Skating crossovers on a motorized flywheel: a preliminary experimental design to test effect on speed and on crossovers.

Ice hockey requires frequent skater crossovers to execute turns. Our investigation aimed to determine the effectiveness of training crossovers on a motorized, polyethylene high-resistance flywheel. We hypothesized that high school hockey players training on the flywheel would perform as well as their peers training on ice. Participants were 23 male high-school hockey players (age 15-19 years). The study used an experimental prospective design to compare players who trained for 9 sessions on the 22-foot flywheel with players who trained for 9 sessions on a similarly sized on-ice circle. Both groups were compared with control subjects who were randomly selected from the same participant pool as those training on ice. All players were tested before and after their 3-week training regimens, and control subjects were asked to not practice crossovers between testing. Group 1 trained in a hockey training facility housing the flywheel, and group 2 trained in the ice hockey arena where testing occurred. Primary outcome measures tested in both directions were: (a) speed (time in seconds) required to skate crossovers for 3 laps of a marked face-off circle, (b) cadence of skating crossovers on the similarly sized circles, and (c) a repeat interval speed test, which measures anaerobic power. No significant changes were found between groups in on-ice testing before and after training. Among the group 1 players, 7 of 8 believed they benefited from flywheel training. Group 2 players, who trained on ice, did not improve performance significantly over group 1 players. Despite the fact that no significant on-ice changes in performance were observed in objective measures, players who trained on the flywheel subjectively reported that the flywheel is an effective cost-effective alternative to training on ice. This is a relevant finding when placed in context with limited availability of on-ice training.

Skate blade neck lacerations: a survey and case follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: To learn about neck lacerations caused by skate blades in hockey. DESIGN: A retrospective Web-based survey and follow-up of registered USA Hockey players. SETTING: Three hundred twenty-eight thousand eight hundred twenty-one of 457 038 registered USA Hockey players with a current e-mail address were contacted and invited to participate in the survey. PARTICIPANTS: Of 26 589 players (5.8% of all USA registered players) who responded to the survey, 247 were excluded due to incomplete data. Of 26 342 surveys analyzed, 23 199 respondents were men (88%), 3015 women (11.4%), and 128 (0.5%) did not designate gender. INTERVENTION: An original survey instrument was developed, formatted, and linked to a Mayo Clinic Web site. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Neck lacerations from a skate blade, including mechanism, severity, treatment required, and the type of neck protector worn. RESULTS: Of the 26 342 respondents, 11 935 (45.4%) currently wear neck protection and 485 (1.8%) have sustained a neck laceration. When the laceration occurred, 132 of the players (27%) were wearing neck protection. Interviews with 33 injured players established that lacerations were superficial: 20 (61%) required bandaging only, 11 were sutured, and 2 were glued. CONCLUSION: Based on this survey, the currently available neck laceration protectors do not eliminate the risk of a neck laceration from a skate blade.

The 'yips' in golf: a continuum between a focal dystonia and choking.

The definition of the 'yips' has evolved over time. It is defined as a motor phenomenon of involuntary movements affecting golfers. In this paper, we have extended the definition to encompass a continuum from the neurologic disorder of dystonia to the psychologic disorder of choking. In many golfers, the pathophysiology of the 'yips' is believed to be an acquired deterioration in the function of motor pathways (e.g. those involving the basal ganglia) which are exacerbated when a threshold of high stress and physiologic arousal is exceeded. In other golfers, the 'yips' seems to result from severe performance anxiety. Physically, the 'yips' is manifested by symptoms of jerks, tremors or freezing in the hands and forearms. These symptoms can result in: (i) a poor quality of golf performance (adds 4.9 strokes per 18 holes); (ii) prompt use of alcohol and beta-blockers; and (iii) contribute to attrition in golf. Golfers with the 'yips' average 75 rounds per year, although many 'yips'-affected golfers decrease their playing time or quit to avoid exposure to this embarrassing problem. While more investigation is needed to determine the cause of the 'yips', this review article summarises and organises the available research. A small study included in this paper describes the 'yips' phenomenon from the subjective experience of 'yips'-affected golfers. The subjective experience (n = 72) provides preliminary support for the hypothesis suggesting that the 'yips' is on a continuum. Based on the subjective definitions of 72 'yips'-affected golfers, the 'yips' was differentiated into type I (dystonia) and type II (choking). A theoretical model provides a guide for future research on golfers with either type I or type II 'yips'.