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Coaching Tips
Check the length of your stick(s) -
chances are, it is too long!
In your sneakers, stand up straight & hold your stick vertically in
front of you with the toe (front) of blade touching the floor. With your
head up, looking forward, mark and cut your stick at "bottom lip"
level. This length will allow your top hand to work freely in front of you
as you stickhandle, instead of being in a restrictive position above your
belt.
Check your stick handle (Knob) - chances are, it is too big!
Be creative & fancy while using your stick, not while decorating it.
Use just enough tape to cover the blade and to create a small, comfortable
knob. Use one thin layer of tape from the top of your stick down about 8
inches. This thin cover will prevent your leather glove from slipping down
the shaft of your stick. Now, build a small "ridge" for a handle.
Split (tear) the tape width-wise. Leave one strand loose & reattach
the other strand to the roll. With your thumb on the strand attached to
the roll, wrap the loose strand 6 times around the outside of the stick
(you should hear the tape tearing evenly), then rip it, creating a thin
1/2 inch ridge. Continue building your knob by wrapping the 2nd thin strand
(still left on the roll) over the small ridge you just created. Keep the
tape tight until the tape returns to full width (6 more wraps). This thinner
"ridge shape" (rather than a "ball shape") is the knob
of choice at PLANET HOCKEY and of many college and professional players.
Very Important: your new knob or "ridge" should rest in the MIDDLE
of your palm, NOT above your hand. You should not see any part of your stick
peaking out from under your glove. This handle and grip combination allows
for an improved feel for the puck. Remember, most of the time, the top hand
(the one attached to our new handle) grips the stick comfortably for control,
range of motion and flexibility. It is our bottom hand (the POWER hand)
that grips the stick firmly.
Stickhandling Training Drill
Try this.......stickhandle a golf ball off the ice, using a stick without
tape on the blade, on a hard, smooth surface. Control the ball through various
obstacle courses you create using pucks as markers and obstacles. This will
help develop "quick/soft" hands. Be creative, and train OUT of
your "Comfort Zone"! GOOD LUCK
This article was written by Shawn Killian,
Director of Planet Hockey Skills Camps and the Planet Hockey Ranch in Salida,
Colorado. For more information on all Planet Hockey Programs including Training
Videos and coordinating a Planet Hockey Skills Camp for your Association
or Group contact Planet Hockey at 1-800-320-7545 |
www.planethockey.com | shawn@planethockey.com