Work on your turns by 05/15/2004 - Skating forwards and backward are the skating skills that players achieve first. Quick starts and great turns are the maneuvers that place you in a league of your own. There are several variations of turns, but even junior players competing at the highest level must develop both the tight turn while stickhandling and fending off the opponent, as well as a power turn in high gear. A tight turn is executed at moderate speed on two feet with the pivoting action coming from the inside edge (or outside leg). It is used to escape opponents or weave through traffic. You skate forward with your skates at least shoulder pads width apart. Your feet are parallel and scissored or staggered, and pointing in the same direction. Using your hip as a steering wheel, you turn to the desired direction (usually as tight as possible) and explode out of it with the forward crossover start. It is very important to explode out of the turn when heading in your new direction of travel. There is no skidding action when entering the tight turn. At your top end speed a power (or open hip) turn would be executed, not the tight turn. THE SKATE BLADE: I like to section the balance points of the blade into four parts. Part 1: toe to the ball of the foot Part 2: ball of the foot to the middle Part 3: the middle to the back Part 4: the heel (stay off of it) TECHNIQUE Tight Turns For the tight turn or weaving around oppnents, I will describe the turns in a counter-clockwise (to the left) direction of travel. There are three phases of the tight turn: the glide phase, the forward "C" cut, and the explosion phase. This technique is used for 180, 270, and 360 degree turns. THE GLIDE PHASE: ?As you enter the turn, pick up the left foot and step into it, centered over part 3 of the blade to prevent skidding and loss of speed. ?Both feet must be parallel and staggered or scissored on a track that is about shoulder width apart (deeper edges and a smaller radius turn require more knee bend and a wider stance) ?Set the edges with a very strong knee and ankle bend well beyond your comfort zone ?The left foot is on an outside edge, the right foot is on an inside edge ?The left hip leads or steers into the turn ?Keep the left side and shoulder strong and slightly higher to remain well balanced (As the left hip presses one way, the right shoulder presses the other to remain in good balance. This is called counter-balancing. The tight turn on your forehand is the easiest to develop because when you are skating with two hands on the stick the inside shoulder is usually in a good position. On your backhand, while skating with two hands on your stick however, you must exaggerate the counter-balancing technique even further. (For power turns that are executed at top end speed, the glide phase should be substituted with an "outside edge slide". The slide allows you to decelerate slightly so that you can attempt to turn on a dime and keep the turning radius small. If a tight turn is executed at top end speed you will turn like a tractor with a big trailer behind. The left foot is in a "L" position and slides on an outside edge on part 2 of the blade) THE "C" CUT PHASE: ?After the first third of the turn is completed, start to execute the "C" cut ?The right foot inside edge pivots around the front left foot like the pencil does when using a geometry compass ?The "C" cut determines the circumference of the turn ?It is very important to keep the hips moving at this part of the turn ?The weight is now centered over part 3 of the blade (middle to the back) ?As you circle at this point, you may have to press the right shoulder down harder to stay balanced ?You should now be facing the intended direction of travel after the "C" cut THE CROSSOVER PHASE: ?As you are facing the direction you want to go, shift your weight to the left foot and bring your right foot and hip around for a very explosive quick crossover ?depending on the sped that you are traveling either you either exit with crossovers or a crossover start ?The left foot pushes underneath on the outside edge to complete the crossover ?Both hips and feet then open into the forward "V" position to continue skating forward (For power turns you always exit with a crossover start: one crossover and sprint forward) KEY POINTS: ?Start by practising with your stick position to the side so that you can lead with the hips and protect the puck ?Keep arms and hands away from the body for stick work and checking ?Upper body must be isolated from the lower body (doing two different things) ?Left shoulder must be at least parallel to the ice for balance ?Strong knee and ankle bend while on edges ?Keep the hips moving Some teams have scheduled practices on converted curling rinks. These ice surfaces can be very beneficial to your skating. Paul Kariya is one of the best small radius turners in the NHL. He spent many hours skating on small ice surfaces. (Barb Aidelbaum has been a professional Hockeyskating Coach for over 20 years. She is currently on staff with the BCHL Surrey Eagles and WHL Vancouver Giants. She coaches many pro players and prospects and runs camps in and around the lower mainland. For more information on Barb's programs, visit www.hockeyskating.com or email [email protected])