nother component of straight forward skating that we work on with the players is the plantar flexion which involves the full extension of the ankle joint at the end of the stride. A player who finishes each stride by pushing hard through a full ankle extension will increase his speed significantly. An added advantage of the ankle extension at the finish of a stride is that this movement tends to insure that a player attains a full extension of his stride. It is very difficult for a player not to fully extend his leg, i.e. completely open up his knee bend if he finishes with a hard drive from the toe of the blade.