Has a less skilled player ever tried to tell you how to play?

[nikkatnight 4]

Have you ever been playing hockey, minding your own business and doing your thing, when a player far less skilled than you tries to tell you how to play and/or give you tips? What happened? How did you respond?

[IPv6Freely 2082]

Yes, and depending on what they were telling me I either listened or ignored. Either way id give them a nod and an "ah okay gotcha".

On that note as a less skilled guy I give advice often to my more skilled teammates. Hey, just because I can't physically execute as well as they can doesn't mean I don't understand proper positioning and such.

[MThockeydad 469]

Yes.

What Optimus said.

One guy I play pickup with is a really slow skater, but he understands positioning much better than I do.

Slow enough that he's often not quite in position when the play passes by, but he'll get there.

The hardest thing I have about listening to him is that he takes a long time to explain things. Good analyst, bad coach.

Two other guys skate REALLY slow, but area ALWAYS in the right place at the right time. I wish they'd fill me in. :lol:

I tend to blow off know-it-alls, but people who have good intentions and are possibly right--are worth listening to. Everyone has something to share.

Take golf course pros and basketball coaches. Neither is necessarily "good" enough to play in the pros, but they understand human performance well enough to push those who are.

[chippa13 1844]

I just let them have their say and decide if it was something of value or not. Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't.

[Hills 709]

When playing D and net I always get told by forwards how I should be playing. I usually just laugh when they say something.

Last time this happened I had a forward telling me where I should be playing defence and how I should be playing, I laughed it off and next season we played against each other. My team let up 1 goal in 2 games against them and every time he got the puck I either took it from him or made him give it away.

Sometimes you can tell it is legitimate advice from a 3rd party viewer and can be helpful. Those times I thank them and talk to them about it. When it is someone just being a dick just laugh it off or nod and agree with them.

[IPv6Freely 2082]

Yes.

What Optimus said.

One guy I play pickup with is a really slow skater, but he understands positioning much better than I do.

Slow enough that he's often not quite in position when the play passes by, but he'll get there.

The hardest thing I have about listening to him is that he takes a long time to explain things. Good analyst, bad coach.

Two other guys skate REALLY slow, but area ALWAYS in the right place at the right time. I wish they'd fill me in. :lol:

I tend to blow off know-it-alls, but people who have good intentions and are possibly right--are worth listening to. Everyone has something to share.

Take golf course pros and basketball coaches. Neither is necessarily "good" enough to play in the pros, but they understand human performance well enough to push those who are.

I know where I'm supposed to be, I'm just not skilled or fast enough to always be there :)

"Do as I say, not as I do."

[EJB 488]

Still trying to find a less skilled player....

[donkers 31]

i punch them in the face

[start_today 757]

Guys in the nhl put up with this every single practice and game and film session.

[IPv6Freely 2082]

i punch them in the face

I literally LOL'd

[badger_14 601]

Still trying to find a less skilled player....

Here I am!

[chk hrd 164]

just don't mistake less skilled for less experienced or less knowledgeable. At my age I can't do some of the things I use to and I've lost some speed; but it doesn't mean I couldn't do it when I was younger. As a former coach sometimes old habits kick in and you want to give advice. During a game I try not say to much unless it is a really blatant mistake. You can usually tell guys who are receptive and guys who are not. If you don't know them it's just better to say nothing. If somebody does offer some advice maybe take the time to really listen, you may learn something. If you don't like what they say just be polite. Not all great coaches were great players.

[jonwalker36 4]

I generally deal with this since I coach. I'm younger so older adults think they are aware of teaching practices etc. I try to be polite however sometimes when I skate or walk away I'm shocked. I say to myself...."wtf."

[ktang 34]

I think it comes more from players who were on the bench more during key game situations when they were younger. From that vantage point they hear the coaches and other bench guys talking about what the players on the ice should be doing, or with better coaches, talking about the options and reads.

I have always had one or two players on each team that was like that.

[ChunkyThunder 2]

Hard to find a less skilled player, but what I usually do find is people who play offense trying to tell me how to play defense, and it's pretty annoying because it's usually the guy who sucks at backchecking

[Chadd 916]

You can learn something from everyone, even if it's what not to do. Always listen to what people have to say with an open mind, you might be surprised by what you learn from people you would otherwise ignore.

[mojo122 529]

Excellent point. If the advice is good who cares where it came from. Having less skill in no way means less knowledge.

[wrangler 157]

It's just coaching. I'd listen to it, and as it goes on, it should be easy to tell if there's value in the guy's ideas.

I wouldn't consider the guy's playing ability, but would consider his hockey sense displayed on the ice.

[crispy92 14]

I'd rather have an unskilled guy give me advice then a skilled player who has never played the same position as you. You see a lot from the bench that you can't see on the ice.

[joshy207 15]

Skill and sense are not related. Sometimes they're complete opposites.

[Cavs019 702]

For what its worth and to echo some other posters, obviously you need a baseline skillset to play at a high level, but I've always preferred to play with lesser skilled guys that know the game and have hockey sense.

On the other side of that coin, I've had some ultra-skilled linemates throughout my playing career that were a nightmare to play with. Skill isn't the entire battle, otherwise Alexei Kovalev would be known as the great one, not Gretzky.

[Neal 41]

There is an older player I skate with pretty routinely. 60+ but I've never been able to get an honest answer from him on how old he is. He skated semi-pro back in the day. He has a lot of good advice, especially on playing D. You just have to substitute something a little more legal or sportsmanlike than how his usual advice ends "... and then two hand him on the hands."

[Avalanche_Yeti 0]

I usally listen to the people giving me advice. but what really pisses me off is when people say their better than me and tell me advice. and then they go out and make the same mistakes they were just telling me to improve on

[blackout 4]

Depends for me. If the guy can barely skate (and doesn't realize it for some reason), I have a tendency to ignore him. I routinely ask the more experienced guys when I want advice, instead of them dishing it out. I prefer to be the one asking.

[MThockeydad 469]

Guy I've played C league against for two seasons came to dropin last night.

I can outskate him, but now away from a game situation, I had time to watch him. The guy has incredible hands...grew up playing street hockey.

Everyone has something to learn and something to teach.