Kevin Neeld — Hockey Training, Sports Performance, & Sports Science

Rotational Power Training

Rotational power is an essential physical quality to train in most team sports.

There are a few key layers to improving rotational power:

  • Does the athlete have the foundational capacity to effectively perform rotational patterns (i.e., do they have optimal hip and thoracic spine rotation)?
  • Can the athlete separate/dissociate lower/upper body rotation?
  • Can the athlete produce power in rotational patterns?

Once mobility of the hips and t-spine is established, separation can be developed through different warm-up and core exercises in parallel with introducing rotational power work.

Because power is expressed in different positions within sport, it’s helpful to integrate rotational patterns from different positions (side standing, front facing, staggered stance, etc.) and with different dynamic lead-ins.

This video is of Front Standing Med Ball Scoop w/ a Partner Pass, which is a progression from a traditional scoop.

The pass emphasizes rotational deceleration, which has applications to both improving rotational power, and transitional running patterns.

Typically performed for 3-4 sets of 3-5 reps/side.

Feel free to post any comments/questions below. If you found this helpful, please share/re-post it so others can benefit.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com

P.S. If you’re interested in improving power as part of a comprehensive hockey-specific training program, check out Ultimate Hockey Transformation.

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Kevin Neeld

Kevin Neeld Knows Hockey

Kevin has rapidly established himself as a leader in the field of physical preparation and sports science for ice hockey. He is currently the Head Performance Coach for the Boston Bruins, where he oversees all aspects of designing and implementing the team’s performance training program, as well as monitoring the players’ performance, workload and recovery. Prior to Boston, Kevin spent 2 years as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the San Jose Sharks after serving as the Director of Performance at Endeavor Sports Performance in Pitman, NJ. He also spent 5 years as a Strength and Conditioning Coach with USA Hockey’s Women’s Olympic Hockey Team, and has been an invited speaker at conferences hosted by the NHL, NSCA, and USA Hockey.