taking a check

[thorpedo26 0]

what are some tips to taking a check at middel ice. taking one agains the boards is easy cause you have the boards supoting you. but out in the open is a bit different. what are some things you do when you see it comin

[JR Boucicaut 3803]

Um...keep your head up?

[Spreedizzle 1]

Keep your head up, and don't be another concussion statistic.

[hockeyplaya97 0]

Try to spin out of it. Take the initial impact to a side and spin out of it.

Or man up and truck him.

[Spreedizzle 1]

Also.....keep low in your stance. You are much harder to hit going across the ice with a lower center of gravity. Being low also allows you to compensate for the direction of the check with an opposite reaction of your legs. Think of them as shocks to absorb an impact.....kind of like how you bend your knees as you jump off of something.

[willy0314 0]

Do lots of sit ups.

Players that are "strong on the puck" are that way because they have a strong core. Work on your abs and you will become much more solid on your skates.

[Hawes_4 0]

Drop the shoulder and pop him before he pops you, because you will catch him off guard. Happens to me like once or twice a season.

Do not try spin out of it, because there is a good chance you will get hurt trying it. Just keep your head up and maybe try side step him, but watch the knee on knee.

If you know its coming, you will not get hurt. I would take an open ice it over one against the boards any day.

[trevor13478 1]

go danglefest on his ass, make him look like a tool, walk in and score. taunt if needed.

seriously, keep your head on a swivel and be ready, if completely unavoidable, try to turn your body so that it it shoulder to shoulder contact, not his shoulder in your chest, or head if he's bigger than you.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Question from a guy who's never played contact hockey.

Once you see the hit coming and no you can't get out of the way...is it better to:

A - Tense up for the impact...try to give some back

B - Loosen up and try to just take it

Should you tense up to try to prevent your head whipping back when you hit the ice, once you've been hit?

[chk hrd 164]

c: kiss your ass good bye...

[pwrfwd26 0]

c: kiss your ass good bye...

:lol: d. say "goodnight"

[RadioGaGa 162]

E - Don't admit that you don't know how to take a hit on a HOCKEY BOARD! *L*

[thorpedo26 0]

Do lots of sit ups.

Players that are "strong on the puck" are that way because they have a strong core. Work on your abs and you will become much more solid on your skates.

serious?

[Cavs019 710]

Brace, drop your quads to lower your center of gravity, and in my case, pray to moses.

[trevor13478 1]

Question from a guy who's never played contact hockey.

Once you see the hit coming and no you can't get out of the way...is it better to:

A - Tense up for the impact...try to give some back

B - Loosen up and try to just take it

Should you tense up to try to prevent your head whipping back when you hit the ice, once you've been hit?

when you're going to get hit, natural instinct is to tense up. It's really a toss up as to what is better. it depends on the sizes of both guys, if you think you can take him and you're in good position, try to give it back to him and catch the guy off guard. if you know you're going to get rocked stay strong and low, you never really want to "loosen up", that's how you'll get hurt.

[Jarick 5]

Usually if I spot it coming, I'll drop a shoulder and hit him first. I only played a year of contact hockey, but even in no-check if someone's going to slam into me, I'll make sure they hit my shoulder instead of my chest. I suppose when I start playing games with refs I'll probably make it less obvious to draw penalties.

[Chadd 916]

what are some tips to taking a check at middel ice. taking one agains the boards is easy cause you have the boards supoting you. but out in the open is a bit different. what are some things you do when you see it comin

If you get hit with an open ice check, you've already screwed up. You should always see the hit coming. If you don't see him until the last possible instant, look for his stick and his arms and make sure you avoid them. In most cases you want to get as solid on your skates as you can, unless getting lower is going to put your head on the same level as his elbow or stick. Rather than take the hit head on, try to make it a glancing blow by changing direction a little bit.

In the end, it's just a hit and part of the game. If you can move the puck to one of your teammates before the hit, you just took him out of the play. Get up and head to the net.

[Hawes_4 0]

All you do is stick your elbow up and yell "GORDIE"

[sabres48 0]

Question from a guy who's never played contact hockey.

Once you see the hit coming and no you can't get out of the way...is it better to:

A - Tense up for the impact...try to give some back

B - Loosen up and try to just take it

Should you tense up to try to prevent your head whipping back when you hit the ice, once you've been hit?

when you're going to get hit, natural instinct is to tense up. It's really a toss up as to what is better. it depends on the sizes of both guys, if you think you can take him and you're in good position, try to give it back to him and catch the guy off guard. if you know you're going to get rocked stay strong and low, you never really want to "loosen up", that's how you'll get hurt.

Actually staying "loose" is better than tensing up. This is the reason drunk drivers tend not to die in car accidents even if they get in a head on collision and the guy in the othe car does die. When your drunk you dont really have your reflexes so you dont tense up, and thus the reason you end up living.

[willy0314 0]

Do lots of sit ups.

Players that are "strong on the puck" are that way because they have a strong core. Work on your abs and you will become much more solid on your skates.

serious?

100% serious. Any "real" hockey training program will have you doing tons of core work. I mean tested programs that pro's, and trainers would be involved with. Not just internet "summer training" BS. A stonger core (read: abs) will give you better balance, a harder shot, and make you a faster skater.

As far as being tense or relaxed when you get hit....you want to be relaxed. Sabres 48 is right with the point about drunk drivers. When you tense up is when you get hurt. I boxed for a couple years when I was younger. The term "roll with the punches" comes from boxing and martial arts, they teach you to be relaxed and let the blows "roll" off you. Think of it this way, stand facing your buddy and have him punch you in the upper chest/shoulder. First just close your eyes, let your body go totally limp, he'll hit you and your shoulder will go backwards and your body will twist, and the punch will just glance off you and not really hurt. Now try to tense up and hold your ground agaisnt the punch, and you will see a big differance.

[chk hrd 164]

If you have your head down and a guy has your number you don't really have time to "think" about anything. As soon as you see the guy the first thing that goes thru your head is not "tense up" or "loosen up" it's "OH SHIT".

Good physical conditioning, experience and keeping your head up is the best way to take a hit.

[sabre09923 0]

]

If you get hit with an open ice check, you've already screwed up.

The only time where you should really be getting lined up in open ice is when some guy makes a horrible neutral zone pass that you have to look down to get it... and BAM! You're down.

But nothing can help you there. If you sense a hit coming, try changing directions and bend your knees.

And strengthening your back and not just your abs will give all of the benefits of strengthening your core. Remember, train opposing muscles every other day (core monday, back tuesday, etc.) to minimize injury.

[habsmaniac 0]

if you see them coming dro your shoulder to try and get them

[willy0314 0]

And strengthening your back and not just your abs will give all of the benefits of strengthening your core.

I should have said something to that effect. Your core muscles is pretty much made up of your abs, lower back, and to some extent your lats. You should try to balance things when you workout, simply doing situps would be ok, but not the best route.

People get hit / bumped / pushed / whatever all the time in open ice, its part of the game. If you want to get better at absorbing hits, strengthen your core and skate with proper form (deep knee bend). If you want to end up with an ass beating, then drop your shoulders, get your elbows up and try and scum the guy. Im sure the rest of his team wont mind.

[LkptTiger 1]

...and skate with proper form (deep knee bend).

Bingo. Balance and skating ability are often over-looked here. Personally, I've never been one of the biggest or strongest guys on the ice, but I win a lot of battles, throw a lot of solid checks, and have survived a number of bad suicide passes because I am a superior skater and am very strong on my feet.