Hockey Sense: Installment #18

Strength matters in ice hockey!  Here’s why.  The ice is a near frictionless environment.  This is a distinct disadvantage during acceleration when the player must overcome inertia and accelerate.  In order to be effective, the player must possess large amounts of strength in order to create a large propulsive angle between the ice and skate.  In addition, large step widths and single force peaks are reliant on both strength and coordination.   Recent research has correlated single leg broad jump (strength reliant) with on-ice acceleration abilities of competitive hockey players.  Take home message:  get strong!

Yours in Hockey

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