How to practice playing heads up hockey

[crispy92 14]

Ive recently switched from D to forward and Ive found that I play with my head down like all the time. Im trying to find some drills to get me used to stickhandling with my head up. any help?

[DoubleT96 0]

Get a smart hockey ball and stickhandle in your basement while you watch tv. You should be able to see whats on tv while seeing the ball in your peripheral as you stickhandle. If your at the rink, try skating the circumference of the circles while keeping your head up; alternating between circles so you skate one circle on your forehand and the next circle on your backhand.

[Ahriman 1]

At skate practices and anytime you know you're not gonna run into someone, watch your reflection in the glass, it forces you to keep your head up and not looking at the puck.

[interpathway 9]

Or get one of these....

HAHA

You'll look like the dog that bites himself nonstop...

[IniNew 53]

Or get one of these....

HAHA

You'll look like the dog that bites himself nonstop...

Sad part is, being the novice player I am, I'd probably just tilt my head further down to see the puck haha.

[Bender 0]

Or get one of these....

HAHA

You'll look like the dog that bites himself nonstop...

Sad part is, being the novice player I am, I'd probably just tilt my head further down to see the puck haha.

neck brace then?

[nd17nb 0]

Get layed out at center ice just once and you'll never skate with your head down again! Although, you might not ever want to stickhandle again either!

Dont buy that neck collar crap...you need your periferal vision to see the puck.

[Aussie Joe 0]

One of my coaches used to make us all skate around early on in the session, low to medium pace with the rink's lights off. We learnt to "feel" the puck.

You can re-create this at home by either closing your eyes, blindfolding yourself or turning off the lights and puckhandling slowly on the spot. I recommend this type of exercise at home to my juniors who need the extra practice. Remember keep it slow at the start and when you screw up (and you will allot, I still do sometimes when I do this exercise) just keep trying again and again.

Also, as almost everyone else has just said, peripheral vision is very important, its nice to be able to feel the puck on your stick but seeing both your path and the puck are important. Know also its one of the hardest skills to learn, little though master in hockey. Have patience and practice a few times a week, you'll get it eventually.

[Invert 13]

Seriously, is the roller board where to ask this question? I don't know how many roller guys I see skating around looking at the puck because they know there is no hit coming. The absolute best lesson to keep your head up is to come through the middle with it down in a checking league. Ask Eric Lindros about it.

[Darkbyte 0]

You can re-create this at home by either closing your eyes, blindfolding yourself or turning off the lights and puckhandling slowly on the spot.

Use the force!

It surprised me how much harder it is to puckhandle with your eyes shut. I can puckhandle better with my eyes open (not looking at the puck) then I can with my eyes shut. Perhaps it is partially to do with it being harder to balance with your eyes shut.

Another one I tend to do (stolen from my balance board exercises) is to turn your head away from the puck, look to the side, over your shoulder, at the roof, etc. I find its a good exercise to do to get me to loosen up and look at the world around me (even though Im stationary).

One of the guys here likes to demonstrate "not looking at the puck" by standing you in centre of the rink and doing a full lap of the rink (along the boards and behind the goals) before cutting in and shooting on the empty net without taking his eyes off you (not even to shoot).

[Aussie Joe 0]

the force IS strong with that one, Darkbyte.

It isn't really about equipment this thread, but there has been some gadgets suggested. So a piece of equipment could help this bloke out... then again so could some of the exercises mentioned.

There are many ways to skin this cat Invert.

[DoubleT96 0]

Seriously, is the roller board where to ask this question? I don't know how many roller guys I see skating around looking at the puck because they know there is no hit coming. The absolute best lesson to keep your head up is to come through the middle with it down in a checking league. Ask Eric Lindros about it.

I find it much easier to to skate with the puck while looking up while playing ice hockey, rather than inline. I don't know if its bc the puck obviously slides better on the ice, but in inline I sometimes feel the puck lag and my head automatically reacts by wanting to glance down for a second to make sure the puck isn't sliding off my stick....its very annoying.

[Aussie Joe 0]

I used to get this allot. I started skating lower in inline, as well as taking the tape off the bottom of my stick. I think the real issue was my blade sticking to the surface and draging when I handled the puck.

[DoubleT96 0]

Yeah, I switched from tape to tack pads to get the tape off the bottom, but still keep some grip on the blade. It helped out alot, but sometime I still feel the puck lag off my stick....very annoying.

[MDE3 0]

Get layed out at center ice just once and you'll never skate with your head down again! Although, you might not ever want to stickhandle again either!

Dont buy that neck collar crap...you need your periferal vision to see the puck.

I beg to differ....having coached hockey and run clinics for years...the real trick is to teach stickhandling by feel...you would be absolutely amazed to watch beginner level kids who cannot handle the puck when looking right at it...begin to stickhandle after 15 minutes of "blind practice"....Practice with your eyes shut....do not even get tempted to use peripheral vision. If you can learn where the puck sits on your stick by feel only, your eyes become free to do what they are supposed to..watch the play and not the puck...Trust me on this IT WORKS!!!

Obviously this only applies once the puck is on your stick..so chasing the puck into the corner does require some vision...however the first look is behind you or up rink to see what is happening before turning your attention to the puck...know your position and that of the others before turning away from the play.

[Aussie Joe 0]

I the words of Bruce Lee..

"Don't think... Feeeeel!"

[DoubleT96 0]

". . .Obviously this only applies once the puck is on your stick..so chasing the puck into the corner does require some vision..."

If only I saw a youngster close his eyes and then skate full speed into the corner to get the puck...the outcome would likely be out of hand! I would probably have to leave the rink and go home because i couldn't stop laughing (not proud of that fact).