Beginners: Tips for Beginners

[tooncesmeow]

I came here once before asking for tips and you guys were really helpful so I hate to be a bother but I'm going to the well once more. I started hitting the rinks and while I really enjoy defense, when Is tood in for goalie Iw as having a blast, and it was something I kind of got the hang of pretty quick. We lost, and I was probably the reason for it, but I loved being the guy in net.

I want to really step up and enhance my game for goaltending and I was wondering if anyone has good tips for goaltending, knows of any great blogs to follow, goalies to watch, fundamentals that are important, any other vital tips and if 1,000$ is enough for a set of gaolie equipment? I wanna get a set together in the near future so I can start getting into beer league or drop-in games with ease.

 

[Tacks92]

I came here once before asking for tips and you guys were really helpful so I hate to be a bother but I'm going to the well once more. I started hitting the rinks and while I really enjoy defense, when Is tood in for goalie Iw as having a blast, and it was something I kind of got the hang of pretty quick. We lost, and I was probably the reason for it, but I loved being the guy in net.

I want to really step up and enhance my game for goaltending and I was wondering if anyone has good tips for goaltending, knows of any great blogs to follow, goalies to watch, fundamentals that are important, any other vital tips and if 1,000$ is enough for a set of gaolie equipment? I wanna get a set together in the near future so I can start getting into beer league or drop-in games with ease.

Some good basic stuff here: http://www.usahockeygoaltending.com/

 

[I am toxic]

I came here once before asking for tips and you guys were really helpful so I hate to be a bother but I'm going to the well once more. I started hitting the rinks and while I really enjoy defense, when Is tood in for goalie Iw as having a blast, and it was something I kind of got the hang of pretty quick. We lost, and I was probably the reason for it, but I loved being the guy in net.

I want to really step up and enhance my game for goaltending and I was wondering if anyone has good tips for goaltending, knows of any great blogs to follow, goalies to watch, fundamentals that are important, any other vital tips and if 1,000$ is enough for a set of gaolie equipment? I wanna get a set together in the near future so I can start getting into beer league or drop-in games with ease.

Check out these guys.

And this one too.

 

[do0glas]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg7wqdcOkrA

Great shot analysis video to get the minor details into your shot.

 

[actionhank1786]

Once you get into a game situation don't panic when you get the puck, patience is a mark of a good hockey player. Like they said on cbc the other night, "be quick but not in a hurry!"

For dryland stickhandling practice (developing hand speed) I use a golf ball with a few strips of the narrower black hockey tape around, the tape really reduces the bounce of the ball & is a lot cheaper & more expendable than swedish stickhandling balls. I do 10 mins+ a day of practice with it in my basement, a lot of the Sean Skinner stuff & can move the ball around my body different types of toe drags, stickhandle around chair legs, flip the ball against a wall, & hit it back out of the air, for hand, backhand etc like raquet ball. I've been doing this for a few months & am blown away with the results.

I've got to agree with this. One of the hardest things is maintaining your composure. It's easy to freak out when you're new (like I am). You're skating and trying to keep the puck, and you see someone on defense coming towards you. You don't think you can get around them, so you panic and start to think "I'VE GOTTA PASS IT NOW!" and before you know it, you've made that blind pass across the ice to no one...Not that I'm saying this as a recap of my last game.

Had I taken a second and realized I had plenty of time (He was maybe inside the faceoff dot, closer to the goalie than he was to me) and taken a second to look around, I would have seen that the forwards on the team weren't heading down the right side at all, but were going in the center lane...more importantly, I would have seen that one of my team mates was right behind me and I could have easily dropped it without even having to move, and it would have been right on his tape. Instead, I launched it across ice, and the girl on the other team easily scooped it out of the corner. I manged to break it up when they tried going around the boards, but at the same time, I also panicked and missed a potential situation where a pass could have been made to multiple people.

 

[LeifUK]

Use your inside edges on a snowplow stop - I'm not even sure you could use the outside edges when your toes are in like that! You'd just pitch yourself right over.

I’ve seen it done, I think it’s called an eagle stop, as you position your feet almost as per the spread eagle. It’s hard, in part because you are using outside edges, but also because you need to be very flexible. Best avoided unless you want to do free style, I doubt it has ever been done in an NHL game.

 

[LeifUK]

Don't buy the cheapest pads. I bought the cheapest new shoulder pads I could fine because they were light and there's no checking in my league. I didn't consider that I still need to be concerned about slapshots. I took one to the shoulder 3 months ago and it still hurts. I recommend going mid-tier or upper tier pads.

Good advice. Low end pads just don’t protect against falls and slap shots. I learnt the hard way.

 

[Frederick]

I’ve seen it done, I think it’s called an eagle stop, as you position your feet almost as per the spread eagle. It’s hard, in part because you are using outside edges, but also because you need to be very flexible. Best avoided unless you want to do free style, I doubt it has ever been done in an NHL game.

I just checked that an eagle stop is different actually

 

[SundayNiteBlackout]

Anyone have any advice on learning weak side hockey stops? I can stop full speed to my strong side, but the opposite is so foreign and I just fall over, lol.

 

[LeifUK]

Anyone have any advice on learning weak side hockey stops? I can stop full speed to my strong side, but the opposite is so foreign and I just fall over, lol.

Chris from Hockey Tutorial on YouTube has some very good advice. Study how you do it on your strong side, then replicate that on your weak side. Alternately stop on each side, taking it slow, comparing body posture, weight transfer and so on. It has taken me a year, and it’s still not as good on my weak side, but it gets better each public session when I practice.

 

[EightyOne]

I came here once before asking for tips and you guys were really helpful so I hate to be a bother but I'm going to the well once more. I started hitting the rinks and while I really enjoy defense, when Is tood in for goalie Iw as having a blast, and it was something I kind of got the hang of pretty quick. We lost, and I was probably the reason for it, but I loved being the guy in net.

I want to really step up and enhance my game for goaltending and I was wondering if anyone has good tips for goaltending, knows of any great blogs to follow, goalies to watch, fundamentals that are important, any other vital tips and if 1,000$ is enough for a set of gaolie equipment? I wanna get a set together in the near future so I can start getting into beer league or drop-in games with ease.

Man, buy used online for that. Should
be able to get it way less than a grand.

most teams, pick up/stick times need goalies. You can find ice time to practice easy! I'd say it's like hockey in general, just get out there as much as possible. Worrying about a bunch of angles and technique isn't so important right now.

Anyone have any advice on learning weak side hockey stops? I can stop full speed to my strong side, but the opposite is so foreign and I just fall over, lol.

Keep your strong skate straight. Then just focus on turning your weak skate and doing a one foot plow. Try not to stop fast. Just glide with your weak foot sliding and your strong foot straight as possible as long as possible. Really feel the mechanics on your weak foot weight transfer and edge pressure.

Then, can you two foot snowplow?

If so, initiate a two foot plow (one where you aren't slowing very much), then pull your weakside skate up off the ice completely and try hard to continue a one footed slide on your strong skate only.

Then try with your weakside.

I have no idea if this is sanctioned as a good idea. But I did it last week while practicing and I feel it helped me on my strongside. I could focus on balance and edge pressure.

Then try to incorporate both feet together. I'm not good yet. I feel my hockey stops are almost one footed even when trying to use both feet. I'm getting there, though.

I'm gonna try it on my weakside more this weekend. (Relearning skating after a decade off+some rollerblading in there which was NOT helpful for ice stops lol).

 

[EightyOne]

Man, buy used online for that. Should
be able to get it way less than a grand.

most teams, pick up/stick times need goalies. You can find ice time to practice easy! I'd say it's like hockey in general, just get out there as much as possible. Worrying about a bunch of angles and technique isn't so important right now.



Keep your strong skate straight. Then just focus on turning your weak skate and doing a one foot plow. Try not to stop fast. Just glide with your weak foot sliding and your strong foot straight as possible as long as possible. Really feel the mechanics on your weak foot weight transfer and edge pressure.

Then, can you two foot snowplow?

If so, initiate a two foot plow (one where you aren't slowing very much), then pull your weakside skate up off the ice completely and try hard to continue a one footed slide on your strong skate only.

Then try with your weakside.

I have no idea if this is sanctioned as a good idea. But I did it last week while practicing and I feel it helped me on my strongside. I could focus on balance and edge pressure.

Then try to incorporate both feet together. I'm not good yet. I feel my hockey stops are almost one footed even when trying to use both feet. I'm getting there, though.

I'm gonna try it on my weakside more this weekend. (Relearning skating after a decade off+some rollerblading in there which was NOT helpful for ice stops lol).

Was able to get actual two foot hockey stops on strong side down like 90% of the time. My trailing skate just started shaving ice in the hockey stop during my last session. Nice.

Still having trouble sliding on edges to weak side. But getting there.

 

[Antonio Gentereo]

Good tips here!

 

[ilyazhito]

The MOST beneficial help I receive regarding hockey is a weekly private Power Skating instruction. 30 minutes of stride, stops, crossovers, backwards, transitions etc. My instructor teaches the same skillset as Laura Stramm. If you can't find or afford a private power skating instructor at least buy Laura's book. I am on the ice a minimum 4 times per week with games, stick n puck sessions and my private lesson.

I never skated before 14 months ago. 4 months later at 39 I began with my instructor and playing pick up. i have come a long way. Why? Because it's my priority other than wife and work. There is so much to learn. And so much to practice. As much as I would love to shoot and dangle I know skating is the key to playing well. I have come a good way but still a long way to go.

Hope u continue the journey. Enjoy!

How useful is power skating as a goalie? I'm looking to get started in net. AFAIK, goalie skating is very different than player skating, because there are 5 major techniques that they use for most of the game (C-cut, T-push, shuffle, butterfly slide, recovery). Players use many more techniques (crossover, hockey stop, striding, turns, transitions), many of which don't apply to goalies.