Coach Dave King offered the following drills to help our BAHHA players improve their puck handling abilities.
It is very important that we teach our players to carry the puck properly and it is also very important to give them the proper ways of practicing it correctly. Here is a set of drills that will help them off the ice and they can be done at home or as a team in the parking lot.
Items needed:
Hockey stick (not the good one you use at the rink)
Waffle ball
8-10 pucks
Drill #1 - 3 Minutes
Have the player start stick handling in one spot while they focus on an object about 5 to 8 feet away from them; make sure they are in a good hockey position. While they are doing this, they must move the ball in all directions (side to side, front to back) while focusing on the object ahead; they are going to get the feel for where the ball is without having to look at it.
Drill #2 Line up pucks in a row with about 2 - 3 feet in between them and have the player go through the pucks, side to side as fast as they can control the ball. Do this five times, there and back is considered one time.
Drill #3 With the pucks in the same position, have the players walk down the left side and put the ball in between the pucks one way. Do the same thing walking down the right side coming back. Do this 5 times, there and back is considered one time.
Drill # 4 - Expand the Reach Take the pucks and move them apart, so that you can walk down the middle. The players should stick handle around the pucks, back and forth, while walking down the middle. Make sure that they release on their back hand and weight shift on their front. Do this 5 times, there and back is considered one time.
Drill # 5 - Cupping Take the ball and put the toe of the stick over the ball, and then pull it back around the puck on the forehand; then stick handle around the far puck back hand. Repeat all the way down. Do this 5 times, there and back is considered one time.
Bay Area Houston Hockey Association (EIN 20-1527783)
16516 El Camino Real, Suite 167
Houston, Texas 77062
Email:
communicationsdirector@houndsicehockey.org, Last Updated:
10/31/2008
It is very important that we teach our players to carry the puck properly and it is also very important to give them the proper ways of practicing it correctly. Here is a set of drills that will help them off the ice and they can be done at home or as a team in the parking lot.
Line up pucks in a row with about 2 - 3 feet in between them and have the player go through the pucks, side to side as fast as they can control the ball. Do this five times, there and back is considered one time.
With the pucks in the same position, have the players walk down the left side and put the ball in between the pucks one way. Do the same thing walking down the right side coming back. Do this 5 times, there and back is considered one time.
Take the pucks and move them apart, so that you can walk down the middle. The players should stick handle around the pucks, back and forth, while walking down the middle. Make sure that they release on their back hand and weight shift on their front. Do this 5 times, there and back is considered one time.
Take the ball and put the toe of the stick over the ball, and then pull it back around the puck on the forehand; then stick handle around the far puck back hand. Repeat all the way down. Do this 5 times, there and back is considered one time.