How to Get Faster at Hockey

Every player wants to know how to get faster in hockey. Speed is very important when on the ice, and often separates good players from great players. With great speed, you can reach a loose puck before anyone else, and you can also maneuver easily around defensemen. There are some who think that speed comes naturally and cannot be trained, but this is not true. Below, you will find three tips to help you get faster and maintain the added speed.

You can make major improvements in your speed with a few minor form changes.

In the world of ice skating, particularly with the high performance skating needed for hockey, form is an essential skill, and a skater that has an improper form, cannot maximize their potential in terms of skating speed. However, a few small changes may be all that it takes. It is a good idea to have your coach record video of your skating for you to analyze. This will help you easily pick out certain areas of your form that could be improved upon, making a huge difference in your speed.

You will not find more speed by taking more strides.

Many skaters make the mistake of always pumping their feet when they are skating, much like running. On ice, this does not mean they are faster skaters. The top skaters do not take any more strides that they absolutely have to take. If you take more strides, that does not mean you will be faster. You should instead focus on long strides, with smooth movements after gaining quick speed with several quick strides. The goal is to reach maximum speed in the fewest strides, using as little energy as you can to maintain that speed.

One thing that can significantly improve speed is off-ice training.

You are missing out on valuable training if you do not focus enough on the gym or off-ice training to help you specifically improve your game. Great players are often separated from average players simply because they are more fit, so working in the gym is one of the most important ways to increase your speed. You could take advantage of a hockey workout program that can help you increase your speed.

If you want to read a complete hockey training program written by an ex-NHL player, please go to: Hockey Training Power.