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These notes from Coach Chic...

As of right now, I've only posted the video from the free session.

I'm sure parents and students will initially enjoy watching the first video just for enjoyment, or to see what you might spot on your own.  So, go ahead and do that, then I'll make some comments below.


Now, perhaps you can go back and review the above video again, but this time watching for these things:
  1. notice the way each player's stick inhibits the movement of the stick-hand;
  2. notice that with the stick-hand and free-hand being out of sync, so is each youngster's total body movement rather lopsided (for lack of a better way to say it);
  3. notice that the lower body can't help but be in sync with the hand movements -- the path of the right hand affecting the left leg, the path of the left hand influencing the path of the right leg;
  4. you might also notice that the older player shows slightly less influence from his stick, but an influence is nonetheless present in almost every player -- beginner to pro, just to varying degrees.
Oh, by the way, did you notice a few players suddenly wrestling with their balance as they attempted to reach far outside their centers of gravity?  This is a natural occurrence for inexperienced skaters, but the wide arm-pumping will ultimately help such youngsters be better skaters, puckhandlers, passers and shooters.

Okay, now watch this next video to see the effects of removing the stick and only practicing a short time with the Skater's Rhythm-bar...


I hope you noticed a drastic difference in most kids -- skating with or without a stick, and working even a brief time with the R-bar.

Now, for some homework:
  • have your youngster watch the following video as often as possible (visualization is a powerful tool when learning new movements);
  • either while watching the video or without doing so, have your youngster practice arm-pumps at home a few times each day;
  • the video on "Analyzing the Forward Stride" shows a number other things that can be done behind the scenes to enhance the forward stride...


Finally, please don't take my advice in that (Analyzing the Forward Stride) video lightly -- in that "the way we do something the most is the way we're going to ultimately do it".  

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Coach Chic can't believe how much all the strides have improved -- right down to our youngest kids.  I mean, they have come a long ways in just a few weeks.

With that, here are two versions of the same footage -- the first one at full-speed, the second in slow-motion...

Regular Speed



Slow-motion:
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