The stride is a difficult skill to perform at different tempos. In a game, a player will probably never go end to end in an exact straight line. The stride will be interrupted with cross-overs, shuffle steps, gliding and restarts.  

What does that mean for learning the stride in a functional setting? A player goes through a set of gears. A skater may be in first gear behind the net, then approaching second gear as he/she heads for open ice, and then transition through to third gear as he/she gets resistance from opponents. Fourth and fifth gear may eventually come throughout the neutral zone and entering the offensive zone.  

The general idea is to be able to distinctly increase your speed when needed. Simply put, a skater that possesses a fifth gear is someone that can separate themselves from the rest of the pack, literally and figuratively.  

The stride all starts the same – the push always pushes out against the ice. Downward force creates the power that you need to generate speed. The more force a skater can push against the ice, the more power each push will create giving the skater more speed. 

While the push is happening, the other skate must remain in a glide position. The glide is what will enable the skater to cover more ice with each push.  

Finally, the skate must come back and recover underneath the skater’s hips. After the skater pushes out, the skate will then come back in a circular motion knee to calf. If the push is executed properly, the skate should naturally come back on its own.  

How does this help with attaining the desired fifth gear? Tempo plays a big part as the skater changes speeds. The technique should stay the same, but the tempo and pace of a skater’s push should accelerate.  

The key is to make sure to glide when going full speed. Too many skaters will start to really shorten their push when they try to skate as fast as they can. The problem then becomes they no longer are able to glide properly as well as lose the power in their pushes. It’s like sprinting in sand, trying to work really hard but not really covering the ground they need when done properly.

Some good drills for this are to have skaters start slow and change speeds somewhere designated on the ice. Also, skaters should work on changing directions while accelerating. As stated earlier, you will never see a skater going from goal line to goal line in a straight line. The skater will need to change paths as well as learn to accelerate while moving laterally around an opponent. With practice, not only can skaters improve their speed and acceleration, but they will understand how and when to use it in a game situation.  

Andy Ness is the head skating and skill coach for the Minnesota Wild. He has also been an assistant skating instructor for the New Jersey Devils, the University of Minnesota men’s and women’s hockey teams and the U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey Team.