Using the Kinetic Chain to Improve Your Skating
How ice hockey players can best change direction and improve agility
Just as universal laws govern the galaxy, sports rely on fundamental principles. In this post, we’re diving into the postural/kinetic chain, exploring how they influence the crucial skill of changing direction.
Kinetic Reality
Great physical development starts in the kinetic reality of movement.:
Want to develop feet? Start with the upper body
Want to develop the upper body? Start with the lower body
A classic example of this is how to change direction on a bicycle or motorcycle. The head starts the turn, the neck and mid-section naturally follow, and the lower body naturally follows suit.
To change direction, the chain must be initiated somewhere. Almost always in ice hockey, this means starting with your head and upper body. Where the head leads, the body follows through the kinetic chain.
Head & Hands First / Lead with Upper Body
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was recently helping out at a goalie camp and illustrated this concept. Leading the rotation with your lower body is a common issue that young goalies tend to face. Here is Vasilevskiy’s coaching clip:
Vasilevskiy coaches the young goalies to lead and initiate their change of direction with their hands (upper body) first.
“Turn your hands to the post first, and then your body with naturally adjust and turn by itself…
Your body will follow your hands”
This is useful for all skaters. Here is a clip of summer training with skating coach and Hockey IQ Podcast guest Jill Plandowski. Watch how the skaters are working on initiating their stop and change of directions with their upper body.
This concept leads directly to other skills, like puck-centric skating development.
Work with your body’s natural kinetic chain to improve your ability to change direction. Initiate your change of direction with your upper body first.
Further Reading
Jill Plandowski Hockey IQ Podcast Episode:
More Skating Reading:
More Goalie Reading: