Improving time it takes to make decisions on ice

[SolarWind 23]

Other then obvious "nothing replaces the game" are there any specific drills that could help with improving time it takes to make decisions on ice? Ultimately it's one of the most critical factors that separates good players from mediocre, and so requires attention.

We all know the skills progression - just trying by yourself, then at the line (introduces time/space constrains), then at the cones then at the passive player etc Plus of course it comes with experience & improves over time, but is there any way to accelerate the progress through smart training?

To throw an additional spin on it how about if you have to practice by yourself & so there're no partners? Then how do you get better if you can't even play keep-away or one-on-one etc?

Any creative ideas would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[dumbpolak9 1]

defensive. 2-1's or 3-1's or 3-2's offensive drills i would say do a pk pp play. and while pk'ing dont use you blade have it in you hand

[chippa13 1844]

The only suggestion is that you should learn to decide what you're going to do with the puck before you get it.

[SolarWind 23]

The only suggestion is that you should learn to decide what you're going to do with the puck before you get it.

does it really work though? hockey is a dynamic game - "pre-deciding' rather then reacting might actually cause more problems then it can potentially solve? Care to elaborate?

[Hockeyman11385 1]

What he means is that make sure your head is up before you get the puck and be aware of where everyone is on the ice. If you can do this you will be able to fire off a pass or shot without having to look around too much first. Unfortunately it's hard to replicate real game situations on the ice in practice by yourself. The best way to get quicker with your decisions is to play with a group who is better than you. It will force you to make quick decisions or you will look stupid.

[chk hrd 164]

watch and play as much hockey as you can. When you watch try and anticipate what the players will do or what they missed.

[Aussie Joe 0]

Teaching the use of peripheral vision and take plenty of hits in training is critical. If you are able to use the time you have with or, just before receiving the puck effectively, then you won't cough it up as much. Also realising that we all take hits and accepting this is very important to decision making.

Its one thing to be afraid of screwing up, its another to screw up out of fear.

[iceburg19 1]

controled scrimage.(teach them this is a thinking game,your not just the coach your their teacher)talk to the player as you ref the game.show him or her what your seeing also to give him an option.teaching players to think one step ahead of the play,when you dont have the puck look where everyone on the rink is .are you in good position to accept the pass?do you know where you want to go when you have the puck ?do have multable options?are you keeping your head up and on a swivel to make a play?are you reading the play?are you anticipating whats going to happen next by staying one step ahead of the other player.by having a control scrimage ,you can stop the flow of the game and explain the situation to the player and show him his options and why you blew the wistle.use the white board and show plays and where guys should be and skating.it takes time for kids to really understand the game inside the game.tell them to have poise and composure, confidence,work hard and have fun.after a while talk about responce time from getting the pass to making a pass.repitition after repitition,after that it comes with the thinking game.It takes time and hard work to get a team to play that high level of hockey every coach is looking for in their team.dry land plyometrics is another way of getting that hockey player in good game shape..also dont yell at them.teach them.good luck.

[Ovie17 0]

When i go to a Hockey game ( NHL) my Dad tells me to watch a defensemen ( my position) and anticipate what he is going to do in a certain situation where he chips it or passes to the wing, center, etc.. and if your ever in that situation think of what that player did and maybe it will help you, works for me

[jmiami 4]

Other then obvious "nothing replaces the game" are there any specific drills that could help with improving time it takes to make decisions on ice? Ultimately it's one of the most critical factors that separates good players from mediocre, and so requires attention.

We all know the skills progression - just trying by yourself, then at the line (introduces time/space constrains), then at the cones then at the passive player etc Plus of course it comes with experience & improves over time, but is there any way to accelerate the progress through smart training?

To throw an additional spin on it how about if you have to practice by yourself & so there're no partners? Then how do you get better if you can't even play keep-away or one-on-one etc?

Any creative ideas would be much appreciated. Thanks!

That's a good query Solar Wind. You are surely right that the ability to make decisions quickly is a huge part of what separates good players from mediocre ones.

There have been some great responses to your question. The consensus seems to point toward: be as informed as you can regarding information available to you on the ice at all times, so that when you get the biscuit you know where your best options lie as far as what to do with it.

But you are looking for drills to increase reaction time in actual game conditions. And drills to do alone nonetheless. I am clueless. I don't think there is any drill that would simulate the sensation of other players coming at you full-tilt.

50 years from now there will probably be a rink where you can put on cyber-goggles and skate by yourself against another computer-generated team that will challenge you to think faster under game-conditions.

But until that happens, the best advice I can give has already been stated by someone else on this thread, and that is to play against players who are better than you are. If you are out there with guys who are turnin' and burnin' then you have no choice but to bump your game up a notch.

[tonguesOUT4life 17]

cyber goggles with viberation when u get hit just like play station controlers. except they give you a concussion.

[iceburg19 1]

try some multitasking exersices,like stick handling on a balance board with your head up.

[hockeydoc 0]

I have the guys do a lot of 3 on 3 half rink scrimmages, with a requirement of 3 passes before shooting. They gain confidence in tigh situations, and are force to be aware of all the other players positioning before they get the puck, therefore they must be think about options all the time. The 3 pass requirement forces them to think or they will never get a shot off withou turning the puck over.

[stickfixchaska 0]

The quick decision making "skill" comes from being in that competitive game situation. USA hockey really started to push "Small Area Games" a few years back: 1 - To get more teams splitting ice-time/cost, and 2 - To get young players to develop that skill sooner.

Google - "Small Area Games Hockey" and you'll get enough hits to keep you busy.

[in da crease 0]

The quick decision making "skill" comes from being in that competitive game situation. USA hockey really started to push "Small Area Games" a few years back: 1 - To get more teams splitting ice-time/cost, and 2 - To get young players to develop that skill sooner.

Google - "Small Area Games Hockey" and you'll get enough hits to keep you busy.

+1!!!

Small games will do exactly what you are looking for. Combined with the fact that as you become more confident in your skill sets, your brain will be come less focused on executing those skill sets and more focused on the game itself and what is going on around you. It doesn't happen overnight. It's a long slow process for most.

RE: Youth hockey - USA Hockey has a huge push toward small games. Sometimes I think it can be over done, depending on how much ice you have available to you, what level you compete at and the number of things you want/need to accomplish in order to compete. Some believe small games is all that is ever needed in practice and can help with all aspects of the game. This may be true but it doesn't replace coaching, which is what I have seen in attitudes lately. Coach sets up a small game and goes to the boards and watches for 20 minutes.

But back to your question, if you can, set up some small games at drop-in or Stick Time. Kids can play with adults too. It's alot of fun. I'm not sure how old you are or at what level you are playing, but I see alot of beginner adult leagues starting up. I think they would benefit by playing 3v3 cross ice, just as kids do when starting out.

[Jarick 5]

Most useful to me was small ice games, 3-on-3, 4-on-3, 5-on-3, etc. in one end with a goalie. Helps players learn to play their position as well as use their teammates better.

[Jason Harris 31]

What he means is that make sure your head is up before you get the puck and be aware of where everyone is on the ice. If you can do this you will be able to fire off a pass or shot without having to look around too much first.

One thing I've learned from a repetitive mistake I've been making is try to look a second time AFTER you've gained control of the puck.

Teammates used to think I threw panic passes to no one, which I couldn't fathom until I started looking at it from their perspective. Here's an example: Let's say my teammate thinks I'm going to get to a loose puck first, so he cuts through the neutral zone left to right, heading to the blue line. However, maybe somebody tips the puck before I get to it, forcing me to retrieve it in my zone while facing my goalie. Without hesitating, I'll turn and fire it up the left side to my guy who's wide open and nearly at the blue line. The only problem is once the puck was tipped, he cut off his route, so I end up icing the puck to nobody.

This happened enough times, with me telling the guy, "But you were there! You should have kept skating!" before I finally realized it's my fault for sending a blind pass. I still love that pass, because it has the chance to be a home run, but only when linemates have played together enough to know tendencies. Consequently, I've been trying to teach myself to reconfirm whether the guy is still open before sending the pass.

[chippa13 1844]

You definitely have to look again if something happens in the play to delay or alter how or when you get the puck.

[Jason Harris 31]

I agree with you to an extent, especially since I'm the one who has constantly sent it down the ice, but I'm not talking five seconds later. I'm generally referring to about a second later, yet enough time for a guy to alter his flight pattern.

[Tmako 0]

A few things I've picked up:

1) On Ice- as everyone has said, take a look BEFORE you get to the puck. That tells you several things. One: where are your players to pass to? Two: Where are your opponents? This will help you guage how much time you have. Is someone bearing down on you or is the other team backing off? So, don't just look for your guys, look at the other team to understand what they are doing as well.

2) By yourself- work on overall reaction quickness. They have reaction balls you can buy to help or search for other such training items. Try doing crosswords or Sudoku, but do them quickly...this will force your brain to process quicker. Try FreeCell on the computer...but do it as fast as you can. These may sound silly, but if you can get your body and/or brain trained to "think" quicker, you'll mentally slow the game down.

[in da crease 0]

I agree with you to an extent, especially since I'm the one who has constantly sent it down the ice, but I'm not talking five seconds later. I'm generally referring to about a second later, yet enough time for a guy to alter his flight pattern.

It's a fast game. Passing lanes open and close in fractions of seconds.

[chippa13 1844]

Not only that but if what first looked like a clean pass gets tipped on the way then a guy flying the zone will probably cut closer to make a shorter pass if he sees a guy might be in trouble or he might move into a better position in case your team loses possession.

[Elwood 0]

I tend to think there are two key things. Anticipation and Reaction. I remember seeing or reading something that talked about how Gretzky learned to anticipate how plays develop and how to anticipate the play. His dad had him sit and watch games with a pad of blank paper. He dad had him trace the path of the puck as it ringed around the surface. He'd start a new sheet after each period.

Read up on this article about this too:

"Growing up, I was always the small guy," Gretzky has said. "I couldn't beat people with my strength. My eyes and my mind have to do most of the work."

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/m...06/ff_mindgames

-E

[jmiami 4]

I tend to think there are two key things. Anticipation and Reaction. I remember seeing or reading something that talked about how Gretzky learned to anticipate how plays develop and how to anticipate the play. His dad had him sit and watch games with a pad of blank paper. He dad had him trace the path of the puck as it ringed around the surface. He'd start a new sheet after each period.

Read up on this article about this too:

"Growing up, I was always the small guy," Gretzky has said. "I couldn't beat people with my strength. My eyes and my mind have to do most of the work."

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/m...06/ff_mindgames

-E

Great link. Very interesting.

I am also of the mind that some of the "intangibles" can actually be taught. But that usually involves great coaching as in the article.

But if one does not have access to great coaching, one of the best ways to buck-up your game is by playing pick-up, like the article mentions Gretzky doing. Nobody is keeping score, none of it matters. What a great opportunity to try things out.

Go out there to make mistakes to get better.

"Today my goal is to learn how to dangle, so I will do as much dangling as humanly possible, and fully anticipate losing the puck many times over, and making an ass out of myself many times over, but at the end of the session I will probably be somewhat wiser in regards to dangling"

Apply that to anything else you want to improve in your game. Trust me, it works.

[adam14 182]

you could always by Brain Training for the nintendo ds...