If you’ve ever heard a coach use the term crossunder and wondered what the difference is between that and a crossover you are not alone. Breathe easy… a crossunder is a crossover. So why the term distinction? Somewhere along the line a coach decided that the primary emphasis should be on the foot that extends under the body, rather than the one that crosses over and that by calling this skill a crossunder it would remind players of the important under push.

If you are old enough to remember the Miracle on Ice, not the movie but the actual moment that history was made, then you might also remember another popular term distinction. At that time it was backward crossovers that were in question and the terms Russian and Canadian crossovers came into vogue. Much like the forward crossunders of today, a skater doing backward Russian Crossovers emphasized the reach and pull of the inside leg, while those who prescribed to Canadian crossovers pushed hardest with the outside leg.

So what is it? "Crossovers" or "Crossunders"? "Russian Crossovers" or "Canadian Crossovers"? The truth is, it’s just a matter of semantics. Whether you are going forward or backward you need both pushes to reach maximum power and speed around a corner. Sounds simple, and it is, IF you are in the correct body position.

The body position remains stationary throughout the crossover, so no bouncing up and down, side-to-side shoulder drops, or twisting at the waist is acceptable.

Primary pressure should be on the foot that is closest to the center of the circle, as the skill progresses, and the foot crosses over, that foot changes, but if the skater is pressing toward the center of the circle primary pressure should be on the center most foot.

For backward crossovers it is vital that as the inside leg is reaching back and to the inside, the outside leg push to the side, finishing at a 45-degree angle away from the body. (Check out last month’s article for more information on the correct backward push at www.centericemagazine.com). The skater should then draw the heel of the outside foot in toward the center of the circle until it crosses in front of the gliding foot and straightens back out in the shape of a question mark, while the inside leg thrusts through and under the body, finishing with the final toe thrust of the back outside edge.

Since the body position is vital to a successful under push check to see if you have that first. This very simple test will tell you if your body position is close.

Get some speed, take the outside push, cross, and then freeze and try to hold an entire circle with your feet tightly crossed. See if you can do this forward and backward in each direction.

If your body is in the right spot this will seem very easy, but if you’re off just a little bit, breaking at the waist or bending to the outside, it will be difficult to hold an entire circle.

The next step is isolating the outside push. With the body position established, push with just the outside leg and repeat for several trips around the circle.

Try not to bounce or change the body alignment. You can raise awareness to your chest position by holding your stick with two hands, across your chest in front of your body. If the stick is steady, your chest is leading the way, and your pushes are strong you’re half way there!

Next is isolating the under push. This one is tougher. Remember, to keep a straight line from the center of the head to pushing foot and to press toward the center of the circle in order to achieve a strong under push.

This push can be extremely powerful yet many players don’t even use it. By isolating it you will find out whether you do or you don’t and if you don’t now’s the time to fix it!

Finally, put it all back together, work on it slowly with huge pushes then quickly with tight pushes.

Wendy Marco is considered one of North America’s top hockey skating coaches with players from the CBHL to the NHL. Her new DVD can be found at www.ColdRushHockey.com.