Hockey crossover drills are the fastest way to add speed where games are actually won - in the corners, on the rush, and through traffic. Straight-line strides matter, but every turn, every breakout, and every tight-space escape is powered by crossovers. Players who master them pull away from the pack; players who skip them leak speed in every curve.
Key Takeaways
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Crossovers create continuous acceleration through turns, unlike straight strides that bleed speed in corners.
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The under-push from the inside leg supplies roughly half the power, yet most players only cross the top leg over.
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Train forward and backward crossovers - backward reps are what let defensemen match speed and close gaps.
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Off-ice work with agility hurdles, bands, and slide boards builds the hip strength and muscle memory that transfer straight to the ice.
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A short, focused 15-minute plan done several times a week beats occasional long sessions.
Why Crossovers Are the Fastest Move on the Ice
A straight stride pushes you forward, then resets. A crossover never stops pushing. By stepping the outside leg over and driving the inside leg underneath, you create a new push-off angle on every step, so you keep accelerating right through the curve instead of coasting. That is why the quickest players on any sheet look like they gain speed in the turn while everyone else fights to hold it. For most skaters, cleaning up crossovers is the single biggest speed upgrade available - bigger than any amount of straight-line effort.
The Mechanics That Make or Break a Crossover
Speed through the turn comes from four things working together. Get these right, and the drills below click into place.
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Outside-edge glide: the outside leg carries you on a strong outside edge as you lean into the circle. No lean, no turn.
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Inside-leg under-push (the scissor): the inside leg drives down and out from under your body. This under-push supplies about half your power and is the part most players skip.
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Hip and knee bend: stay low with knees bent past your toes. Standing tall kills your edges and your push.
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Upper-body torque: shoulders and hips rotate slightly into the turn so your power lines up with the direction you want to go.
The common breakdown is crossing OVER without pushing UNDER. If you only lift the top leg across and let the bottom leg ride along, you are giving away half your acceleration. Every drill that follows is built to train that under-push until it becomes automatic.
On-Ice Forward Crossover Drills (Beginner to Advanced)
Work this ladder in order. Master each step before adding the next - clean reps build speed faster than sloppy ones.
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Stationary cross-steps along the boards: standing still, step one foot fully over the other and set it down, feeling the under-push. Slow and deliberate to groove the pattern.
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Single crossovers around a face-off circle: skate the circle both directions, focusing on outside-edge lean and a full under-push each step. Even, quiet strides beat frantic ones.
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Alternating figure-8s: link two circles into a figure-8 so you switch lean direction at the middle. This trains the edge change that game skating demands.
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Zig-zag crossovers down the ice: cut across the rink in short S-curves, taking two or three crossovers per cut. Builds the ability to change direction at speed.
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Crossovers with the puck: repeat the circle and figure-8 work while stickhandling. Keep your head up and hands relaxed so puck control and edges fire together.
Coaching tip: quality over quantity. Ten crisp crossovers with a real under-push beat thirty rushed ones. For structured session ideas you can layer on top of these, our hockey drills library gives you patterns to rotate through practice.
Backward Crossover Drills for Defense and Transitions
Backward crossovers are where many players and even competitor articles go quiet, yet they decide most defensive battles. A defenseman who can crossover backward at speed matches the rush, controls the gap, and pivots forward without losing a step.
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C-cuts into crossovers: start with backward C-cuts to build glide, then layer crossovers on top so you are pushing, not just gliding backward.
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Backward figure-8: skate backward through two linked circles, crossing over on each curve and changing lean at the center. Trains edge control while moving away from the play.
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Gap-close crossover retreat: from a stopped position, crossover backward to match an imaginary attacker, staying low and keeping your feet moving. This is the exact skill that lets defenders close space instead of backing in.
If backward skating is your weak point, treat it as its own priority. It is the difference between defending the rush and chasing it.
Off-Ice Crossover Exercises That Transfer to the Rink
Most players only touch the ice a few times a week, and crossovers reward daily reps. Off-ice work builds the hip abductor and adductor strength and the movement memory that show up the next time you step on the sheet.
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Lateral crossover walks with a band: loop a band above the knees and step laterally, crossing one leg over the other. Slow, controlled reps light up the exact muscles that drive the under-push.
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Hurdle lateral step-overs: set a row of agility hurdles and step over them side to side, driving the trail leg through. Trains quick, powerful lateral movement.
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Slide board strides: push side to side on a slide board to mimic the glide-and-recover rhythm of skating without ice.
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Cone crossover sprints: weave through cones at speed using crossover steps, keeping your chest up and eyes forward.
Our Pro-Steel Agility Hurdles were built for exactly this kind of hockey-specific lateral work - heavy-duty steel, no assembly required, and three heights so you can scale the challenge as you get faster. You can pair them with the rest of your off-ice fitness gear to make crossover training part of your weekly routine.
5 Mistakes That Kill Crossover Speed
Fix these and most skaters find speed they did not know they had.
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Standing too tall - fix: bend your knees past your toes and drop your hips so your edges can bite.
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Crossing only at the knee - fix: step the full leg across and set the foot down outside your body, not just tapping the ankle over.
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Neglecting the under-push - fix: consciously drive the inside leg down and out on every step; it is half your power.
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Looking down at the puck or your feet - fix: pick a target across the ice and keep your eyes up so your posture stays tall and balanced.
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Stiff upper body - fix: let your shoulders rotate slightly into the turn and stay relaxed so your torque adds to the push instead of fighting it.
Sample 15-Minute Crossover Practice Plan
Copy this into a solo session or the start of practice. Short and focused beats long and unfocused every time.
| Segment | Time | What to do |
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| Warm-up edges | 3 min | Inside and outside edge glides on both feet; a few forward and backward C-cuts. |
| Forward drill 1 | 3 min | Single crossovers around the circle, both directions, full under-push. |
| Forward drill 2 | 3 min | Alternating figure-8s, changing lean at the center. |
| Backward drill | 3 min | Backward figure-8 or gap-close crossover retreat. |
| Game-speed finish | 2 min | Full-speed figure-8s, then add the puck for the last reps. |
| Cool-down | 1 min | Easy glides, long strides, shake out the legs. |
Gear That Supports Crossover Development Off Ice
You do not need a rink to build crossover speed. A few honest tools cover most of the work:
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Agility hurdles for lateral power and quick step-overs that mirror the crossover motion.
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A slide board to rehearse the glide-and-recover rhythm of skating.
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Resistance bands for cheap, effective hip strength that feeds the under-push.
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Training pucks so you can add puck control to any drill and train hands and feet together.
If you want to build a full setup at once, our dryland training kits bundle the core off-ice pieces so you can train speed, hands, and shooting in one place. Every product we make is professional grade, made in Michigan, and backed by a lifetime guarantee, so the gear keeps up as you improve.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I practice crossovers?
Aim for three to four short crossover sessions a week, mixing on-ice reps with off-ice work. Fifteen focused minutes at a time is plenty. Consistency matters more than length, because crossovers are a muscle-memory skill that improves fastest with frequent, quality repetition rather than occasional long grinds.
At what age should kids start crossover drills?
Kids can begin simple crossover work as soon as they skate comfortably, often around ages six to eight. Start with stationary cross-steps and slow circle work, keeping it fun and low pressure. Younger players should build up speed gradually with plenty of supervision before moving to figure-8s and puck-carrying reps.
Do crossover drills help goalies too?
Yes. Goalies use crossover-style pushes to move post to post, track plays behind the net, and recover across the crease. Lateral edge work, C-cuts, and controlled crossovers all sharpen a goalie's mobility and balance, which leads to quicker, more efficient movement and better positioning on cross-ice plays.
Want to keep building your off-season edge? Read our guide to the best cross-training sports for hockey players, then shop all training equipment.
