Skating Program Progression

Adaptation and Skating Mechanics

The skating treadmill is the off-ice tool that most resembles skating on ice. However, there is an adaptation to skating on the treadmill that must take place. The athlete is forced to have better balance on the treadmill and constantly stride in order to keep up with the movement of the skating treadmill. After adaptation, the proper mechanics of skating must be applied to each athlete. Visual aids such as a mirror, and video analysis as well as auditory feedback from the Instructor will aid each athlete in improving their skating mechanics. These improvements will lead to increases in stride length, frequency and efficiency.

Skating Speed and Power

Once each athlete has obtained proper skating mechanics the speeds and elevations of the treadmill will be increased. These increases in treadmill speed  will lead to improvements in the athletes’ top forward skating speed and ability to reach that top speed in a short period of time (acceleration). An increase in elevation of the skating treadmill will put more load on the athlete leading to increases in strength and power in the skating stride.  By training on elevations, the athlete automatically learns to maintain forceful knee drive, proper pelvic position, and full range of motion with every stride.  Working on inclines also forces the athlete to work 2-3 times harder, stressing the aerobic and anaerobic threshold, resulting in improved recovery time and lactic acid clearance.

Puck Control with Speed

Many hockey players tend to slow down or have poor mechanics while handling the puck. Stick handling while skating on the treadmill will help to erase this problem. The athletes will be required to skate as fast with the puck as without.

 

When going through these process’s with the skating treadmill the next step is not performed until the current step is mastered. However, a step is never mastered. Corrections to the athlete’s skating mechanics is continuous as these mechanics will be challenged throughout each session. There are also no limits to the areas of skating speed and multi-tasking.