LATERAL SPEED / COD – CROSSOVER EMPHASIS

Lateral Speed or Change oof Direction (COD) drills are also commonly described as quickness or agility. Occasionally you’ll get that rare opportunity to showcase Linear Speed. We focus half your speed training program on linear speed because of the huge crossover and benefits in improving skating mechanics. But more often than not, and this is true for a lot of sports, speed is defined as your ability to get one step ahead of your opponent on a 10 yd distance. Positioning and combative strength are also relative, but the ability of an athlete to efficiently stop, change direction, and explode in another direction, is critical to athletic success.

Because skating is specific in nature requiring an athlete’s ability to utilize either inside or outside part of the foot (inside or outside edge of their skate) to generate power, we separate our Lateral Speed training into two separate categories based on two specific ways to start. An Open Hip Start, or a Crossover Start. How to apply force and footwork for each of these starts is very important

APPLICATION

After Six Integrated Training Phases, Movement Prep, Neural Activation, Plyometrics, Movement Specific Starts and Mechanics, and Integration, the Application Phase allows the athlete to apply and execute the specific movement emphasized.

3 Cone Drill

• Set up 5 cones, 5 yds apart in an “L” Shape 90°. You’ll perform the drill in both directions.
• Use a Lateral Crossover Start, facing into the drill, choosing from all three start positions (Half Kneel, Standing or Single Leg)
• Starting just behind the first cone, sprint to the 2nd cone.
• This is not the NFL Combine. Simply have your outside foot step past be cone before changing in both directions. Touching the outside hand to the ground we save for older athletes
• Hockey stop facing into the drill, then Crossover and sprint back the 1^st cone
• Hockey stop facing into the drill, then Crossover and sprint back to the 2^nd cone
• Utilize a hard lean as you run 90°around the 2^nd
• Sprint 5 yds to the 3rd cone.
• Lower your hips and run 180° around the 3^rd cone, back towards the 2^nd cone
• Utilize another hard lean turning 90° around the 2^nd cone
• Finish with a 5 yd sprint past your starting point
• Perform 2-3 reps with the drill set up in each direction