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BALANCE & AGILITY
As well all know a hockey player needs be a
good skater to properly play the game. And ones Balance and Agility
levels determine how well one will skate. It is one of the most important
keys to being an efficient skater as it dictates how you glide, how
you stand up, how you get back up after falling, and what edges you
are on while you skate.
Balance is a key to skating as this is how a skater stands on the
ice, confidently using his/her edges. Balance on ones skates begins
at the center of the skate blade with all of the skater’s body
weight centered over the top and center of their skates. The famous
unknown to the common man is the term, TOE KNEE NOSE! This is a name
many powerskating instructors use when talking about balance and
body alignment top help a skater better understand how to stand on
their skates, in what position, and with how much forward lean. Basically
when the skater is standing in good, hockey-ready position they should
appropriate forward lean and knee bend so that their Toes, their
Knees, and their Nose are all in a straight vertical line. Then,
and only then, is a skater properly balanced on their edges.
The first thing that all skaters need to understand before working
on Balance & Agility drills is how many edges on each skate blade.
The common answer is two edges per skate and this is wrong when understanding
the idea of balance. The correct answer is 3. On each skate blade
you have an inside, outside, and the commonly forgot edge, the flat
edge, which is located between the inside an outside edges. To help
you understand the flat edge better, realize that when a skater in
on their flat edge, they are gliding in a straight line. The ability
to use all three edges efficiently is the key to understanding balance
on your skates.
The game of Hockey is such a demanding game, physically, visually,
and mentally, that being an agile, graceful skater is critical to
being a better hockey player. You must be able to play the game without
worrying about your skating and agility. You must be able to get
up the instant you fall down and get back into the play. And you
must be able to do this without thinking. There is no room in the
game for a skater that is rushing the puck half speed up the ice
because they are afraid of falling or are concentrating on their
skating instead of moving the puck or making the right play.
Agility is the ability to hop, skip, run, and skate around the ice
with grace and speed to make a move and beat the opponent to the
puck. The ability to move from edge to edge on the ice with explosive
action is how a player is going to beat the opponent in small races
or even making an extra move to create a lane for a pass or shot.
Off-ice plyometric work is a great way to work on agility and take
your game to the next level. Plyometric drills include sprinting
with quick steps, all the 1 and 2-legged hopping, skipping, and jumping
drills you can imagine, lateral shuffles, and more. Any of these
drills are a great cross training exercises for hockey players and
should be done year-round.
Balance and Agility is the key to making the game easier and making
you a more efficient skater.
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