5. Stickhandling and Passing
<Stickhandling Basics>
- Side-To-Side Stickhandling
This is the basis of all stickhandling.
If you use a right-shot stick, place a puck off to the
right side of your body. Get into hockey position. Your
knees should be bent with feet placed about shoulder-width
apart. Sweep the puck in front of you, catch it, and 'cup'
it with what is called the backhand side of the stick.
Keep moving the puck back and forth in this manner. Stay
relaxed with your knees bent, and get in the habit of
lifting your eyes and looking away from the puck every
once in a while.
- Front-To-Back Stickhandling
This method of stickhandling will help you
set up passes and shots and will help you keep the puck
away from the other team as you are carrying it down the
rink. If you use a right-shot stick, place the puck off
to your right side (also known as your shooting side).
Place the blade of your stick behind the puck. Sweep the
puck forward, catching it and cupping it when it is in
front of you. Continue stickhandling front to back and
back to front.
- Letting Go of Your Bottom Hand
The ability to handle the stick with your
top hand is one of the most important skills in hockey.
This skill is useful when you want to create some distance
between the puck and an attacking player. Start by holding
the stick with both hands. As you sweep the puck to one
side in front of you, take your lower hand off the stick,
and prepare to catch and cup the puck while holding the
stick with your top hand alone. Sweep the puck back to
the other side in front of you, still holding the stick
with your top hand alone.
- Get used to holding on to your stick with both hands
when you are skating down the rink. This way, you
are always ready to make a pass or take a shot. Keep
your eyes and head up and look around for your teammates.
- When you want to make a fast break with the puck,
you are best off pushing the puck ahead of you while
controlling your stick with your top hand. With one
hand free, you will be able to get more power into
your skating as you are accelerating down the rink.
<Passing Techniques>
A great pass consists of three parts, they
are as follow:
If you rely on your forehand pass alone,
you not only miss out on setting up many scoring opportunities
for your team, but the other team can always predict where
you will pass. Sweep the puck with the back side of your
blade, pass it to your partner. Be sure to follow through
just as you would in a good forehand pass.
- When receiving a pass, don’t attack the puck with
your blade. Instead, let the puck come to you. Cradle
or cup the puck with the blade of your stick and give
a little when the puck hits your blade.
- Try to pass the puck to a point in front of the
receiver. In hockey, you can't just pass the puck
to where your teammate is now, because in the second
or two it takes you to make a pass, he is going to
be further down the rink!
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