Yesterday I mentioned that, on the ice during a game, top speed isn’t reached or maintained for long. Having said that, it is still important to understand that many of the direction changes in hockey occur at near-top speeds. Also, many all out sprints start from a glide or light skate, and involve varying foot/leg positions.
Your off-ice training should reflect this. Try incorporating these three things to improve the quality of your hockey speed training:
- Include longer range accelerations (20-30 yards) with a quick deceleration and direction change (similar to a pattern a wide receiver may run).
- Include agility circuits that start with a speed build-up. This allows the athlete to practice accelerating from a moving position, which is usually the way it happens on the ice.
- Vary starting and transition movements to include lateral steps, crossover steps, and pivots.
Keep working hard…
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