Perfecting Glide

Explanation of the Drill

Power skating is really a misnomer as skating is as much about glide as it is about power. Glide is the ability to run or coast your blades along the ice with as little friction as possible. If players can learn to develop glide, they will skate more efficiently and will require less power to skate the same speed. The ability to glide allows a player to turn power into speed. It also allows the player to create momentum and preserve speed during transitions in skating. Perfecting glide is a great drill to teach players of all ages how to glide. If players can glide and generate speed backwards, they will be in the proper body position to glide forwards.

In this drill the players glide-touch-step-glide-touch-step, while moving backwards. It is important that they don't skate the drill, in the sense of striding. Instead, they are stepping laterally and generating all of their speed through glide.

Starting at the boards, and moving backwards, the players start by picking up one skate and gliding on the other skate, bringing the skate they have picked up across, close to the ice, to touch the skate they are gliding on and then stepping laterally or sideways with the skate they have brought across, putting it down on the ice and gliding on that skate, before picking up the other skate and bringing it across close to the ice to touch the glide skate and then repeating this glide, touch, step etc.

The player continues gliding, touching and stepping backwards across the ice to the far boards. A number of players can execute the drill together. When they get to the boards, they touch the boards and then skate forwards across the ice through the other players who are gliding backwards until they reach the other boards where they started. Then they start again.

It is amazing how quickly young players get the knack of gliding by doing this simple drill. They will become much more efficient skaters, both forwards and backwards.

Options

When the players skate forwards back to where they started, they can start by skating straight and then they can add lateral skating by crossing their feet forwards while skating in an “S” pattern, making sure they keep their hands in the proper position throughout. When they do this, they can skate around the other players who are gliding backwards.

Once they have developed glide backwards, the players can try the same drill gliding forwards. Learning the proper body position backwards will really help them while skating forwards.

Once they have really developed glide, instead of stepping laterally, they can start jumping laterally, bending their knees and exploding with power laterally. The players can do this forwards and backwards.

Once they can do this drill cross-ice, send the players around the rink doing the same drill so that they are covering even more area when they are gliding.

Coach's Tips

Here are some tips to develop glide:

1. The players have to be on a flat blade - flat front to back (equally on the ball of the foot and the heel) and side to side (ie equally on both edges)

2. Players need to be in a proper skating position with a deep knee bend, head up and a straight back with a forward body lean.

3. The hands are forward and the blade of the stick is on the ice between the shoulders.

For all skating exercises, ask the players to keep the blade of their stick on the ice and between their shoulders at all times. This helps them stay in the proper skating position and to promote glide. Ensure that the players keep their head and torso still.

They should be able to step laterally and even jump laterally without “bobbing” their heads. Tapping the skates together between the steps will ensure that the players get in the habit of a “full stride” once they are skating.

Tips for Players

Remember it is not a race. It is important to do the drill properly and to generate all of your motion through glide. Resist the temptation to stride, especially when doing the drill forwards! Step laterally and feel the difference that proper body position makes to your glide and your speed. A deep knee bend is essential.

As you get tired and you start to straighten up, you will find that your glide will decrease. It is especially important when you are tired to emphasize a deep knee bend. Having your hands forward and the stick blade on the ice in between your shoulders is also a huge help. This will ensure that you have a forward body lean. Keep your skates close to the ice as you step across.

You can actually drag your skate on ice on the ball of your foot to emphasize this. Once you start to stride, keeping your skates close to the ice will be important to your stride recovery speed.

Remember to keep your head up and your head and torso still. Keep repeating to yourself: “I'm a glide machine!”

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