🏒 Mastering Tight Turns: The Edge That Creates Time and Space

Hockey is a game of speed, but raw speed alone won’t make you a great player. 

The best players control their edges, turns, and spacing to gain an advantage over their opponents.

Tight turns are one of the most valuable tools in your game. 

They allow you to create space, escape pressure, and control the play.

At Pro Performance Hockey, we want to give you a competitive advantage by training you to do the common thing uncommonly well.

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Why Tight Turns Matter

Every shift, you perform dozens of turns at different speeds and angles. 

How tight and controlled those turns are can be the difference between gaining time and space, or losing it.

•  Better turn radius than your opponent? You gain an advantage.

• Wider, slower turns? You lose space and control.

Many of the most successful hockey players weren’t the fastest skaters on the ice, but they controlled their edges better than everyone else.

We discussed the importance of your outside edge last week:

Gretzky: The Master of Tight Turns

Wayne Gretzky wasn’t the fastest player, but his edge work was legendary.

When he entered a one-on-one situation, defenders often had perfect positioning. 

Instead of forcing the play, Gretzky would use a tight turn-back move to instantly change the odds in his favor.

What happened next?

The defender would stop or hesitate, giving Gretzky space.

 Or worse, they’d charge straight at him, giving him a free lane.

Gretzky created time and space on demand, all because he mastered the simple art of the tight turn.

How to Develop Elite Tight Turns

• Control Your Edges: The sharper your turn, the more space you create.

• Stay Low & Explosive:  Balance and power allow you to turn quickly without losing speed.

• Use Deception:  Change speeds and angles to force defenders into mistakes.

• Train With Purpose: Work on tight turns in game-like situations under pressure.

The Bottom Line

Tight turns aren’t just a skill, they’re a weapon.

If you master them, you dictate the game instead of reacting to it.

And always remember: Do the common thing uncommonly well.

When you’re ready to elevate your game, here’s how I can help you:

1. Elite private training to provide the 1 on 1 attention you deserve.

2. Spring 2025 clinics for offseason skill development.

3. Summer Camp 2025 to prepare for the upcoming season.

See you on the ice,

Coach Scott Rutherford
(716) 912-4465