Will using a heavy stick affect my stickhandling?

[Franklin D. Roosevelt IV 0]

Just a question. I'm curious. Would using a heavy stick help or hurt my stick handling abilities? Maybe adding weights to the bottom of the stick? I read that Datsyuk did it as a kid. Not sure if that's true or not though..

[markstmartin89 0]

Just gets your wrist muscles stronger, so when you control a puck its much softer and smoother. Id only do that when youre just practicing stickhandling not during games or anything.

[Thepandamancan 0]

During a game or for practice? Ideally, you'd want to practice with the same stick, but it's no different than resistance training.

[t6lock 24]

From my experience, I'd say yes. As time goes on and sticks get lighter and lighter, everytime I get a new my stick it's always lighter and my stick handling ALWAYS improves. I have no idea if it has to do with the structure of the stick or the blades, but I am going to guess that the weight is one of the factors.

[flaming_june 2]

It also has to do with balance of the stick too. It's easier to dribble the puck left to right with a bit heavier stick that is balanced in weight, versus a lighter stick that's blade heavy.

[Franklin D. Roosevelt IV 0]

Yeah I'm thinking about practicing every day in my basement now since the season is over, for me anyway. The stick goes up to about the same height as when I am on my skates and using my game stick. I don't know what to stickhandle with though.. I searched on here and didn't find any unanimous decision for stickhandling balls/pucks. I am thinking about making a stickhandling pad though.

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

Yeah I'm thinking about practicing every day in my basement now since the season is over, for me anyway. The stick goes up to about the same height as when I am on my skates and using my game stick. I don't know what to stickhandle with though.. I searched on here and didn't find any unanimous decision for stickhandling balls/pucks. I am thinking about making a stickhandling pad though.

green biscuit hand down......did you read the thread on it?

[Franklin D. Roosevelt IV 0]

green biscuit hand down......did you read the thread on it?

Yeah I did, didn't help much. Anyway from practicing with a golf ball my hands got messed up. Like it feels very awkward to stickhandle now. Not a good choice from my opionion...

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

Yeah I did, didn't help much. Anyway from practicing with a golf ball my hands got messed up. Like it feels very awkward to stickhandle now. Not a good choice from my opionion...

watch some youtube videos then.........

[zachary 2]

Yeah I did, didn't help much. Anyway from practicing with a golf ball my hands got messed up. Like it feels very awkward to stickhandle now. Not a good choice from my opionion...

To be honest I enjoy stickhandling a golf ball, I think it mimics the movement of a puck on ice very well. That's just my personal opinion though.

[biff44 0]

One of the main purposes of stick handling practice is to be able to move the puck around without seeing it. You do a lot of that by "feel", so by weighting your stick down, that is not helping you to develope the feel.

Stickhandling heavy weights around can build up the muscles. you can get a big ball bearing and practice some with that. But a better wa to build up the muscles is dumbells and various wrist exercisers. There is a small gyroscope ball that is very good for forearm muscles, for instance.

[tareatingrat 4]

If the stick is lighter and balanced well, it should help improve puck feel, and should therefore improve your stickhandling.

That said, feel is a very subjective thing and some sticks are going to feel better than others, to you, anyway.

If you're practicing, you'll probably get better. In my basement I have the Kwik-Hands set, various stickhandling balls (smart-hockey, wooden, golf, street hockey), plus a shooting pad and some pucks. When I go down to do laundry or something, I practice for a few reps. I use a number of different sticks from wood, to old beat up composites, two pieces, etc.

I don't think any practice hurts, with any type of stick, and eventually you want to get to the point where it doesn't matter what you use, you'll be proficient with it.