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.

OPEN HIP MECHANICS

An important component of Open Hip Mechanics in the Lateral Load Phase, subsequent weight shift, and transference of power in another direction. Lateral and Diagonal shuffles are an excellent way to focus on those two learning components.

Lateral Shuffle: Touch/Pause

• The Lateral Shuffle Progression next teaches the athlete to how to quickly stop laterally and then quickly push off in the opposite direction.
• We typically travel only 4-5 yds per shuffle
• Begin in an Athletic Position, lateral to path of intent
• Slightly transfer weight to trail leg and then, with purpose, push laterally
• Try not to pull with your lead leg, focusing more on deceleration while maintaining good athletic posture
• When changing direction, learn to anticipate and lean slightly towards your new direction of travel.
• Utilize both feet, with even force and weight distribution between them.
• Try to relate more to an on-ice hockey punch cut. Feet shoulder width apart, trail foot slightly behind and in line with the lead heel. Pushing with the sides of your feet as you change direction
• Quickly lateral shuffle another 4-5 yds back to starting position.
• Pause for 2 sec before repeating