Need an good online resource on how to play OFFENCE

[Beflar 53]

I've never been coached and I NOW know if I'm going to get better I need to become a student of the game. I need to find a coach that will help me on on offense but in the mean time is there a good online resource I can use. Or if you guys have some advice that you swear buy I would love to hear it.

My big problem is that I'm not automatic in what I do and sometimes I even get lost. I play drop in mostly which could be part of the problem...

In the mean time I've been really working on my skills. I do stick handle drills everyday now, I go to stick and puck drop ins to work on my skating and things have really improved. Defense is OK, it's the offense I now need direction in.

Summary: Offense, help. Skills OK, brain slow. Thoughts?

[xrickyb86x 1]

I've never been officially coached on how to play in the offensive zone (I was a goalie growing up) but it's not as difficult as playing in the defensive zone and knowing where you need to be at all times. Things I've always stuck with in the offensive zone for a beer league...

Don't get nervous, drive the puck to the net HARD. If you feel you can out muscle the defender then force him to play you hard. A lot of times you can choke up and look for a play when in reality your best option is usually always to drive the net.

Lost? Get in front of the net.

Try to go to "the office" behind the net. If no one is offering support down low when your team has control of the puck then try to wiggle your way down there. It creates tons of problems for D.

That's about all I have to offer. Again, not officially coached, but all these things work well for me.

[twolinepass 0]

I will have my fiancee tape one of my games and you can just do the opposite of everything I do.

[flaming_june 2]

Maybe this would help

http://www.hockeyschoolonline.com/

They've taken down a lot of the offensive stuff from when I read from it long time ago. It still seem to have a lot of info in shooting and under conceptual in Tactical and Theory.

[Chadd 916]

There's nothing that can teach you how to play offense. Hockey is so fluid and dynamic that no two situations are ever identical. Playing mostly in pickup situations makes it even harder as you really need to know the other guy and his tendencies in order to really be successful. Here are a couple things to think about.

Always make sure you're in a position to get the puck and that includes an open passing lane to get you the puck. Being all by yourself won't help if they can't see you or get the puck to you. When driving the net, try and get your body between the defender and your stick. Make him go through you to tie up your stick.

If you're one on two or one on three in a rush, go a little Gretzky curl to the outside and hit someone coming down the ice late. Trying to split multiple guys rarely works if the defenders are any good.

Make sure you look and see where everyone is and where they are headed before you pick up the puck or catch a pass. Knowing that will make it much easier to find a play once you do get the puck.

[ibeck 38]

One tip I can give about playing offense is GET OPEN. It seems simple but most people just stand around and wait for the puck. Go to open space, give the passer a lane to pass the puck and think about what you can do once you get the puck BEFORE it comes to you.

[chk hrd 164]

I agree with Chadd, you can't really learn the game by a book, there is to much happening to fast. The best way to learn is to play on a real team with good veteran players. Don't be afraid to ask them why they did something, if what you did is okay or if you should do something else. Hockey is about speed, movement and position. It doesn't hurt to watch all kinds of hockey. If you see something happen rewind and watch it again to see why it happened or how it developed. Pause the game to see where guys are at. Offense isn't just in the offensive zone, it starts in the defensives zone. I always taught that everyone plays offense and defense; Regardless where the puck is if your team has the puck, everyone is on offense, if they have the puck, everyone is on defense. You can't learn the game overnight, just try to learn as much as you can everytime you play.

[IPv6Freely 2096]

My biggest issue (aside from a lack of endurance to dig in the corners) is taking a pass on the fly out of our zone. They fire it up the boards while I'm skating forwards and half the time I miss it and it ends up being icing. Am I better to stand still at my own blue line, take the pass from the d-man and feed it off to a rushing forward instead?

[Lee-Bro 1]

My biggest issue (aside from a lack of endurance to dig in the corners) is taking a pass on the fly out of our zone. They fire it up the boards while I'm skating forwards and half the time I miss it and it ends up being icing. Am I better to stand still at my own blue line, take the pass from the d-man and feed it off to a rushing forward instead?

I had this issue starting out, then after a while instinct would tell me to go to towards the boards before the shot. Then I had to learn how to stop it. I learned that if my body is against the boards, not much will get past and it's definitely made the guys more confident is sending it along the boards on my side of the ice.

The biggest helper for me was going from lower E to upper D. I can honestly say in my first 2 games in D I rec'd more passes and was able to take more shots than my entire session in E.

My shots are still being developed so I'm usually the guy who if is able, will park himself in front of the net. I'm 6' @ 230lbs so I'm a bit hard to move.

The guys at drop-in sessions here (Cincinnati) are pretty cool about giving tips and explaining things. Earlier in the week there are fewer people so it's easier to work through some scenarios, positioning, and other drills. Then towards the end of the week you try to use what you've been practicing because we usually get enough for 2 teams.

[chk hrd 164]

My biggest issue (aside from a lack of endurance to dig in the corners) is taking a pass on the fly out of our zone. They fire it up the boards while I'm skating forwards and half the time I miss it and it ends up being icing. Am I better to stand still at my own blue line, take the pass from the d-man and feed it off to a rushing forward instead?

If you are a wing and the puck is deep and your d-man has it you should be on the boards at the half wall (about the hash marks on the circle) getting ready to start the break out or get the puck out of the zone. Once the d-man is starts moving forward you move forward with your stick on the ice and watching/waiting. You move up as the play moves up. The center should be coming down low doing a J hook to move up and out with the play being ready to help.

If you are standing still at the blue you are not doing any good. You are to far away for a safe breakout pass. When the play gets to you everyone will be up to speed and you'll be standing still getting passed by. Your D-man will be pissed because he couldn't do his job and had to skate it out of the zone. The center will be pissed because he's ahead of the play and can't do his job. The wing who is suppose to be moving the puck out of the zone and getting it deep in the O zone is now behind everyone.

Your first responsibility as a wing is to get the puck out of the D zone. If they fire it up the boards and you can't handle it trap it on the boards and look for the center to pass to. If you can't do that then just try and chip it past the blue line and chase it. If all else fails pin it and wait for support.

[Haggerty 144]

I just watch a lot of hockey and look at what players do in certain situations. I have to know your style of play though, finesse player, grinder, speedster, playmaker, etc. Do the things make sense in your style of the game, pick out a player you feel you play like on the ice and watch what he does in different situations in the offensive zone not just when he has the puck.

[silver571 2]

Unfortunately, as others have said, there is no set instructions on how to be a good player. The general things come to mind; get open in the offensive zone, back check, drive the net, etc. One thing you can do is try to read the play on the fly, anticipate what your line mates will do. That becomes easier when you've played the same guys over and over. Drop in can hamper that, as sometimes you have no idea where guys are playing.

[Haggerty 144]

Unfortunately, as others have said, there is no set instructions on how to be a good player. The general things come to mind; get open in the offensive zone, back check, drive the net, etc. One thing you can do is try to read the play on the fly, anticipate what your line mates will do. That becomes easier when you've played the same guys over and over. Drop in can hamper that, as sometimes you have no idea where guys are playing.

Yeah the majority of the game is instinctive, but that just comes the more you play

[flaming_june 2]

I disagree with most of the views here. Though y'all have your points, I believe anyone, (esp newcomers) benefit greatly to off ice mental trainning. You cannot just go by trial and error. Without knowing what to do first, you cannot expect to learn, and subsequently get to a point where you grasp everything instinctively.

There is no doubt hands on coaching in a 1v1 one ice environment in addition to on ice team coaching is the most beneficial to a growing player. However for those who do not have the opportunity to learn as such, one most teach himself on how to learn the game. There are certain physical, mental, and technical attributes that makes a good specialized player (either on defense or offense). Many players do not know what they are in relation to what the kind of player he/she is, or can be. Off ice learning, by watching videos, reading hockey books, and specific off ice physical training helps that person to:

1. evaluate what strength weaknesses they have.

2. understand and decide what kind of player one wants to be (there are variations of offensive players).

3. develop a conscious desire to be that type of player that further reinforces that person's motivations to be that type of player, and better player.

4. understand which portion of the game (from overall preparation to specific angle of the blade one's supposed to cup the puck), they have to work on to be the type of player he wants. Therefore moving forward in attaining that goal.

There's no doubt the speed/width/style of the team you're playing with, and against matters tremendously. No books or online tools can teach you how to adapt to each style of play and succeed in each offensive scenario. However office reading and watching does help you become a more cerebral player on the ice. Off ice materials also help with your mental and physical condition in relation to hockey and help your overall game (for example, Hockey Tough by Saul Miller). Other books and materials teach you how to approach the zone, what are the technics to a correct shot for you to practice on ice. This way when you're on ice you have mental reinforcements on what the little specifics are to each play. If you go on the ice with an empty head, and don't know how to play the position to begin with, then you will learn slower than if you had a game plan going on. There is no doubt that there are tons of information available that will directly improve your mental attributes like awareness, anticipation, how to position ones body (posture), how to position oneself on the ice (how/where to curl) and more.

In regards to your specific question about on the boards, if you know how to pivot properly, from the boards, pivot in a small circle away from the boards (inward) and then circle around. Try to time it so that when your D is putting a saucer along the boards, as soon as the puck gets to you, you're facing forward and out of the zone with the puck, at speed. However if you already have a hockey play developing where your C is going low/behind the net, then it may be best served if you didn't move, stop the puck with your skates and tap it to your speeding C. By then you should be wheeling as well.

Didn't edit/revise this so sry for the typos.