Stickhandling/Shooting Practice

[highslot84 0]

I have been using tennis balls to work on stick handling/shooting for a while now. Mostly because i don't want to break anything. Do you guys think this would hinder how i shoot a puck and stickhandle a puck? I know the feeling is way different but just wanted to see how others see this issue.

[sickwilly 37]

I thing it's pretty helpful for softening your hands while stickhandling.

[Schulz 0]

For what it's worth I found that a golf ball helped me out way more than than a tennis ball. The tennis ball being taller had me lifting my stick a little too far over the puck out of habit. The bounciness of the golf ball also trained me to settle down some of those sketchy passes my teammates like to feed me. I didn't get enough time to play with the smart hockey ball before my dog made off with it, but it seemed alright.

[highslot84 0]

my dogs took off w/ mine too. Ill try the golf ball as well.. good suggestion.

[raganblink 82]

Atleast your dog hasn't ate thru some wood sticks. Don't keep anything chewable near a dog. lol.

[english15x 3]

I have been using tennis balls to work on stick handling/shooting for a while now. Mostly because i don't want to break anything. Do you guys think this would hinder how i shoot a puck and stickhandle a puck? I know the feeling is way different but just wanted to see how others see this issue.

I think its great for some things. As said before it's helpful to control some pucks that are bouncy or not so great passes. I usually would just stand there and bounce it off my door and hit in back in midair for hand eye. It's just something different to do.

Nothing can replicate puck on ice practice.

[technophile 0]

Atleast your dog hasn't ate thru some wood sticks. Don't keep anything chewable near a dog. lol.

Bitter Apple, my friend. I had a dog who liked wood so much she ate a bookcase. After a couple of experiences with Bitter Apple she's never eaten another wooden object she found inside the house. :D

[K9 Unit 1]

Atleast your dog hasn't ate thru some wood sticks. Don't keep anything chewable near a dog. lol.

Bitter Apple, my friend. I had a dog who liked wood so much she ate a bookcase. After a couple of experiences with Bitter Apple she's never eaten another wooden object she found inside the house. :D

bitter apple works very well, but the knockoffs not so much, a friend of mine used some chilli pepper sauce or something, i tried it but my dog actually liked it.

anyways back on topic i use my dog as a defender its pretty fun until she starts running off with it and not giving it back

[Chadd 916]

I used to shoot tennis balls to my Australian shepherd, until one day she got distracted as I shot and hit her in the eye. We went back to throwing balls after that.

[shotty 7]

...as I shot and hit her in the eye.

quoted for humor.

stick handling anything helps... as its essentially the motion and speed that will help you in the game. my dog doesnt go anywhere near my smartball, it's my son i have to worry about. every time i find it, he promptly makes off with it and hides it.

[gxc999 7]

I used to shoot tennis balls to my Australian shepherd, until one day she got distracted as I shot and hit her in the eye. We went back to throwing balls after that.

Lol, sorry for it but that made me laugh my ass off:)

[habookus 1]

The smartball is great for stickhandling.

[Hradsky 1]

I have two smartballs, one for shooting and one for stick handling.

They're pretty good for stick handling, not on carpet but on a skill pad. Slides better than a puck (obviously, since it's rolling)

Lately I've been shooting with one, but being scared of breaking anything I only aim in the middle of the net, or five-hole if you will.

Shooting is great off a skill pad, feels pretty good. But lately I just realized if I'm aiming for the middle of the net, might as well be shooting pucks...

So I don't know what I'm going to do now. But yeah, smart balls are pretty good weight and size wise, just not on carpet.

[bob_flip 0]

The golf ball, the smartball, the street ball! They give you different feeling, but useful in any case!

[technophile 0]

Has anyone tried the Green Biscuit? I've been eyeing them at my LHS lately for practicing stickhandling (most likely on the concrete floor of my garage, I don't have a skill pad or anything).

Are they better or worse (or just different) than a smartball?

[biff44 0]

thats why they make those special stickhandling balls, they weigh more and do not bounce as much. I once got a steel ball bearing that weighed exactly as much as a puck, but did not like using it much. Face it, nothing is going to be quite like a real puck on ice, but who has access to a rink 24/7? In the winter, you could flood a 4x8' section and practice on it. Barring that, just get a ball that is not too bouncy and weighs around the same as a puck and go for it...just try to never look at the ball...you are supposed to develop the feel for doing it without looking. Also, make sure you screw up the way you are standing while practicing...stand on one foot, reach all around your body, etc. You want to be able to stickhandle your way out of a paper bag if needed.

[thejackal 46]

started bouncing tennis balls off to blade of my stick to practice my hand-eye coordination this yr. I definitely became better at tip-ins and batting down mid-air passes, so u might want to give that a try.