Advice: How to get better at hockey

[900]

Hello guys, this time I am looking for advice on how to get better at hockey at home. I have basic weights and a place to shoot, if someone could help me with a sort of routine I can do when I get home from school, that would be the best.
Cheers, 900.

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[HansonBro]

Put on your skates with guards or wear roller blades and practice shooting with your HEAD UP.

 

[900]

Put on your skates with guards or wear roller blades and practice shooting with your HEAD UP.

Rollerblades don't work to well on grass, I just have a pad i shoot off of. I already shoot, but I am looking for more of a routine.

 

[Goonzilla]

I guess if you've got a goal and something to shoot off then you can do plenty of shooting.

I get enough ice time not to do too much at home, but I've got quite a bit of polished wood flooring and do a little handling from time to time with either one of those wooden stick handling balls or a zero G puck.

Man my toe drag makes those bar stools look foolish.

 

[Neutrinos]

You have to work on all aspects of the game, ie. skating, shooting, passing, etc. if you want to get better at those things

You can find lots of instructional videos on YouTube if you want specific drill ideas

But if you want to take your game to the next level, you have to understand the game on the next level

Seeing plays develop in real time, knowing where and when to be, knowing how to change speeds to create angles, etc.

Video games might help in that regard

 

[Individual 1]

I figured you would have had a decent reply by now you should try posting in the Fitness section too.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/forums/fitness-and-training.253/

Since you have a shooting pad and a net shoot pucks for 20 minutes/day wrist shots, snap shots, some backhands, and slapshots if your stick will hold up or breaking it doesnt matter. Work on placement consistently being able to shoot top and lower right/left. Work on your release stick handle the puck 2-3 times and quickly get your wrist shot off. Work on putting your body weight into your slapshot.

Once you are comfortable shooting with the puck in a good position change your shooting angle, things like look top right and then place it top left, get used to shooting with the puck in uncomfortable spots such as a little too close to your feet, a little too far away, right in front of you, because you don't always have the opportunity to place the puck you are about to shoot. You can practice saucer passing from your pad into your net move the pad 15 feet from the net and try to get the puck to land inside of the net.

Working on your leg strength and cardio would probably be the most important thing you can do to improving your game. I have no idea where you are at physically so you might have to build up to some of these and you should do a light warm before starting. Something like a light 15 minute jog, skipping, or something like that to get your blood flowing and to get loosened up.

Wind sprints are extremely demanding you exert tons of energy and have to recover quickly like in a grueling shift. You would be able to do these at a track or open field near you, or even between hydro poles. Find a distance that works for you something like 50-100m, jog or walk a distance and then do it again, aim for something like 500m sprinted over 15 minutes.

Other things you should be doing are squats, jump squats, deadlifts, calf raises, I would go for higher numbered sets like 10-12.

Balance and core strength are also important.

This will also give you some ideas
Explosive Power Progression Charts

 

[puckpilot]

There are a lot of drills you can do off ice on a pad. Youtube Pavel Barber. He has lots of off ice drills you can do for stickhandling. Youtube is a great resource, so I'd recommend flipping through as many videos as you can.

But IMHO the one thing to keep in mind when trying to develop your skills is to make sure you understand what you're trying to accomplish with each drill or exercise. Also make sure you understand the proper technique of stuff like shooting and stickhandling.

Shooting a 100 pucks a day and stickhandling for an hour does nothing for you if you're doing it wrong. You just end up reinforcing how to do something improperly.

I see guys at the rink all the time. They practice for hours, but they don't know the proper technique, so they don't really get better.

To get you started. Here are a couple of my favorite videos on shooting and stickhandling technique.

 

[900]

You guys are pure beauties, will implement these asap, ecept for the wind sprints, it is winter in canada

 

[CBJx614]

Pretty much what every one has been saying, but nothing beats experience. By putting yourself into certain situations and failing a few times combined with watching videos on YouTube you should get better. But keeping up with it is key.

Check out coach Jeremy on YouTube he's got some good ones

 

[HansonBro]

Pretty much what every one has been saying, but nothing beats experience. By putting yourself into certain situations and failing a few times combined with watching videos on YouTube you should get better. But keeping up with it is key.

Check out coach Jeremy on YouTube he's got some good ones

Did you even read OP

 

[CBJx614]

I did idk why I posted those, but he has a lot of off Ice stuff too

 

[900]

I did idk why I posted those, but he has a lot of off Ice stuff too

I see we have an intellectual here

 

[900]

I also realized last night during a game, my one main problem is that whenever I get the puck, my head goes down to look at it. Since I am playing contact hockey, this results in a)getting hit or b)throwing the puck away, 4/5 times resulting in a turnover. If you guys have ideas, would be great

 

[CBJx614]

Practice stick handling and passing with your head up.

The only way to keep your head from dropping is to feel comfortable with the puck on your stick and the only way to feel comfortable with the puck on your stick is experience.


To go one step further, hockey is a game of reactions and reflexes, if you have to think about what your doing, you're already to late. That's why for beginners and relatively new players, practice is SOOOOOO important. You may only touch the puck a few times a game so you have to find other ways to build those proper reflex responses.

 

[puckpilot]

There's nothing wrong with looking down on occasion, but what's important is to develop your feel for the puck such that all you need is quick peak down to find the puck and control it, giving you enough time to look up and do something with it.

Here's another video from Coach Jeremy. In it he breaks down a clip of McDavid doing an off-ice stickhandling drills when he was 13 yrs old. Crazy skills even then.

 

[900]

OK so I am getting a green biscuit for Christmas, so now my stickhandling area has expanded from a sheet to my entrie basement. Any more ideas, because you guys are awesome?

 

[613Leafer]

Make sure you know how to play your position. In adult hockey leagues where guys have mostly been playing hockey for ~15-20 years, there are still guys that have no clue where they're supposed to be, in the defensive zone especially. Not sure if it's because they never knew, or because they've just gone too long without the structure of an actual team (practice + coaches there to re-inforce things).

Also, a lot of guys play hot potato with the puck and move it without thinking, even if there's no pressure to do so. If you're a defenceman, a diagonal cross-ice pass up to a forward is a lot easier for the other team to intercept, so only do that if you're really sure it's actually clear. If you don't have time to check to see if it's clear and have to move the puck right away, probably better to do a more direct pass up the boards or pass it over to your D partner if he's open.

 

[puckpilot]

OK so I am getting a green biscuit for Christmas, so now my stickhandling area has expanded from a sheet to my entrie basement. Any more ideas, because you guys are awesome?

If you look at the first few seconds at the beginning and at the end of this video, you can see what McDavid's childhood set up was like in his garage. It shows him on roller blades stickhandling around home made obstacles.

 

[900]

Make sure you know how to play your position. In adult hockey leagues where guys have mostly been playing hockey for ~15-20 years, there are still guys that have no clue where they're supposed to be, in the defensive zone especially. Not sure if it's because they never knew, or because they've just gone too long without the structure of an actual team (practice + coaches there to re-inforce things).

Also, a lot of guys play hot potato with the puck and move it without thinking, even if there's no pressure to do so. If you're a defenceman, a diagonal cross-ice pass up to a forward is a lot easier for the other team to intercept, so only do that if you're really sure it's actually clear. If you don't have time to check to see if it's clear and have to move the puck right away, probably better to do a more direct pass up the boards or pass it over to your D partner if he's open.

If I end up playing D again, I will take this into the game and use it.

 

[900]

I figured you would have had a decent reply by now you should try posting in the Fitness section too.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/forums/fitness-and-training.253/

Since you have a shooting pad and a net shoot pucks for 20 minutes/day wrist shots, snap shots, some backhands, and slapshots if your stick will hold up or breaking it doesnt matter. Work on placement consistently being able to shoot top and lower right/left. Work on your release stick handle the puck 2-3 times and quickly get your wrist shot off. Work on putting your body weight into your slapshot.

Once you are comfortable shooting with the puck in a good position change your shooting angle, things like look top right and then place it top left, get used to shooting with the puck in uncomfortable spots such as a little too close to your feet, a little too far away, right in front of you, because you don't always have the opportunity to place the puck you are about to shoot. You can practice saucer passing from your pad into your net move the pad 15 feet from the net and try to get the puck to land inside of the net.

Working on your leg strength and cardio would probably be the most important thing you can do to improving your game. I have no idea where you are at physically so you might have to build up to some of these and you should do a light warm before starting. Something like a light 15 minute jog, skipping, or something like that to get your blood flowing and to get loosened up.

Wind sprints are extremely demanding you exert tons of energy and have to recover quickly like in a grueling shift. You would be able to do these at a track or open field near you, or even between hydro poles. Find a distance that works for you something like 50-100m, jog or walk a distance and then do it again, aim for something like 500m sprinted over 15 minutes.

Other things you should be doing are squats, jump squats, deadlifts, calf raises, I would go for higher numbered sets like 10-12.

Balance and core strength are also important.

This will also give you some ideas
Explosive Power Progression Charts

Playerwinner, you are so helpful, if you could just help me one more time, I will get out of your hair. I sat down to try and make a workout plan involving the exercises you listed, and also incorporate the Explosive Power progressions, but I have absolutely no idea how. Do I do these every day, or if not, do I workout different parts of my body? I have never worked out before, so if you or anyone else are bored, please help. You are amazing, and this would help so much.

 

[Individual 1]

I also realized last night during a game, my one main problem is that whenever I get the puck, my head goes down to look at it. Since I am playing contact hockey, this results in a)getting hit or b)throwing the puck away, 4/5 times resulting in a turnover. If you guys have ideas, would be great

It is natural to look down as you are just receiving the puck but if it is staying down you are going to have to work on stickhandling/getting a shot off or getting it up the boards without looking down. Try to anticipate when you are about to receive a puck and have a general idea of what to do with it when you get it. You generally have multiple options available such being able to skate a couple of strides with it, chipping it up the boards, dumping it in, passing to an open man, stopping and waiting(more for defensemen). If you do have to make a panic play do a safe one, puck to the corner, hard up the glass, flick it up the ice or dump it in.

It is important to be able to recognize when you have time to take a look at where opposing players are when skating to a loose puck this will greatly help your decision making with the puck if you are chasing the puck into the opposing teams corner take a quick glance to the opposite side if you get the puck you will have a better idea if you should chip it around to the next corner to your winger skating in, make a pass or try to skate around the net with it.

When you don't have the puck keep your head up and moving, keep track of where everyone is and try to anticipate when you are going to receive a pass. If you have a general idea of where everyone is when you receive a pass you should have a good idea of what to do with it. Also do this to put yourself in a better position to receive a pass put yourself in a spot to support a teammate, an open spot, or create a gap between you and the defender.

There will be times when you have to receive a hit its not worth getting yourself crushed to receive a bad pass so just get your stick on it to tip it in to prevent icing or avoid contact all together. When you are about to be hit try to have them hit your shoulder you should be able to avoid some contact by jumping out of the way.

Communicating with your teammates on ice and on the bench should also help you, yell to them if they have time or that a man is on them, or where to pass it. On the bench try to discuss where things went wrong and what worked, discuss with your linemates where they want you to be in certain situations.

A lot of this is hockey knowledge which isn't the easiest thing to work on, try playing an NHL game and focus on puck possesion and passing. Watch hockey, watch how some forwards are able to create gaps between them and the defender to get open, try to figure out why certain things worked and didn't, try to solve the problems each teams are having.

 

[Individual 1]

I sat down to try and make a workout plan involving the exercises you listed, and also incorporate the Explosive Power progressions, but I have absolutely no idea how. Do I do these every day, or if not, do I workout different parts of my body? I have never worked out before, so if you or anyone else are bored, please help. You are amazing, and this would help so much.

I would try to do some form of workout 5 days a week with 2 rest days, assuming you have a practice and a game each week that leaves 3 other days to work out on. I would take a rest day the day before a game and probably the 2nd on a busy day during the week. If your games are on Sundays you might want to do like a light 20 minute jog the day before as opposed to sitting around all day doing nothing.

When it comes to making a workout plan you don't want to work the same muscle groups multiple days in a row its best to let them recover. Make sure you are doing the exercises with correct form, that you do some form of warm up, that you are hydrated and have had something to eat recently.

I think running before your workouts would be the best warm up it will improve your endurance, and the speed you recover from tough shifts. Start with like 20 minute runs work your way up to 30 minutes, maybe once a week do a shorter more intense run. When running, skipping and doing cardio in general it is important to be relaxed, focus on your breathing in your nose out your mouth, your shoulders should be relaxed not up/tensed, when you breathe in you should feel it in your stomach not your chest expanding upwards. If the weather is too shitty skip for 15 minutes or use an exercise bike if you have one.

You then need to develop some routines a pretty basic set up is legs/shoulders/abs, chest/triceps/abs, and back/biceps. You probably will be limited on some of this due to lack of equipment so I would suggest asking in the fitness section to help develop a routine as well.

Try to time your leg workout day so it is spread out during the week with the days of your games/practices. I would start your leg day with squats while holding a weight out infront of you or tucked under your chin http://www.directlyfitness.com/store/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/goblet-squat.jpg do 2-3 sets of 10-12 then do sets of jump squats with no weight or a much lighter one. Then throw in exercises from the explosive power sheet and end it with some calf raises https://cdn-mf0.heartyhosting.com/s...lic/_main_standingcalfraise.jpg?itok=_bV8OXWa
Then finish up your shoulder/leg day with some shoulder exercises such as shrugs, standing shoulder press http://workoutlabs.com/wp-content/uploads/watermarked/Dumbbell_Biceps_Curl_To_Shoulder_Press.png and whatever this is lol http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/152/E6638_540663_ebook_Main.jpg

You should do these exercises at like a medium to high pace/intensity your rest between sets shouldn't be very long and I would stick handle or shoot a couple of pucks during this short rest.
You may also want to do some leg exercises after your practice as well such as jump squats and calf raises.

For chest/triceps do lots of push ups, some bench press if possible remember to keep your elbows tucked in on those, for abs try some of this stuff https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3b/da/4f/...805--muscles-abdominaux-abdominal-muscles.jpg

Here are some more exercises you should be able to do https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BzWQYWlIAAAJeJM.jpg

For back/biceps do chins ups if possible, deadlifts are really good but you may want to do them on leg day, do some sets of curls.

Legs, abs and cardio will help you the most to improve at hockey, working other muscle groups will also help you. You should try to consume some form of protein before or after you work out, it helps speed up recovery. Something like a chicken breast, 2 eggs, a protein bar, or a protein shake would be good.

 

[Elias Pettersson]

Only way to get better is to practice/play. In shinny games, try to do creative things you wouldn't normally do. You always have more time with the puck than you think. Resist the urge to dump it and or throw it away blindly.

 

[eviohh26]

Practice and Study Pavel Datsyuk Highlight videos on Youtube. Get as strong as you can while being lean.

 

[900]

You have done so much, but I want to clarify things and ask questions, please tell me which ones are right and wrong if you want. 3 days a week, leg day not close to ice time. I have a random schedule (No set times like sundays at 6, or wednesday at 8:30), so do I just try and fit it all in when I can? Do I workout like squat, calf raise, squat, calf raise, or is it squat, squat, calf raise, calf raise (Alternating exercises or no)? Is everything 2-3 sets of 10-12? If not, and if you still feel super awesome, could you please tell me? Tell me if I am being greedy and should shut up. Your help is much appreciated, and you are amazing for doing what you have done already. Many Thanks, 900.