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Let us consider going after goals in ice hockey. That means assists, too. So let us take a look first at the various ways of shooting and of beating the goalkeeper.

Before we do this, you should know a very important fact about shooting. Your team will do well to average 30 to 40 shots on goal per game. If you are a forward, you may have only six to eight shots in a game. In an hour of scrimmage practice, this average may be only slightly higher.

Then, too, there is the battle of wits that goes on between you and the opposing goalie. You can hope to win this duel only if you have a thorough knowledge of the target areas he has trouble covering, which means you will have to put in long, hard practice sessions with him in the net.

During these long, hard practice sessions, your constant companion will be your stick, which plays a very important part in good shooting. Your stick will be your best friend if you show as good a judgment in selecting it as you show in selecting your skates.

So you will not score many goals unless you put in a good amount of shooting practice to get the speed, power, and accuracy which will make your few chances count. And you will not be able to shoot your way out of a paper bag unless your technique for getting the puck away is sound.

Your Stick and Other Hockey Needs

Your choice of stick should be made with care so that, after you have used a few, you know what hand, lie, length, and weight suits you best.

You can buy a left, right, or neutral stick at a sporting goods store. Pick one for the hand with which you shoot, provided it does not have too pronounced a hook in the blade. A right-handed shot places his right hand lower than his left on his stick, shoots forehand from his right side, and usually uses a right-handed stick.

A left-handed shot places his left hand lower than his right on his stick, shoots forehand from his left side, and usually uses a left-handed stick. Go to a neutral stick when you want to correct a fault of consistently shooting too high. Sometimes the bend or hook in a blade causes the aerial attack you always seem to launch.
THE PROPER STICK LENGTH for any player is determined by holding the stick up against his body while he is wearing ordinary shoes. The stick end should come just below his nose.

The weight of stick you use should be the lightest you can get without it being too brittle or too “whippy.” The less weight in the blade, the easier you can handle the whole stick. Some players go to considerable trouble to plane wood from the thick part of the heel, or they even cut an inch or two from the toe, to get a lighter stick.

You should wrap the blade with electrical tape to keep it from breaking. This also serves the purpose of “cushioning” the puck in pass receiving and in stickhandling.

Your necessary equipment for hockey is complete when you have gloves, shin pads, pants, stockings, elbow pads, athletic support, shoulder pads, and a helmet. You are very wise to wear a helmet, whether required or not. Not only will it protect you, but it also will give you confidence in your early years of developing skating skills. Now you should be able to score goals, pleasing yourself and your team!

Discover The Well Kept Secrets Of How To Become A Hockey Drill Pro And Be Your Team’s Star!
http://www.hockeydrill.net/

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Power is the most talked about feature of modern tennis.

It is the one single component that has shaped the game we know today. When we talk about power tennis (think Rafael Nadal, Marat Safin, Roger Federer, the Williams sisters and Maria Sharapova) it is the ability to accelerate and coordinate not only the racket, but also the movement of the relevant body parts that is crucial. Power is determined by your ability to exert forces quickly. Genetics determines your potential for speed of movement and therefore your power.

However, it is now known that even if you are not blessed with an initial abundance of fast-twitch fibres (type 2b) – the muscle type best suited to quick explosive movements – appropriate training can improve your situation. It is possible to train in such a way that not only increases the number of fast-twitch fibres you have but also increases the speed at which they fire (work) and the rate at which you can access them during performance. As power is a product of force (strength) and speed, any increase in either of these components, especially speed, will improve your power.

While training both components individually will lead to gains in power, training them together – a process called complex training – will give you the biggest increases. Complex training is when a traditional resistance exercise is performed and immediately followed by a matched plyometrics (high-speed) exercise. Following are some complex training exercises I use with the Tennis GB Girls squad players. Before attempting this kind of training it’s crucial to perform a thorough warm-up routine first to prevent doing yourself serious damage. To gain the most from these workouts it’s important to be physically fresh (as well as highly motivated), so if possible avoid training hard for at least 48 hours before a complex session. Fasttwitch fibres are not magically recruited, you need to be focused and perform the exercises as explosively as possible.

Try these exercises!

1. ABDOMINAL CRUNCH FOLLOWED BY MEDICINE BALL SITUP AND THROW
This sequence trains the abdominal muscles for core power. Start by lying on your back with your legs and feet up at 90 degrees with your feet crossed. With your hands on your temples (not behind the head) and abdominal muscles drawn in towards the spine, crunch up by raising the shoulders off the floor, keeping the head still. Perform 15 repetitions. Immediately afterwards go to the same start position but with a medicine ball held in both hands behind your head. Sit up using your abs and throw the medicine ball powerfully towards a partner or against a wall. Do six throws, have two minutes rest and perform the sequence again.

2. LUNGES FOLLOWED BY BAG JUMPS
This sequence trains leg explosion and overall power. Start by standing up straight with hands on hips and lunge forwards until your front leg is at 90 degrees. Come straight back up to the start position, alternating legs for 12 reps. Immediately afterwards stand with your feet together and knees slightly bent in front of a large racket bag and explode up, bringing your knees towards the chest and landing softly on the other side of the bag. Turn round and repeat for six jumps. Rest for two minutes and do the sequence again.

3. BENT OVER DUMBBELL ROWS FOLLOWED BY MEDICINE BALL FOREHANDS AND BACKHANDS
This is an upper body sequence, training the back muscles in order to provide power on groundstrokes. Start with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart with a slight bend in the knees. Bend over, keeping a straight back. Hold the dumbbells at full arms’ length (see main pic opposite) then draw them up in rowing motions, keeping the arms close to your body, drawing your shoulder blades in together. Use a weight suitable for you to do 12 repetitions. With no rest this is followed by a forehand throw with a medicine ball. Throw the ball against a wall or to a partner. Do six forehand throws followed by six backhands. Perform the whole sequence twice with two minutes of rest in between.

4. TRICEP DIPS FOLLOWED BY OVERHEAD MEDICINE BALL THROWS
This sequence trains overhead power. Using a bench or a step as we did, with your legs bent or outstretched and your weight supported on your hands (facing forwards not backwards) behind you, lower yourself until your elbows are at 90 degrees then come back up again. Perform 12 reps. Immediately afterwards, start in a standing position with a medicine ball behind your head and throw the ball to a partner or a wall as if you were doing a football throw-in. Do six throws, rest for two minutes and repeat the sequence.

5. FOLLOWED BY A KNEELING MEDICINE BALL CHEST PASS
This sequence trains upper body explosion. Start in a classic press-up position, arms and back straight, on your toes and the abdominals drawn in. Then lower by bending the arms to 90 degrees and keeping the back straight. Perform 12 repetitions. Immediately afterwards, kneel holding a medicine ball in front of your chest and explode the ball with a chest pass motion to a partner or a wall. As the momentum is forwards you may need to fall on to your hands after the throw to support yourself. Gently get back up and go again, performing six throws. Rest for two minutes and repeat the sequence.

Before starting any fitness programs consult with your physician.

The Author: Paul Gold has a Masters degree in Sports Sciences and is a Performance Enhancement Specialist and Speed Agility Quickness trainer. For information about products and services contact via http://www.tennis-training-central.com

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