About Puck Possession

For a very long time, there’s been a lot of debate over puck possession tactics. It seems that everyone wants to know the “secret” to their team having the puck on their stick for the longest time possible.

Unfortunately, however, there isn’t really a magic formula that guarantees success, but there are some tried and true tips that you can follow to increase your chances of more puck possession and for longer periods of time.   

Master the Perfect Body Position

To start off with, one of the best tips that you can follow for improving puck possession is to teach your players to assume and hold the right positions- positions that are conducive to puck possession.

The best position, it is generally agreed upon, is to have a wide, strong base, to put the nose over the puck, and, above all else, to be a strong skater.

Of course, mastering this position means mastering the skills that go along with it, which is why you’ll also have to work on improving your players’ lower body strength and general skating skills through drills and regular practice.

Once you master these things, it’s easy to teach your players to get in to their position and to thereby improve puck possession.

Teach Your Players to Work for It

Something else you should know about puck possession is that, no matter how strong your players or how well you’ve taught them the best stances for puck possession, there is still a real and raging battle for the puck once they step out on that ice.

Puck possession is a constant, combative battle, so you’ve got to teach your players to fight. Instill in them a drive, a yearning, for the puck, and prepare them to have to fight for it every second that they are out on the ice.

Don’t make them think the skills and strategies they’ve learned in practice are enough because they’re not. Sure, they’ll help, but, at the end of the day, puck possession generally goes to the team that wants it the most, so instill that drive and desire into your players.

If you can follow these tips and really focus in on puck possession and its importance, you should see big improvements for your team in this area.