3 Stickhandling Secrets
I’ve been in the rink almost every single day this summer (it’s a good thing I love my job) and I’ve been paying close attention to the puck skills of the girls I’m working with and watching. In some of my recent newsletters, I’ve talked about how you can improve your shooting and passing skills. Now I want to highlight 3 critical things to work on to take your stickhandling to the next level.
1) Cut Your Stick:
I mentioned this earlier this summer when I talked about shooting. Most girls’ hockey players sticks are way too long. And this inhibits their ability to handle the puck effectively, especially when it is in tight to their body. Being able to handle the puck when it’s in tight is crucial for winning battles along the boards and protecting the puck from the opposition. I’m not suggesting you run out to the backyard and cut 4 inches off your stick (although you might need to). But in my experience, I’ve found that an optimal stick length for stickhandling is between mid-chest and chin height when you have your skates on. Every player is different so you’ll have to experiment, but I’m sure it will make a dramatic difference in your ability to control the puck.
2) Roll Your Top Hand & Let Your Bottom Hand Slide:
Far too many young female hockey players stickhandle like they are chopping wood. When it comes to having soft hands, it is absolutely essential that players get their hands out in front of them and away from their body. For some strange reason that I haven’t quite figured out just yet, girls’ tend to stickhandle with their top hand glued to or next to their hip. This makes it very difficult to have soft hands as your top wrist has no room to roll back and forth. It also limits your range of motion with your stick making it nearly impossible to handle to puck on either side of your body. Players must get their hands out in front of them, allowing the top hand to roll side to side while allowing the bottom hand to slide up and down the stick as needed. Your hands cannot be surgically glued to your stick. They must move and adjust to the puck in order to stickhandle effectively. The next time you watch an NHL game, look at how all the players handle the puck with their hands way out in front of them – no top hand on the hip and cradling the puck.
3) Keep Your Head Up:
This was one skill that really stuck out to me when at the provincial team tryouts last weekend. Almost every single time a player had their head down while handling the puck, they ended up turning it over. Keeping your feet moving while stickhandling is another skill that players tend to struggle with and must be embraced in order to progress on to and succeed at higher levels. For some reason, when girls get the puck on their stick, they tend to stop their feet moving. It sometimes seems that handling the puck quickly and moving your feet quickly are mutually exclusive. Once players have become comfortable handling the puck at slower more controlled speeds, they must get their feet and hands moving at higher speeds. My college coach used the analogy of the puck being an energy pill. When you receive the puck, it should make you move faster, not slow you down. Your goal should be to be as fast with the puck as you are without it. The players who are able to handle the puck with the head up at high speeds are always the ones who stand out.
Keep Working Hard and Dreaming BIG.
Your friend and coach,
Kim
PS: For a specific 8 week plan to take your stickhandling and shooting to the next level, visit: https://totalfemalehockey.com/products/elite_shooting_stickhandling/
