Practice to game ratio

[DaveyCrockett]

What is a good ratio of practices to games? For me, a practice is an hour session at stick and puck (just shooting, skating, and passing;no actual games) and a game is 90-120 min of shinny. Assuming I play about 5-6 days a week and am a complete beginner with little skill (just started playing last December), what is a good ratio of stick and puck sessions to shinny? In stick and puck I can really only work on skills (skating, passing, shooting) but in games I can work on learning how to play (positioning, defensive techniques, etc.).
I can also get free 1 v 1 lessons from a good friend so I can probably replace 1-2 practices a week with that.

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[canadahockeygirl*]

Depends on how good you want to get and what type of beginner you are.

As a goalie, I take one team practice a week with women and three pickup games against men at local rinks. I've been playing goalie since I was about 15 and I'm not going to be playing any big games or impressing scouts any time soon, so I don't really work on my skills and pretty much play because it's fun... especially against guys that absolutely school me.

As a forward, I have 4 practices a week with 5 coaches (varies between 1-3 hours a practice) and one to two intercollegiate games with refs. I just started playing out a few weeks ago, but I feel like the drills that we do are good for getting me in shape and good for teaching me the game.

 

[DaveyCrockett]

Depends on how good you want to get and what type of beginner you are.

As a goalie, I take one team practice a week with women and three pickup games against men at local rinks. I've been playing goalie since I was about 15 and I'm not going to be playing any big games or impressing scouts any time soon, so I don't really work on my skills and pretty much play because it's fun... especially against guys that absolutely school me.

As a forward, I have 4 practices a week with 5 coaches (varies between 1-3 hours a practice) and one to two intercollegiate games with refs. I just started playing out a few weeks ago, but I feel like the drills that we do are good for getting me in shape and good for teaching me the game.

Thanks for the advice. I am pretty terrbile at the moment and want to get good enough to be a competant player in low level adult leagues. Keep in mind, I have little natural athleticism so it takes me longer to get good at a sport.

 

[SkateLikeTheWind]

You don't have to be at the rink to be practicing.

Grab a stick and tennis ball and start stickhandling.

Get a net and aiming for the corners.

 

[Accord]

Stick and puck sessions? Man you're so lucky. Here in Florida all we get is crowded open skating where you can't really do anything at them, they do have stick and puck sessions but they've got age limits and they won't let anyone older than 16 go to them which is ridiculous.

I play in a men's league and we don't have any practices so I basically have to do everything on my own in my driveway alone, that and the occasional pickup game.

 

[PanthersRule96]

Stick and puck sessions? Man you're so lucky. Here in Florida all we get is crowded open skating where you can't really do anything at them, they do have stick and puck sessions but they've got age limits and they won't let anyone older than 16 go to them which is ridiculous.

I play in a men's league and we don't have any practices so I basically have to do everything on my own in my driveway alone, that and the occasional pickup game.

This is true, but over Christmas they'll open up some rinks for stick and puck. You live in SFLA. Sunrise has stick and puck. Glacier, where I play, has in the past, but I've got a tournament in Naples, so I'm set for Christmas.

 

[DaveyCrockett]

Stick and puck sessions? Man you're so lucky. Here in Florida all we get is crowded open skating where you can't really do anything at them, they do have stick and puck sessions but they've got age limits and they won't let anyone older than 16 go to them which is ridiculous.

I play in a men's league and we don't have any practices so I basically have to do everything on my own in my driveway alone, that and the occasional pickup game.

Stick and puck every single weekday, every week, at two local rinks. Its never very crowded, one rink is usually empty as if we had rented the ice. Its all ages and I find a huge mix come out. There is usually three types of people. The insane hockey dad who screams at his kids and works them hard for an hour. The recreational player, like me, who is just looking to shoot around. Finally, the competitive player who is there to stay in shape and practice a few things (they only come out during the summer). Its good fun and its never been too crowded so that I can't do what I want. Sometimes we have half rink scrimmages that can be good fun.