Coach Says I Need to Be Faster…Help?!
Every player has probably heard this saying from a coach before..but what does it actually mean? It sounds pretty straight forward, just get faster right? Yes. But how do you go about doing that effectively is the real question. It’s a little bit more complicated then just adding some speed drills or running/sprinting more. Let’s dive in and see what coach actually means when he says he wants you to be faster!
Faster or Better Movement?
What a lot of coaches actually mean when they say get faster is they want you to have better movement! Moving more efficiently actually automatically makes you faster.If you can get to the puck faster, make moves around other players and can out skate almost anyone then that just means your movement is more efficient (faster) than them!
How Do I Move Better?
Better movement is all about weight transfer! Especially in hockey. Being able to transfer your weight efficiently in all planes of motion (forward/backwards, side to side, and rotationally) is essential to being a better and faster hockey player! Focus on training every plane of motion in your training to maximize your speed on the ice. Ok…makes sense but that can’t be it, right? There is one more thing to truly unleash your speed on the ice!
Master Your Body Mechanics
It’s not only about how well your joints can move but also how well you can get into a full range of motion is what will dictate how fast you can truly get! Some of these important range of motions include hip extension, ankle dorsiflexion, shoulder retraction as well as hip, knee, ankle alignment.
Hip Extension
Maximizing hip extension is one of the most important things to work on to get faster. If you can fully extend through your leg/hip you can get more muscle activation and power leading to greater speed on the ice!
Ankle Flexion
This one might be tied for most important with hip extension! The ability to flex your ankle forward will help you get a lot lower in your stride greatly improving your speed as well as how strong you are on your skates.
Torso/Shin Angle
If you can keep your torso/shin angle parallel you’ll be in a perfect position for maximum speed and power output. Proper torso/shin angle requires efficient ankle flexion and hip extension training first.
Hip, Knee, Ankle Alignment
Keeping your hip, knee, and ankle aligned will ensure you have a stable base to pus off of while striding on the ice. A strong stable base allows for proper power production to increase your stride speed. Speed and power cannot be created efficiently on a wobbly frame!
Stay tuned for our next article where we will break down how to improve your body mechanics and specific drills to help you unleash your speed potential on the ice!
#unleashthepotential
Written by:
Rob Jost – ACE-CPT, NSCA-CPT
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