Adult noob progression???

[PlayoffBeard365]

Always been a fan of hockey but never played or even skated till now. I'm 38 and started skating last December. Started playing pick up this February. I play 1-3 nights per week. I take a weekly 30 min private power skating lesson and hit up 1 or 2 stick n puck sessions per week. I plan to take private LTP lessons from a local ex NHLer in a few months. I started to shoot about 100 pucks a day into a net in my driveway and spend 20 minutes on drills. Also, Ive added hockey specific mobility and flexibility training to my workouts.

Obviously I'm obsessed!! It's only been a few months and I still suck really bad!!! I believe I have the athleticism and drive to be a good player but I'm waiting for it all to CLICK!

Translating the skating and stick handling to game situations has been downright difficult though and comical/embarrassing at times. As a forward, the best I can do at this point is cover the point, scrum along boards, find open ice and go to the net.

BUT most of the time when I do get the puck I lose it quickly, dump it in or out of zone without attempting to make a play, stand upright and lose my control/balance or straight up miss the pass. I know my lack of experience causes breaks in the flow of play and some people get aggravated and I get frustrated too (but not overly so).

I'm having a blast, enjoying the journey and my local hockey fellowship has been kind and tolerant. But, at the same time I want to and expect to play better. I'm wondering how long it will take to click; 6 months, 1 year, 2-3 years??? At this point, I'm just talking playing decent within the flow rec hockey, nothing fancy. Accepting the outlet passes from D, crossing into the O zone with puck, working the boards effectively, speed thru the neutral zone, and when I go to the net being effective with taking passes and getting in position for rebounds.

I know there is no fast way to success other than hard work which I'm willing and able to do. Also the confidence factor can be huge. But, I'm curious how long it took/takes most people to progress into playing effective hockey at rec level???

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[Goonzilla]

That doesn't sound too unfamiliar to myself, though I've played before and started back in January after a 17 or 18 year lay off.

There'll be people with plenty more idea than me, but I can skate okay, stick handle and shoot okay and see and read the play developing ok, but the trouble is putting all the package together at the same time or multi tasking.

I've found no shortcuts to improving, but skating, skating, skating and more skating is the key for me and my all around improvement, the more I skate the better and more confident I am with the skating and the more attention I can then pay and the more time I find I have on the ice to worry about and execute the other stuff that needs work. I try to get on the ice four to five times a week through a combination of games, scrimmages, a lesson or public skates.

I'm far from there, or where I want to be at but progressing noticeably, happy where I'm at and have had a bit of comment from others to the same effect.

The two other things that have helped me go up a level of late was sorting out the right pair of skates and the rights sticks. New skates and I went up a level almost overnight and a change of sticks and my stick handling and shooting has improved instantly. Not any brand or price, just the right lie and curve for me.

 

[TheRedShadow]

I started about 20 months ago and I'm reckoning on a three year period to start to click.

Bottom line is you've got to get your skating right, and you have to build that from fundamentals - knee bend, edges etc. I see guys who started same time as me and they play too much hockey and don't practice skating enough and I see them pop up on straight legs, lose balance etc.

Why three years? Seems a good figure to me. That's how long a degree takes. And I base it also on learning to play drums as an adult, putting practice in 6 days a week. That started to click after about three years when all the fundamentals I'd practiced started to become a language I could speak fluently. That, I reckon, is what we're aiming for with hockey too.

Some things just take time. And hockey/skating is one of them. There's just so much to learn while also making sure you get the reps in that you need to do

 

[Sureshot]

BUT most of the time when I do get the puck I lose it quickly, dump it in or out of zone without attempting to make a play, stand upright and lose my control/balance or straight up miss the pass. I know my lack of experience causes breaks in the flow of play and some people get aggravated and I get frustrated too (but not overly so).

This is probably because you're thinking about trying to make a play too quickly. You usually have more time than you realize. Don't immediately think about dumping the puck instantly or forcing a pass - receive the puck, start moving with it and look around you. This will allow you to both gauge where your opponents are and to make a more considered, intelligent play.

Obviously there are times when you need to move the puck quickly, but you should be able to judge these instances and adapt appropriately. Make spending a little more time your default behavior rather than the other way around.

 

[Rizzy13]

Arjun, is that you?

 

[Goonzilla]

Not sure if you can just put a time frame on it like doing a degree. Some people pick stuff up faster than others while someone skating several hours a day will likely progress faster than someone skating just once or twice a week.

As mentioned around the games too, someone not skating too well or who can only stop on one side or who can't skate backwards isn't going to really improve too much even if they're scrimmaging every day.

I play with some average guys at league level, some of whom play on more than one team, but they do nothing else and boy does it show. There's just no improvement from or in them, but they're never short of advice to others.

 

[izzy]

Try getting involved with a ball hockey league if you can find one. Definitely will help you get used to puck movement and getting open for a pass.

 

[jazzykat]

Other than skating and making your core strong (everything in this game is about balance)because even your shot (something you are seemingly doing with your arms) will suck until your balance is good enough you can do 3 things:

1. Read about basic hockey strategy and watch hockey on TV to see it implemented. I can actually identify the break out plays from NYR while watching: http://blueseatblogs.com/hockey-systems/

If you aren't a Ranger's fan find something generic

2. Put your head on a swivel, I mean always be scanning the ice and keeping track of where everyone is. If you know where everyone is it is much easier to be in the right spots and make a play(you may still screw it up but at least you made a good choice and got into a good position). You can actually train your mind to look up and take "snapshots" on the ice.

3. It was mentioned already, but take a little time with the puck. Except when there is a guy in your face you probably have between 1-3 seconds to make a play. Get your feet moving and look up before doing something.

 

[Sean Garrity]

Depending on the score, I'll always pass the puck to the "weaker" players on my team. Even if it isn't the best option or isn't going to create a scoring chance, the only way a player is going to get better is by handling the puck and NOT acting like it's a grenade! Maybe it's just me, but I'll always try to encourage my less skilled teammates to be confident and I try to talk to them as much as possible. You aren't going to get better, if you are afraid to handle the puck in game situations. Of course you're going to make silly turnovers and of course you are going to fall on your ass! That's the point though, and it's the only way you're going to get better! It's just a game after all.

 

[Cigar City]

I usually worked on skills at home, like you are doing, and got to the rink 2-3 times per week to play pick-up/league games. I refused to go to Thursday night "Opens" because that was when all of the A-B players went.

When I got confident enough in my skating ability I decided to give Thursday nights a try. Boy, did it help. In about a month I could see a huge progression in my game, and the lower league I was playing in slowed down to about turtle speed, it seemed.

So from my experiences I would say:

1. Keep working on fundamentals (skating, stick-handling, shooting).
2. Get as much rink time as you can.
3. Try to play with a group of guys who are all better than you from time to time.

To answer the question in OP, it took me about a year to be confident enough in my game to play at a higher level. However, I was a teenager when I started and consider myself to be an above average athlete. It wouldn't surprise me at all for more mature gentlemen to take a while longer.

 

[sanityplease]

Op. A lot of good advice in this thread. Congrats on the new hobby. You're working hard at improving. You will experience your ability 'clicking' many times, @ different levels of development.

Get the basics down, then focus on your weaknesses. I've played with a lot of guys who have skated all their lives & can't pivot into skating backwards, or never practice stickhandling with their head up (so they always carry the puck, head-down & shoot blindly @ the net, never seeing their open teammate who's in a great position to score).

Don't let your development stagnate. Learn the systems of hockey, work on improving your conditioning.

Great points from others:
-play with better players than you sometimes (it gives you a good indicator on which skills need the most improvement)
-play with your head up, look around, get practice scanning the ice with & without the puck
-get the right gear (fitted properly for your build & ability)

LTP or adult development programs will (in general) advance your core skills much faster than playing a game. Be patient, most competitive young players take 10 years or so to round out their game. Take a break from the game once in a while (1 or 2 months a year), good timing would be when you're not experiencing steady improvement. Major Junior & pro players have a decompression/recovery time worked into their year.

 

[PlayoffBeard365]

THANKS to all who have added their .02. I'm looking forward to the "work" of becoming a better player and this info helps to put perspective on what to focus on.

 

[JulianHopper*]

The best thing you can do is just play as much as you can. I've played with people that were new in the beginning of the year and by the midway point you could see the big improvements already.

 

[Sean Garrity]

THANKS to all who have added their .02. I'm looking forward to the "work" of becoming a better player and this info helps to put perspective on what to focus on. ��

Never be afraid to handle the puck in game situations! It's the only way you're going to get better.

 

[mistrhanky]

Having been down this road, I would add this:

* Play with a range of players. In my case, when I started I was on a team where everyone was much better than I am. I am still on that team and they are all still much better, but I have gotten a whole lot better too. The thing is, it has taken 3 full seasons to really become a contributing member of the team. In those three seasons, I was so over-matched that I was pretty intimidated about stickhandling and/or the competition would be on my so fast that I had little chance to do anything. Last season, I joined a second team that was much closer to my level, was able to handle it a lot more, fail/learn/fail/learn/succeed. That translated to my upper level team and I am much better there now because I have learned that I can do things I didn't think I could. So, playing with a variety of players has different benefits.

* Give the skill stuff time to work. I now have a passable slapshot(though I rarely employ it) and a pretty good wrister now. I had the ice to myself the other day and was working on picking corners with my wrist shot. It suddenly dawned on me, that even when I was missing my target, probably 80% of what I shot was still hitting the net. A season ago that was not the case.

* Try to play every position. I started at wing, went to D for a long time, and now I am back to wing. I am a FAR better winger in my second stint than I ever was in my first. I understand where the D needs me to be in certain situations, I know what the opposing defense is going to try to do to me, and have a different perspective on the game. Also, I can play any position on the ice now, and having guys with that flexibility is really useful in adult hockey.

 

[g04tm4n]

Depending on the score, I'll always pass the puck to the "weaker" players on my team. Even if it isn't the best option or isn't going to create a scoring chance, the only way a player is going to get better is by handling the puck and NOT acting like it's a grenade! Maybe it's just me, but I'll always try to encourage my less skilled teammates to be confident and I try to talk to them as much as possible. You aren't going to get better, if you are afraid to handle the puck in game situations. Of course you're going to make silly turnovers and of course you are going to fall on your ass! That's the point though, and it's the only way you're going to get better! It's just a game after all.

There should be more people like you out there. Many guys try to keep the new guys out of the play because of their lack of skill, but this discourages many players, and makes them negative.

 

[Goonzilla]

I've come across that occasionally scrimmaging with some of the better players and skaters, but I don't lose too much sleep over it because it means you can concentrate on your skating and positional play and still be in the game at both ends. I know I'm a much stronger player and skater without the puck because the puck on the end of the stick distracts from the skating.

In any sport you don't have the ball in your hands or on your foot or stick for much of the time anyway; and what often separates good and average players is what they they do off the ball, puck or whatever including positional and support play.

I know I can get plenty more time on the puck and work at stick handling in my own time.

My daughter's turf hockey coach tells them garbage like 'make sure you work on your stick work with the ball during the week' when that's the furthest reason from why they keep getting beaten. It's because they're caught out of position and they don't work or play when they're off the ball. They haven't lost a single game because they lacked skill on the ball.

 

[smakdown61]

The biggest thing for me was confidence. Like everyone else has said, take some time before getting rid of the puck as you might surprise yourself in your own abilities. It's probably better to test out your skills in pickup instead of a league game but don't be afraid to commit turnover. Playing with upper level guys also helped slow down the game in my C league. Don't just play up too much or it might kill your confidence.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

IMO the most important thing after skating is experience. After awhile you will automatically know what you can do in a situation, whether to hang onto the puck, dump it in, cut through the middle, draw a defender and pass it to a a teammate, whatever. Then it just comes down to execution, skill and ability to think on the fly

Ive played with and against people whose skill was way less then others on the ice but make up for it by knowing their limits and not holding onto the puck to long/getting rid of it to soon