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Edge control / On ice

Inside-edge arc holds

Hold a brief inside-edge curve on one supporting skate, then recover to two feet before starting again.

8U · 10U · 12UIntermediate6 minutes1–1 players
Original drill diagram
Inside-edge arc holds: player positions and movement 1StartFinish
Left-to-right travel: the upper arc is a right-skate inside-edge hold turning left; the lower arc is a left-skate inside-edge hold turning right. Use one arc per trip, not both in sequence. Original schematic; not to scale. Circles with numbers or letters mark players. Other markers and arrows are explained in the caption; some diagrams show puck or ball movement instead of skating. Red arrows show shots. Follow the written setup for spacing.

How to run it

Equipment: Skates, Hockey protective equipment, Cones

  1. Put start and finish cones 20 feet apart along one side of a 12-foot-wide area. Begin beside Start without a puck. The player should already glide on one foot and stop reliably.
  2. Take two easy strides toward Finish. Shift onto the left skate, lift the right just clear of the ice, and allow a shallow curve to the right on the left skate’s inside edge.
  3. Hold for a count of one, then put the right skate down and continue on two feet. Stop beyond Finish; return outside the practice area.
  4. On the next trip use the right skate and curve left. Alternate for six trips, pausing after each pair within the six-minute station.
  5. Count holds that curve gently with the free foot off the ice and finish in a controlled two-foot stance. Do not try to complete a circle.

Key teaching points

  • Cue: “Left foot, right curve; right foot, left curve.” This identifies the inside edge without asking for a deep lean.
  • Keep the supporting knee soft and the free foot close to the ice.
  • Recover deliberately on two feet instead of hopping off the edge.

Common mistakes

  • Player continues straight on a flat blade. Try: show a very shallow curve on two feet before lifting the free skate.
  • Player tips sharply into the turn. Try: shorten the hold and make the curve wider.
  • Free leg swings across the body. Try: keep its skate beside the supporting ankle.

Make it fit the player

  • Easier: keep the free skate lightly touching the ice during a shallow curve.
  • Harder: hold the same shallow arc for two counts before the two-foot recovery.
Research context & source notes

Background sources for this drill’s skills and teaching principles.

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