The Most Important Skill of Ice Hockey, Skating - Why Skating is the Trademark Skill of Top Players
By Randy Rhoads| Submitted On April 06, 2009
The backbone of ice hockey - skating, is definitely the most important skill any player can focus on mastering. You'll watch pros on television and you'll hear them classified in different ways; power forwards, play makers, natural scorers, defensive-defensemen and more. One thing that all of the most elite players have in common, is that they're all at the top when it comes to skating ability.
Skating is the fundamental skill of hockey, the base of the pyramid. Without a strong foundation, the rest of the skills can't be effective. Skating is often the difference maker between a good player and a great player, and there are many players with great shots, perfect passes or crushing hits that will never make it because their skating doesn't make the grade.
When you practice, it's important to balance your time and work on all of the skills necessary to be a great hockey player. If there is one area that you should actively put extra focus on though, it is without a doubt skating. You might not be the best shooter, the best passer or the best checker, but if you're the best skater, you'll always be a dominant force on the ice. This is something that far too many players ignore right from their youth hockey days. There isn't enough focus put on pure skating ability, and if more players would dedicate themselves to mastering the fundamental movement that drives their sport, they'd see huge improvements in their overall game.
Remember, you might have a booming shot or a laser accurate pass, but if you can't skate as well as the competition, you can't be effective. Dominate at skating and you'll dominate at hockey.
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