Glide and Balance Course
Coordination & Body Control
Legend
- player
- cones
- movement path
How it works
Develop foundational on-ice body control and balance by navigating a simple glide course on one or two skates.
What you need
- hockey stick
- ice
- cones
Your focus
Coordination and body control on skates requires developing proprioception , the body's awareness of its own position in space , which is entirely new to young players. The glide course forces players to hold a body position while moving, building the core stability that underlies all skating movements. Early body control training directly accelerates the pace of skating skill development.
Set up a simple course with 4 cones in a straight line, spaced 10 feet apart.
Players skate to the first cone, lift one foot and glide to the second cone on one skate.
Players land on two skates, skate to the third cone, lift the other foot and glide to the fourth cone.
Players complete a loop and return to the line; repeat 3 times per player.
Goal
You've got it when you glide through the whole course without putting a skate down for balance, smooth and upright the whole way.
Helpful cues
- Squeeze your core, that is your balance center
- Arms out to the side to help you balance
- Soft knees, a stiff leg loses balance faster
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Allow players to use a stick on the ice for balance support during the one-foot glide.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Add a puck to carry during the two-skate sections between cones.No account needed
Build a practice plan
Add drills, keep the plan in this browser, then share a link with your staff or parents.This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.
This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.After every practice, UpLVL automatically surfaces the drills each player needs to work on most. See it for yourself.