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BACKWARD
STRIDE
Much the same as forward
skating, backwards skating to relies on edge work, knee bend,
arm swing and Full extension/Full Recovery. The ability to
skate efficiently and powerfully, forward and backwards, with
and without the puck, should be every skater’s goal.
Backward skating starts with proper body positioning from head
to toe. When breaking the backward stride down it is important
that you think about the whole body working together as one unit.
Start with the head up and still. Do not shake it side to side
as this will cause the whole body to shake which in turn will throw
your speed side to side as well. Remember: you are not skating
left and right, you are trying to skate straight. Keeping your
head up is also important as this helps the player to see the ice
better, see where your teammates are, and recognizing where the
attacking players are coming from. Your torso must lean out over
the toes of your skates with a straight back, but make sure you
do not bend at the waist. Many young players mistake bending at
the waist, instead of the knees, as ‘getting low’.
This is the worst thing a player can do while skating as it forces
a player to look at their skates, and not the rest of the ice,
and it severely restricts their skating mobility. Getting low is
accomplished solely bending the knees through the ankles and is
the most important technique to master for maximum power and speed
with the backward stride.
Your lower body is where all of the power and speed come from
in your backward stride as well. ‘Knee Bend is Good’
is a common theme at many RMHS Summer Camps and is the core foundation
for our beliefs in the perfect stride. It is also the most important
term to remember when correcting your stride. The backward stride
begins underneath your body, the push is out to the side versus
out the back, and the return is always completed once your foot
returns fully underneath your body (this is called Full Return).
When you push, it is important to note that the stride must extend
as far as the leg will allow, or until it is straight. This is
called Full Extension. The reason behind a Full Return is to ensure
that you are properly balanced on your glide foot in preparation
for the next push, and to ensure all of your body weight is on
the push foot to achieve maximum pushing power, leading to maximum
speed.
Arm swing is often forgotten in the backward stride and is as
important as knee bend with regards to technique. The reason
being is proper arm swing is a forward and back motion that will
add increased momentum in a linear fashion, i.e. the direction
the player is skating. If a skater has improper arm swing, i.e.
arms swinging left to right, the players’ upper body momentum
will be moving against the grain the lower body is trying to
move in. This will only slow the player down.
Loosening up ones shoulders and arms is the key to increased
momentum when skating both backwards and forwards. The looser
a skaters’
arms remain the more fluid and more powerful the skater will be.
When swinging their arms front to back a player must drive the
forward arm between the knees with the players palm facing up to
continue the forward lean of the skater. The other arm should be
straight behind the body reaching up to generate more momentum
just like a swing.
Remember when skating to use your body together as one unit and
this will make any skater more efficient and faster in the game
of hockey.
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