The Easiest and Worst Bad Habits to Develop

[Iron Mike 1]

I'm jumping back into hockey after not playing for a decade. I just play beer league and drop-in. I research technique a bit, but for the most part I am just developing my technique as it comes to me. I'm concerned that if I continue playing in these settings I will develop bad technique that will be hard to reverse.

What are bad techniques that are easy to fall into and what are bad techniques that are difficult to reverse?

[chk hrd 164]

Can you expand on what do you mean by bad techniques. Are you talking habits, skating, stick work, position, etc?

[Souldriver 64]

I would say he is talking about all of those .

One thing I would say is that once someones feet stamps moving, they're taking themselves out of the play. I can't tell you how much you'll get by just keeping with things. or how kuchmuch you'll miss or let through by just gliding by.

[Zjack38 46]

My dad always says to me, that even if you have bad technique, just skate faster than everyone else so you look better, but I would say swinging your arms back and forth instead of like side to side, or something like that, I have that problem.

[Souldriver 64]

Also learning to keep your stick down. Slapshot windups, followthroughs, going to the boards etc. Us visor wearers and those insane enough to go pro bono will thank you when we dont need stitches.

[hunt3rsean 44]

One thing I notice in beer league is guys with their head down. The issue with this isn't only avoiding a collision, but it severely limits your options. If you can teach yourself to keep your head up you'll by yourself so much more time to make decisions. It was something I had to re teach myself after not playing for a long time.

[Chadd 916]

Biggest bad habit in beer league hockey is floating and long shifts. When you don't skate hard, you don't get tired and you tend to stay way longer than you should. I've never met anyone that can skate flat out, stop and start for two minutes or more, but I've met a lot that skate at least that long on every shift.

[mcne0101 16]

Trust your instincts. When you identify someone open, don't stick handle then load up a pass...get rid of the darn puck immediately.

Know your passing options before you get the puck. Don't stop moving your feet to pass/shoot/make a move. Don't shoot high glove every time like 99% of the beer leaguers and Cal Clutterbuck.

And most importantly If you don't have the puck move your dang feet and get open, if you're a good receiver you'll score a lot more goals. Create a lane for the person with the puck to get you the puck through.

[XveritasX 13]

I agree with Chad on the floating and longer shifts part. The problem with this is that once one person starts doing it on the team, it seems to spread. I would also say a lot of players get away from playing a team game. With my Div 2 team there are a lot of players that try to do too much themselves. It can get frustrating to watch and play with. I also play on a div 3 that has 6 girls who all play CIS/NCAA. I have never had more fun playing hockey than with those girls, they are constantly setting up plays, passing, etc. If my div 2 team could play like my div 3 team, we would destroy everybody.

[Iron Mike 1]

One thing I would say is that once someones feet stamps moving, they're taking themselves out of the play. I can't tell you how much you'll get by just keeping with things. or how kuchmuch you'll miss or let through by just gliding by.

Also learning to keep your stick down.

This is something I've had an issue with. I focus more on feeling like I'm on the right position on the ice and end up stopping when I get to that spot. That often leaves me flat-footed when I should have some momentum to shift into going in the right direction.

Besides the safety aspect, I can't react as fast to pucks and I don't get passes some times because I don't have my stick on the ice.

I would say swinging your arms back and forth instead of like side to side, or something like that, I have that problem.

Sorry, not sure what you mean.

One thing I notice in beer league is guys with their head down. The issue with this isn't only avoiding a collision, but it severely limits your options. If you can teach yourself to keep your head up you'll by yourself so much more time to make decisions. It was something I had to re teach myself after not playing for a long time.

This might be my biggest issue. I do it in soccer a lot as well. The issue is worsened b/c of my poor stick handling...

Trust your instincts. When you identify someone open, don't stick handle then load up a pass...get rid of the darn puck immediately.

Know your passing options before you get the puck. Don't stop moving your feet to pass/shoot/make a move.

I think you're right that trusting one's instincts is important for developing players. I could play a lot quicker if I didn't hold the puck and searching for the best option. Maintaining awareness like you mention will set me up for quicker reactions too.

[Zjack38 46]

I mean its like running, but on ice skates. instead of swinging your arms back and forth, face cheek to but cheek. But instead swinging them that ways you swing your arms side to side, like the Hanson brothers in slapshot.

[interpathway 9]

Utilize your arms to add to your forward or backward momentum, not wasting the energy by swinging side to side.

[Zjack38 46]

Yeah what he said

[jisatsu 4]

Bad habits I see all the time (especially with kids) are head down looking at the puck, long shifts, no passing, and stick off the ice. There's one kid that shows up to pick up games in the AM and while he's a great stick handler and pretty fast skater, he always has his head down and tries to dangle through everyone. It works for the most part because no one wants to be the guy who takes out the small 14 year old with his head down. Also I'm guilty of this a lot, not keeping the stick on the ice. It's hard to catch a pass if you don't have your stick on the ice.

[SirJW 207]

Make sure not to stick your leg out when you get beat (slew foot), it's kinda a reflex but it's a big no no.

[Iron Mike 1]

I think I understand the arm control point now. It's easy to swing your arms in similar fashion that your legs are pumping. I can see how this could be wasted effort or how it could mess up your form - like you said, similar to running or sprinting.

Make sure not to stick your leg out when you get beat (slew foot), it's kinda a reflex but it's a big no no.

Like when you are skating backward as a defender and they beat you outside, and you stick the far leg (the one the side they didn't beat you on) out to try to turn and catch up?

[hunt3rsean 44]

Not I understand the slew foot term either. Normally that is when you come from behind and kick your leg into the back of theirs. This causes them to fall backwards and is very dangerous.

What I see a lot is when a guy gets beat he will tend to stick his leg out and often causes knee on knee injuries. I've been guilty of it before. Not intentionally but it's a reaction type move one has to be conscious of.

[Souldriver 64]

I think hunt has you covered on the slew footing and tripping that happens.

Also similar to the arm movement while skating stuff..

Mostly in younger players when skating down the ice to join a rush they will hold their stick up and skate. Try skating with the blade on the ice and one hand on the stick. It's a much more natural position to skate plus the stick is down and it's very easy to get your second hand down when you need it.