Glen,
Good to hear comments from new coaches..
I would agree with you about the skating treadmills and may not be the best for the skating stride. But that opinion is just from looking at how these things work and I have never used one.
I have used slide boards and find they work on the stride well.
As far as the DR. Mike B. video posted earlier there are some great points that he makes.
Yes the players I work with sometimes do click their heels , and bring there leg back under their centre of gravity. But Do I want them doing that in a game ?
NO.
Watch the A2 Russian Puck handling video that Tom posts from time to time.
Do they want them to handle the puck with one hand far as they can to the side and down on one knee in a game situation all the time.?
No I don't think so all the time , maybe when the situation comes up. they would.
It is about separating the upper and lower body and creating a wide range of motion.. Tom correct me if I'm wrong with that.
Over exaggerating the stride , getting a feeling and more confidence on each edge an a more wide range of motion with the stride is very similar A2 Russian Puck Handling. A different skill , one puck handling and the other skating , but creating the range of motion, a sense of confidence is the same.
Just my thoughts ..
RookieCoach.
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Rookie Coach, I agree. When you first learn things it is good to do them slowly and exaggerate the movement. Skating is not a natural movement since it is a sideways and not a fromt to back push. In the talent hotbeds that Daniel Coyle talks about int the Talent Code and the Little Book of Talent the coaches have the athletes swing a tennis racquet in slow motion but with the perfect angle. Getting the movement gross pattern is important and then tweak it for efficiency. (I do agree with Bracko when he wonders why the skating mills in NA are on an incline and hockey rinks are flat)
PS Thanks for contributing the breakout drill.
http://rd.library.brocku.ca/bitstream/handle/10464/3358/Brock_Harriss_Daniel_2011.pdf?sequence=1
Dr. Bracko does not do conclusive tests of his own to prove his theories. Above is a link to a proven tested and clinical testing of the skating treadmill by an actual skating coach that skated at a competitive level. Although Dr. Bracko has a degree I am not sure that his testing is very accurate. If you watch his YouTube Videos it is abundantly clear.