Most players spend a lot of time trying to get faster. They work on quick feet, stride mechanics, and acceleration. All of that matters. However, if a player cannot change direction quickly, they cannot stop efficiently first, then they're not going to be able to play the game fast. When a player shuffles into a stop and shifts their body weight past the planted leg, they lose time. Before they can accelerate in the new direction, they have to shift their weight back again. That extra adjustment can leave them half a second behind in a game.
The lateral shuffle hockey stop teaches players how to own the plant, build better brakes, and put themselves in the position to accelerate immediately.
Why This Matters for Hockey
Hockey agility is not just about moving fast. It is about decelerating, controlling momentum, and getting back out of a cut with purpose. Think about a player attacking a defender. They need to crossover, stop on an edge, and immediately accelerate in the opposite direction. If their weight is not over the correct leg when they plant, they are giving the defender extra time to recover. Better braking gives players a stronger base to change direction. That improves on-ice agility and can create more scoring opportunities.
Exercise Breakdown: Lateral Shuffle Hockey Stop
Set Up
Set up with enough room to shuffle laterally and plant on one leg. Begin in a low athletic position, then shuffle toward the direction of the plant.
The goal is to finish the stop in a position that allows you to accelerate immediately in the opposite direction.
Execute the Plant
As you shuffle in, plant on the inside leg. Get your body weight over that planted leg instead of allowing your weight to drift between both feet or past the planted foot.
The planted leg is the brake. It should be the position that stops the body and prepares it to move back the other way. After each repetition, reset and repeat the pattern. Start with a small number of shuffles so the player can focus on the position instead of rushing through the drill.
Key Coaching Points
• Stay low as you shuffle into the plant.
• Plant on the inside leg.
• Get your body weight over the planted leg.
• Stop in the position where you want to accelerate from.
• Reset instead of letting the body drift through the stop.
• Learn the pattern slowly before adding speed.
Common Mistakes to Watch For
The biggest issue is a player planting and then shifting across their body before trying to go back the other way. The player may still look controlled, although they have created an extra weight shift before they can accelerate.
Watch for these mistakes:
• The player plants, then lets their body weight sit between both feet.
• The player shifts all the way through the stop instead of staying over the planted leg.
• The player lets their hip shift during the shuffle and loses the strong plant position.
• The player rushes the drill before they can own the braking pattern.
A simple self-check is to watch where the player’s body weight finishes. Is it over the inside planted leg, or do they need another adjustment before they can move again?
Wall Drill: Build the Plant Position
The wall drill helps a player build the strength and body awareness needed to own the lateral plant position. Set up beside a wall with the inside leg closest to the wall. Lean into the wall with the lower half of the body. Keep the foot flat on the ground, drive the knee into the wall, and press the hip into the wall.
The player should feel three points of contact through the inside leg:
• Foot flat on the ground.
• Knee driving into the wall.
• Hip pressing into the wall.
Think about trying to squish the wall with the inside leg. Hold that pressure for five seconds, relax for two to three seconds, and repeat for five reps. Do a few sets on each side.
The outside leg will naturally want to help. Keep the focus on the inside leg that is responsible for the plant.
Transfer It Back to the Shuffle
After the wall drill, return to the lateral shuffle hockey stop. Use the same leg that was against the wall as the first planted leg. As the player shuffles and plants, have them imagine the wall is still beside them. They should lean the hip and knee into that imaginary wall while getting their weight over the planted leg. Start slowly, then add speed once the player can consistently stop in the right position. The next progression is the crossover out. Once the player is loaded over the planted leg, they can use a strong pull and drive away into a sprint.
Programming and Application
Use this drill as a change-of-direction primer during an off-ice speed or agility session.
1. Start with the wall drill: five seconds of pressure, two to three seconds of rest, for five reps per side.
2. Perform a few sets of controlled lateral shuffle plants on each side.
3. Progress to the crossover out only after the player can own the stop.
4. Add speed gradually while keeping the same quality plant position.
Do not rush the process. Braking is the foundation of a better cut. If the stop is not clean, the acceleration out of it will not be clean either.
Final Thoughts
Players often want to train the exciting part of agility: the fast crossover, sprint, or cut around a defender. But the first step is learning to stop. The lateral shuffle hockey stop gives players a practical way to improve their brakes, build a stronger plant position, and make change of direction more efficient. Own the plant first, then earn the acceleration out. That is how players become faster and harder to defend, which creates more opportunities on the ice.
About the Author
Travis Martell is the founder and head coach of Martell Elite Fitness, specializing in off-ice development for hockey players.
🌐 Website: MartellEliteFitness.com
📲 Follow on Instagram: @martell.elite.fitness
📺 YouTube: YouTube.com/MartellEliteFitness
📲 Follow on Instagram: @martell.elite.fitness
📺 YouTube: YouTube.com/MartellEliteFitness
