Last Updated on Monday, 14 September 2015 09:26
By Diane Ness
In many past articles I have written about the three main ingredients of an efficient stride. I would like to share a drill that we got from former Olympic speed skater Dave Cruikshank over the summer. In the photos you will see Kyle Okposo and Zach Parise executing this drill during an on-ice skating session this summer. It is one thing to understand how the technique should look and it is another to understand what drills help accomplish this.
Most of us have seen or know how to use a slide board. Essentially, this drill is very similar but done on the ice. Again, understanding the drill is critical, but the key always comes down to execution. The skater first must understand how to load his/her leg. You can see that in photo 1 (above) the skater is creating leverage and loading on an inside edge. The skater should feel like he/she is able to grip the ice with an inside edge. Once the skater lets go, he/she should be able to push and explode out to the side with power.
Once this concept is understood the skater is now ready for the “slide board” drill. The skater will start facing one direction with his/her toe boxes facing forward. The first step is much like photo 1, gripping and loading. The skater must also coil his/her body preparing to explode out (photo 2). The skater will then provide as much downward force as possible exploding out.
As the skater moves, he/she will slide laterally on the other skate (make sure toe boxes stay forward). You will notice the stronger skaters will create much more distance than younger skaters. Again, when the skater pushes, he/she will extend the leg fully while sliding laterally (photos 3 and 6). This will be repeated with five strides, then the skater will switch to go the other way and execute five more strides. It works best to do it four straight times (two sets on each leg) before the skater will need to rest.
The key, as always, comes down to execution. If done properly, this drill will give the skater the ability to load and explode from each leg. By the end of the drill the skater’s legs will also become very fatigued which will help build leg strength as well. 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 specialty skating coach for the Minnesota Wild, 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.
