Stickhandling Tips and Tricks

There are lots of skills that are necessary to be a good hockey player, but perhaps the most vital one of all is stickhandling ability. Stickhandling simply means being able to control the puck with one’s stick. When players are really good at it, they can often remain in full control of the stick without ever looking down at the puck. It may seem impressive, but, for them, it’s like second nature. This type of stickhandling ability comes from lots and lots of practice, but you can help the youth hockey player in your life reach this level by following a few simple tips.

Hold the Stick Properly

Good stickhandling all starts with properly holding the stick! If a stick isn’t held correctly, good stickhandling is going to be pretty much impossible.

To hold the stick correctly, the top hand should be kept stiff and strong and should grip the top of the stick. The bottom of the stick should be handled with the lower hand a little bit down the shaft. The hands on the stick should be kept soft for better control of the puck.

If you can master the right way to hold the stick, then you’ve already won half the battle of good stickhandling!

Get Used to the Feel

Once your player has mastered how to hold the stick, it’s time to get a feel for how the puck feels when being handled. To get “the feel,” practice dribbling the puck back and forth in front of the body with a limited range of motion. Once the player has gotten used to this, start encouraging him or her to handle the puck without looking at it and while, instead, taking in the rink around him or her. With enough practice, your player should soon be handling the stick with ease, just like the pros!

Like any skill in hockey, stickhandling does take practice, but, with enough of it, especially if you’re using these foolproof techniques, your hockey player should be stickhandling like a pro in no time.

Easy and Effective Warm Ups for Hockey Players

Sometimes, warm ups is the last thing you want to do. When you’re eager to hit that ice and get into practice or start playing a game, warming up can feel like just an annoyance, but, in truth, it’s actually very important.

A good warm-up will get you nice and limber before you hit the ice, helping you to avoid cramps and fatigue once you’re into the game or practice and preventing injury and pain afterwards. Furthermore, it gets your blood circulating and your muscles ready, helping you to play to your fullest potential.

Warming up doesn’t have to take forever or be boring either. We know some awesome warm-ups that can be done quickly and easily!

Go for a Run     

Running is one of the best and easiest ways to get your blood pumping. You don’t have to do it for long to get in a good warm-up either. Three to five minutes at a high intensity is really all it takes.

You can run around the perimeter of the ice if your rink allows/accommodates it, or you can run around outside the rink with your teammates to really build up a good sweat.

Try Some Stickhandling

Sometimes, a little stickhandling is all you need for limber arms and a warm body. You can do this for a few minutes on the ice, or, if you’d rather not waste precious ice time on warming up, try it with a golf ball or a tennis ball.

If you’ve got a friend or teammate handy, then the two of you can practice passing the ball back and forth to up the intensity of this warm-up.

Skate Away

A little skating at a fast pace is another very easy way to get nice and warm! Try skating around the rink a few times and speeding up whenever you get between the blue lines.

Not only will you warm your body, but you’ll also be practicing and perfecting your skating skills at the same time, which is a true win-win.

Get Your Mind Right

As a final word of advice, remember that the right mindset is every bit as important, if not more important, as a nice, warm body.

As such, always take a few moments, before you step on the ice, to say some encouraging words to yourself, to set a goal for the game or practice, and to just get into the right, positive mentality to really excel at whatever you’re doing!