effort because each time you execute a quick start, you are exerting all out energy. There is really no easy way to practice without paying the price of hard work.
The skater must first understand what position their body and feet must be in. In the first and second photos you will notice the skater will start by standing a few feet away from the boards. The skater will then accomplish a proper forward lean as he/she leans into the boards. Next, the skater will get into a V position on his/her inside edges. When the coach says go, he/she will drive a knee up towards the boards. The other foot is holding a solid inside edge into the ice, remembering that to go out a skater must push against the ice. The skate that is on the ice should not slip back rather it should hold solid into the ice. The skater can then try the other skate. This should be repeated until the skater gets the idea of how to drive and explode off of their inside edge.
In the third photo you will see how you can use the net to add resistance to your starts. After you flip the net you can have a coach take the taller side for resistance. The skater will then get the proper forward lean towards the net. Remind the skater not to bend at the waist when starting. The key is to have a good forward lean so each step can get some distance. The skater will take about five explosive steps, stop, load, and repeat. If the skater does not push properly, he/she will not be able to move the net at all.
The skater must remember that speed comes from downward force which means the more the skater pushes against the ice, the more explosive their start will be. The coach must remember that the amount of resistance will depend on the strength of the individual skater.
Once the skater has a strong start and good technique, the coach can do a variety of races. Anything to get your skater competing against each other will push them out of their comfort zone. Whether it is a tight turn or a stop-and-start race, the skater should always start from a quick start position.
The biggest key is for the skater to start every drill in a quick start position. Too many skaters will start each drill by starting with a couple of slow, heavy strides. The constant repetition done correctly is what is most important in getting a skater to improve. 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.
