03/19/2026
You’ve probably heard these terms before: the importance of the first three steps for any hockey player getting into motion.
This style of quick start happens on the ball of the blade (not the actual toe). It comes from quick, explosive, powerful movement.
But before skaters can generate that power, they first need to learn how to balance on this part of their blade, because it’s not where we spend most of our time while skating.
We use a variety of drills to teach and practice this. One tool we used this year was actually the net, not for pushing it as resistance training, but to help players better feel where that balance point is on their blade.
We simply had players lean forward, place that force into the correct part of the blade, and take a few steps. The net allowed them to experiment with those first steps without immediately falling, giving them the chance to feel the position and work through the movement rather than constantly resetting.
Quick starts don’t happen overnight. Some players pick it up faster than others and that’s completely okay. Development takes time, repetition, and the willingness to keep working at it.
Sometimes the goal of a drill isn’t speed yet… it’s simply helping athletes feel the right position so the speed can come later. 💨
