Advice: Stick Handling at Home?

[Islesfan24]

Hey everybody!

First a little update on my skill. I can now sprint forwards and stop. Once I perfect my crossover and backwards skating, Ill be ready for the pros! (joke)

I just bought my first equipment set, came out to 180 without skates. Everything used but the stick and shoulder pads. The helmet is old as hell but I'm not playing until next november so I will get a better one then.

Last weekend i was on the ice in full pads just me and my coach. Words cannot describe how happy I was. I have been waiting for that day for so long and it was just as good as I thought. A great workout and a lot of fun, a lot needs to be worked on.

So today I was playing around with a tennis ball and realized it doesn't really transfer as well to when you get on the ice with a puck. So my question is what do you guys do if you don't have a paved driveway or shooting board, and just wanna practice on a firm rug? I have skotch tape all over a puck so it slides on the rug, but it still sucks. I cant buy anything and was wondering what to use to best replicate a puck on the ice. Thanks guys!

PS. Thanks for the continued support on here, I found my new favorite section in HF!

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[JoeCool16]

Hmmm, you can't buy anything? Well, for a DIY solution I'd recommend stickhandling with a golf ball, that'll give you something like the weight of a puck that you can use on a rough surface like a rug. If you have a friend that owns one you could try a smart ball, which is a ball that is designed to act as much like a puck as a ball really can.

 

[Wilch]

Golf ball doesn't resemble a puck in any shape or form.

When used as a training aid, it's main purpose is to train your hands.

If a rug is all you have, you can try buying a smart ball. It still rolls decently on carpets and rugs, and will feel more like a puck in terms of weight.

Sorry, just noticed you can't buy anything.

I should point out a smart ball is quite cheap. Perhaps you can dig around to see if anyone wants to get rid of their older ones for a few bucks.

 

[wehojp84]

Get a green biscuit puck and a cheap stick with an ABS plastic blade. Take it out to the park, tennis court or wherever there is a flat hard surface and just practice stick handling in various positions and moving the puck around your body (with your head up of course). It's made to be used on concrete and other rough surfaces and the weight/feel is very similar to what you get with a puck on ice. I started doing this in my current off season a few times a week for like an hr and my stick handling on the ice has improved immensely. Being able to stick handle/skate with out having to look down at the puck will make a huge improvement in your vision, passing, scoring, etc.. Hope this helps! Also you can shoot the green biscuit but be careful not to hit anything metal as it will chip (it's not made to be shot). They do have a new one called the green biscuit snipe that is made of a softer material but it doesn't slide nearly as good.

 

[TieClark]

I was going to suggest a smart ball. Same weight as a puck but it rolls which allows you to use it inside or on not perfectly smooth surfaces. I'm not a fan of the green biscuit... it doesn't make sense to me. It really only works well enough if the ground is perfectly smooth and if that's the case use a real puck with some pam on it or something.

 

[jordanking87]

i agree with the smart hockey training ball. there really wont be a diy solution. they are like 12bucks and work great on carpet. i use mine to practice in the house all the time and then use my green biscuit on paved surfaces. Both work well and translate pretty decently to the ice. Save 12 bucks and get a smart hockey ball itll work great.

 

[jazzykat]

While it doesn't translate into a puck at all, I stick handle a foam rubber stress ball at the office. They are silent and can't break anything if I want to shoot it. They are the free types of things sometimes handed out by banks or companies at booths.

 

[Carboneer]

Nicklas Lidstrom used these as a kid stick-handling around his house (apparently):

http://www.hockeyshot.com/Swedish-Stickhandling-Wooden-Balls-p/ball-002.htm

Never tried it myself, but definitely curious. Anyone tried these?

 

[wehojp84]

Yeah, I have one of the Swedish stick handling balls. They are pretty good. Very similar to using a golf ball. Mainly used for developing soft and fast hands as the ball moves faster than a regular puck when stick handling. When I practice I use a combo of the green biscuit and the wood ball on cement or other hard surface. The other smart hockey balls mentioned in this thread are a little heavier to simulate the feel and weight of a puck but won't train quickness as much as a wooden ball. I actually have had no issues with the green biscuit even on rough pavement/asphalt. It slides really well on a number of surfaces. It's even better if you have some roller hockey skates that you can wear while you are practicing (make sure your wheels aren't too soft our they will get wore down very quickly on asphalt).

 

[jorbjorb]

I improved my stick handling a lot by using the green biscuit in the driveway.
http://greenbiscuit.com/

practice toe drags and other special drills.

seriously helped.