Quick answer
A hockey transition is switching between forward and backward skating without slowing down. To go forward to backward, keep your eyes on the play, plant one skate, open your hips 180 degrees, and step your trailing foot around heel-to-heel (the "open-up" or mohawk pivot) so your momentum carries you into your backward stride. To go backward to forward, shift your weight onto the skate away from the play, open your hips toward the play, and step through in a quick 1-2-3 count. The whole secret is staying low the entire time and never standing up between directions — that stand-up is where players lose their speed. Master both pivots on both sides, and you can defend a rush or jump a loose puck without ever giving up a step.
Key takeaways
- A good transition keeps 90% of your speed; a bad one bleeds it all off when you stand up to turn.
- Forward to backward is the defenseman's bread and butter — matching a rushing forward while keeping the play in front of you.
- Backward to forward is a forechecker's and defender's escape — flipping to chase a loose puck or beat a forward to it.
- Both pivots start from the hips, not the feet: turn your belt buckle where you want to go and the skates follow.
- Stay in a low, athletic stance through the whole move. Rule one of hockey: never turn your back to the play.
- You can build clean transitions off the ice on flooring tiles or a slide board before you ever add game speed.
What is a transition, and when do you use each?
A transition is the moment you flip your skating direction. Hockey never runs in a straight line, and the players who read those moments early and switch direction cleanly are the ones who always seem to be in the right spot. When I played, the defensemen who gave me the most trouble weren't the biggest guys. They were the ones who could pivot from forward to backward without ever letting me get a step on them — I'd try to beat them wide and they were already gliding backward, gap closed, stick in my lane.
There are two transitions to own, and each has clear game moments:
| Transition | Main users | Game situation | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward to backward | Defensemen | Closing your gap on a rushing forward at the blue line | Keeps the play in front of you and your speed matched to the attacker |
| Forward to backward | Forwards | Backchecking, then facing up to defend the zone | Lets you sprint back and still be ready to defend without a full stop |
| Backward to forward | Defensemen | A dumped or loose puck in the corner on the forecheck | Turns a defensive glide into a full-speed race to the puck |
| Backward to forward | Forwards | Losing an edge battle, then jumping back into the play | Recovers direction fast so you rejoin the rush instead of watching it |
The pattern: forward to backward is mostly about defending with control, and backward to forward is mostly about attacking a puck or a lane. If you play defense, you live in both dozens of times a game.
How to pivot from forward to backward
Start in a wide, low stance skating forward on two feet. Pick the side you're turning toward — always the side the play is on, so the action stays in front of you. Plant your lead skate, open your hips a full 180 degrees in that direction, and swing your trailing leg around so the skates end up heel-to-heel, toes pointing out. That heel-to-heel position is the pivot point people call a mohawk. As you rotate, shift your weight onto the skate you swung around and let your lead skate lift and turn to join it. Land on two feet spread wide and you're gliding backward with your speed intact.
Cue: "eyes on the play, hips do the turning." Beginners try to walk their feet around while looking down, which kills their balance. Keep your chest up, look at the puck carrier, and let your hips lead — the feet just follow the belt buckle. Practice it turning both directions. Most players have a strong side and a side that feels like wearing someone else's skates; the weak side is exactly the one a smart attacker will target.
Coach Joel's tip: At game speed you get about half a second to change direction, so you cannot afford a stand-up in the middle of your pivot. Film yourself from the side doing five pivots. If your head bobs up between forward and backward, you're rising out of your stance and losing speed every single rep. Stay glued to the same low height the whole way through — imagine skating under a low bar the entire pivot.
How to pivot from backward to forward
This one flips the logic. You're gliding backward, the puck is to one side, and you need to attack it going forward. Say the puck is to your left. Transfer your weight onto your right skate — the one away from the puck — and lift your left skate. Open your hips to the left, toward the play, and step onto your left skate heel-to-heel with your right. Then lift your right skate and step through it straight ahead, and you're skating forward at the puck.
Count it as you learn: 1 plant the far skate, 2 open the hips and step across, 3 drive out forward. Cue: "1-2-3 — plant, open, go." The skill underneath this is what coaches call unweighting: for a split second you lighten one skate so you can swing it around freely instead of fighting your own weight. Once the rhythm clicks, the three counts blur into one smooth move. Watch for: standing tall on the "open" step. If you rise up, your first forward stride has no power and the forechecker beats you to the puck.
Keeping your speed through the turn
The difference between a transition that works and one that doesn't is almost always body position, not foot speed. Three things carry your speed through:
- Stay low. Knees bent, chest over your toes, the whole time. Stand up to turn and you have to re-bend to get moving again — that costs half a second you don't have.
- Lead with the hips and shoulders. Turn your upper body toward the new direction first; the skates follow a beat later. If your feet turn but your shoulders stay square, you fight yourself and stall.
- Keep a wide base. Land every pivot on two skates spread wide — narrow feet give you no balance to push against on the way out.
One more habit: your head. Keep your eyes up on the play, not on your feet. Scanning the ice tells you when to transition in the first place, and it keeps your posture tall in the chest and low in the legs — exactly where you want it.
Drills to build both transitions
You do not need ice to groove these. A stretch of hockey flooring tiles in the garage gives you a slick, edge-friendly surface to rehearse the footwork slowly and correctly. Work through this progression:
- Static open-ups (2×10 each side). Standing still, open your hips 180 degrees into the heel-to-heel position and back. Just grooving the hip turn and balance. Move on when you don't wobble.
- Walking pivots (3×8 each side). Add slow forward movement, pivot to backward, glide two steps, pivot back to forward. Chain them. Move on when both directions feel equal.
- Cone reads (4×6). Set a line of drill cones and pivot at each one, alternating which shoulder leads so you train both sides evenly.
- Gap simulation (3×6). Skate toward a wall, pivot to backward at a set line as if closing a gap, then pivot forward again to "chase" a loose ball. This mirrors the real defense-to-forecheck sequence.
- Speed edges on a slide board (3×30 seconds). An off-ice slide board builds the deep knee bend and edge push that every pivot lives on. Strong edges are what let you hold your speed through the turn instead of gliding out of it.
Coach Joel's tip: Don't only practice your comfortable side. I see it every week — a player rips a beautiful pivot one way and looks like a newborn deer the other way. In a game, attackers hunt your weak side on purpose. Give the weak side double the reps until both feel the same, then you've taken away the easiest move a forward has against you.
Common mistakes
- Standing up between directions. The number-one speed leak. Fix: stay at one low height the whole pivot, like skating under a low bar.
- Looking down at your feet. You lose the play and your balance. Fix: eyes up on the puck carrier; let your hips do the turning.
- Turning your back to the play. Pivoting the wrong way so the action ends up behind you. Fix: always open toward the side the play is on.
- Narrow feet on the landing. No base means no balance out of the turn. Fix: land every pivot on two skates spread wide.
- Only training your strong side. Attackers target your weak pivot. Fix: give the weak side extra reps until both sides match.
- Feet turn, shoulders don't. You stall because your body fights itself. Fix: lead with hips and shoulders, feet follow.
FAQ
What is a transition in hockey?
A transition is switching your skating direction between forward and backward without stopping or losing speed. Forward-to-backward and backward-to-forward pivots are the two you use constantly — defensemen closing a gap, forwards backchecking, and anyone chasing a loose puck.
How do defensemen pivot forward to backward?
Keep your eyes on the play, plant your lead skate, open your hips 180 degrees toward the play, and swing your trailing leg around heel-to-heel so you land on two feet gliding backward. Stay low the whole time so you keep your speed and keep the attacker in front of you.
What is a mohawk turn?
The mohawk is the heel-to-heel position with your toes pointing out, and it's the pivot point in both transitions. Getting your hips and groin flexible enough to open into that position comfortably is the foundation of a smooth, fast pivot.
Why do I lose speed when I transition?
Almost always because you stand up in the middle of the turn. Rising out of your stance forces you to re-bend before you can push again, which costs momentum. Stay in a low, athletic stance from start to finish and keep a wide base on the landing.
Can I practice transitions off the ice?
Yes. Flooring tiles let you rehearse the footwork and hip turn on a slick surface at home, drill cones train the read, and a slide board builds the deep knee bend and edge strength every pivot needs. Grooving the pattern off-ice makes it automatic when you get back on the ice.
Which side should I practice first?
Both, but give extra reps to your weaker side. Most players have one pivot direction that feels natural and one that feels awkward, and attackers will target the awkward one. Even out both sides and you remove the easiest move an opponent has against you.
Summary
Transitions are how you stay in the play when the play changes direction. Own the forward-to-backward pivot to defend a rush with the action in front of you, and the backward-to-forward pivot to jump a loose puck and turn defense into offense. Both live on the same rules: eyes up, hips lead, stay low, land wide, and train both sides equally. Groove the footwork off the ice on tiles or a slide board, then bring it to game speed. For more on the skating base underneath it all, see our guides to hockey skating tips, power turns and tight turns, and how to hockey stop, or browse the full Hockey Training hub. Clean transitions are built one honest rep at a time — on both sides.
