Hip Checking

[Trippingblue 1]

For those of you who play full-check hockey what is the proper technique for a killer hip check?

--nick--

[HotBacon 0]

Timing and luck.

[hip check 0]

Don't do it all the time - they'll catch on pretty quick.

Timing and balance, and don't go so low as to catch the knees, that's not cool. Catch them clean on the hip/upper thigh and you can cart-wheel them nicely. Catch them in the core of their body and you stop them dead.

Also, having a little 'junk in the trunk' doesn't hurt, either. ;)

[Maka 0]

Hard C-cut on the inside edge of the outer skate when referenced to the opposing player (e.g: forward on your right side, cut hard and fast with your left skate)

[PBRyan 0]

Hard C-cut on the inside edge of the outer skate when referenced to the opposing player (e.g: forward on your right side, cut hard and fast with your left skate)

Yea, a C-cut is a good start. It is rare to see good hip checks nowadays to look at for help. Check out some of the Con Cherry's from about '92-'96.

If someone is coming at you wide down the boards, you wanna kind of trap the puckcarrier by taking an angle so he won't cut inside on you but in the same right make sure the pukcarrier can't just blow right through you as you're trying to line him up. Timing and spacing is huge. Make sure to time your C-cut with your outside leg (if your playing a guy on the boards), really digging into the ice and bending your knees and waist, dropping your backside into the hit in one motion.

It really is tough to practice a hip check just because there is such a grey area between illegal and legal. Try to put your ass into the guys hip to upper thigh. Just use your descretion and not go low on him. Try to find a buddy that you can practice with. I've been lucky in that the real low hits I've taken were never clean and never did more than tweak my knee. When I was a junior in college, a sophomore hit me square in the knee during a drill and my coach kicked him outta practice on the spot. So be careful.

[gavin 0]

Hipchecks are great if a guy thinks he's big enough to power down the boards. If you've seen him try it on you a few times and looks like he's going to again, just hard C cut and plant your butt on the boards, then reach around him like you're trying to grab the boards behind him. VERY effective.

I only know this cause I'm usually the guy thinking he has enough size/momentum to power down the boards and my friend Joel is usually the lighter guy that uses this technique to stop me. <_<