Stickhandling

[Yakus 0]

Just wondering if I'm practicing stickhandling at home, should I be using one of my regular sticks or should I use a shorter stick since I'm on foot? or does it matter at all?

[daca 0]

i just use whatever feels comfortable.

[Briggy 0]

I use the stick I use in games and just puck handle with a golf ball. Ive seem improvements over the months.

[Hudson14 0]

I use my shorter back up and a golf ball

[Gagne9393 0]

I've heard about the golfball technique many times. What's the difference with the golfball? I usually use a roller hockey puck.

[Briggy 0]

I've heard about the golfball technique many times. What's the difference with the golfball? I usually use a roller hockey puck.

Well the golf ball on a smooth surface moves pretty quick. Using a golf ball has trained my hands to move quicker to puckhandle a golf ball. Either way your cant really fail, whether you use a puck or a ball. Its just practicing and comfort. The rest will follow.

[Dean_ 0]

I've heard about the golfball technique many times. What's the difference with the golfball? I usually use a roller hockey puck.

thats exactlly what i do. and i usually use my back up stick for ice hockey

[Maka 0]

If you're looking for an interesting little skill-builder, go ahead and slap an empty toilet paper roll or PVC pipe on your shaft and hold it with your bottom hand. It teaches you to keep a loose bottom hand when you're stickhandling. Did wonders for me.

[barrett 0]

If you're looking for an interesting little skill-builder, go ahead and slap an empty toilet paper roll or PVC pipe on your shaft and hold it with your bottom hand. It teaches you to keep a loose bottom hand when you're stickhandling. Did wonders for me.

I think I might try that pretty soon. Sounds like a good technique and it can never hurt improve the stickhandeling a little bit. Also it will be a good break from studying from finals. Actually possibly more of a distraction.

[TBLfan 25]

you can either use your regular stick length or use a shorter stick, with the longer stick just don't go into a deep knee bend... BUT that might do more harm than good because you might find yourself not bending your knees enough in games.

I find that a smarthockey ball and a golf/wooden hockey ball is a good combo for dryland practicing. The smarthockey ball has some more weight to it but the golf/wooden hockey balls are lighter and move faster. Alternating between the two works for me. :)

[fatwabbit 93]

Dont use too short a stick either. It screwed up my stance quite a fair bit as I was using it in the yard with my son.

I'm now using the heaviest shaft I've got, and actually taped a few large coins at the bottom of the shaft to give it a little weight. I guess its working out, cause my arm muscles ache after a few minutes of stick handling. I'm also using an old blade that I've cut in half, so I'm only puck handling with a really short blade. Leave more room for error later on when you using a full blade.

[Maka 0]

Leave more room for error later on when you using a full blade.

Unless, of course, you're working on toe drags.

[fatwabbit 93]

Ture true......

[top-shelf 1]

I used a SmartHockey ball for a while, but, as things would have it, I lost it at a tournament. So, I replaced it with a golf ball and, boy, has it worked wonders for me. My hands are a lot softer and quicker with the golf ball than they were with the SmartHockey ball.

Also, to help with stick-handling, setup two pucks that are side-by-side with about a puck-and-a-half's distance between them. You do this so you can move a figure eight pattern between them, but try not to bump the pucks or swing extra wide of them with your stick while you stick-handle; try to keep as close to them as possible.

[oliverloran 0]

I just tried the toilet paper roll technique advised by Maka and was pretty starnge in the begining, but im gettin used to it. Anyway i was trying to find something to hit against the wall and the tennis ball was so far the best.

[All Torhs Team 0]

Golf balls can be difficult at first, if you want harder then go with a ping pong ball. Those things fly all over the place, takes alot to keep it under control.

Also, if you can, go to a blacksmith or somethin and get heavy pucks made. We have a bunch of 5lbs pucks laying around that are really really difficult to stick handle with. Woudnt do it with your nicest stick - get a crappier one to do it with, but after you play with it, a normal puck feels like nothing.

[oliverloran 0]

Golf balls can be difficult at first, if you want harder then go with a ping pong ball. Those things fly all over the place, takes alot to keep it under control.

Also, if you can, go to a blacksmith or somethin and get heavy pucks made. We have a bunch of 5lbs pucks laying around that are really really difficult to stick handle with. Woudnt do it with your nicest stick - get a crappier one to do it with, but after you play with it, a normal puck feels like nothing.

Can you give some advice how to get those heavy pucks made exactly?

[kovalchuk71 212]

Get a blacksmith to pour lead into the middle

[DamnLocust 0]

weighted puck

it's not quite the 5 lbs. that alltorhs described, but you do feel a difference.

it may not be an option for oliver in europe, but others may be interested.

[qmechanic 17]

There are also these ridiculously heavy steel pucks.Wilpower pucks

[crazylegs_9 0]

The orangish heavy pucks work nice, but it snapped the blade at the hosel of my ST blade. I would recommend using an older back for firing them.

[oliverloran 0]

Okey, i will figure our somethin', maybe i can get some pucks heavier by doing the lead filling myself, because i dont know any blacksmiths around in the city. The steel puck sound intresting, but i dont know what stick wont snap for such weight.

[Nov101775 0]

I took an Vapor XX that I had, and removed the but end, I took a 1/4" piece of steel bar stock and ran it the lenght of the shaft, I ran tape along a few points to hold the bar in place inside the shaft.

I use that and a smarthockey ball, on a sheet of plexi glass, I don't have a couch so its right in front of the tv.

it only weighs about 5 lbs (or less)

[Sven 1]

I dont get the advantage of that one.

[Patrick67 1]

Made his stick way heavier. Thus strenghtning his arms.