Jump Training for Hockey Players

Quick answer

Jump training for hockey players develops the explosive lower-body power that drives hard first steps, powerful crossovers, and the ability to push off after a pivot. The key distinction: vertical jumps train straight-line leg drive (relevant to acceleration), while lateral jumps train the hip abductors and adductors (the muscles that actually push a skate blade into the ice). Both belong in your program, but lateral jump work is the more hockey-specific of the two. A quality landing — hips back, knees over toes, soft and controlled — is non-negotiable before you add any loading or intensity.

Key takeaways

• Vertical jumps build general leg power; lateral jumps build skating-specific power. You need both, but prioritise lateral if your training time is limited.
• Landing quality is a prerequisite — control the landing before adding height, load, or speed.
• This article is a jump-specific progression program. For a broader library of all plyometric exercises, see the plyometrics guide.
• Standing long jump and vertical jump are your two benchmark tests — measure at the start and end of a 6-week block.
• Youth players (under 14) should master bodyweight versions before adding box jumps or depth drops.
• Jump training should not be done the day before a game — neural fatigue affects power output for 18–24 hours.

Vertical vs. lateral jumps: what each trains for skating

The vertical jump is the most commonly tested athletic measure in hockey scouting. It correlates strongly with on-ice acceleration because both demand rapid full-extension of the hip, knee, and ankle — the same triple extension that drives a powerful first skating stride.

Lateral jumps, by contrast, replicate the direction of force in actual skating. When a skater pushes off on a crossover or drives out of a corner, the force goes sideways — not straight down. The hip abductors (outer hip), adductors (inner thigh), and glutes produce that lateral push. Running athletes rarely train these in jump form; hockey players should.

Jump type	Primary muscles	Hockey application	Example exercises
Vertical jump	Quads, glutes, calves	Acceleration, stop-and-go, net-front battles	Box jump, tuck jump, squat jump
Lateral jump	Hip abductors, adductors, glutes	Crossovers, edge work, change of direction	Lateral bound, skater jump, lateral box jump
Broad jump	Entire posterior chain	Explosive stride length	Standing long jump, broad jump to stick
Single-leg jump	Glutes, quads (unilateral)	Each stride is single-leg; addresses imbalances	Single-leg box jump, single-leg lateral hop

Landing quality standards — the prerequisite

Every jump session should start with a landing quality check. Before you worry about how high or how far you jump, you must control where you land.

The standard: land with knees tracking over your second toe, hips pushed back (not knees caving forward), a controlled soft-knee absorption, and no wobbling. Hold the landing for 2 seconds before resetting. If you cannot hit this standard on a simple box step-down, you are not ready for plyometric depth drops or maximal bounds.

• Watch for: knees caving inward on landing — this is the most common fault and a primary ACL injury mechanism. Fix with band-resisted squats before jumping.
• Watch for: landing with a stiff leg and no hip hinge. Fix by exaggerating the hips-back cue; think "sit back" on landing, not "bend knees."
• Cue: "Quiet feet." A controlled landing is nearly silent. Loud, thudding landings signal stiff mechanics and missed absorption.

Coach Erik's tip: I don't let players do box jumps until they can step down from the same box height and hold the landing for 3 seconds without any wobble. It takes two minutes to check. The players who skip that step are the ones who end up with knee issues mid-season.

Benchmark tests: measure progress at start and end of the block

Use these two tests before starting and after completing a 6-week block. Record both numbers.

Test 1: Standing long jump. Start behind a line, feet shoulder-width. Swing your arms and jump as far forward as possible, landing on both feet. Measure from the line to the back of your heels. Take the best of 3 attempts. Average by age group: 14-year-olds typically reach 1.7–2.0 m; U18 athletes 2.0–2.4 m; elite senior players 2.4+ m.

Test 2: Vertical jump. Stand next to a wall, reach up with one arm and mark your standing reach. Jump straight up from a quarter-squat start and mark the highest touch. The difference is your vertical. Averages: U14 = 35–45 cm; U18 = 45–55 cm; elite senior = 55–70 cm.

A 6-week focused jump block should produce 5–10% gains in both measures. Larger gains are possible in athletes who have never done structured jump training before.

6-week jump training progression

Week	Focus	Volume	Key exercises
1–2	Landing mechanics + low-intensity jumps	3 × 8 each	Box step-down, broad jump (hold landing), lateral hop (hold)
3–4	Max effort single jumps, full recovery	4 × 5 each	Vertical jump, standing long jump, lateral bound (single)
5–6	Reactive jumps + skater bounds	4 × 6 each	Continuous lateral bound, tuck jump × 5, single-leg hop series

Week-by-week detail for each phase:

1. Weeks 1–2 (landing foundation): 3 sessions per week, 20 minutes. Focus is entirely on landing position. All jumps land to a held position. No continuous bounding. Include squat jumps but stop at the top — catch the landing, hold, reset.
2. Weeks 3–4 (maximum power): 2 sessions per week, 30 minutes. Full rest between reps (30–60 seconds). Each jump is maximal — you are trying to jump as high or as far as possible. Track your distances. Quality beats quantity: 5 perfect jumps beat 10 sloppy ones.
3. Weeks 5–6 (reactive and continuous): 2 sessions per week, 30 minutes. Now jumps become reactive — you land and immediately go again. Continuous lateral bounds (skater jumps held for 2 seconds at each side), repeated box jump series. This phase trains the reactive strength that matters most for skating.

Coach Erik's tip: The most underused jump in hockey training is the single-leg lateral hop — pushing off one foot sideways and sticking the landing on the same foot. That is exactly what happens on every skating stride. I program these in weeks 5 and 6 and the players who stick with them show the biggest edge-speed gains when they get back on ice.

Jump workout: complete session structure

This session fits into 35–40 minutes and suits weeks 3–4 of the progression:

1. Warm-up (8 min): 2 × 20 m high-knees, 2 × 10 squat-to-stand, 2 × 10 lateral band walks, 2 × 5 box step-downs (hold each landing).
2. Vertical block (10 min): Squat jump 3 × 5 (60 sec rest between sets). Box jump 3 × 4 (60 sec rest). Both efforts maximal.
3. Lateral block (12 min): Lateral bound 3 × 5 each side (hold each landing, 45 sec rest). Skater jump 3 × 4 each side (60 sec rest).
4. Broad jump block (6 min): Standing long jump 3 × 3 (45 sec rest). Record best distance of the day.
5. Cool-down (5 min): Hip flexor stretch × 45 sec each side, hamstring stretch × 45 sec each side, quad stretch × 30 sec each side.

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Jump training for different positions

While all positions benefit from both jump types, emphasis differs:

• Forwards: Prioritise lateral bounds and reactive jumps — the ability to explode laterally off a defender's hip is the most used athletic movement in your game.
• Defensemen: Equal vertical and lateral work, but add single-leg lateral hops — gap control requires repeated short explosive pushes that mirror this movement.
• Goalies: Lateral jumps are dominant. Goalie butterfly and push-to-post movements are pure lateral explosion. Continuous lateral bounds (low, quick, reactive) most closely replicate goalie movement.

For speed-focused training that complements your jump work, see the sprint workouts for hockey article. For a complete off-season program incorporating all these elements, see the ultimate off-ice training guide.

Common mistakes

• Skipping landing mechanics and going straight to intensity. Poor landings accumulate joint stress. Fix: spend at least 2 weeks on controlled landing work before maximal efforts.
• Only training vertical jumps. Skating is a lateral sport. Fix: match or exceed your vertical jump volume with lateral jump volume.
• Jumping with continuous reps before building reactive strength. Continuous bounding on week 1 is too much too fast. Fix: hold every landing for 2 seconds in the first two weeks.
• Knees caving on takeoff or landing. This reduces power and increases injury risk. Fix: pre-activate glutes with band walks before every session; cue "push knees out" through every jump.
• Not measuring progress. Without benchmarks, you can't know if the program is working. Fix: test standing long jump and vertical at week 0 and week 6.
• Jumping the day before a game. Neural fatigue from maximal jump work lasts 18–24 hours. Fix: schedule jump sessions on Monday and Wednesday, not Thursday or Friday before a weekend game.

FAQ

How is jump training different from general plyometric training?

Plyometrics covers a broad range of explosive body-weight exercises including jumps, hops, bounds, and medicine ball work. Jump training is the jump-specific subset: it focuses on vertical and lateral jumping with structured progression, benchmark testing, and landing quality standards. The plyometrics article is the broader exercise library; this article is the jump-specific progression system.

How many times per week should hockey players do jump training?

Two sessions per week is the right amount for most players, separated by at least 48 hours. More than two sessions provides diminishing returns and accumulates fatigue that reduces jump quality. In the first two weeks of a new program, even one session per week is sufficient while you build the landing mechanics foundation.

What is a good vertical jump for a hockey player?

For U14 players, 35–45 cm is a reasonable range. U18 elite athletes typically reach 45–60 cm. Mature elite-level players often test 60–75 cm. These numbers matter less than your personal improvement from a 6-week block — a 10% gain is the real target.

Can younger players (under 14) do jump training?

Yes, with appropriate load. Kids under 14 should do bodyweight jumps only: broad jumps, squat jumps, lateral hops. No box drops, no single-leg reactive bounds. The priority is landing mechanics and coordination. Structured progression and landing quality checks apply at all ages.

Does the standing long jump predict skating ability?

Research and scouting data consistently show strong correlation between standing long jump and on-ice speed. This makes sense mechanically — both require rapid hip and knee extension and strong posterior chain force production. It is the simplest tool for tracking lower-body power progress without needing ice time.

Should I do jump training and sprint training on the same day?

Not in the same session if both are maximal effort. Both demand full neural output and fatigue the same fast-twitch motor units. If you must combine them, do jumps first (while fully fresh) and keep total volume lower than you would for a single-quality session.

Summary

Jump training for hockey is built on two foundations: vertical jumps for general explosive leg power, and lateral jumps for skating-specific hip drive. Start every block with two weeks of landing quality work before adding intensity. Use the standing long jump and vertical jump as benchmark tests at weeks 0 and 6. Follow the 6-week progression from controlled landings to maximum single efforts to reactive bounding — and expect 5–10% improvements in both tests by the end.

Related: plyometric exercises for hockey, sprint workouts for hockey players, pre-season conditioning plan. Follow us @betterhockeysweden on YouTube and Instagram for more drills.