Coach JeremyLast summer we wrote a bunch of articles and made quite a few videos to help with stuff like shooting and stickhandling. I get quite a few emails asking for drills or tips for ways to improve these skills off the ice so I thought I would make a collection of links to the articles we have made in the past that will help you this summer.
Off Ice Stickhandling Tips
- How To Stickhandle
- This article and video share some great tips on stickhandling. There is also a video that every hockey player should watch because I share some tips that helped me improve my stickhandling A LOT
- How To Toe Drag
- This article and video show you how you can perfect the toe-drag off the ice. I also share a few helpful tips that should help you avoid a few common mistakes when trying to learn.
- 20 Off-ice Stickhandling Drills
- This article and series of videos from USA Hockey will help give you ideas for all kinds of stickhandling drills you can do at home on your shooting pad
Off Ice Slapshot Training
- How to improve slapshot power and technique
- Last summer I did a slapshot challenge and was able to improve my slapshot power by 20 MPH! In this article and video I share some tips that really helped
- how to improve slapshot accuracy
- What good is a powerful shot if you put it 5 feet wide every time, or can’t control where it is going. I show you a bunch of tips for controlling your x and y axis
- Slapshot Tips
- This article and video goes over some of the common mistakes that people make when trying to learn the slapshot. Watching the video and reading the tips should help you avoid cheating, and help you get the most power from your slapshot
Off Ice Snapshot Tips
- How to take a snapshot
- There is only one article for the snapshot but I give you a lot of things to practice.
Off Ice Wristshot Tips
- How to take a wrist shot
- This is a basic article and video showing you how to take a wrist shot. In the video I sum it up in a minute!
- How to improve wrist shot accuracy
- In this article I give you a bunch of tips for improving wrist shot accuracy and include two videos for shooting high, and for shooting low
- The two types of Wrist Shots
- This is one of my favourite articles and videos. The video is a bit long but it explains something that I think a lot of beginner players don’t know about and it is very important if you want to score more goals
Recommended products for the Summer
- Roll-up Shooting Pad
- I love this thing and use it all the time. I had one in my basement and one outside so I could shoot outside and stickhandle in the basement. I later installed the dryland training tiles which are pretty sweet but a tad expensive
- Speet-Trac Radar Gun
- This is the radar gun I used in the slapshot challenge to improve my speed by 20MPH. The radar gun had a huge roll in helping me improve by giving me instant feedback. It is great for training by yourself, or with friends (you can have a lot of fun challenging them)
- Green biscuit
- This is by far the best off ice puck out there. The only downfall is that you can’t shoot with it, but it works AMAZINGLY on concrete and ashphalt. I suggest you order 3 or 4 at a time because the shipping is pretty much the same for one puck or 4, and you WILL love it.
- EZ-Goal
- I got this hockey net last year and beat the snot out of it, but it is still standing. I have dented the posts and ripped the net (150 slapshots a day for a summer will do that to a net) but with a bit of shoelace I fixed the mesh, and the posts are still very solid even with the odd dent (don’t forget I was shooting at 75MPH)
- Slide board
- It is tough to practice your skating over the summer, and when you are stickhandling it sucks to stand still. The slideboard will replicate the motion of skating anywhere in your house. I use my slideboard all the time when stickhandling so it feels more like what it will feel like on the ice.
- A handful of cheap-o hockey sticks
- If you don’t already have a few cheap sticks I suggest you get some. I always have a hockey stick in my car, a few in my garage and a few in my basement. When friends come over they always have a stick to use, and when I break one of mine I always have another to use. Cheap sticks are good for the summer because the concrete will wear down the blade in no-time, and you don’t want to use your $100 twig! Check this link for a place to buy cheap sticks and other hockey gear
