Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/837498
JUNE/JULY 2017 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 33 O F F - I C E T R A I N I N G 3. SQUAT LATERAL Even if you already follow a good goalie-specific training pro- gram, do me a favor and do this drill, just to see how challenging it is, because I know it looks super easy. Start in a tall kneeling position, then recover your right foot up underneath you and drive laterally to your left. Land on the left foot in a perfectly balanced ready position. Hold your balance for three seconds, then gently return to your starting position (do not slam down into your butterfly – there is no shot coming). The goal is to hit that perfect point of balance immediately without any sway, wiggle or adjustment. This is how you improve movement efficiency and arrive ready to make a save or move to the next save. You will still use split squats, single leg squats and front squats like the skaters, but you also need to have a good squat pattern in the frontal plane (think of shifting from post to post), which is what you get with a squat lateral. This specific drill teaches you to get in a power position over one leg (almost like covering your post) with your shoulder, hip, knee and ankle in line. The extended leg learns to lengthen under tension, which is essential for reducing your risk of groin strain. Finally, if your hips are not moving properly, this exercise will magnify it. You will realize that you have a side-to-side imbalance where one side moves freely and the other feels jammed. Or you might notice that you are twisting at your lower back. This tells you your mobility needs more work and maybe you need to get your hips checked by a good sport physiotherapist. Start with six each way. (NOTE: Do not use the Med Ball for this one.) Start with eight to each side. Lower for a count of three, pause for a one count at the bottom of your squat lateral and push back up for a count of one. 2. KNEE RECOVERY LATERAL HOP AND STICK COULD YOU DO THIS? I can hear it already… Could you do that one while juggling? I do one like that, but I also have to react by calling out prime numbers in sequential order while wearing a 50-pound weight vest. There are literally hundreds of drills you could do. And there are hundreds of ways to make these harder. The goal is to come up with an effective drill that actually helps you stop more pucks. When you can do these perfectly then look for a logical progression to make it more effective for you on the ice. P M A R I A M O U N T A I N Owner and strength & conditioning coach of Revolution Sport Conditioning. To learn more go to GOALIETRAININGPRO.COM.