One of the first things that I try to teach all my athletes is that you do not need ice to improve your hockey skills. Let me repeat, YOU DO NOT NEED ICE TO IMPROVE YOUR HOCKEY SKILLS!!!
Last summer I had the pleasure of training an elite Swedish player. To say the least his puck control skills were unbelievable. As I worked with this gentleman I must admit I probably learned just as much from him as he learned from me. Since that time I have learned that most any Swedish player will have a field day with Americans when it comes to handling the puck. I have seen bantam age players from Europe who would make many American college players look like mites when it comes to handling the puck. One of the reasons for this is due to the amount of stick work they do on dryland.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want you to think I am coming down hard on American hockey players. I simply want you to understand that no matter how good you are around here at handling the puck there is always room for improvement and always more work to perform.
Anyone that has traveled to Europe to play will tell you that these players work consistently and persistently on their puck handling skills. 60-90 minutes before a game you will see whole teams out in the parking lot very simply working on their puck handling skills. They will handle the puck while jumping, while moving through obstacles, while avoiding obstacles and so much more. In addition you will see young Swedish players at home on the streets working on developing quick, soft hands as they maneuver wooden balls through obstacles and more. They will do this all summer long to prepare for the season.
I am going to challenge you to take the next few weeks prior to the start of the season to make your puck handling abilities the best they have ever been without even stepping onto the ice.
Make a goal of taking 10-15 minutes, 3-4 times per week to practice the following exercises. You will need the following: Hockey stick, 1-inch wooden ball which can be purchased at a local craft store, I prefer the wooden ball to the golf ball because it has less bounce, (you can also use a wiffle ball stuffed with cut up pieces of a tennis ball or rubber ball to help prevent bouncing), a broom stick and a couple of bricks.
Exercise 1: Very simply lay down two bricks and lay the broomstick or a piece of wood across the bricks forming a tunnel. Only one rule, be creative. Move the ball around the bricks, under the wood or over the wood. Jump over the wood on two feet or one foot. Try to move as fast as you can and try to move the ball as fast as you can. Be sure to use your forehand, backhand, toe drag and more. Remember be creative and have fun. Start with sets of 30 seconds and work your way up. Try to keep your head up by having a partner hold his/her hand up with a certain number of fingers every few seconds. You must tell your partner the number of fingers each time.
Exercise 2: This exercise will require a partner. You will need the broomstick, ball and hockey stick for this drill. Your partner starts by dragging the far end of the broomstick across the ground. Drag the stick in a half circle trying to keep the same pace. As your partner moves this stick your job is to move the ball around the broomstick without letting the broomstick touch the ball. You can do this by moving the ball under the broomstick, by using the toe drag to pull the ball back towards you out of the reach of the broomstick or even by lifting the ball up and over the broomstick. Once again practice using your forehand, backhand and toe drag. Keep your head up and practicing being quick. To make the exercise more difficult allow your partner to move the broomstick as he/she wishes instead of at a set pace.
Exercise 3: The Obstacle Course. You can use pucks or cones or any type of obstacle you like for this drill. Set the obstacles up in any fashion you like but I would recommend that you start with a straight line. Practice moving the pucks through the obstacles while moving as fast as possible. You can practice going around the obstacles with your whole body or practice keeping your body in between the obstacles and just moving the ball around the obstacles. Practicing on forcing the puck as wide as possible. Work outside your comfort zone. Practice using only one hand when going wide on your backhand. Be sure to keep your head up and work on moving as fast as possible.
One way to improve your puck handling abilities even more is by using a stick weight while practicing these exercises. Try using the weight the first couple of sets and then try to perform the same exercise without it. You will definitely notice the speed with which you can now move your stick. This is similar to an overspeed exercise by forcing your upper extremities to move faster than normal.
The above exercises are very simple to perform in a driveway or garage or even in a basement. Of course there are the old standbys as well, figure eights around two cones, moving the ball through three pucks and others but the bottom line is to pick a few exercises and do them. Do them consistently and persistently.
Remember 10-15 minutes 3-4 times per week. Give it a try and see what happens.
Dr. Clint Steele is president and founder of Better Hockey (www.betterhockey.com ) and TOP DOG Athlete ( www.topdogathlete.com). He has trained hundreds of athletes on and off the ice from learn to skate players up through NHL players. For more great exercises for all aspects of hockey development plus products please check out the Better Hockey site, the worlds best online source for hockey development.
|
