The Fastest Guy at the Rink Was 38 and Never Took a Power Skating Lesson
The Fastest Guy at the Rink Was 38 and Never Took a Power Skating Lesson
Short little strides. "Awful" technique by the textbook. And faster than every junior and college player at the rink. Here's what he was doing, why two classic power skating habits may be slowing you down, and how to skate faster without being gassed by the third period.
Breakdown based on Coach Dave's video at Secret Sauce Hockey, plus our comparison table and drills for rec players. ~9 min read.
TEACH ME THE WATER BUGThe short version
An overextended leg takes longer to bring back. Quick recovery means more pushes.
Glutes first, then quads and hamstrings. Not your calves.
Your calves are springs. Load them with shin angle and the flick happens on its own.
More strides in the same distance, each one from bigger muscles, with less effort.
The guy who "skated wrong" and beat everyone
Coach Dave from Secret Sauce Hockey was the fastest kid on his team. Then he took power skating. He got older, bigger and stronger, but his skating didn't get much faster, and teammates started catching him.
Years later he ran into a 38-year-old at his rink who had only started skating in his 30s and never had a power skating lesson. By the book, his technique was awful: short little strides, water-bugging around the ice. He was also faster than anyone there, juniors and ex-college players included.
His conclusion: two classic power skating rules, triple extension and the toe flick, aren't necessary and can actually make you slower.
The two power skating habits he says are slowing you down
The water-bug stride: engine plus spring
Two ideas from the video make the whole thing click.
Your glutes are the main engine, your quads and hamstrings the second. His gym analogy: you can load up the leg press and do 20 easy reps, but put one plate a side on the calf raise and your calves are fried in 10.
So spend your effort on the big muscles. Short push out to the side, quick recovery, next push.
Coach Dave showing the short stride on inline skates. Screenshot: Secret Sauce Hockey (YouTube).
Calves work like springs: loaded and unloaded, not squeezed. Get the knee forward over the toe of your skate (good shin angle) and you'll feel a stretch in the back of the leg. When you extend, the toe pops off the ice by itself. Try it with your hand: pull your fingers back and let go. They flick forward without you pushing them.
Classic power skating vs the water bug
Our summary of the side-by-side comparison drill in the video.
Our drills to switch to the water bug
RocketGrip drills, not from the video. Ten minutes of warm-up or a stick-and-puck session is plenty.
Glide on two feet with knees pushed forward over your toes until you feel the stretch at the back of the leg. Hold for a blue line to blue line. 4 reps.
Skate goal line to far blue line twice: once with long strides, once water-bug style. Count strides each time. Aim for more strides at equal or better speed.
Short pushes out to the side, think "push and return" on each leg. Feel the glute fire. 4 lengths, easy pace, then 2 at speed.
Five sprints to the far blue line with 20 seconds rest, all water-bug. If your last sprint feels close to your first, it's working.
What it should feel like
Gear note: more pushes means more work for your feet in the boot
Shin angle and quick side pushes are technique. No sock does them for you. But every push starts with your foot inside the skate, and the water bug gives you more pushes per shift. Here's honestly where our gear fits. Secret Sauce Hockey has nothing to do with it.
When you drive the knee forward and push out to the side, you want your foot moving with the boot, not sliding inside it. The grip socks are designed to reduce foot slipping inside the skate.
SEE THE GRIP SOCKS →
Faster feet get you to more loose pucks. When you get there at speed, the Grip Pack is designed to give a secure hold and better puck and stick control.
SEE THE GRIP PACK →★ 4.7/5 from 50,000+ RocketGrip customers · 60-day money-back guarantee
Frequently asked questions
What is the water-bug stride?
A short, quick skating stride that pushes out to the side with the glutes and thighs, recovers the leg fast, and lets the toe flick happen naturally instead of squeezing the calf. You take more strides in the same distance with less effort.
Is power skating bad?
Not all of it. Coach Dave's point is about two specific habits: maximum triple extension and an actively squeezed toe flick. He argues both slow your stride recovery and waste effort.
Should I still flick my toe at the end of the stride?
Let it happen, don't force it. With good shin angle the calf loads like a spring and the toe comes off the ice on its own.
How do I get a better shin angle?
Bend your knees and push them forward over the toes of your skates until you feel a stretch at the back of the lower leg. If you can't get there, it's worth checking your skate fit with your local pro shop.
Will grip socks make me faster?
Not on their own. They're designed to reduce foot slipping inside the skate, which supports a solid push. Speed comes from the technique and the reps. If you have pain in your feet or legs while skating, see a qualified professional.
Watch Coach Dave's full breakdown
The side-by-side comparison at the end is the part to watch twice.
Video won't play? Watch on YouTube →
Shorter. Quicker. Glutes, not calves.
You don't need longer strides. Bend the knees, push out to the side, bring the leg back fast and let the toe flick take care of itself.
Give your feet a sock that stays put in the boot, and your hands a grip that does the same.
- ★ 4.7/5 from 50,000+ RocketGrip customers
- 60-day money-back guarantee
Source: "Your Powerskating Is Making You Slow & Tired (How To Fix It)" by Coach Dave, Secret Sauce Hockey (YouTube), October 2026. RocketGrip is not affiliated with Secret Sauce Hockey. This article summarises and builds on their publicly available video; the comparison table, drills, mistakes list and gear notes are ours. No endorsement implied. The screenshot is from the credited video and used for commentary; other images are illustrations. RocketGrip grip socks and grips are performance accessories; they support technique and do not replace it. This article is general coaching information, not medical advice.