my feedback on smarthockey ball

[RussianPlayer 0]

Hi guys,

Just wanted to post some of my experience with smarthockey ball.

I got couple of those;

They claim that it's the same experience as an ice puck.

It's only 4oz - the real puck is more like 6oz.

I got couple of those and tried them.

I guess it's OK for off ice stick handling and hands practice.

However, it does not feel exactly like a puck on ice.

I practiced certain moves with it and when I do same on ice with puck it feels different.

I saw their videos where Vincent LeCavalier says that it feels the same as the puck on ice. I find it not to be really true.

What's your experience with it?

[Sven 1]

I secound the weight issue. The feel is quite similar but not 1:1. I like it nevertheless.

[JR Boucicaut 3803]

Well, you see, Vinny needed to put food on the table during the lockout...

[Cavs019 710]

1. Advertisements lie.

2. Pucks feel different than balls.

[TBLfan 25]

it's a weighted ball on dry land, what were you expecting?

It's about as close as you're going to get, but it's not going to feel the same... especially if you're not on hard/smooth flooring.

[rollerskater92 0]

2. Pucks feel different than balls.

he he he

[texanhockey 0]

i was using one for around an hour last night and when i hit the ice this morning i kept lossing it by going over the top of it. took about 10 minutes to get my hands back

[TBLfan 25]

I believe that is because you were playing with it like it is a ball, play with it like it's a puck and put your blade down instead of trying to stickhandle fast.

[texanhockey 0]

ya thats what i was thinking. im going to try to make sure my stick touches the ground every time now

[TBLfan 25]

should help tons, remember it's not about speed it's about control.

[texanhockey 0]

ya. thanks. although my toe drag was really on today. thank you smart hockey :)

[LkptTiger 1]

They claim that it's the same experience as an ice puck.

It's only 4oz - the real puck is more like 6oz.

I got couple of those and tried them.

I guess it's OK for off ice stick handling and hands practice.

However, it does not feel exactly like a puck on ice.

I practiced certain moves with it and when I do same on ice with puck it feels different.

I saw their videos where Vincent LeCavalier says that it feels the same as the puck on ice. I find it not to be really true.

Dude - it's an off-ice training aid. Until someone figures out a way to make a vulcanized rubber disc slide smoothly across surfaces like rugs, blacktop, asphalt, etc., it's probably the best thing you're going to find.

[kovalchuk71 212]

Im working on the hoverpuck as we speak :)

[trox_355 0]

I've used one for the past seven months or so on various surfaces. Like TBLfan, I can't get away from trying to use it like a ball. The height of it trips me up. I do like it for playing around with, though.

I did try the FlyPuck, too. It's like trying to stickhandle a roll of tape. A heavy, blue, loud roll of tape.

Im working on the hoverpuck as we speak :)

I thought I just saw the lights dim...

[TBLfan 25]

it's not hard to play with it like it's a puck. Just put your blade on the ground. It's all about muscle memory.

[B Neal 0]

I haven't had a translation problem with this from off to on ice at all. Mainly because I don't work on speed. Honestly, stickhanding really fast is not going to help you. For me its all about control and pull/pushes of the puck. I generally do alot of work on my backhand/forehand toe drags with this ball.

[Jarick 5]

I would like to find more exercises with the thing, I've been "stuck" with just regular and moving stickhandling for a while. It did REALLY help my toe drags though.

[tlminh 0]

I've only used it for about 15-20 min before I hit the ice, it's the closest to getting a puck but there is no substitute for the real thing :(

[habookus 1]

Is there anywhere I can buy the ball for cheap and ship to Canada? I was going to buy one on epuck.com for 9.95$, but the shipping to Montreal was something like 30 bucks, it was ridiculous.

[Medic 0]

I'd give e-bay a try. Or larger sports stores?

[thorpedo26 0]

i like it. it is def different though

[top-shelf 1]

I'm not sure if you guys caught this or not, but the smarthockey ball isn't supposed to replace the puck; d'oh! Its supplementary guys. You work on quick hands and develop your forearm muscles a little. If it doesn't feel like an ice hockey puck, then so what? As long as it is somewhat comparable to an ice puck, then it works like it was intended to on dry land.

[TBLfan 25]

I'm not sure if you guys caught this or not, but the smarthockey ball isn't supposed to replace the puck; d'oh! Its supplementary guys. You work on quick hands and develop your forearm muscles a little. If it doesn't feel like an ice hockey puck, then so what? As long as it is somewhat comparable to an ice puck, then it works like it was intended to on dry land.

Not soo much quick hands as soft hands. Remember it's not about speed, it's about control. The wooden hockey ball(or golf ball) is better to work with speed, but control is really what you should be working on.

[top-shelf 1]

I completely agree. I use a golf ball myself since I destroyed my smarthockey ball, so I know exactly what you mean.