Learn To Train Hockey Newsletter #18
Pivoting in games is a culmination of your overall technical skating ability
“Head on a swivel” is a very commonly used hockey coaching term that we’re probably all familiar with. It will certainly always have a lot of applicability in hockey, and it is especially relevant in today’s fast paced skating environment. Simply, coaches in every league in every country will remind you (the player) when you ostensibly halt scanning the ice for open players to give the puck, or for those pesky forecheckers attacking you at full speed.
But for you younger hockey players that want to become “elite” within your age group (skate the best, score the most Gino’s, and collect the most Apples) it will require you to hold yourself accountable for doing the little things that don’t show on the scoresheet. The “elite” players (no matter their size or stature) have always been able to take important fundamental skills from the previous levels, and not get reminded by coaches they’re doing them wrong at the new higher level.
PIVOTING, and specifically “not turning your back to the puck” in games, is the one fundamental skill/habit that even the “most elite” will always need to regimentally focus on doing. It seems so simple to pivot from forward to backward on a dime, keep your eye on the puck, and not skate while looking back over your shoulder for even just a split second. This is probably why hockey coaches in every league in every country won’t necessarily notice a poor pivot leading to a goal against in real-time. It’s just not something that appears so blatantly obvious as not having your “head on a swivel”.
Believe it or not, but you can play in “The Show” (NHL) even if you’re not a supreme level skater. So you better believe that even the world’s best players will default to any technical skating weaknesses they have so as to not get “caught” on the play. JUST WATCH
“No matter who you are, we’re creatures of habit. The better your habits are, the better they will be in pressure situations.” -Wayne Gretzky
In practice or in lessons you can engrain proper pivoting (always facing the puck) as a habit, even when you know you’re going to get beat on that specific practice repetition. Getting scored on in practice doesn’t matter, but no one likes being at fault for getting scored on during a meaningful game.