Hockey Masters

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Tip of the Month -- JULY 2005 -- PowerSkating: Bend Those Knees!

Bending Your Knees

Easily the most recognized and taught biomechanic, bending the knees can be harder to teach than one would imagine. While most players understand the concept and can produce a good quality 90 degree flexion of the knee with little trouble, the problem is getting them to maintain this position for more than a few minutes.

Once a player starts skating, within seconds he will revert to whatever “style” he had when he walked in through the door. Unfortunately, this usually means inadequate knee and hip flexion. In order to familiarize the player’s “muscle memory” with knee flexion, I usually introduce drills incorporating exaggerated flexion of the knee. These drills would include:

1) full squats (stationary and gliding)-the player should have their rear a few inches off the ice with their knees apart

2) lunge (hamstring) stretch-forward and backward, gliding one leg at a time, followed by repetitive alternating lunges

3) “shoot the duck”-forward and backward, right and left leg, and alternating
Now the player has gone beyond what he needs for his striding position, and will find a 90 degree angle of flexion to seem easy by comparison.

Repetition, repetition, repetition! When starting stride work where the focus is increasing knee bend, I have the players skate laps in what they feel to be a “ridiculously” low position. They must start from a standstill in the 90 degree squat. Have them push with only the outer leg (leg closest to the boards) for 1 or 2 laps without coming up out of their low position. Make sure to change direction and do the same using the other leg.If they can successfully complete this drill, they can go to skating with both legs as usual, but watch that they remain low.

Mix these laps with “spider stride” sequences. Spider stride is a drill done in FULL SQUAT position where the player “skates” down the ice driving one leg outward at a time, driving through the heel of the blade so the entire blade stays on the ice. The players should be able to do this forward and backward, without coming up, and without letting the pushing foot slip or go onto the boot.

There are no magic drills or secrets to developing adequate knee flexion. Players must simply perform 1000’s of repetitions in the proper position before it will go into autopilot. Keep in mind that the quadriceps muscles are responsible for holding the knee bent (think wall sits), and therefore may “burn” during the previously mentioned drills. Reassure the player that his legs are burning because they are getting stronger, and the more he practices it, the less he’ll feel it!