Start slow, it’s no problem, Form is key
Start slow, it’s no problem, Form is key!
Humans are remarkable in what we can learn, adapt, and eventually apply to reality. Just think of the amazing things we see every day. Running water, electricity, and gas; huge supply chain distribution networks moving trillions of dollars of goods; supercomputers in our pockets; people on the moon; medicines to save people’s lives; art of insane beauty; Xenopucks for off ice hockey and much more to come.
Our tremendous ability to develop things also applies to a person’s physical and mental ability. In some ways the development of self is more impressive than anything we tangibly create. Something deep inside us has admiration for the people we see competing in sports, school, business, games and more. It is no wonder that we want to emulate that person.
Whenever we pick up something new there is what’s called the “Learning Curve”. Anybody who has tried something new has had to contend with the dastardly curve. This concept can be visualized as a line on a graph with time on the bottom (x axis) and skill progress on the side (y axis). Progress however is a non-linear affair. In other words, your skills develop slower/faster at certain times along the curve. Never at the same rate.
Linear:
Non-Linear (not to scale):
While Steve and I are no expert at anything, our understanding of ice hockey’s learning curve has been tailored by years of coaching. What’s brutally apparent is that hockey has a crazy learning curve. We think this has a lot to do with skating. Unlike most sports ice/roller hockey uses skates. So the technique we have all been using for self-propulsion is let’s just say inadequate for an ice surface with people moving everywhere at +15mph.
In the beginning most persons resemble a newborn deer or bambi as we say. While hilarious to watch, it is not fun to be that person. Every second your entire body is contorting and engaged to the extent that after you feel like new muscles sprouted from places you never knew of. For backup I say go to reddit and search for “learning curve in hockey”? There you will see people and their thoughts on learning hockey.
This now leads us to a key point from our experience. That is to start slow and focus on form. In other words “slow is smooth, and smooth is fast”. To progress in any meaningful sense you must get the proper form and mechanics down. Otherwise it will become a limiter on growth. In hockey much of what you learn has to do with fine motor mechanics. Stuff like balance which can only be learned via experience.
In this day we are so very used to instantaneous satisfaction. In fact, I doubt that anybody will read this article because of many reasons, but included is the long winded discourse that I have promulgated so far and henceforth. Many people will see McDavid killing it on Insta and think “that’s what I need to do”. However you cannot do it like he does it, few can. So you need to start slow and be patient. Work on the fundamentals because without them you are lost.
Ex. Stickhandling
Stickhandling is the movement of the puck to where you want it to go while maintaining control. Something like carrying the Xenopuck up the driveway, through some people, while turning and maneuvering to eventually dangle past your little brother in net (trashcan). The contact of the stick blade with the puck is how hockey players stickhandle and maintain control. Within this discipline there are multiple equally important factors contributing to success or failure. One thing to consider is how important the top hand is towards your skill development. Another is the contact point of the puck while stickhandling. How about the angle of the blade right before it touches the puck, while it is contacting the puck, and just after the contact. How about the simple movement of the blade up, right, left, down, angle right, angle left, etc.
So lock in on one piece of the bottom part of the chain. Usually there will be what is called a limiter. An example would be something like the speed of hand movement is incredibly fast, but strength is lacking so when you touch the puck it won’t move properly. Therefore, strength is the limiter. Now go to work on the fundamental strength in shoulders, wrist, hands, and core. Something simple like a weighted puck or a Xenopuck with a real ice puck weight can help improve your strength. Start slow and work on the fundamentals. Then move up along the chain.
Finally, we are ending
Don’t buy in to the wonder growth snake oil salesman type ideas out there. There is no way around simple hard work on the fundamentals of your trade. Improving your skill set will require patience and focus on the basic skills that underly the foundation of your future self.
Don’t get frustrated. A great book once said “Don’t Panic”1. This of course is easier said than done but try to keep in perspective that you are on the learning curve and progress comes in spurts.
Don’t lose focus on the building blocks and just have fun when you can.
Hope you enjoyed this article. I want to hear your thoughts so please feel free to reach our or comment below.
For all the loyal Xenopuck fans we appreciate the support. We keep trying to bring the best ice hockey training tools to the community.
Written By:
Carter LaVigne
Citations:
Adams, D. (2007). The hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy. Random House.
Artwork credited to Xenopucks