What’s shaking?
What I wanted to chat with you about quickly was, when we were at, both at the network goal tending symposium but then also at the AXIS NHL goalie camp. It was sort of like a small group coaching environment and the morning would start with video sessions from the day before.
I would always sit in on those, which was like 100% worth it just to sit in on those sessions. It was amazing learning from those top, top level goalie coaches who are really thinking progressively. They’re not just like, this is what you do, because this is what so and so did and it was successful. They’re constantly thinking, how can it be better? How can it be better.
Check out the video for this post here to see some of the more visual demonstrations that I do!
https://youtu.be/1x_zwQP5lHY
I also talk about another video with the sled pull which you can find here:
https://youtu.be/ZCURuGu8vNU
There was one key point that I want to talk about. Again, I’m not an on-ice goalie coach. I don’t aspire to be a goalie coach on the ice. I just want to do the training. But when I listen to goalie coaches, it changes how I train you. Those of you who are in the shut out academy, you’re going to be seeing some of these changes coming to your programs as well.
If you watch some of my older videos (like older as in before August) a lot of what I talk about is getting a good full push. Even if we do like, a knee recovery lateral hop, it’s like “get that good, full push”. Because yes, I want to build power through the full range of motion. That’s still important. It still has its place.
But even before this summer, and actually really what started it was when I decided that I was going to put on the pads and actually play goalie. Yeah, I was like, okay I’m going to put this on, just so I can see how it feels and get a better understanding. And like, I sucked really bad. I’m the third worst goalie in the world. If I’m in my half butterfly and I push, well I can push from my post out like through my crease and out the other side and I suck. Somebody who is technically more skilled, plus stronger and more powerful, they hardly have to push at all.
I think too, sometimes we see guys do a big T-push, and it’s like, they throw up a big spray of snow. That is muscle energy that you just converted into making a snow cone, rather than moving you. You don’t need that much. It’s like, yeah, but I got to get there fast. So now my mission is to get you there fast but just with a short impulse of power so that you’re still getting the speed, but you’re not wasting all that energy, and then having to do a harder stop. A lot of times too, those hard stops at the end of the T-push are actually really hard on your hip.
That’s what I got thinking of. It’s really this idea of the one inch punch. I think they talk about this in terms of Bruce Lee, that you know he was so powerful, he could like knock a guy over with just a one inch punch rather than trying to just come through ad smoke you.
That’s the thing. We will still do big, lateral hops, but you’re also going to see a lot more about learning quick shuffles and then arriving on balance. I’ll post a link to a video I just shot a couple weeks ago with the sled pull, so holding a weight sled in my hand and then practicing those quick, lateral shuffles, even from our knee recovery, it’s going to be in different positions. (https://youtu.be/ZCURuGu8vNU)
We’re not always pushing from a position of great leverage, right? Sometimes we’re in desperation, we’re reaching. We have to push from different positions. So we have to be strong in that range too, but we’re working on those one inch punches. It’s what we’re thinking about.
That’s just something that’s been floating around in my brain. I always want you guys to understand, there’s always a why and if you follow my programs, there’s always a why. We don’t ever do anything just because we have to do a leg exercise. It’s like, why this one? Why at this time? Why this many reps? Why this exact tempo? Those of you, I might drive you nuts because no, this is exactly how fast to do it, to get the right adaptation.
If you work with another strength coach, you should never be shy to ask. If you ever ask your strength coach, why do we do this? Why do we do this? Why do we do this? And if they get mad at you, that’s wrong. It’s almost exciting. I’m proud of it. Well, we do this because duh, duh, duh, duh, duh.
That’s all I wanted to chit chat with you so that you understood when you see some of these quick, little movements, and then you think, kind of like I used to think, yeah, but I want big, explosive power. It’s like you guys don’t need that. That’s too much. That’s all this wasted energy. If we can still get the same amount of speed with just that one inch punch and get you where you need to be, less wear and tear, preserving energy so that you stay faster longer in the game, more wins, fewer injuries. This sounds familiar.
That’s it.
Cheers.
M