Battling Hockey Wives’ Tales — Ugh!
Hmmmmmm, “wives’ tales”… I plugged that into Google which brought me to Wikipedia and the followng definition:
An old wives’ tale is a type of urban legend, similar to a proverb, which is generally passed down by old wives to a younger generation. Such “tales” usually consist of superstition, folklore or unverified claims with exaggerated and/or untrue details.
Hmmmmmm, again… “…superstition, folklore or unverified claims with exaggerated and/or untrue details.” Ya, that’s what I’m going to be talking about.
Of course, I’m going to relate this to my profession, while my friends might do quite the same.
In my case, I am all about teaching the game of hockey. I do that in all different ways, from running clinics, writing, producing videos, and I also see my work with any team as a form of teaching.
Like any school teacher or college professor, there’s a code that guides me — mainly to teach what’s right, or to convey truthful information. Personally, I don’t mind once in a while telling someone I’m not sure on a given subject, or that I just plain don’t know something. To me, that’s far better than guessing or flat-out lying.
Even more compelling is my need to be up on the very latest in science, especially when it comes to anything having to do with physiology, biomechanics and the likes. And, because it’s always been a favorite field of mine, coaches and hockey parents will hear me often relate teaching methods according to the “principles of motor learning”.
With all that, I find myself constantly shoveling (whatever) against the tide. I mean, the wives’ tales don’t die — they just keep coming, whether untrue or not. And I’m suggesting I see this happen in my profession on nearly a daily basis.
Typically, such infractions happen in rink lobbies, in dressingrooms, and in the stands. (The water cooler might be the place such things take place on your job.) A mom or dad might wonder aloud about some hockey problem, this followed quite gladly with the gospel according to some self-proclaimed hockey guru. Oh, the guru might not really have a clue on the subject, but he or she has heard that such-and-such is the absolute right thing to do. The problem, of course, is that the given wives’ tale stemmed from someone who knew little on the subject, and it’s been passed on through a dozen others who know as little or less.
Did someone say, “…superstition, folklore or unverified claims with exaggerated and/or untrue details”? Ugh!
Still, somehow, such advice keeps getting passed along, until it oftentimes overwhelms the truth. Is it possible the more something is said the more credibility it gains? For sure, things shouldn’t work that way. Around the rinks, however, it almost seems so.
Okay, so here are the things that led to my frustration on this day…
I’ll soon to releasing my Skater’s Rhythm-bar to the ice and in-line hockey communities. It’s an unbelievable training device aimed at adding smoothness, rhythm, energy efficiency and power to a skater’s forward stride. Like everything else I do, that thing is based on scientific principles and skating mechanics. (Come to think of it, the reason this gadget is handheld is because of what I know about motor learning!) Earlier versions have been used by players from beginner to pro, and every one of those users (or their parents) would tell you that my simple device results in near miracles.
Now kinda in a “pre-launch” mode, I mentioned my Rhythm-bar in a Facebook post about a week ago, and I received an expected comment sooner than I’d dreamed. I mean, within a few minutes a hockey dad asked me about the way a hockey skater’s arms should pump. (On the one hand, I guess the guy’s question told me that the prevailing wives’ tale was still very much alive and kicking — darn; on the other hand, he gave me the opportunity to at least explain a little science — to him and to anyone else who happened to browse that post.)
Not to bore my non-hockey readers, but I’m guessing some folks are going to want to know a little more about the above discrepancies. So…
If we study a track sprinter (or any runner for that matter), we’ll see that his or her legs reach forward and thrust backward. Obvious, of course. But we should also notice that his or her arms and hands pump along the same forward to backward plane (and the shoulders rotate in this way, as well). What’s happening is that the upper body is attempting to keep everything in balance with what’s happening down below. In fact, the sprinter’s arms and hands are pumping rather forcefully in equal and opposite reaction to the movement of each lower limb. If you want to better appreciate the benefits to forcefully pumping the arms, though, just envision attempting to run with your hands in your pockets. Ha.
True scientists and biomechanical experts will tell you that a hockey player might use very similar movements to a sprinter when he or she first takes-off. Of course, common sense will tell you that the skater needs to get some forward momentum, and that the initial thrusts of the skates will be rearward. So again, upwards to about three steps, the skater will push back, and at the same time balance things and increase forward power by pumping the arms forward and backward.
An interesting thing happens after the first few steps, however, and it’s where we lose the carriers of those wives’ tales. For, after the take-off, a hockey player will shift into “skating mode”. Yup! From about that point onward, the skates thrust outward, rather than back. (To the naked eye, the skates seem to push rearward, only because the skater moves forward and the thrusting skate momentarily trails behind.)
Okay, when we analyzed the sprinter, we noted that the arms had to balance-off what was happening down below, and that those upper body movements were done in equal and opposite reactions to what the legs were doing. Soooooooo… Since energy efficiency (and so much more) relies on that, the hands and arms (and shoulders) of a skater MUST travel on the same plane as the thrusting skates — or dawgoned outward!
Adding insult to injury, another wives tale carrier emerged just the other day… I’d just recently made a new hockey friend over on Google+, and I’d thought we were on the same wave length. Owing to his background, I kinda know he knows his stuff. Yet, when he sent me a link to his YouTube.com channel, I noticed he included among many videos one done by a notoriously non-scientific spinner of wives’ tales. Now, that particular skating guru probably offers a number of positive things to young skaters, but she is WAY off-base when it comes to the mechanics of a forward stride. I mean, WAAAAAY off-base, since she perpetuates the notion that a skater’s arms should pump in a forward to backward motion (as the legs thrust outward?). Ugh.
Much as I did earlier — when I suggested you think about running without using the hands and arms, I don’t mind mixing more common sense with science as I pose the following…
I’d like to ask the carriers of wives’ tales why a slideboard is prescribed as a great way to enhance skating power and positive muscle memory. And, if you’d like to visualize something else, try to sense how you’d move your hands and arms in order to assist a forceful push laterally and across the board. Actually, it would be laughable to try pumping the arms forward to back while on a slideboard!
Then, if you’re into off-ice workouts for skaters, you’re probably familiar with the benefits of jumping exercises. Done rightly, a great deal of explosive power can be gained from such movements. However, while all vertical jumps are helpful, most advanced level coaches will tell you that lateral jumps — like side to side over a barrier — are even more specific to the skating movement. Why? Because — in skating mode — the thrusts are outward.
Lastly, I didn’t mean to get carried away with either the skating movement or my Skater’s Rhythm-bar. My real intent has been to bring to light all the falsehoods constantly thrown in the faces of those who would really like some help. I don’t know if much can be done about the know-it-alls who frequent the rink bleachers and snackbars. I feel it’s a losing battle most times — there are just too many of them, and they’re never held accountable for any of the advice they so freely share. That so-called professionals are distributing “…superstition, folklore or unverified claims with exaggerated and/or untrue details” is a crying shame. As for me, I guess I have to just keep hammering on this keyboard, attempting to undo as much harm as I can. (Did I say “Ugh!” yet?)
