Receiving Passes Smoothly

[rangers1234 0]

I looked and I could not find a thread like this. I love using a Ovechkin / Gangne / Vanek / Nash Cuve stick, but found a great deal on a Sakic clone. I love the stick, but I'm having trouble catching passes with my backhand. Especialy when I'm moving.

Does anyone have some tips on using a mid heel / mid curve stick and catching backhands?

Thanks

Actualy come to think of it, I have been missing pucks with the front of my blade as well. The puck will be comming right to me, I have my stick on the ice, and the next thing I know it's gone under my stick. I don't think it's the lie and this does not happen with any other curve that I have used.

[HattrickSwayze 3]

If you're using a bigger curve or one with a lot of loft, you'll have to concentrate on either catching them by the heel where there's less curve, or really rolling your wrists over and cupping the puck as you receive it. That's what I do, or I just use my concrete hands to let it smash into the blade like a brick wall.

EDIT: If you don't think it's the lie, it could be the rocker on the Naslund/Sakic-type curve that's throwing you off.

[furlanitalia 1]

Hmm, I'd have to pay attention the next time I'm playing but the only thing I can think of that I do is keep my blade cupped to the ice when taking the puck. Although, I've never used a different curve other then a Sakic or Lidstrom so I might not be much help lol.

[Chadd 916]

It sure sounds like a lie/rocker issue to me.

[rangers1234 0]

I thought it was the lie at first, but I have no issue at all with a Gagne 5.5, 09 Nash 5.5 or Frolov 5.5. However it may be the rocker, which I've never really paid attention to. The one thing I think I need to start doing is rolling my wrists over. Using the Drury type sticks, it forces me to roll my wrists either on a forehand or backhand. I think I end up getting lazy when I'm using a straighter curve or a mid curve and my form falls apart.

Thanks for the help.

It sure sounds like a lie/rocker issue to me.

[Chadd 916]

Gagne is much more like a 5

[gxc999 7]

Gagne is much more like a 5

100% accurate. I also think people often misunderstand receiving passes. You have to put some force in your bottom hand to meet hard passes and if you have a big curve and catch it on the curve, you better cup it more

[SolarWind 23]

100% accurate. I also think people often misunderstand receiving passes. You have to put some force in your bottom hand to meet hard passes and if you have a big curve and catch it on the curve, you better cup it more

Great point - completely agree!

People often get confused by the term 'soft hands', mixing it with flimsy grip - these aren't the same!

When receiving a hard past the first thing that a player needs to do is to tighen up his grip & establish hands while pressing the stick firmly into the ice - otherwise no amount of cushioning will help

when pucks slide under the stick the problem might be with either the stuff above, or a lie or the only thing I could think off is that you might be dropping your top hand down too much which effectively changes the angle of the blade to the ice & raises the toe of the stick - it's a recepie for disaster for sure.

[Chadd 916]

Great point - completely agree!

People often get confused by the term 'soft hands', mixing it with flimsy grip - these aren't the same!

When receiving a hard past the first thing that a player needs to do is to tighen up his grip & establish hands while pressing the stick firmly into the ice - otherwise no amount of cushioning will help

when pucks slide under the stick the problem might be with either the stuff above, or a lie or the only thing I could think off is that you might be dropping your top hand down too much which effectively changes the angle of the blade to the ice & raises the toe of the stick - it's a recepie for disaster for sure.

Closing the face also helps the puck stick to your blade if you use something with a lot of loft and it is a "hot" pass. It really helps trap the puck.

[gxc999 7]

Closing the face also helps the puck stick to your blade if you use something with a lot of loft and it is a "hot" pass. It really helps trap the puck.

I really like how you phrased that because that's how I've explained it too. You have to think of a neutral face and a wide open pattern differently in this sense. Where you opt to receive the puck on the blade is yet another factor. This is why I prefer to use the mid or heel, less loft generally and it's often simpler. Receiving the puck toward the toe is a no-no for me and I never have problems catching passes unless I can't see them.

[rangers1234 0]

when pucks slide under the stick the problem might be with either the stuff above, or a lie or the only thing I could think off is that you might be dropping your top hand down too much which effectively changes the angle of the blade to the ice & raises the toe of the stick - it's a recepie for disaster for sure.

That's exactly what I do, especialy when I'm playing with better people. I want to make sure I get the pass and don't look like an idiot, so I drop my hand realy low.

I've been trying to pay attention to the pro's and where they space there hands on the stick when playing. Is there a general guide-line for this, i.e. sholder width apart, closer, farther.....

I tend to drop my hands low on passes and slap / snap shots and I just can't see how having a lower bottom hand will help me get the most out of my slap shot. I mean no golfer or baseball player would ever drop his bottom hand when swinging a club or bat. I've hit a plateau in my game and I just think there are little adjustments I can make to get to the next level.

Thanks for all the responses.

[Jarick 5]

You drop the bottom hand on the stick in order to push and flex the stick more, which stores energy for the shot. If your slapper is better gripping the stick like a golf club or baseball bat...I have a feeling it just isn't.

I still think a pure wrist shot uses hands closer together (closer to a baseball swing) and more of a whip/lever energy while a slapper/snap shot uses the bottom hand roughly halfway down the shaft and more stick flexing energy.

[rangers1234 0]

Ok, that makes sense. Actualy that makes a lot of sense. Thanks

You drop the bottom hand on the stick in order to push and flex the stick more, which stores energy for the shot. If your slapper is better gripping the stick like a golf club or baseball bat...I have a feeling it just isn't.

I still think a pure wrist shot uses hands closer together (closer to a baseball swing) and more of a whip/lever energy while a slapper/snap shot uses the bottom hand roughly halfway down the shaft and more stick flexing energy.

[Chadd 916]

The old rule of thumb was that when you put your hands on your stick, you should put the elbow of your bottom hand against your top hand in order to find the right spacing. Your wrist shot should come from the same hand position and the bottom hand should drop for slappers. I put my bottom hand lower than that and I lose some stickhandling ability but gain in passing and shot control.

[Trooper 8]

Great point - completely agree!

People often get confused by the term 'soft hands', mixing it with flimsy grip - these aren't the same!

When receiving a hard past the first thing that a player needs to do is to tighen up his grip & establish hands while pressing the stick firmly into the ice - otherwise no amount of cushioning will help

This is a very good point as well. The notion of gradually slowing the puck down by "bringing it in" (like the reverse motion of a pass) doesn't hold up. Kevin Constantine used a lot of slow motion footage of NHL guys receiving passes at a clinic and showed them bearing down on their sticks when receiving passes, not "slowing them down".

[gxc999 7]

This is a very good point as well. The notion of gradually slowing the puck down by "bringing it in" (like the reverse motion of a pass) doesn't hold up. Kevin Constantine used a lot of slow motion footage of NHL guys receiving passes at a clinic and showed them bearing down on their sticks when receiving passes, not "slowing them down".

Very well put. You can't try to catch an egg when someone fires a really hot pass at you or it will go through/under your blade.

[jeffw 1]

I still think a pure wrist shot uses hands closer together (closer to a baseball swing) and more of a whip/lever energy

That's me. I definitely get more zip on my wristers with my hands closer together.