When did the toe-drag become “the thing” to master with stickhandling?

Sure it looks pretty and when it works, it can be very effective.

But far too often, it results in a turnover as the player toe-drags it into
the opposing player’s stick or feet.

If I had to pick one stickhandling that can transform a player’s ability
to win 1 on 1 battles and create move offense, it would be…

… PUCK PROTECTION.

I know it’s not as sexy as the toe drag but it is way more effective.

In order to be able to keep the puck as far away as possible from your
opponent’s stick, you must use your body to shield the puck.

It’s no different than what you do in sports like basketball to keep the
ball away from the defender.

Here you see that the ball handler has turned their shoulder in towards
their opponent to keep the ball protected from the defender.

This concept transfers over directly to the rink.  In this picture, the puck
handler has turned their back to the defender to maximize the distance
between the puck and the defender’s stick. By putting their body between
the man and the puck, the attacker adds a further obstacle for the defender
in regaining puck possession.

Now let’s look at the degree of puck protection when doing the toe drag.
You can clearly see that the puck is very exposed here and if the defender
does their job, they should be able to turn the puck over with a quick poke
check or at least watch the chest and be able to play through the body.

Having fancy dangles are great for a player’s confidence and for scoring
highlight reel goals. But most of the time, and in the majority of the space
in the rink, the ability to use your body to protect the puck effectively is
going to be a much more useful skill overall.

Coaches should be incorporating 1 on 1 keepaway and battle drills into
practices regularly and players can easily practice puck protection drills
off the ice with a teammate with just sticks and a stickhandling ball.

Work Hard. Dream BIG. Protect The Puck.

Your friend and coach,

Kim

PS – If you want a specific training program to take your stickhandling
and shooting to the next level, the Total Female Hockey Elite Shooting
and Stickhandling Videos are a perfect way to get started. You can get
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Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS

Director & Founder, Total Female Hockey