For those of you following along with the Complete Off-Season Program, we have now entered the Intermediate stage of your summer hockey training plan.

Time to start doing shuttle runs!

As crazy as it may sound, the 300-meter shuttle run test was actually one of my favorite hockey-specific fitness tests as a player. One reason was that the test was over quickly.
And another was that I was good at it.

Quick & Powerful Change of Direction

The key to being fast in the shuttle run (and on the ice) is being able to change direction quickly and powerfully.

Most players LOSE speed each time they change direction.

Most players see the turn coming up and reach out for the line with a straight leg. They think this will save them time because their entire body doesn’t have to travel all the way to the line.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

How to GAIN Speed Out of Your Turns

In order to gain speed coming out of the turn, you need to be able to push off with a lot of force.

And you can’t generate any power from a straight leg.

You need to push off a bent leg.

In order to be able to push off from a bent leg, you have to keep your feet underneath you when you stop and start.

And in order to keep your feet underneath you, you have to get closer to the line.

Many players think this will slow them down because they have to travel a slightly longer distance with their body.

But getting closer to the line and bending your knees leads to a faster and more powerful turn.

Hockey-specific speed isn’t about who can run the fastest in a straight line.

It’s all about who can change direction fastest.

Master this fundamental change of direction technique off the ice this summer and you will be faster on the ice this fall.

Until next time,

Kim