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Acceleration / On ice

Rolling acceleration gears

Accelerate from an existing glide, then settle into sustainable strides without stopping between pace changes.

10U · 12UIntermediate7 minutes1–1 players
Original drill diagram
Rolling acceleration gears: player positions and movement 1StartBuildSettleFinish
1 travels right through Start, Build, Settle, and Finish. The tightly spaced arrows in the middle represent quicker pushes; the longer final arrow represents settled travel. Cones mark phase changes, not turn points. 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. Place four cones along one side of a straight lane: Start, Build 12 feet ahead, Settle another 15 feet ahead, and Finish 15 feet farther. Use an 8-foot lane and leave 20 feet of runout. No puck is used.
  2. Skate easily from Start toward Build. Arrive already moving rather than beginning the acceleration from a stationary stance.
  3. Between Build and Settle, add several quicker pushes to increase speed. After Settle, use a calmer, longer rhythm that maintains travel instead of continuing to pump faster.
  4. At Finish, coast and use a familiar stop in the runout. Return outside the lane and rest before repeating. Complete four trips within seven minutes.
  5. Count trips with three visible phases: easy travel, a deliberate increase, and a settled rhythm. Compare rhythm rather than timing the player or demanding a top-speed effort.

Key teaching points

  • Cue: “Roll, build, settle.” Acceleration can begin while the player is already moving.
  • Let stride rhythm change smoothly instead of making one large lunging step.
  • At Settle, maintain the gained motion; this is not a braking point.

Common mistakes

  • Player stops at Build to restart. Try: rehearse the easy approach through that cone first.
  • Player keeps frantic steps after Settle. Try: count two deliberately calmer strides beyond it.
  • Player reaches excessively to make strides longer. Try: keep the stride comfortable and reduce only the hurried rhythm.

Make it fit the player

  • Easier: use a small pace increase and only two quicker pushes in the middle zone.
  • Harder: shift Build a few feet earlier before the next trip while preserving the same finish and runout.
Research context & source notes

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

Keep building

More acceleration drills · Development guides