90/90 Hip Stretch
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds drills like this into your personalized off-ice program, week by week. Your first week is free.
How to Do It
Sit on the floor. Front leg: shin perpendicular to your torso, knee at 90°. Back leg: also at 90° behind you — knee pointing behind, shin pointing to the side. Sit tall on both sitting bones — don't let the back hip lift off the floor. Hold the position 60s. Then actively rotate the torso toward the front shin. Switch legs — front becomes back. Both directions equally. Add forward fold over the front shin for deeper posterior hip stretch.
Why It Works
The 90-90 hip stretch targets both internal and external hip rotation in a single position — the two rotational ranges most restricted and most demanded by hockey skating. Sitting in the 90-90 position loads the hip capsule in a way no other stretch does, and the active rotations performed from this position train the hip to actively control range, not just passively stretch into it.
Hockey Transfer
Addresses both internal and external rotation simultaneously — crucial for goalies. If you can't sit comfortably in 90/90, your hips are limiting your skating stride. Daily work until you can.
Coaching Cues
- "Both legs at 90°"
- "Sit tall"
- "Rock forward over front shin"
- "Switch sides"
Common Mistakes
Back hip lifting off the floor — this reduces the internal rotation demand. Keep both hips grounded. Slumping — sit tall. Mobility requires active posture. Only doing the static hold — add the active torso rotation for hip capsule work. Rushing the switch — spend at least 60s each side before switching.
Progression / Regression
90-90 with windshield wiper transition (rotate from one 90-90 to the other without hands) — full hip rotation control.
Seated figure-4 stretch — same external rotation target with less internal rotation demand.
Primary Muscles
Energy System
N/A (mobility/recovery)
Put it to work
on the ice.
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds exercises like this into a personalized off-ice program — created by a sport scientist and former national-team coach. Your first week is free.
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