Stickhandling with the head up?

Toonces

They should have kept Shjon Podein...
Feb 23, 2003
3,902
281
New Jersey
Will do. I've been messing around with a tennis ball with my dog and its been good fun (when I loose the ball she brings it back to me), but I wonder if using it gives me bad habits (weight, etc..?).

The only thing that used to bug me was the level of friction. It's one of the reasons I can't play roller hockey durring the season.

An old coach of mine used to throw tennis balls onto the ice in practice. He was infamous about doing this durring tryouts to quickly identify those with soft hands from those with stone.
 

Geogaddi

Book Hockey
Nov 2, 2005
1,403
0
Dallas
I do the same thing with my dog...Goes crazy... Will shoot downstairs upon hearing the puck hit my stick.

Best Defensemen ive played against. ;) He's beginning to anticipate my moves now.
 

Seph

Registered User
Sep 5, 2002
18,949
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Oregon
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Will do. I've been messing around with a tennis ball with my dog and its been good fun (when I loose the ball she brings it back to me), but I wonder if using it gives me bad habits (weight, etc..?).

I've heard some say the bouncier ball will give you quicker hands, as it moves and requires softer touches to not bounce away -- Gretzky was said to have practiced a lot with golf balls when he was younger and that was how he was able to stick handle like the puck was glued to his stick. I've also heard people say that you should practice stick handling with something really heavy, like a rock, to develop strong wrists. I think both have merits.
 

Ti-girl

Registered User
Jan 29, 2005
7,913
1
Merida, Mexico
Stick handling balls are the same weight as pucks (unless you get a heavier one, which you can) and they tend to have their point of contact at the same place on your stick as a puck.
 

desperateblue

Registered User
Jun 17, 2004
957
95
Stickhandling balls work great to get your hands used to the weight but I found that that roll was different.

I had a great coach in junior and he used to make us sit in the dressing room after pactice for a half and hour practicing stickwork.If you noticed most of the great stick handlers dont move the puck back and forth from left to right. They roll the puck from the tip of the blade to the heel.Because of the shape of the blade eventually you will be able to do it way faster then you could move left to right.

Sit on a bench or something similiar with your stick extended in front of you and try to make a puck move from heel to tip as fast you can until you can do it fast on the ice. Eventually you will know exactly where the puck is as long as you have it .
 

cortfr

Registered User
Jan 4, 2006
3
0
Stickhandling balls work great to get your hands used to the weight but I found that that roll was different.

I had a great coach in junior and he used to make us sit in the dressing room after pactice for a half and hour practicing stickwork.If you noticed most of the great stick handlers dont move the puck back and forth from left to right. They roll the puck from the tip of the blade to the heel.Because of the shape of the blade eventually you will be able to do it way faster then you could move left to right.

Sit on a bench or something similiar with your stick extended in front of you and try to make a puck move from heel to tip as fast you can until you can do it fast on the ice. Eventually you will know exactly where the puck is as long as you have it .

sorry. Cant quite visualize what you just said, but it sounds pretty important. Rephrase?
 

MikeD

Registered User
Jul 3, 2006
1,066
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Buffalo NY
www.hawksice.com
it isnt so much as using the stick to change the puck direction as it is guiding and feeding thrust energy into the puck to keep it going using the curve of the blade. The stick may pass left and right over the puck but the basic puck path is more straight.
 

Boy Hedican

Homer Jr, friends call me Ho-Ju
Jul 12, 2006
5,084
1,166
Earff
thanks for the tips everyone, I'll keep practicing as much as I can. My seasons starts this weekend so I have to get to work! :D

Do you guys roller blade for practice as well? My crossovers toward the right need some work (thats what happens when free skate only goes counter-clockwise :banghead: )

I've bought a pair of bauer roller blades and have been practicing, but just wanted to get your guys' take on it.

By the way, this has been a really great freakin' resource for us newbie hockey players. I've been ice skating and taking hockey classes for 8 months now, and just finished my first ever league at logitech ice in san jose (starting my 2nd soon!), and I just love all the tips that I've seen posted on these forums. Thanks for helping a California hockey lover out. :clap:
 

Ti-girl

Registered User
Jan 29, 2005
7,913
1
Merida, Mexico
thanks for the tips everyone, I'll keep practicing as much as I can. My seasons starts this weekend so I have to get to work! :D

Do you guys roller blade for practice as well? My crossovers toward the right need some work (thats what happens when free skate only goes counter-clockwise :banghead: )

I've bought a pair of bauer roller blades and have been practicing, but just wanted to get your guys' take on it.

By the way, this has been a really great freakin' resource for us newbie hockey players. I've been ice skating and taking hockey classes for 8 months now, and just finished my first ever league at logitech ice in san jose (starting my 2nd soon!), and I just love all the tips that I've seen posted on these forums. Thanks for helping a California hockey lover out. :clap:

I wear my inlines when I do a lot of stick handling drills.
 

mac-sniper

Registered User
Aug 25, 2006
131
0
inlines doing crossovers helps out a lot, it just sorta comes to you, got a pond near you? go out there and give'r i had stone hands last year now i'm a dangler haha. its hard to keep your feet moving while your making a move, but i find that if you can stop them, but maintain 60% of your speed and can move your legs to go to the puck, then you're good.
 

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