Summer teaches the hockey skill of Mohawks. Power skating coaches with a figure skating background will know this position as an inside spread eagle.
Right away Summer emphasizes the need for deep knee bends, which will allow for “great ankle flexion”, ensuring the success of this drill. Mohawks are useful maneuvers to protect the puck, putting yourself between the puck and the opponent. Mastery of this in both directions is essential as she demonstrates.
The breakdown of Summer’s mohawk has her heals facing each other with the toes pointing out, keeping a deep knee bend with flexed ankles. Cones or dots in the ice will help your skaters learn this drill, either by doing full circles or big C cuts.
Summer reiterates that she is leaning forward to remain on an inside edge and never leans on the stick during the move.
The progression from the mohawks is side-winding. This is basically a mohawk with a push off. The toes of the front foot remain facing forward while the back foot does most of the work of pushing off. This generates power, but the skater still needs to bend knees and stay low.
These combinations of skills are prefect for game-speed play when you’re “taking a rush down and a defenseman’s on you, you can protect the puck while you’re skating.’
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