skating backwards while stick handling

[sk8 0]

My son is a mite and is having difficulty with a practice drill, skating backwards across the ice while stickhandling. I have seen him trying to stickhandle with the stick and puck directly in front of him and also trying with the stick and puck to one side. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions? He has asked me for advice on this.

Thank you for your comments

Sk8

[All Torhs Team 0]

A mite? Isnt that age 8-10? If he is having trouble stickhandling the regular way, I wouldnt have him trying it reversed.

But anyhow you need to be pulling the puck towards you the entire time and stickhandle. Pulling it towards you with the toe of the blade keeps you from skating away from it.

[sk8 0]

Mites are 99 and younger and my son is 7. It does seem like a difficult exercise for these kids but it is included in practice sessions. They are just building their overall stickhandling skills. I think it is a matter of confidence and I was going to try and practice this with inlines and a tennis ball.

Thank you

[All Torhs Team 0]

Yea, I think that even practicing with a biger ball (Tenis, Baseball, Softball) on the driveway with just shoes. That could at least get him the flow of things and he'll get down the technique.

[Dougie8 0]

Stick handling directly infront of you, while skating backwards is not recommended. I'm a D-Man, and find that stick handling to the side (forehand side) works better. I do this because, if you get pressure on you quickly its easier to make a pass when you're on your forehand than, making the move to pull the puck to your forehand and then pass it.

[sk8 0]

When stick handling to the forehand side do you drag the puck as you skate backwards with the back of the blade. Is it necessary to alternate between the front of the blade and the back? With these little guys sometimes less is more!

Thank you

[Chadd 916]

When stick handling to the forehand side do you drag the puck as you skate backwards with the back of the blade. Is it necessary to alternate between the front of the blade and the back? With these little guys sometimes less is more!

Thank you

Even for most older guys it isn't much of a benefit. The puck hits a bad spot on the ice and bounces a lot more often than you get any benefit out of the stickhandling motion.

[sonsplayhockey 0]

My son is a Mite ('99), Maybe the kids around us are not as advanced as where you live but I've never seen any stick handle skating backwards. They are barely getting to the point where they can defend a rushing skater going backwards (most of them don't as they get burnt). Usually they learn on the travel team to skate to the puck then pull it to them as they transition from forwards to backwards and immediatly look to pass it. Most of them skate to the puck, stop, turn with it then pass.

Is this really a skill he needs right now?

If so, Have him use a smart hockey ball standing still, then start slowly walking backwards. But I would not expect him to employ this much in a game.

[biff44 0]

Get the sean skinner stickhandling tapes, and have him do some of the drills in the basement. When he can do the magic tricks in the basement, on ice will be easy!

[dangle16 0]

mann... thats kind of a tough drill for a mite? I'd say definetly try to keep the puck to the forehand side of your body. You should tell your son to take his time through the drill and go some what slow so he gets used to moving backwards and stickhandling. Have no worries...... I'm sure he'll catch on!

[echi24 1]

As a defenceman, I always stickhandle to the forehand side. It keeps the puck closer to your body, and you have better control of the puck, and you stay balanced on the balls of your feet, rather than leaning forward to stickhandle the puck in front of you. The reason for stickhandling to the side is because you can cock the puck and pass or shoot it in a quick motion , and you will have the balance to put some weight into a pass or shot. Stickhandling in front, you have to pull the puck beside you before you release it, or you can to lean forward and lose all your momentum to get a pass off.

The reason for stickhandling rather than dragging the puck on the backhand is so that the puck is in contant motion, and if your wrists are moving, getting rid of the puck comes in a quick smooth motion.

[Chadd 916]

The reason for stickhandling rather than dragging the puck on the backhand is so that the puck is in contant motion, and if your wrists are moving, getting rid of the puck comes in a quick smooth motion.

It also develops the bad habit of stickhandling before moving the puck, even if there is no need to do so.

[echi24 1]

It also develops the bad habit of stickhandling before moving the puck, even if there is no need to do so.

Its different when skating backwards. When you skate backwards with a puck, your generally regrouping and looking for an outlet. That being the case, you want your hands in motion so you get get rid of the puck in one fast motion, and get some mustard on it. Skating forwards, I can see your argument, but stickhandling backwards makes your move less predicatable, and is more effective from my experience

[Larry54 243]

And when your stickhandling, it's a lot easier to feel where the puck is without having to look down at it.

[Chadd 916]

It also develops the bad habit of stickhandling before moving the puck, even if there is no need to do so.

Its different when skating backwards. When you skate backwards with a puck, your generally regrouping and looking for an outlet. That being the case, you want your hands in motion so you get get rid of the puck in one fast motion, and get some mustard on it. Skating forwards, I can see your argument, but stickhandling backwards makes your move less predicatable, and is more effective from my experience

As a ref I see a lot more kids that screw around with the puck way more than they need to. It causes a lot of turnovers and I try to avoid things like that.

[Dougie8 0]

It also develops the bad habit of stickhandling before moving the puck, even if there is no need to do so.

Its different when skating backwards. When you skate backwards with a puck, your generally regrouping and looking for an outlet. That being the case, you want your hands in motion so you get get rid of the puck in one fast motion, and get some mustard on it. Skating forwards, I can see your argument, but stickhandling backwards makes your move less predicatable, and is more effective from my experience

As a ref I see a lot more kids that screw around with the puck way more than they need to. It causes a lot of turnovers and I try to avoid things like that.

I understand where Chadd is going... But when I'm regrouping, looking for a outlet. I usually don't stickhandle rapidly, as I would if I was going down one on one against a defender. It's just a slow stickhandle, so I know i have control of the puck. Sometimes I dont even stickhandle, and just fake the pass one way and fire it the other way.

Don't teach your son to stickhandle so much, that he has to watch the puck to make sure he has it. IMO i usually just stickhandle so I know i have the puck under control. It's not to throw the forecheckers off.

[Chadd 916]

If you're skating backwards with the puck and trying to throw off the forechecker with your stickhandling, you have problems. Not only are you usually holding the puck too long, you aren't looking for the open man and you're much more likely to turn it over than if you made the first good play that you saw.

[Larry54 243]

If you're skating backwards with the puck and trying to throw off the forechecker with your stickhandling, you have problems. Not only are you usually holding the puck too long, you aren't looking for the open man and you're much more likely to turn it over than if you made the first good play that you saw.

That's assuming that there is an open man, which is not always the case.

[Chadd 916]

If you're skating backwards with the puck and trying to throw off the forechecker with your stickhandling, you have problems. Not only are you usually holding the puck too long, you aren't looking for the open man and you're much more likely to turn it over than if you made the first good play that you saw.

That's assuming that there is an open man, which is not always the case.

If you're good enough with the puck, someone is always open.

[Larry54 243]

If you're skating backwards with the puck and trying to throw off the forechecker with your stickhandling, you have problems. Not only are you usually holding the puck too long, you aren't looking for the open man and you're much more likely to turn it over than if you made the first good play that you saw.

That's assuming that there is an open man, which is not always the case.

If you're good enough with the puck, someone is always open.

No. You can't always control where your teammates will be. They have minds and wills of their own, and if they decide to be way out of position there's nothing you can do about it.

[hockechamp14 0]

If you're skating backwards with the puck and trying to throw off the forechecker with your stickhandling, you have problems. Not only are you usually holding the puck too long, you aren't looking for the open man and you're much more likely to turn it over than if you made the first good play that you saw.

That's assuming that there is an open man, which is not always the case.

high off the glass.

[Chadd 916]

If you're skating backwards with the puck and trying to throw off the forechecker with your stickhandling, you have problems. Not only are you usually holding the puck too long, you aren't looking for the open man and you're much more likely to turn it over than if you made the first good play that you saw.

That's assuming that there is an open man, which is not always the case.

If you're good enough with the puck, someone is always open.

No. You can't always control where your teammates will be. They have minds and wills of their own, and if they decide to be way out of position there's nothing you can do about it.

On the rare instance where I can't get the puck to a teammate, it's a dump or a flip for them to chase before the forechecker is on me. If you have good enough on-ice vision and some creativity, you can find a way to get a puck to someone 95% of the time.

[Larry54 243]

If you're good enough with the puck, someone is always open.

If you have good enough on-ice vision and some creativity, you can find a way to get a puck to someone 95% of the time.

Well you've gone from always to 95% of the time. Finally, you're starting to agree with me. :P

[Chadd 916]

If you're good enough with the puck, someone is always open.

If you have good enough on-ice vision and some creativity, you can find a way to get a puck to someone 95% of the time.

Well you've gone from always to 95% of the time. Finally, you're starting to agree with me. :P

The other 5% of the time you can get the puck there but they won't be able to handle it. The biggest problem is defensemen that hold the puck for too long waiting for the perfect play. If you read and make the first good play, you're going to be a lot better off than screwing around and trying to make a perfect play.

[technophile 0]

As a defenceman, I always stickhandle to the forehand side.  It keeps the puck closer to your body, and you have better control of the puck, and you stay balanced on the balls of your feet, rather than leaning forward to stickhandle the puck in front of you.

As a defenceman, I always stickhandle to the side that isn't towards the center of the ice. If you get pressured, you should be looking to make the pass up the side, or off the glass, not anywhere near the center where an alert forechecker could cut it off and get a quality chance.

That said, I agree that stickhandling while skating backwards isn't heavily used--I've only needed to do so a handful of times. The only time it's advantageous is when you can draw a forward a little deeper and open up the area behind them for a breaking forward; usually it's a better idea to just skate it back around your net where you can make a pass to your partner or shake the forechecker (I find that if you slam on the brakes right behind your net, most forwards just keep on going, and you have plenty of time to start a breakout).

Finally, I agree with Chadd--you don't need to keep your hands moving, and you don't want to form the habit of having to puckhandle before passing. You can get plenty of snap on a pass from a drag (I got a nice assist by catching the other team on a line change recently, from a drag to a sharp pass to an alert forward).