Video: Receiving a Pass
In this video, we focus on the proper technique for receiving a pass.
- ‘Catch’ the pass
- Don’t slap at the puck
Related Drills:
In this video, we focus on the proper technique for receiving a pass.
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Conor Doherty, PTS, is an athletic trainer in Dryden, Ontario, who specializes in sports performance. The majority of his clients are hockey players. Conor has a well-rounded background in the training field with an Honours Bachelor of Kinesiology degree as well as being a certified trainer with Canadian Fitness Professionals. Learn more about his training methods and programs at http://starfactoryfitness.com
In this article and video I am going to share a big tip that will help you score more goals. This is something that is very simple to implement, yet quite a few people don’t actually realize this until they have been playing hockey for a long time. This is something that continually helps me score more goals and be a better goal scorer. So what is this magic tip?
See the net how the puck see’s it
Once you know what the puck see’s you will be able to improve your accuracy, notice more scoring opportunities and score more goals. Many hockey players get into the habit of shooting for what they can see, however the puck is down on the ice and – when carried on the shooting side – about 3-4 feet away from the body. This means there is close to a 5 foot difference in the angle from your point of view and the pucks point of view.
Sometimes when you see some net to shoot at, the puck can not actually get to that spot, or when it looks like there is no open spot to shoot, the puck could actually go in. This is known as the shooters illusion as illustrated below
*For a right-handed shot
In the picture above you can see a very big difference in what I can see and what the puck can see. To me it looks like there is not much to shoot at, however the reality is I could easily score from my location. The other side of this effect is when it looks like you have a lot of net opposite your shooting side, but when you shoot for that area the goalie easily stops you. The closer you get to the net the more profound this effect becomes.
Once you get close to the goalie another illusion appears, this one makes it appear as though you have room to shoot up high, when you will really be putting it into the goalies glove.
The top right corner looks pretty juicy in the picture on the left, which is why I always shoot for it, the problem is it feels like I keep shooting the puck into the goalies glove. Well, that’s because I probably am shooting the puck right into his glove. In the image on the right you can see all the goalie needs to do is lift his glove a couple inches to completely cover the top right corner.
Quick tips to see the net from the eye’s of the puck
Start seeing the net how the puck does and you will start scoring more goals!
In working with younger players, there always seems to be the same common mistakes made when they are learning to pass. In this video, I cover the steps to making a good pass.
I came across this site a few weeks back and it is awesome PowerChalk.com
Sometimes it’s just easier to have your players look at video to make them understand what went wrong on a play and many of us just don’t have the time to do chalk talk sessions every week or don’t have a facility where we can get our players together and watch video. The PowerChalk® website enables a coach to upload a video and record voice and screen graphics. You can then embed that video in your own website or send an email link to your players so they can not only watch the play but also listen to your analysis of the play. This allows you as a coach to know that your players can watch the video at home so when you get to the next practice you can talk about it. I know I’ve seen a difference with my team after beginning to use this service. I post the video to our team website and have my players watch my analysis of every goal we give up. I talk on the video about where the play broke down and how we should have played in each situation. You can go in slow motion and easily rewind back to specific spots on the video.
The cost is very reasonable. They have a free version that allows you to store ten videos and record your analysis for two minutes. A number of different upgrades are available to store more videos and record longer sessions. I use the 100 video storage and five minute recording features and it works great for me. If you have someone that videos your games then I think this is something you may want to take a look at.
From their website:
PowerChalk® is the first and only web-based sports motion telestrator that lets you upload, markup, and voice-over videos without installing high-priced, hard to use (and harder to configure) software. Already in use by Major League players and teams, PowerChalk® is changing the face of sports instruction.
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After coaching hockey for a number of years and working at a hockey camp I have noticed a number of common mistakes that hockey players make that are easy to fix and are robbing them of power. In fact I was making these same mistakes with 20+ years of hockey experience under my belt, and I only came to realizes these mistakes after training with the radar gun. In this article (and video) I will share a few ways that you can easily improve the power in every shot with just a slight change in your technique. I have also embedded a few videos that will give you workouts to do that will help improve your shot power even more.
A common question I get is “what workouts can I do to improve my power”, my answer is “how good is your technique?”. Perfect your technique first. Once you have a fluid shot and you are getting all the power you can, then work on hitting the gym to get some more weight behind your shot. You should be shooting 100 pucks a day (or at least spend a few hours a week) to work on your technique. The great thing about shooting a lot of pucks is that it will give you a good workout and build all the muscles involved in shooting, so while improving your technique you will also build muscle. It’s like a 2 for 1 deal on shot power! ( I will include some workouts in this article though)
We already have covered technique in on and off-ice videos and articles for every shot. If you need help here’s a link for the slapshot, wristshot, snapshot and backhand. Here are a few questions you should be asking about your technique.
Many people think their shot is fine, but if you don’t have an absolute answer to every question there is a good chance your shot could use some work.
Rule # 1 – Use your LegsThis is the biggest problem I see with most hockey players, especially newer players. They simply aren’t using their legs enough to put more power into their shots.
Your legs are the most powerful muscles in your body, yet many hockey players don’t use them when they shoot. Even the ones that do use their legs can likely get more power by using them more! “How do you use your legs to get power in your shot?”, I’m glad you asked. Whenever you are practicing your shot make sure you are bending your knees. With your knees bent you should really push off with your back leg and transfer all that energy to the front leg. Think of it like jumping into the shot, you want to start your shot with an explosive burst of energy which starts from the legs.
Rule #2 – Free Your Top HandThis is the 2nd biggest problem I see, and it’s not getting enough snap at the end of the shot. This happens with the wrist shot, slapshot and snapshot. A lot of beginner players develop their shot and are using just their bottom hand. A good fluid shot will be using both hands to pull the stick (and puck) towards the net, and end with a final snap (pulling back with the top hand and pushing forwards with the bottom hand). Get your top hand away from your hip and start using it in your shot!
Going to the gym and doing curls won’t help your shot power. In order to benefit from workouts done off the ice, you need to be doing sport-specific movements. If you want to improve your shot, (for the best results) you need to train the muscles used in the shot, in a similar manner they are being used on the ice. Hockey is all about explosive power, especially when shooting! You need to get as much power into that shot as quickly as you can, so slowly picking something up and slowly putting it down isn’t going to help you. I have included a good video I found on medicine ball throws. I like these workouts because they train your muscles in a similar motion as the motion used to shoot. You will be working on rotational power and explosiveness from the legs.
This month’s newsletter has been sent. You can read the January 2013 Newsletter here.
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Thanks to the team over at HockyTrain.com for sending us a great product for review. The accompanying video shows a little about the it and how to use it.
I’m a big proponent of dryland training and this is one product I think really helps with that. The Hockey Slide Board allows the player to work on a skating stride while building their leg muscles. I really like how portable this product is because it comes with a carrying bag and rolls up nice and small. You can take it to practice and let the team work out off rink, or as you travel, you can use it pretty much anywhere you have a 8-10ft area.
It’s easy to set up and use. As you get good at working out on it, you can add other skills training like stickhandling to your work out. Be sure to think about the player age as you go to purchase one of these. For older player, I’d go with the 8ft board. If you have a younger player, the 6ft is probably a better choice.
Be sure to check out this product and all the others they have to offer at HockeyTrain.com.
I’ve got a good buddy out in Slovakia who sends me great drills on a regular basis. I usually test them out with my teams, then pass the best ones along to you guys. I’m naming this hockey warm-up drill after him, the Bednár Skating Warm-up Drill. Here’s the diagram:
Bednár Skating Warm-up Drill
1. Players skate the patterns, with pucks, as diagrammed.
2. First player of each line goes at the same time.
3. The next player goes ones he receives the pass from the first player of the other line.
4. Drill is perpetual.
Note: Make sure to have players execute at full speed, while maintaining good puck control, and staying low on the pivots.
Enjoy!
Hockey players are a unique bunch of athletes, as they’re one of the few athletes out there that aren’t wearing shoes during their sport. Skating, in itself, is a unique skill that takes a lot of time to get good at. It’s not like running, as in order to skate with power, you have to push back and out. It’s a different motion all together.
Hockey is also a sport that requires the player to be in a forward bending position for much of the time the player is on the ice. In order to accelerate to faster speeds, the player needs to bend forward to optimally reach those desired speeds.
Lastly, a hockey player uses a stick, which to shoot or pass, you need a certain type of rotational strength to generate a harder shot or pass. These are just a few things that need to be considered when developing a program for a hockey player, let alone someone that’s just starting a strength training program.
So keeping those things in mind, here’s a workout for someone just starting out with weight training.
1. Dynamic Warm-up-
First and foremost, players need to be properly warmed up before doing anything. You have to make sure that a player’s body is prepared for what’s ahead, otherwise injuries will likely occur. Dynamic warmups have proven to be more effective than the usual jog and static stretching routine. Check out the dynamic warmup I do with my athletes here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sdaLkqVboU
2. A Power Exercise-
Hockey players need explosive power, especially when they skate. From a stopped position, a player needs to be able to explode and accelerate to top speeds as fast as possible in many situations on the ice. That’s where a power exercise comes in. For someone starting out, Olympic lifts aren’t exactly a smart thing to start with, as it takes a lot of coaching to get the movements down. Instead, plyometric exercises are a perfect alternative to developing power.
A box jump or a bound are excellent plyometric exercises to generate power in the lower body. With a box jump, you’re going to need a 12″ box or something similar to jump up to. Start in a position where you’re low, sitting back, with your arms back. You’re going to explode up to the box and land in a way where you absorb the landing and finish in the same position you started in. A bound requires you to start in the same position, except that you’re going to jump forward as far as you can on a flat surface and landing in the same fashion.
To start out, try 2-3 sets of 5 jumps.
3. A Pushing Exercise-
Upper body strength is huge for hockey players, as shot power, as well as being able to move bodies out from in front of the net are must have attributes a player needs.
A basic pushup is all you need. Just because fancy equipment isn’t involved, don’t think that you won’t get awesome results. There are some athletes that can bench press incredible amounts of weight that can’t do 10 proper pushups in a row. Make sure your head faces straight down at all times, your core is braced, back is straight, and your elbows are at a 45 degree angle to your body. Don’t flare your elbows out as it can cause shoulder problems.
To start out, try 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
4. A Pulling Exercise-
Same as the pushing exercise, upper body strength is huge in hockey.
An inverted row is an exercise that can help counter all the forward pushing and bending over that a hockey player does. Too much pushing can give you a hunched over look, which you don’t need. Set up a horizontal bar that’s about hip height. Get underneath the bar so that you’re looking up at the ceiling. Grab the bar with both hands just past shoulder width. Pull your chest towards the bar until your elbows reach your side. Make sure to keep a flat back throughout the movement.
To start out, try 3-4 sets of 10.
5. A Single Leg Exercise-
Skating is performed by pushing off one skate at a time, so single leg exercises are very beneficial and carry over very well to the ice.
Try forward and side lunges with dumbbells in each hand. When you step forward, your back knee will touch the ground, while your front knee should be just over top of your ankle. If your knee is drifting too far over your ankle, you’ll end up putting too much pressure on your knee. Side lunges are a very functional exercise for hockey players as it replicates the skating motion when you push off to the side.
To start out, try 3 sets of 10 reps with each leg.
That’s all you really need to get started with a strength training program if you’re a hockey player. Of course, when you get better at those movements and feel like you’re ready to progress, other more advanced movements can be added into your workouts. A huge point here is that you’re being safe in your routine and not trying anything you’re not ready for.
For more workouts for players just beginning strength training to more advanced players, make sure to check out my ebook, “Hockey Training: 1st Star Performance” here: http://starfactoryfitness.com/1st-star-performance/
Related Articles:
Strength Training Benefits for Hockey
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Conor Doherty, PTS, is an athletic trainer in Dryden, Ontario, who specializes in sports performance. The majority of his clients are hockey players. Conor has a well-rounded background in the training field with an Honours Bachelor of Kinesiology degree as well as being a certified trainer with Canadian Fitness Professionals. Learn more about his training methods and programs at http://starfactoryfitness.com
