checking

[thorpedo26 0]

what are some good checking tips . i sometimes try to check from to far away and end up getting no push on the guy and fall and look like a goof. what do yall focus on

[nizmo 0]

Hands down, bend your knees, lower your center of gravity.

[Flack38 0]

Timing, hiding yourself behind your teammates and pass anticipation. The best hitters (open ice) typically read offensive plays really well. like Peca, kasparaitis and Stevens. If the guy sees you coming typically you're not going to lay good wood on him because he can brace himself.

Do you have any videos of you trying to throw a hit.? I can break it down for you and help you with some tips on the technical end of things (if your form is what's wrong with your hits)

Before I got into higher levels of hockey I was mostly a football player and my brothers would make me watch videos of good defensive backs, watching how they broke on the ball and were able to cover their man but still asses the field. I suggest any hockey player no matter what type of play you have to do this.

[thorpedo26 0]

yea when ever i can get someone right when they get a pass ill **** there world up. but its really hard when they see ya comin ill try to get my parents to vid me

[Chadd 916]

what are some good checking tips . i sometimes try to check from to far away and end up getting no push on the guy and fall and look like a goof. what do yall focus on

I used to see this all the time when I was coaching. Don't throw a hit at the guy, hit the guy. You don't want to waste your leg drive eating up the space between you and the other player, you want to make contact and then drive through the other guy. If he's looking at you, you want to push the logo on his chest through to the number on his back.

Keep your body under control and don't lunge at the other guy.

The closer you are, the easier it is to make a hit.

The purpose of a check is to separate the other guy from the puck, not to separate him from his head.

Don't try and create a big hit if it isn't there, you'll end up missing and out of position.

[D-MaN88 0]

When I played competitive and I would catch guys coming across the middle whether they were looking up or not I would try and line my shoulder up with either the crest of their jersey or if you can right in the collarbone area. (Not trying to break the guy's collarbone, but if you catch a lot, if not most guys in the shoulders they lose their balance a lot easier) instead of trying to hit them head on.

Just bend your knees, and another big thing to remember is KEEP YOUR FEET MOVING through the hit, don't coast. If you start to coast when you go to throw a hit on someone, you are going to be on your ass and they are going the other way.

(Also, what position do you play? Just curious as I played D and if you play D I could maybe give you some pointers when playing the body coming into the middle/along the boards)

[Flack38 0]

Just bend your knees, and another big thing to remember is KEEP YOUR FEET MOVING through the hit, don't coast. If you start to coast when you go to throw a hit on someone, you are going to be on your ass and they are going the other way.

Although I personally LOVE keeping my feet moving through hits(its the way I learned in football) IN hockey thats a charge, you need a 3 foot/sec glide period before contact or else its a charge.

I personally also like looking at the crest, but at the last second picking a shoulder to explode through. This will twist the player around and make him off balance forcing him to catch himself(or get up) giving you time to gather the puck and go the other way.

[Chadd 916]

Although I personally LOVE keeping my feet moving through hits(its the way I learned in football) IN hockey thats a charge, you need a 3 foot/sec glide period before contact or else its a charge.

Not true. If you take three strides directly at a player, how long you glide doesn't make a difference. That said, there are a lot of refs who have never called a charge and probably never will.

[thorpedo26 0]

When I played competitive and I would catch guys coming across the middle whether they were looking up or not I would try and line my shoulder up with either the crest of their jersey or if you can right in the collarbone area. (Not trying to break the guy's collarbone, but if you catch a lot, if not most guys in the shoulders they lose their balance a lot easier) instead of trying to hit them head on.

Just bend your knees, and another big thing to remember is KEEP YOUR FEET MOVING through the hit, don't coast. If you start to coast when you go to throw a hit on someone, you are going to be on your ass and they are going the other way.

(Also, what position do you play? Just curious as I played D and if you play D I could maybe give you some pointers when playing the body coming into the middle/along the boards)

im a center/rightwing. i have to back check alot because alot of guys wont do it.

[Chadd 916]

When I played competitive and I would catch guys coming across the middle whether they were looking up or not I would try and line my shoulder up with either the crest of their jersey or if you can right in the collarbone area. (Not trying to break the guy's collarbone, but if you catch a lot, if not most guys in the shoulders they lose their balance a lot easier) instead of trying to hit them head on.

Just bend your knees, and another big thing to remember is KEEP YOUR FEET MOVING through the hit, don't coast. If you start to coast when you go to throw a hit on someone, you are going to be on your ass and they are going the other way.

(Also, what position do you play? Just curious as I played D and if you play D I could maybe give you some pointers when playing the body coming into the middle/along the boards)

im a center/rightwing. i have to back check alot because alot of guys wont do it.

Backcheck hard down the middle and you're going to get some chances to catch guys when they make that blind cut to the center of the ice.

[sabre09923 0]

Learn how to read the plays and the passes of the opposition. If you get a beat on the play, and can anticipate the pass, either intercept it or bury the guy. Catch guys with their heads down and drive your shoulder into his chest. Most of your hitting power comes from your lower body (legs, core), so don't throw a hit unless you're really going to get burned. Use the boards to your advantage to corner a guy and line him up. Throw the body as much as you can, but don't let it take you out of position; your responsibility is the puck, not to make sure the guys ends up KO'd.

[Law Goalie 147]

what are some good checking tips . i sometimes try to check from to far away and end up getting no push on the guy and fall and look like a goof. what do yall focus on

I used to see this all the time when I was coaching. Don't throw a hit at the guy, hit the guy. You don't want to waste your leg drive eating up the space between you and the other player, you want to make contact and then drive through the other guy. If he's looking at you, you want to push the logo on his chest through to the number on his back.

Keep your body under control and don't lunge at the other guy.

The closer you are, the easier it is to make a hit.

The purpose of a check is to separate the other guy from the puck, not to separate him from his head.

Don't try and create a big hit if it isn't there, you'll end up missing and out of position.

All very good points. Basically, what it comes down to is the old boxer's mantra: don't hit at the guy, hit through the guy.

[thorpedo26 0]

Learn how to read the plays and the passes of the opposition. If you get a beat on the play, and can anticipate the pass, either intercept it or bury the guy. Catch guys with their heads down and drive your shoulder into his chest. Most of your hitting power comes from your lower body (legs, core), so don't throw a hit unless you're really going to get burned. Use the boards to your advantage to corner a guy and line him up. Throw the body as much as you can, but don't let it take you out of position; your responsibility is the puck, not to make sure the guys ends up KO'd.

good advise. just throwin this out there. if i squat more weight wich makes my legs stronger will that make my checks better?

[sabres48 0]

That, and it will help your speed and power, or endurance, depednding your reps and weight

[sabre09923 0]

Learn how to read the plays and the passes of the opposition. If you get a beat on the play, and can anticipate the pass, either intercept it or bury the guy. Catch guys with their heads down and drive your shoulder into his chest. Most of your hitting power comes from your lower body (legs, core), so don't throw a hit unless you're really going to get burned. Use the boards to your advantage to corner a guy and line him up. Throw the body as much as you can, but don't let it take you out of position; your responsibility is the puck, not to make sure the guys ends up KO'd.

good advise. just throwin this out there. if i squat more weight wich makes my legs stronger will that make my checks better?

You will definitely be more balanced when you throw a big hit, or receive one. You'll also end up with more speed, which translates into more force.

[thorpedo26 0]

ill start hitin the squat rack alot more thin

[SCATMAN 33]

Posted by Chadd

The purpose of a check is to separate the other guy from the puck, not to separate him from his head.

Don't try and create a big hit if it isn't there, you'll end up missing and out of position.

very wise words

[Flack38 0]

Although I personally LOVE keeping my feet moving through hits(its the way I learned in football) IN hockey thats a charge, you need a 3 foot/sec glide period before contact or else its a charge.

Not true. If you take three strides directly at a player, how long you glide doesn't make a difference. That said, there are a lot of refs who have never called a charge and probably never will.

Sorry, you cannot bring your stride INTO the hit, can't take more than 3 strides and you can't leave your feet. I had issues with this when I started playing check hockey. Because of the football backround it was natural for me to hit like that. If I'm wrong this means that just about every ref from the Pewee level to Jr A level was wrong about the rules of charging.

2+ intermediate strides (within 3 feet) will result in charging, so bringing your stride into a hit will result in charging obviously