Ever just "get it" ?

[mug25 2]

This goes mostly to the newer players, or to those who remembered when they first started — or heck, to those who've been playing for a while and are STILL learning...

Have you ever worked on aspects of your skating for weeks, or even months and then out of nowhere you notice that "Holy crap! I can _______ now!". For the past few months I've really been working hard on my power turns but I always seem to lose an edge when I really go into the turn with speed. Tonight I noticed that I'm doing it now, without thinking about it. The same thing happened with my backwards crossovers. The less I think about this stuff, the better I do it.

Is this the same for you guys or is it 100% mental for me?

[Axxion89 32]

I agree hundred percent and have experienced it as player and goalie. Sometimes it just clicks like for me it was with stopping, slap shots, and butterfly!

[Thepandamancan 0]

It's half practice, half mental. For the longest time I could not do a slap shot to save my life and one day I rang one off the post so hard, it shocked everyone. Still...wasn't able to bury it in the back of the net but that too came.

[Hradsky 1]

Yeah the slap shot thing for me as well. I wasn't really practicing though, because I pretty much gave up on it until one day I manned up and did it, and it wasn't bad :P

[starsfan71 9]

Outside edge crossover on my off foot. It was all mental and one day I found myself doing it cranking out of a corner in a big high school game and I buried the puck in the net, it's been one of my strengths since.

[NextBobbyOrr 0]

For me, it was lifting the puck and slap shot. Couldn't lift till 2nd year pee-wee, couldn't slap till 1st year bantam. But boy, when I got it, I got it.

[dsjunior1388 81]

First year of beer league I got a pass out to the point. Took two quick strides backwards and nailed a one timer. Caught it completely flush, a laser right on net. Bounced off the goalies pad and my buddy knocked in the rebound. Had no idea I'd be able to adjust on a pass and still get off a shot like that.

[toddmanley 0]

Going through this experience with backward crossovers. I'm still not very good, but did find myself doing them without having to think about it a few days ago. Amazing that when you practice sometimes you "think" too much, and then when you're in a game/scrimmage situation your subconscious just takes over and you find yourself doing something almost automatically.

However, I know it's still a rough skill because I caught an outside edge while practicing two nights ago at open skate and fell pretty hard into the boards. Slammed my head against the board and felt that I'd probably black out, but didn't. There probably was more give in the boards than the ice, so perhaps I was lucky.

[shotty 7]

i think when you're in the zone and you're relying on muscle memory or skill to get you to where you need to be, things come easier. for me, on breakaways, when i get them i score almost every time, but i'm horrible in the shootout, and in warmups, a teammate and i usually stand on either side of the boards and throw saucer passes back and forth through traffic. mine arent always pretty, sometimes they are wobbly or off target, but come game time, they are amazing.

so for me, its like time and my mind are my worst enemy, when i have no time to overthink and play purely on instinct and skill, i perform much better.

[Secti0n31 0]

Yeah, my slapshot last week. But that was a little bit 'effort related.' My slapper sucks but I keep taking them over and over. Middle of last week I saw a youtube video (PM me if you wanna see it) that told you to make sure you impact the toe of the blade first, so I did that with my normal slapper swing, and the puck started soaring, boom. 15+ years to learn how to take a slapshot and I figured it out in an hour, lol.

[mug25 2]

Good to see it's common.

I think that when I "THINK" too much, I don't accomplish what I'm trying to do.

[Travimo 0]

Seems like that's pretty much always the case, once you stop thinking about it it just kinda comes naturally. That was what happened with my hockey stops when I first started skating, once I stopped obsessing over them, they just kinda came. And then the same thing with the other direction.

[Agent1.8 1]

Good to see it's common.

I think that when I "THINK" too much, I don't accomplish what I'm trying to do.

Been guilty of this lately, I play so much better when I don't think. I had a pretty poor game overall last night (took an awkward hit and tweaked my back) just couldn't get into rhythm. I started thinking too much about every shift, stride, shot, etc and finally (without thinking) I made an aggressive play behind the net and was able to thread a pass to a teammate who scored the game winning goal (about a minute left in 3rd).

[maxamillion 3]

stopping. couldn't do it for the life of me. like luis mendoza. then one day I was about to run into someone, and it clicked.

[rachael7 1]

My wrist shot came to me that way. I was watching a Bruins game one night and I saw a Chara wrister from just the right angle and I just saw it... and understood. I told my partner and she said "yeah, whatever, we'll see when we get to the rink.". The next morning we went to a stick and puck. After a few warmup laps, I skated over with a puck and said "Watch.". Then I cupped the blade over the puck, picked it up and whipped it, just like that. Of course, perfecting it took a while, but that was the day I just 'got it'.

[Chadd 916]

Coming back from my concussion earlier this year was similar. There were certainly things that I was suddenly able to do again, that I hadn't been able to do a week before. Getting the timing back on my slapper was one of them. It was really bad for a while and then suddenly it just went back to the way it used to be.

[CAmmon 2]

When I get it, I'll let you know.

[tareatingrat 4]

Still haven't figured out a slapshot.

I can get one off okay, but it doesn't have much velocity. My wrist shot, however, has always been strong, and faster than my slapper, so I rarely work on the slap shot. I would LOVE to have a "get it" moment with a slap shot. Probably just need a good coach.

Skating came from just playing hockey. Stopping to the left was always difficult. Now it's easy enough. I'm sure I have tons of bad habits and techniques now, but I'm much better than I was three years ago when I started playing in a beer league.

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

Timing on and coordination for dekes. Sometime I have it, sometimes I don't. Wish I was more consistent with it.

Back when I was 20, shortly before my accident, I hit this zen-like state where I just understood that I was faster than most of the competition and had confidence in my game for the first time since I'd started playing hockey at 10. It's absolutely amazing what confidence can do in hockey. Tell yourself you can do it, it's amazing what you'll be able to do.

[Powerfibers 8]

Yeah, my slapshot last week. But that was a little bit 'effort related.' My slapper sucks but I keep taking them over and over. Middle of last week I saw a youtube video (PM me if you wanna see it) that told you to make sure you impact the toe of the blade first, so I did that with my normal slapper swing, and the puck started soaring, boom. 15+ years to learn how to take a slapshot and I figured it out in an hour, lol.

Thanks for posting this. I tried it, and guess what? BOOM! Now I get it.

My first real aha was when I first started and had trouble always stopping to the right. Got better fitting skates (volume wise) and suddenly I was able to do things I never could do before.

[Secti0n31 0]

Thanks for posting this. I tried it, and guess what? BOOM! Now I get it.

My first real aha was when I first started and had trouble always stopping to the right. Got better fitting skates (volume wise) and suddenly I was able to do things I never could do before.

Lol, that's awesome. It's like "I knew SOMEthing was wrong!" But you don't know exactly what. Ya figure out some little detail and it all clicks. It's like stopping on your toes, once you get it, you got it. Keep firing bombs man.

[Powerfibers 8]

Lol, that's awesome. It's like "I knew SOMEthing was wrong!" But you don't know exactly what. Ya figure out some little detail and it all clicks. It's like stopping on your toes, once you get it, you got it. Keep firing bombs man.

Thanks!

My slapper really has improved dramatically, even if it just something I work on to look good in warm ups! LOL.

[xrickyb86x 1]

I couldn't figure out my skating style for the longest time. I kept trying to rapidly accelerate constantly but I would sacrifice everything else about my game. recently I just realized I can hit top speed pretty quick and glide with a wide stance and stick handle (The best part of my game) into the next play I see. Makes me feel like Datsyuk lol.

[jds 20]

this is exactly why I love hockey. It is a never ending pursuit of mastering numerous skills. Never ending!

[mug25 2]

Ever just "lose it"? LOL Skated like crap last night...