Part 1: Plow stopping in lanes
Group of 1.
Get skaters to practice plowing alone encouraging them to try to take up as little a space as possible. Some people, usually those with longer legs have a habit of spider-legging – plowing whilst covering many lanes – this drill should encourage them to consider the space they are taking up.
Get the skaters to find a set of parallel lines on the court you train on that are about the width of a lane on a derby track – preferably a little smaller to get skaters used to training in a smaller space, as inevitably they will take up more space under pressure (whether that is in full paced drills, scrimmage or bouts). Alternatively you could mark out lines with cones/tape.
Groups of 2
Send skaters to practice plowing in between the lines whilst someone is applying pressure to them. Get pairs to communicate more or less pressure from the jammer to challenge the blocker. Skaters should focus on maintaining their skates within the lines, whilst digging in and reducing how far forward the jammer can push them.
Part 2: Hockey stopping in lanes – while plowing is useful for continual movement, hockey stops can be useful to take a jammers speed off them.
Group of 1.
Send skaters out in their own space to practice hockey stopping, advanced skaters should be trying to keep their stop in a space as small as possible.
Groups of 2.
Get the skaters out to practice hockey stopping between the lines, the ones marked out as in part one, whilst someone is applying pressure to them. Get the pairs to communicate more or less pressure from the jammer to challenge the blocker. Skaters should focus on maintaining their skates within the lines, whilst digging in and reducing how far forward the jammer can push them.