3 Types of Skills
The first step in skill development is to understand the differences between the three primary categories of skills required to play hockey:
1. Technical Skills
2. Tactical Skills
3. Athleticism
Technical Skills
Technical skills are the foundational motor and movement skills needed to play the game effectively. Think of these as more “micro-level” on-ice skills that need to be performed on an automatic basis during games.
These skills are typically categorized as skating, puck control, passing, shooting and checking.
Common examples of technical skills are the mohawk, slap shot, saucer pass, etc.ed.
Tactical Skills
Tactical skills or “tactics” can also be thought of as the decisions or options available to you in an individual role or team situation that can help you create an advantage over your opponent(s). Tactical skills require proficiency in technical skills to be effective.
Tactical skills can be classified as either individual tactics or team tactics. Individual tactics are specific to one player, while team tactics are specific to a group of players working as a unit.
Common examples of individual tactics are puck protection & angling. Common examples of team tactics are a 2-1-2 forecheck or attack triangle o-zone entry.
Athleticism
Just as it is important to develop the technical ability to skate well and the tactical ability to use that skating to create an advantage over your opponent, it is equally as important to develop the raw athletic abilities that it takes to transform that technical skating ability into pure on-ice speed and agility.
Common examples of these athletic abilities include strength, power, conditioning and mobility. Nutrition and body composition (fat tissue vs muscle tissue) are also a contributing factors to athleticism and athletic performance.