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 Sprints: 5yds / 10 yds Sprint

• The Lateral Sprint, 5yds to 10 yds Sprint is an effective lateral change of direction drill that works very well as a progression within Lateral Speed – Open Hip Emphasis
• Perform this drill using only Hockey Stops and Open Hip changes of direction as practiced in previous drills
• Set up 3 cones in a straight line 5 yds apart
• Begin by facing the 2^nd You then have an option to start in either direction, either by command to work on optical reaction time, or on your own.
• From a 2 pt athletic stance. Open Hip Start, and then sprint 5 yds.
• With a Hockey Stop, and then Open Hip Start, quickly change direction 180% and sprint 10 yds. To finish the drill
• Repeat the drill, facing the same direction, starting in the opposite direction.