Build stable body position, correct dive selection, and controlled entry into play before adding team complexity.
¶ 1. Body Position
- Establish stable cobra position
- Maintain posture while stationary on the bottom
- Reinforce balance and stick control
Cobra Hold
Link: Foundation for all dives and in-play control.
- Used for stationary puck situations
- Vertical, controlled descent
- Land balanced and ready to play
Kelp Dive Repetition
Link: Apply body position into controlled entry.
- Used when play is moving
- Maintain forward momentum into the dive
- Enter smoothly and aligned with direction of play
Duck Dive Repetition
Link: Transition from stationary control to dynamic entry.
- Recognize loss of position early
- Surface efficiently to recover
- Re-enter with awareness and timing
Surface Reset Drill
Link: Ensures sustainability and decision-making between efforts.
- Apply fundamentals in live play
- Prioritize control over speed
- Make correct dive decisions under light pressure
Short Game Play
Link: Combine all individual fundamentals into realistic context.
¶ Exit Standard
- Maintains stable body position (hips low, chest up, eyes forward)
- Selects correct dive (kelp vs duck) based on situation
- Executes controlled and balanced entry into play
- Surfaces early when out of position
- Re-enters with awareness and timing
¶ Body Position
- Hips low
- Chest up
- Eyes forward
- Stick flat and ready
- Vertical descent
- Land directly under entry point
- Control before speed
- Carry forward momentum
- Enter smoothly without disruption
- Maintain awareness of play
- Surface early
- Reset calmly
- Re-enter with purpose
- Hips low
- Eyes forward
- Control before speed
- Enter with purpose
- Reset early
- Hips too high – Emphasize low, stable base
- Head down – Reinforce eyes forward
- Rushed dive – Slow down and control entry
- Staying underwater too long – Reset earlier
- Keep intensity low to moderate
- Ensure adequate spacing between athletes
- Correct dive selection early and consistently
- Only progress when execution is consistent
- Add light defensive pressure
- Reduce recovery time between reps
- Introduce movement before dives
- Shorten distances
- Slow overall tempo
- Remove pressure and simplify decisions