LATERAL SPEED / COD – OPEN HIP 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.

Lateral Shuffle: 4 Cone Drill

• The 4 cone Drill is another effective change of direction drill that does require a partner or coach to indicate change in direction
• Set up a 4 Cone square, each cone 10 yds apart
• Begin the drill standing in a 2 pt athletic position in the middle of all four cones
• By command, using only Hockey Stops and Open Hip Starts, quickly lateral shuffle to the cone indicated by your partner and then back to your starting position
• Typically, 3-5 change of directions are instructed.
• After the last change of direction, your partner will instruct you to sprint out of the box in a straight line towards the direction you are facing
• Throughout the drill, when you change direction, keep facing the same direction as your initial starting position