Saturday, June 21, 2008

Not a big girl?

You have a lot of things going for you being smaller.

* Your center of gravity is lower, so get as low as you can, it will be very hard to knock you down.

* You are a smaller target. Take advantage of that. Use your maneuverability to your best advantage by weaving, etc. making yourself a small moving target.

* You can fall and get up quicker than bigger girls. Don't resist the temptation to take a quick fall and get right back into the pack. As a smaller girl, you are closer to the ground and can probably do a quick double knee fall, pop up and sprint and be right back where you were. If you try to avoid falling, it can actually take more effort and take you further out of play. Just take a quick knee and get back into it. Also, it is a major penalty for anyone to hit a player who is "down". This includes a player who has taken a knee. If you feel unsteady, and take a single knee, and ifsomeone makes a mistake and hits you they get a major and are in the box (making it one less person for you to avoid).

* PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT - hit them first. She, who hits first, hits last. I'm sure there is some rule of physics to explain this, but I know that if I see a hit coming my way and do a quick hit first, even if it is barely a hit at all, the other skater's momentum is forced back into their own bodies, instead of into mine, and they bounce right off me. It's not about power at this point, but speed and a quick jam of a shoulder or hip. If you beat the hit and are first, you are much more likely to survive it and take the person's momentum into forward motion rather than falling

* As a jammer don't be afraid to hit the blockers.

* It's not just about avoiding them.

* If you see the makings of a hole, punch it open with a legal hit with your shoulder.

* Turn your body and do a hip check as you cut to the inside. Don't be afraid to hit, it can be your best way to defeat the hits coming your way.


Thanks to: PowerSnatch, New Orleans, Louisiana

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