Sean Skinner skating dvds

[FatAndSlow 0]

I was wondering if anyone has/viewed the "Ultimate Hockey Skating" dvds by Sean Sknner (http://www.skinnerhockey.com/icws222w4/sho...=21&start=1). Just wondering what people of them.

Thanks in advance,

FatAndSlow

[AnthonyJTa 0]

I take it you just got the email today, too? I'm thinking of checking a few out.

[SolarWind 23]

I take it you just got the email today, too? I'm thinking of checking a few out.

what email? Are these brand new just released DVDs?

on a side note I found his stickhandling DVDs awesome!

[FatAndSlow 0]

Anthony,

Yeah..I got an email. I would like to improve my skating but an worried that I'll need "tons" of equipment to do the plyometric or off-ice drills. I was wondering also if these drills/excercises would apply to roller also. Plus $300 for all the dvds is quite a bit of $$ (at least to me)

[AnthonyJTa 0]

Anthony,

Yeah..I got an email. I would like to improve my skating but an worried that I'll need "tons" of equipment to do the plyometric or off-ice drills. I was wondering also if these drills/excercises would apply to roller also. Plus $300 for all the dvds is quite a bit of $$ (at least to me)

I was just considering the DVD's for issues I need to apply myself to a little more.. my crossovers, and backwards skating are horrible.

I take it you just got the email today, too? I'm thinking of checking a few out.

what email? Are these brand new just released DVDs?

on a side note I found his stickhandling DVDs awesome!

Click the link he posted, man.... 10 part DVD series that focuses on skating technique.

[UMWhockey 0]

Well knowing Sean, even before seeing these videos I can just about promise he will break down skating like almost no one has on video before. The man is an obsessed skills coach and it was only a matter of time before he did a skating video. I went to both power skating symposiums and they were awsome.

[armada 0]

That's a lot of loot for instructional DVDs. Buy a Laura Stamm power skating book instead and spend the remaining $245 on stick and gloves. These DVDs can only improve your technique so much... the biggest thing that will change the way you skate is spending hours a week power skating and the book provides more then enough information on how to do that.

[flyweightphantom 1]

Someone I know had sean come to our town in NY for 3 days to run clinics and I have his DVDs. I think hes excellent as well as his videos and they are worth checking out. Hell of a nice guy also!

[sds 0]

Well knowing Sean, even before seeing these videos I can just about promise he will break down skating like almost no one has on video before. The man is an obsessed skills coach and it was only a matter of time before he did a skating video. I went to both power skating symposiums and they were awsome.

Tell him "breakaways" DVD sucks ass for me... <_<

I guess if you're a lefty it's not too bad. God forbid you are the red-headed stepchild that shoots right-handed. Then the DVD offers 5-10% of the value.

[Konig von Kuhlem 0]

I think they used portions of these DVDs at the Guts & Glory 2 camp this summer. He's very methodical in his DVDs. Like UMWhockey said, Sean is obsessed with hockey skills. After meeting him in person I was impressed. I'll be getting the DVDs.

[dsmet24 0]

The Skating DVD set just came out last week. I have watched a couple of the DVD's in the set so far. The volume of information is unbelievable! There is like 20+ hours of instruction total. The off ice portion is so comprehensive they are split into 2 DVD's, something like 4 hours. They show drills, exercises, products, etc....

The best part is that, as he says in the DVD's, these are not just his idea's, but a collection of thoughts from over 60 years of documentation....If you are looking for some in depth instruction and drills, this cant be matched. Someone mentioned a Laura Stamm book, Im sure Sean would probably agree its a great book, and some techniques are probably in the DVD's somewhere, but to put it into perspective, her entire book would probably only represent 1% of the material that is included in these DVD's.

I think skating is the most overlooked skill in minor hockey today, coaches simply dont teach it....even though it is the foundation of the sport.

[ktang 34]

OK, I just had to get it. X-mas present for myself. Thanks for letting me know about it and the opinions.

I think there are many styles of skating, and each one suits certain body types and game styles. So, the set of DVDs is interesting to me because, as dsmet24 says, Skinner has compiled 60 yrs (!) of documentation.

[AnthonyJTa 0]

I unfortunately can't swing for the whole 10 dvd bundle... but I do plan on getting one dvd at a time as I progress. If only Netflix had them! haha

[Cove 38]

Anthony,

Yeah..I got an email. I would like to improve my skating but an worried that I'll need "tons" of equipment to do the plyometric or off-ice drills. I was wondering also if these drills/excercises would apply to roller also. Plus $300 for all the dvds is quite a bit of $$ (at least to me)

I was just considering the DVD's for issues I need to apply myself to a little more.. my crossovers, and backwards skating are horrible.

I take it you just got the email today, too? I'm thinking of checking a few out.

what email? Are these brand new just released DVDs?

on a side note I found his stickhandling DVDs awesome!

Click the link he posted, man.... 10 part DVD series that focuses on skating technique.

So kick it house league and do cross overs on the big circles over, and over, and over.

[ktang 34]

My set arrived last week, and I finally got some time to go through the first DVD. In this one he goes through his source materials - not that interesting to me, except for one bit.

He differentiates between the traditional North American power skating and European hockey skating approaches.

The North American power skating approach borrows from track and field concepts, leading to straight back-and-forth arm swings (from sprinting) and starts from the toes with short strides (like running on high heels).

The European hockey skating approach uses concepts from speed skating, so the starts use the flats of the blades and longer strides, and the arm swing is more lateral.

I have observed that the quickest guys use the long stride starts (flats of the blades), despite what a lot of power skating instructors teach (in Canada).

I borrowed one of the Skinner skating symposium DVDs once, and Bjorn Kinding was analyzing Paul Kariya's starts at an all-star competition. Kariya was using long stride starts on the flats of his blades - the opposite of what North American power skating instructors have been teaching.

Anyways, this first DVD is not completely necessary for those getting one DVD at a time. Onto DVD 2, hopefully tomorrow.

[ktang 34]

Finally got some time to see some more of his DVDs.

DVD 2 - The Science of Hockey Skating

Pretty good DVD. He mentions the difference between the coaching community and the scientific community, and talks about how a lot of instructional information and DVDs are contradictory, e.g. my favourite topic, starts (90 degrees, 70-80 degrees, 45 degrees - which one is right?).

He says that, until this is resolved by the scientific community, it is more important to do the skill progressions - 6-8 weeks each for the Technique, Strength, Plyometric, Overspeed, and Conditioning.

He talks about biomechanical factors affecting skating speed - stride length, frequency, and force - and how body positioning affect these factors. Do you recover fully, or only to shoulder width (which is better - Bracko)? He points out that the traditional side-to-side arm swing and the "power skating" front-to-back arm swing doesn't seem to make a difference, despite all the claims.

He also talks about the differences between inline and ice skating speed.

He reviews the order of training - single day and single practice - confirms other literature that I've seen (e.g. Bompa). He contrasts this with some poor coaching practices that inhibit optimal improvement through training.

Then he shows some Speed-Agility-Quickness exercises (no comments).

He gives the history of overspeed / assisted training for speed - very good overview and confirmation of other literature that I've seen.

Then, conditioning (review of existing literature) and acceleration for ice hockey. Interesting point: players very rarely skate at top speed during their shifts, so acceleration is more important in hockey.

This DVD is not essential for learning the drills and techniques, but it is good to have so that the theory behind the drills and techniques is explained.

DVD 3 - Forward Edges and Crossovers

So, onto the ice.

Really good cues, and the video highlights main points and problem areas. Lots of drills that I've never seen done, or done properly, before.

Good point: 40% of the shift is 2-foot technique (one of Blasko's points). Then he shows how to do it in a progression.

Good detail and explanations of the drills. The individual drills themselves are not for beginners, but he shows how to teach beginning kids.

Something that might be unique to this series is his emphasis on body, stick, and hand positions (exercises) during crossovers for puck protection.

He has a potentially controversial breakdown of hopping versus smooth forward crossovers.

[Jordan 13]

**He has a potentially controversial breakdown of hopping versus smooth forward crossovers**

Can you tell me more about what he has to say on this topic?

[ktang 34]

**He has a potentially controversial breakdown of hopping versus smooth forward crossovers**

Can you tell me more about what he has to say on this topic?

There has always been dissension between the hockey coaching and figure skating communities, each teaching hockey players, about whether it is better to do crossovers with hops or smoothly. I'm guessing that there is no scientific community research in this area available yet.

Skinner shows skate marks from hopping vs smooth crossovers, and his conclusion (scientific community viewpoint?) is that the hops move the player forward, so hopping crossovers should generate more acceleration.

This could be controversial because the advocates of smooth crossovers have countered that there is no push, and therefore no force / acceleration possible when both skates are in the air. He doesn't cover this in the DVD, but that is the argument that I've heard in the past.

[Jordan 13]

I have seen figure skater coaches teaching "hopping" crossovers to figure skaters, so I am not sure that where the divide lies in this controversey.

[ktang 34]

I have seen figure skater coaches teaching "hopping" crossovers to figure skaters, so I am not sure that where the divide lies in this controversey.

Wouldn't they lose points if they did those competitively?

[Angora Cat 0]

He also talks about the differences between inline and ice skating speed.

ktang, great summary so far. Can you please elaborate on the differences between inline and ice skating speed, according to Skinner?

[ktang 34]

He also talks about the differences between inline and ice skating speed.

ktang, great summary so far. Can you please elaborate on the differences between inline and ice skating speed, according to Skinner?

He talks about how, with ice skates, you can get power through your full stride. With inline skates, you lose grip when you extend too much, so the stride is a little shorter. This I have seen when inline players start playing ice.

[Tailboard Jockey 25]

Are they worth the $300?

[ktang 34]

Are they worth the $300?

I'm still going through them (saw 3 so far). At the moment I don't know I will re-use the 1st and 2nd DVDs, but the information in them was useful. The 3rd DVD I will be using for a long time, for me and for my son at least.

I will add to this post within this topic as I continue.

[Tailboard Jockey 25]

Are they worth the $300?

I'm still going through them (saw 3 so far). At the moment I don't know I will re-use the 1st and 2nd DVDs, but the information in them was useful. The 3rd DVD I will be using for a long time, for me and for my son at least.

I will add to this post within this topic as I continue.

Thanks for the info. I know that I want to buy some of the DVDs, I just don't think I need all of them. Please post what you think of the rest of them after you watch them, as I'd be interested to know what you think about them. I also have a couple of young hockey-playing sons, and I'm sure there is a lot of useful information on those DVDs for us.