5 Skating Habits That Are Slowing Your Player Down

Skating is the foundation of everything in hockey. It doesn't matter how good your hands are if you can't get to the puck first. But here's the thing — most young players don't have a speed problem. They have a habits problem. Small mechanical issues that go unnoticed in practice but cost them half a step in games. Here are five of the most common ones we see.

1. Leaning too far forward. Players think leaning forward means they're going faster. In reality it shifts their weight off their edges and kills their ability to change direction quickly. A strong skating position is chest up, knees bent, and weight centred over the skates.

2. Short strides. Young players tend to chop their feet instead of driving through full extensions. Every stride should finish with a full leg push — that's where the power comes from. If the recovery leg isn't coming all the way back under the body, they're leaving speed on the table.

3. Lazy crossovers. Crossovers shouldn't just be about moving sideways. The under-push is where the acceleration lives. Players who only step over without driving underneath are gliding when they should be gaining speed.

4. Stiff upper body. Tension kills speed. If a player's shoulders are tight and their arms aren't moving naturally, they're fighting their own body. Relaxed shoulders, loose hands on the stick, and a natural arm swing all contribute to faster, smoother skating.

5. Not using edges. Flat feet on the ice means zero agility. Every stop, start, and transition depends on edge work. Players who skate flat-footed take longer to change direction and burn more energy doing it.

The good news? Every one of these is fixable. And that's exactly what we focus on in our power skating sessions and video review breakdowns. Sometimes it only takes one correction to unlock a noticeable jump in speed.

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