I need StickHanlding advice

HockeyBen

Registered User
Nov 11, 2019
4
1
Halifax, NS
I just started playing hockey for fun, only being able to get on the ice once or even twice a week with pucks, stick and nets etc etc when there is practice.

I was wondering how much better can you improve your on ice skills off the ice, is there a limit to improvement and then you really just require more ice time or can you just endlessly get better however minimal? I think I am asking how well does working with a stick off the ice translate.

I have a green biscuit which I use for basic stuff like figure of 8 and I use a tennis ball for shooting (to not break anything including the ball itself as I don't want to break the green b.). And a golf ball wrapped in tape I use also.

I saw on post here that said don't use balls at all but I don't know what else to use for shooting practice that I won't break or won't break things it might accidentally hit.
The other concern is movement, often players aren't standing still when shooting or dribbling passing etc etc. should I be trying to mimic this more.

Long post my main questions are, how well does off the ice stick handling practice translate to on the ice, what should I be using for it.

Thanks in advanced.
 

Filthy Dangles

Registered User*
Oct 23, 2014
28,353
39,702
Off-ice training definitely helps to build wrist/forearm strength, coordination, quick hands but like you said its hard to truly simulate handling vulcanized rubber on a sheet of ice, while on 2 edges of a skateblade.

Green biscuit is a good training aid I can vouch for. It does a decent job of simulating the feel of puck on ice if you handle it on smoother concrete or mateflex type surface.

As for the stationary thing you mentioned, I’d say pick up a pair of inline skates and play some roller hockey when you can. There’s a ton of outdoor rinks by me, not sure about yourself, or even just skate and handle the puck on concrete or smoother surface if you don’t have any rinks.

But yeah if you really wanna be able to handle the puck on the ice, the aforementioned will help some, but you also need to play and get as much ice time as possible
 
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Mr Jiggyfly

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Jan 29, 2004
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I just started playing hockey for fun, only being able to get on the ice once or even twice a week with pucks, stick and nets etc etc when there is practice.

I was wondering how much better can you improve your on ice skills off the ice, is there a limit to improvement and then you really just require more ice time or can you just endlessly get better however minimal? I think I am asking how well does working with a stick off the ice translate.

I have a green biscuit which I use for basic stuff like figure of 8 and I use a tennis ball for shooting (to not break anything including the ball itself as I don't want to break the green b.). And a golf ball wrapped in tape I use also.

I saw on post here that said don't use balls at all but I don't know what else to use for shooting practice that I won't break or won't break things it might accidentally hit.
The other concern is movement, often players aren't standing still when shooting or dribbling passing etc etc. should I be trying to mimic this more.

Long post my main questions are, how well does off the ice stick handling practice translate to on the ice, what should I be using for it.

Thanks in advanced.

I got synthetic ice for my daughter and while it sucks to skate on, it has really helped her stick handling and shooting. She just uses it as a really big shooting pad now with just shoes on.

So I have seen a big progression in her stick handling in the 1.5 years since I bought the ice for her.

When I was younger I used to just practice on a sheet of plexiglass and spray it with Pam or Pledge to make it slicker.

So yep, off ice work can really help build muscle memory and fast hands, but the puck moves differently on real ice with so little friction. Basically you can have slick hands off ice, but struggle on the ice, if that makes sense.

Eventually you learn how to marry the two if you practice it enough both on and off the ice.
 

Neutrinos

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Sep 23, 2016
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HockeyBen

Registered User
Nov 11, 2019
4
1
Halifax, NS
Thanks for the replies!
what I can gather from what you guys have said is a green biscuit is great for stick handling off the ice and that I could make great use of a shooting pad for shooting which I did not realise were a thing until you guys mentioned it. I also see there are these pass re-bounders are they at all useful or worth the investment? Any other advice that can be offered is greatly appreciated!!
 

Mr Jiggyfly

Registered User
Jan 29, 2004
34,236
19,322
Thanks for the replies!
what I can gather from what you guys have said is a green biscuit is great for stick handling off the ice and that I could make great use of a shooting pad for shooting which I did not realise were a thing until you guys mentioned it. I also see there are these pass re-bounders are they at all useful or worth the investment? Any other advice that can be offered is greatly appreciated!!

I got my daughter an expensive pass rebounder but it blows. If you send the pass a little too hard the cord bounces too far back and comes out way crooked (Or not at all). It just sits next to our little basement rink now and gathers dust.

You could probably rig one up just as decent with some bungee cords and a block of wood. I know my buddy made his own that way years back.

If you get a shooting/stick handling pad, just use a regular puck. They also have weighted pucks which can really help your hands.

When you work with a 12oz puck and go back to a normal 6, your hands will feel way faster.
 

HockeyBen

Registered User
Nov 11, 2019
4
1
Halifax, NS
I got my daughter an expensive pass rebounder but it blows. If you send the pass a little too hard the cord bounces too far back and comes out way crooked (Or not at all). It just sits next to our little basement rink now and gathers dust.

You could probably rig one up just as decent with some bungee cords and a block of wood. I know my buddy made his own that way years back.

If you get a shooting/stick handling pad, just use a regular puck. They also have weighted pucks which can really help your hands.

When you work with a 12oz puck and go back to a normal 6, your hands will feel way faster.

Great that is good to know! I will definitely invest in a shooting pad, can you shoot a weighted puck or is it just for stick handling?
 

Filthy Dangles

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Oct 23, 2014
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Great that is good to know! I will definitely invest in a shooting pad, can you shoot a weighted puck or is it just for stick handling?

The normal light-green biscuit is only for stick-handling. If you shoot it and you hit the post, it's gonna shatter. I've broken a few of them doing it. But they do have the darker-green 'Snipe' biscuit that is meant for shooting. It doesn't slide well when you sitck handle it and they can get minor dents in them, so it's a decent option but not the best.

Green Biscuit ‘Snipe’ | GREEN BISCUIT Official Website & Store

I would also recommend the Smart Puck, you can stick handle and shoot it. It won't break or dent like the biscuit. It's the same weight as the biscuit, but it's got a greater contact area with the ground, more friction so it will 'feel' heavier when you cradle it.

https://www.amazon.com/Smarthockey-Hockey-Handling-Shooting-Training/dp/B075ZG9Z2C
 
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Mr Jiggyfly

Registered User
Jan 29, 2004
34,236
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Great that is good to know! I will definitely invest in a shooting pad, can you shoot a weighted puck or is it just for stick handling?

Ya my daughter and I shoot weighted pucks all the time, just make sure you have the right setup so you don’t break anything if you miss the net.

We have a regulation net on our basement rink with protective nets on the top and sides, just in case.
 

LarryO

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Feb 12, 2009
889
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Montreal
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Great that is good to know! I will definitely invest in a shooting pad, can you shoot a weighted puck or is it just for stick handling?
Yeah, you can do wrist shots with those 10 ounce orange pucks but I wouldn't recommend trying slap shots because I'd be afraid of breaking the stick or injuring myself.
 

MaxR11

Registered User
Mar 28, 2017
4,991
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I just started playing hockey for fun, only being able to get on the ice once or even twice a week with pucks, stick and nets etc etc when there is practice.

I was wondering how much better can you improve your on ice skills off the ice, is there a limit to improvement and then you really just require more ice time or can you just endlessly get better however minimal? I think I am asking how well does working with a stick off the ice translate.

I have a green biscuit which I use for basic stuff like figure of 8 and I use a tennis ball for shooting (to not break anything including the ball itself as I don't want to break the green b.). And a golf ball wrapped in tape I use also.

I saw on post here that said don't use balls at all but I don't know what else to use for shooting practice that I won't break or won't break things it might accidentally hit.
The other concern is movement, often players aren't standing still when shooting or dribbling passing etc etc. should I be trying to mimic this more.

Long post my main questions are, how well does off the ice stick handling practice translate to on the ice, what should I be using for it.

Thanks in advanced.

I think there is a bit of a limit for off ice stickhandling training if you want to improve on ice handling. That being said it still can help quite a bit. Handling one of those smart balls daily AND a green biscuit is great for just getting the proper feel of handling an object on your blade and feeling that blade rolling.... rolling of your wrists (especially on your TOP hand). Beginners tend to use too much of the bottom hand and also don't roll the blade properly. Like they're cutting veggies with the bottom hand.

Ultimately you need to get on the ice and handle the puck on your skates to get the best translation and feel. I think sometimes if you do too much off ice and very little on ice it can mess up your feel a bit and can hinder your on ice handles. Though this probably only happens when you become quite good with your handles. But for a beginner off ice handles is a great way to climb the ladder.

One other thing is the stick length. You're gonna be a few inches taller on your skates than bare footed or in your shoes. It can make a difference in feel if you use your ice hockey stick in your basement practice with your shoes.


Smart balls.
smart-hockey-ball-color-chart.jpg
 
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I am toxic

. . . even in small doses
Oct 24, 2014
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Vancouver
I just started playing hockey for fun, only being able to get on the ice once or even twice a week with pucks, stick and nets etc etc when there is practice.

I was wondering how much better can you improve your on ice skills off the ice, is there a limit to improvement and then you really just require more ice time or can you just endlessly get better however minimal? I think I am asking how well does working with a stick off the ice translate.

I have a green biscuit which I use for basic stuff like figure of 8 and I use a tennis ball for shooting (to not break anything including the ball itself as I don't want to break the green b.). And a golf ball wrapped in tape I use also.

I saw on post here that said don't use balls at all but I don't know what else to use for shooting practice that I won't break or won't break things it might accidentally hit.
The other concern is movement, often players aren't standing still when shooting or dribbling passing etc etc. should I be trying to mimic this more.

Long post my main questions are, how well does off the ice stick handling practice translate to on the ice, what should I be using for it.

Thanks in advanced.

For off ice stick-handling, (light) green biscuit like you are using, and also the training ball. If you can do it on rollerblades it is better, stickhandling while running is different than while skating/blading, takes care of stick length issue.
 
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I am toxic

. . . even in small doses
Oct 24, 2014
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Vancouver
The normal light-green biscuit is only for stick-handling. If you shoot it and you hit the post, it's gonna shatter. I've broken a few of them doing it. But they do have the darker-green 'Snipe' biscuit that is meant for shooting. It doesn't slide well when you sitck handle it and they can get minor dents in them, so it's a decent option but not the best.

Green Biscuit ‘Snipe’ | GREEN BISCUIT Official Website & Store

I would also recommend the Smart Puck, you can stick handle and shoot it. It won't break or dent like the biscuit. It's the same weight as the biscuit, but it's got a greater contact area with the ground, more friction so it will 'feel' heavier when you cradle it.

https://www.amazon.com/Smarthockey-Hockey-Handling-Shooting-Training/dp/B075ZG9Z2C

This. The Smart Puck works much better than the Snipe for combination of handling and shooting. Green Biscuit for stickhandling and passing practice only.
 

jw2

Registered User
Jun 13, 2012
7,081
430
Boston
Beginner - use a tennis ball or street hockey ball (cheaper) to practice stick handling. Walk around the house one a day stick handling around chairs, tables etc. It's about getting comfortable with having something on the stick. Once you progress, there are a ton of other great ideas in this thread.
 

TGWL

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Jul 28, 2011
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Don't use a tennis ball. Don't use anything that will make the puck feel completely different when you step on the rink, such as a tennis ball, even for beginner training. You're not a dog playing with a ball around the house. Use the Green Biscuit like others have suggested. If you're focusing on stick handling get the right biscuit puck. A heavy hockey training ball is a decent way to go as well.

Of course, you can try the Jagr, Datsyuk, etc. approach of creating a weighted stick, either by taping a puck to your blade, or small weights to build your stick handling strength up. Puck feel is super important when it comes to handling the puck. If the puck doesn't feel right on your blade, it doesn't matter how fast you turn your wrist. Cradle the puck and get comfortable with the feel of it, then work on just going side to side and back and forth. Once you feel comfortable you can start incorporating toe drags, objects and one hand drills in your training session.

Roller hockey is also a great idea to get comfortable with your stick handling drills. If you don't want to ruin your stick outside, there's a decent wrap around available to protect your stick. Hockey Wraparound - Hockey Stick Protector and Off-Ice Training Tool
 

biturbo19

Registered User
Jul 13, 2010
25,152
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If anyone comes up with a magic cure-all for bad stickhandling, please let me know.

It's the aspect of my game that has been permanently stuck in the past. I can skate, i can position myself, i can pass and i have shot that surprises a lot of people...but my stickhandling is so rudimentary. I'm a very...*push the puck forward and skate onto it* type stickhandler at my best. I know part of it is just using a very long stick, but i long for a stickhandling drillset that makes me suck less as a puckhandler.
 

Ryuji Yamazaki

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Jul 22, 2015
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If anyone comes up with a magic cure-all for bad stickhandling, please let me know.

It's the aspect of my game that has been permanently stuck in the past. I can skate, i can position myself, i can pass and i have shot that surprises a lot of people...but my stickhandling is so rudimentary. I'm a very...*push the puck forward and skate onto it* type stickhandler at my best. I know part of it is just using a very long stick, but i long for a stickhandling drillset that makes me suck less as a puckhandler.

Lmao man you just described me to a T.
 

SwedishFire

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Mar 3, 2011
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Stickhandling is maybe the part I like the most.

stickhandling is about passion. While on the kitchen floor, the ice, on grass, on the street, Imagine yourself stickhandling n between two defenders, three defenders, one-on-one, with a ball, puck, what you find. Between chair legs, between holes, side to side, left-right-left-right. Your stickhandling skill sits in your heart.
 

SwedishFire

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Mar 3, 2011
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Don't use a tennis ball. Don't use anything that will make the puck feel completely different when you step on the rink, such as a tennis ball, even for beginner training. Puck feel is super important when it comes to handling the puck. If the puck doesn't feel right on your blade, it doesn't matter how fast you turn your wrist. Cradle the puck and get comfortable with the feel of it, then work on just going side to side and back and forth. Once you feel comfortable you can start incorporating toe drags, objects and one hand drills in your training session.

I feel this make sense. I always hated to stickhandling with a tennis ball, the blade just knocking or "chuck "the ball, getting stuck with it , all the feel is gone. I prefer litterary everything else. I couldnt agree more - The puckfeel is very important.
 
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Apocalypse Dude

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Jul 25, 2012
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I feel this make sense. I always hated to stickhandling with a tennis ball, the blade just knocking or "chuck "the ball, getting stuck with it , all the feel is gone. I prefer litterary everything else. I couldnt agree more - The puckfeel is very important.

I disagree with the idea that using a tennis/orange ball won't help.

That's all my buddies and I used growing up playing outside(And I'm nothing special, believe me) but just practicing the motions and getting used to stick handling while looking ahead helped.

If you can afford one of those training pucks/balls have at it. You might as well use everything you have to improve your game but theres nothing wrong with getting the motion right with a ball.
 

biturbo19

Registered User
Jul 13, 2010
25,152
10,131
Lmao man you just described me to a T.

Always nice to know i'm not totally alone. :laugh:

Stickhandling is maybe the part I like the most.

stickhandling is about passion. While on the kitchen floor, the ice, on grass, on the street, Imagine yourself stickhandling n between two defenders, three defenders, one-on-one, with a ball, puck, what you find. Between chair legs, between holes, side to side, left-right-left-right. Your stickhandling skill sits in your heart.

Honestly, i just don't ever remember that being part of my "passion". On the kitchen floor, it was mostly goaltending and flipping the puck up playing reflex games and making epic glove saves or kicking the puck out like a butterfly master.

Even when it was "skater" mini sticks, it was all about that roof shot right up under the kitchen table bar. Don't think i ever "stickhandled" mini sticks between chair legs. They were just behind the net and in the way.

I feel this make sense. I always hated to stickhandling with a tennis ball, the blade just knocking or "chuck "the ball, getting stuck with it , all the feel is gone. I prefer litterary everything else. I couldnt agree more - The puckfeel is very important.

Imma go ahead and blame so many endless hours of playing around with a tennis ball in the basement for my stickhandling ineptitude i guess.

When i wasn't play net and just firing tennis balls off the opposite wall practicing movements, saves, and reflexes...it was mostly just rollerblading in a tiny area playing with a tennis ball bouncing it back and forth off walls to mimic passing and receiving passes. From the wall. Which was probably a better stickhandler than me.

Just feels like i can pretty much trace my pitiful stickhandling back now, to childhood. So that's nice closure.

But i'd still like to be less bad at it. Maybe have a go-to move different from slide the puck away from the defender and try to skate around them.

Unless it's essentially battle drills, and then i'm in my element again. But that's basically just keeping the puck away while changing directions unpredictably, which is still just masking pathetic stickhandling with some skating.
 

Cursed Lemon

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Nov 10, 2011
11,328
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Dey-Twah, MI
The most important aspect to practicing anything is to understand the point of practice. You can run stickhandling drills until your wrists fall off, but if you're missing the point of them it's not going to do a lot of good. Pay very close attention to the "feel" of each stick movement, learn to replicate the muscle movements rather than rely on pure on-the-spot reflex to get the job done - for instance, commit to muscle memory the heel-to-toe "flick". Pay close attention to relationship between the top and bottom hands, if you make it a point to note how they interact it will make certain movements much more effortless. Always experiment; remember, practice exists for you to f*** things up. Teach yourself to cradle the puck correctly on the forehand and backhand such that you don't flip the puck up when stickhandling, this is frustrating but it's part of the whole shebang. Possibly the most important thing, understand that stickhandling and footwork are extremely interconnected. What you're able to do with the puck depends on your posture, your position, your direction of momentum, etc. You're almost never going to be standing still while stickhandling on the ice, so while you're practicing stickhandling, always shift and move around.
 

jw2

Registered User
Jun 13, 2012
7,081
430
Boston
I disagree with the idea that using a tennis/orange ball won't help.

That's all my buddies and I used growing up playing outside(And I'm nothing special, believe me) but just practicing the motions and getting used to stick handling while looking ahead helped.

If you can afford one of those training pucks/balls have at it. You might as well use everything you have to improve your game but theres nothing wrong with getting the motion right with a ball.

exactly what I meant by it. A fancy ball or puck wont help you get a better feel for your stick - which seems to be the issues with the guys saying their puck skills are weak. All about the feel,
Stick handle a ball around the house. Bouncing a tennis ball off the wall, ground obstacles and settling it, or one timing it. Its the feel of the stick, not the feel of the puck that will make a huge improvement in an beginner/immediate players stick handling abilities.
 

MaxR11

Registered User
Mar 28, 2017
4,991
1,709
If anyone comes up with a magic cure-all for bad stickhandling, please let me know.

It's the aspect of my game that has been permanently stuck in the past. I can skate, i can position myself, i can pass and i have shot that surprises a lot of people...but my stickhandling is so rudimentary. I'm a very...*push the puck forward and skate onto it* type stickhandler at my best. I know part of it is just using a very long stick, but i long for a stickhandling drillset that makes me suck less as a puckhandler.

it's absolutely just practice and being aware of the proper techniques. Just think of the blade as an extension of you hands. Roll that blade and caress that puck with control. Rolling that blade requires you to roll your wrists. Imo, i believe the TOP hand wrist should be more in control of the skill and of the handle and the bottom hand more getting some power into that roll. Both wrists roll especially the top hand wrist.

Just work on controlling a ball or puck in the basement. Experiment. Use the toe of the balde to do things too. Stickhandle front back, side to side etc. It boils down to practice.
 
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Filthy Dangles

Registered User*
Oct 23, 2014
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I see a lot of beginners overstickhandle too. Like they think cradling the puck back and forth a bunch of times like chopsticks is gonna do anything, other than slow you down while skating.

Deception is key. Like I said, skating toward a defender while cradling the puck 100MPH won't accomplish anything. You need to change angles, put the puck on one side. And as another poster mentioned, skating is very interconnected.

It helps to imagine yourself on the rink making moves on defenders like the basketball adage of 'playing your shadow 1 on 1', you cna use props to help the visualization like cones and sticks to drag around and through.

Also, being able to handle and cradle the puck back and forth on dryland is a lot different than being able to do it on ice, while balancing on edges of 2 blades while you're moving.
 

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