stick handling question!

[Welpe 0]

This is interesting and something I was not aware of before. Since I am just starting out, maybe I ought to consider trying strong hand on top of the stick. Not sure what the results will be since I am so right hand dominant, I consider myself left hand stupid.

[goblue9280 33]

I'm right handed in everything, but a lefty in hockey. It's how my dad was taught, and thus how I was taught (since my first sticks were his old ones cut down.) I was always taught the top hand is responsible for the precise movements used in stickhandling. The bottom hand needs to have a looser grip so that the shaft can easily slide through the hand. Since the bottom hand is constantly moving along the shaft while stickhandling, shooting, etc... it seems logical to me that the top hand is most responsible for control and accuracy.

With all that said, ultimately you should go with what's comfortable. No reason to switch if you've been doing it one way for years. For my son, I started him with a straight blade youth stick, and let him hold it how he was comfortable... for the first few months he would flip flop between both sides. Eventually he began to always hold it as a righty... which puts his dominant hand at the top (as he writes/throws southpaw).

[metalwinger13 1]

yea i do everything right handed (write,throw etc) but shoot left, bat left, yet can putt left or right handed.

[ryanhockey21 0]

I am totally right hand dominant and I shoot right as well. I played with straight blade sticks when I was a kid and ended up righty, my brother is right hand dominant as well and he shoots lefty, different strokes for different folks.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Huh.. I've never heard of having your dominant hand on top... I would think that would be just as awkward as a righty golfing left-handed... I can't even imagine...

[JSK81 400]

Every friend of mine who has ever played hockey has always held the stick dominant hand on top.

[wrangler 157]

Huh.. I've never heard of having your dominant hand on top... I would think that would be just as awkward as a righty golfing left-handed... I can't even imagine...

I'm right-handed for everything, and shoot right. I've known a lot of right-handed folks who shoot left.

[deej 19]

I'm completely right handed and have my left on top. This may be because I'm completely left footed though for weight shifting.

I have played about with my dominant hand on top and it feels good too, but I've never tried on the ice. I feel it could get quite messy.

[phonak 0]

I'm left handed and play righty with my dominant hand on the top of the stick. That's just how most Europeans and Canadians are taught.

[ryanhockey21 0]

I have played about with my dominant hand on top and it feels good too, but I've never tried on the ice. I feel it could get quite messy.

Yeah I can stick handle in my living with a tennis ball with my dominant hand(right) on top, but on the ice I am a train wreck.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

I'm left handed and play righty with my dominant hand on the top of the stick. That's just how most Europeans and Canadians are taught.

Apparently not the part of Canada I'm from... heh.

[Chadd 916]

Huh.. I've never heard of having your dominant hand on top... I would think that would be just as awkward as a righty golfing left-handed... I can't even imagine...

Really? That has been the standard for decades. Actually, a righty golfing left handed would actually be better for the same reason as a hockey player. Having your dominant hand at the end of the shaft will give you more control.

This is interesting and something I was not aware of before. Since I am just starting out, maybe I ought to consider trying strong hand on top of the stick. Not sure what the results will be since I am so right hand dominant, I consider myself left hand stupid.

The later in life that you come to the sport, the lower the difference between your strong and weak hands.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Really? That has been the standard for decades. Actually, a righty golfing left handed would actually be better for the same reason as a hockey player. Having your dominant hand at the end of the shaft will give you more control.

Weird... I would expect that to be crazy awkward... I never even thought about it. I swing a baseball bat right, i golf right, im right handed... holding a hockey stick right just seemed natural. I've never even heard of doing it the other way.

[ryanhockey21 0]

Take a piece of PVC pipe and cut it 6-7 inches long and slide it on the stick and hold it with your bottom hand and stick handle around with it. Then switch sides and see what is easier. The PVC wont allow the bottom hand to control the stick, so the top hand is doing all the work. That is why your dominant hand should be on top.

[Stoop 1]

I've been doing the experiment with my son, 3.5 years old and right handed. We play in the kitchen (don't tell mom). No instruction from me, and no curve to the stick, and he just naturally holds it with his right hand on top.

[chandler 0]

I would stick with whatever feels the best to you. I write with my right, play hockey as a lefty and play golf as a righty.

[Thinkingjack 51]

I agree with Chad, i write righty, play lefty shoot right, throw baseballs right, bat left and right, and golf right side too, i can also stick handle lefty and shoot, but it isnt gonna be as good as my lefty shooting. I was always told i should be a righty but it never felt 100% comfortable so i switched to left

[Sisko 0]

I've been doing the experiment with my son, 3.5 years old and right handed. We play in the kitchen (don't tell mom). No instruction from me, and no curve to the stick, and he just naturally holds it with his right hand on top.

He could very well just mimic you, even if you don't realize that. For example if you handed over him a stick, grabbing top of a stick with your right hand. Or he might had seen you holding a stick some other time. Kids are very observing.

Not that I argue with you, just a thought. I'm from Europe and most players here indeed do have their strong hand on top.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

I grabbed a lefty stick at the LHS and a street hockey ball (I asked permission and told them what I wanted to do), and tried to stick handle a bit. Man it was awkward. So even if I *should* play with strong hand on top, if it's going to be detrimental to my game, I'm not going to change at age 28. Especially since I just play in a div5 mens league and it really doesnt matter.

[Stoop 1]

He could very well just mimic you, even if you don't realize that. For example if you handed over him a stick, grabbing top of a stick with your right hand. Or he might had seen you holding a stick some other time. Kids are very observing.

Not that I argue with you, just a thought. I'm from Europe and most players here indeed do have their strong hand on top.

He actually does it the "Canadian" way, dominant hand on top. I'm right-hand dominant, and use a righty stick, so my weak hand is on top. But then maybe he is trying to mirror me, considering that we are usually facing each other.

[wrangler 157]

I grabbed a lefty stick at the LHS and a street hockey ball (I asked permission and told them what I wanted to do), and tried to stick handle a bit. Man it was awkward. So even if I *should* play with strong hand on top, if it's going to be detrimental to my game, I'm not going to change at age 28. Especially since I just play in a div5 mens league and it really doesnt matter.

He actually does it the "Canadian" way, dominant hand on top. I'm right-hand dominant, and use a righty stick, so my weak hand is on top. But then maybe he is trying to mirror me, considering that we are usually facing each other.

I'm not sure why, if you are right-handed, you call your right your "strong" hand, and your left your "weak" hand.

I'm right-handed, and my left hand is stronger. Maybe it's from always carrying stuff with it, to leave my right hand free to do stuff.

I've been hoping to get some comments on one hand being used for gross motor control, and one hand for fine motor control (or something like that). A while back I mentioned I'd heard something about this, but haven't seen any comments on it.