| Ice Hockey Drills basically compose of two basic skills, | | | | Place your hands on the stick far apart enough to be |
| good skating technique and good stick handling skills. | | | | comfortable, but the farther down the lower hand is, |
| Before we begin, let's take a look at decent stick | | | | the more you will need to bend at the waist. So take a |
| handling.The very first thing to consider is whether the | | | | comfortable standing position and adjust your hands |
| hockey stick you are using is the best one for you. It | | | | accordingly. To begin a pass, the puck is taken from |
| may be an old stick inherited from a friend or brother, | | | | behind the body and swept to the area of the midline |
| or it may be the "top of the line" that you had just read | | | | of the body. When the puck is in this area, this is the |
| about in a magazine. There is no best shape or | | | | critical time to ensure the puck will get to its target. This |
| material for a hockey stick, but the most important | | | | is one of the easier ice hockey drills. Once it is through |
| consideration is to have as much of the stick blade on | | | | this area, shift your weight to the front leg and point |
| the ice as possible. This is known as "stick lie". To | | | | the stick blade at the intended target. This last motion |
| check this, look at the wear on your stick blade. It | | | | has the same effect as the follow through of a stroke |
| should be worn pretty evenly all along the middle. | | | | in golf, ensuring that the puck is sent in the right |
| Wear just along the toe, or just at the heel, shows that | | | | direction. |
| you may need a stick with a different lie number. | | | | Practice a pass slowly, thinking through each step: |
| Players who like to play hunched over a bit (like | | | | start the puck toward the midline, center yourself and |
| Wayne Gretzky) A stick should be long enough for | | | | the target, and follow through. Remember that the |
| you to feel comfortable receiving and executing | | | | motion is a sweeping motion, not a slapping motion. A |
| passes, and this is best determined by trying out | | | | slapped puck may dance across the floor instead of |
| different stick lengths. You might do this by trading | | | | sliding, or may explosively get to a teammate before |
| sticks for a few days with your friends or team | | | | he is ready to receive the puck. If possible, aim "tape |
| members. The old rule that your stick should come up | | | | to tape", from your hockey stick to a teammate's |
| to your chin is just a rough estimate, and is not a hard | | | | hockey stick. If there is no one open, pass to an area |
| and fast rule. Finally, a rule that is usually quite sound is | | | | that a teammate can skate to and receive the pass. If |
| "the younger the player, the less curved the stick | | | | you practice these skills thoughtfully and slowly, you |
| should be." It is easier for younger players to develop | | | | are guaranteed to become more comfortable and |
| good passing skills with a stick that is straighter. As he | | | | proficient in passing while learning new super effective |
| matures and his skills develop, he can change sticks. | | | | Ice Hockey Drills! |