Treadmills are a staple of hockey players everywhere, yet not enough of them are taking advantage of the many benefits that a skating treadmill provides. Even players who are already pretty fast on the ice can sometimes have inconsistencies with their speed and stride.
By using skating treadmill training, a player is able to more easily eliminate these inconsistencies and vastly improve their game time performance. Here are only some of the reasons why you should start including a hockey treadmill into your regular workout routine.
It Lets You Work on the Basics
There are some players who think that because skating can involve a lot of turning, pivoting, and stopping, the straight path of a treadmill will not provide them with the ability to be a versatile skater. What they do not realize is that by training on a hockey treadmill, they allow themselves the opportunity to improve upon the basic task of skating forward. Once this very essential skill improves, all of the other components of skating will naturally improve as a result.
Learning the basics is especially important for younger kids who have only been playing hockey for a couple years or less. That is why kids between the ages of 7-13 benefit the most from using hockey treadmills, although the benefits can be seen in players of all ages.
It Makes Improving Your Technique Easier
The problem with practicing skating in a rink is that the player will go from end to the other, during which time, they are not likely to hear what the coach or trainer is saying to them. So that means that they are never able to make corrections to their technique while actually skating. They have to wait until they have returned to their starting position to get feedback.
However, with a skating treadmill, the coach or trainer is always right there beside them to give advice and corrections. This means that the player can hear this advice and implement it in real time to help them learn more easily about how their stride should and should not feel.
You are also able to place a mirror in front of the treadmill so that the player can see themselves as they skate. This allows them to watch their form instead of just feel it and gives them a better idea of how proper form should both look and feel.
If you are interested in improving your hockey performance with one of our trainers, contact us here at NTC or give a session a try for free.