How do I stop sucking?

[rsakas 0]

I've never played on a team before. I feel like I'm always in the wrong place doing the wrong thing. I kind of just chase the puck around.. I know I'm the worst person on the team but my teammates aren't really helping me out. They don't tell me when I'm doing something wrong or anything like they do the other guys (I'm the only girl on the team so I think they're afraid they'll hurt my feelings or whatever)

Also, We don't have team practices and the nearest rink is over 40 minutes away.. How do I practice w/o having to go all the way out there?

[Cosmic 178]

I've never played on a team before. I feel like I'm always in the wrong place doing the wrong thing. I kind of just chase the puck around.. I know I'm the worst person on the team but my teammates aren't really helping me out. They don't tell me when I'm doing something wrong or anything like they do the other guys (I'm the only girl on the team so I think they're afraid they'll hurt my feelings or whatever)

Also, We don't have team practices and the nearest rink is over 40 minutes away.. How do I practice w/o having to go all the way out there?

Does everyone determine what position they will be playing, before they go out and skate? Once in awhile, I will play with someone or some people who, when you ask where they are playing, they respond, "I will be all over the place." This is fine, if this person is a phenom, and if the other 3 people and myself all have a basic structure as to where we will be. However, when everyone just decides, "We will all just be all over the place," then it makes it a bit of a mess, for me anyway, because I play best when I have kind of a default starting point as to where I will be, relative to the other people on my team. I prefer to play on the C to Left Side, myself (C, LW, LD), but can and will play the Right side if I am with people who all prefer the positions I am most comfortable in.

That's the biggest thing tho, is at least having starting/ default positions where you fall into when defending, and then once you transition to offense, the game is dynamic, so if the LW is in position to chase a puck into the right hand corner, then sure this happens, but everyone just freewheeling all over, all the time, is not efficient for people on the Beginner side of Intermediate (as I am).

And then if you watch the pros, you will see that the routes they take are always dynamic and rarely straight. As they approach the net, they do not just charge it- they veer left, to get themselves into position for a right directional veer, then they shoot the puck as it gets onto their stick, and then they veer left again to avoid crashing into a goalie or knocking the net off the mooring.

So, there is alot going on, quickly, and if one lacks a clue as to where to start from, and how to move around, and lacks chemistry even with the other players, then this can be tough. Even basic stuff like knowing how to make yourself available to receive a pass- there is a whole science around this, whether you are part of a D pairing, a winger, Center, etc.

[thejackal 46]

work on your skills off-ice. hockey sense (the source of the problems you describe) will come to you over time and can't really be practiced off-ice, but in the meantime, working on technical details by yourself away from the rink can make a big difference. I was like you between ages 7-10 (worst kid on the team by far) and didn't play sports at all between 10 and 12. Started playing street hockey and roller hockey with friends at 12, began working on individual skills and ended up playing varsity in high school and 1 year of low-level junior, after which I stopped playing competitively. got back into a beer league this week and felt totally out of it the first game, but on the second game it got a lot better. a few drills that I like:

stickhandling: try to do shuffles (the basic left-right pattern), toedrags and figure 8s with different kinds of balls (tennis, whiffleball, golf ball). take your time at first and do it slowly, building up speed over time. you won't be like datysuk but the biggest thing I find is that it helps with my pass receptions in matches - you really have to soften your hands with light, hard balls like a golf ball or a mini-whiffleball. a smooth surface like a garage floor works best for this. aim for a fixed number of repetitions, then increase gradually

shooting: invest in a good metal net if you have a place to put it (garage, for example). buy a shooting board and a ton of pucks. shoot a set number of pucks each day (200 is a good number, take breaks like in weightlifting if your forearms get sore. then work your way up in numbers with time). power is not a priority at first. focus on getting enough spin on the puck to make it fly straight (rather than wobbly) - that's how you know you have good form and are letting the stick do the work. add power and aim for spots over time.

skating: you can develop skating speed at the gym (squats, deadlifts, kettlebell raises), so when you actually get on the ice, work your edges. you've got 4 of them. get a feel for each, going forward and backward. skating has always been my main weakness, so I dont have much to offer here, but there are some good video resources out there. if you hate skating (like me), just focus on generating a good "crunch" sound when you cut into the ice and making sure you can replicate that. it'll take your mind off of the fact that you're skating your bags off. also, work your sharp turns. I figured out over time that I couldnt turn as tight as I wanted to, which took me out of a lot of plays and prevented me from following the puck. getting that down might help you a ton as well.

once you get a basic work plan going for each major technical area of the game, then at least you're insured continuous improvement. your initial problem will still exist for the next months, but at least in the meantime you'll be a much better player. you'll also get some confidence, which will feed on itself.

[sickwilly 37]

It may help to watch as much hockey as you can. If you can, try to follow a specific player/position to see where they position themselves in different situations. If you feel like you aren't getting the kind of feedback that you feel that you need, it may help to ask your teammates for it.

[gxc999 7]

Easy tip to score more goals as a forward. Work on having fast hands. Work on dribbling (stick handling) a golf ball as fast as you can 100 times from forehand to backhand. This is ideal for doing in your own home, even on carpet. It helped me a lot.

[ollie 0]

I've never played on a team before. I feel like I'm always in the wrong place doing the wrong thing. I kind of just chase the puck around.. I know I'm the worst person on the team but my teammates aren't really helping me out. They don't tell me when I'm doing something wrong or anything like they do the other guys (I'm the only girl on the team so I think they're afraid they'll hurt my feelings or whatever)

Also, We don't have team practices and the nearest rink is over 40 minutes away.. How do I practice w/o having to go all the way out there?

I played ice hockey when I was younger and then switched to roller because it was cheaper. I noticed when I went back to ice hockey some 10.5 years later I noticed I got lazy and got some really bad habits. Anyway, a lot of rinks have advanced skills classes although they might call it something different. Start going weekly if you can. 40 minute drive isn't so bad considering the improvements you will make. Also snoop around youtube for exercises and drills you can do off ice that will dramatically improve your game. For example Jagr has quite a few videos of some exercises he does. I've integrated a lot of this stuff into my routines and have seen great improvements in a matter of months since I have been back on the ice. You just have to keep at it and don't get discouraged :-) Once you get the physical stuff sorted out you can adjust equipment to fit your style of play better. For example something as simple as changing sharpening hollows or even skate blade radius for how you skate can help once you have your physical conditioning dialed in. I hope I helped or at the very least provided some encouragement.

[MThockeydad 469]

Work on skating skills. Like Ollie said, see if your local rink has adult/advanced skills sessions. Our local Junior A coach does a session most Sunday nights between Women's drop-in and Men's C drop-in. It's been a huge benefit to get some power skating advice from a really good skater and coach.

Make sure you have a good stop. People seem to tolerate less skilled players as long as you're not out of control and running other people over.

Work on stickhandling. Work on solo stuff, as well as going to stick and puck sessions to practice passing/catching with someone else.

Work on positioning. Like sickwilly said, watch as much hockey as possible.

Depending on where you live, pond season is starting. Get out there and play with the middle schoolers. :)

...and keep playing. Your play will improve as your skills improve, and learning skills becomes more relevant when you see how they fit into game play. (I'm a hockey noob, but this advice fits into all the sports I've played/coached).

If you want shooting opportunities in games, make sure you focus on assists. Sending a lot of passes to your teammates in front of the goal is super for goodwill so they'll dish the pass to you when you're in position.

[joshy207 15]

Aside from practicing and gaining experience, you can ask your teammates what to do in certain situations, especially your linemates. If you feel like you made a mistake last shift, ask them "what should I do when X happens?" or "where do you want me to go when you're doing X?" I'm sure your teammates would talk to you about it if you asked them. That still happens on my team, we've been playing together for about 15 years, and most of us have played for much longer than that. Communication is very important, on and off the ice! Good luck!

[pondchief 2]

Easiest way to score goals is go to the net with your stick on the ice, if your playing forward that is. I always find when I join a new team that everyone warms up to you faster after you score a few goals.

[busdriver 6]

This is a great thread.

To the OP, how's it coming? What's working?

Someone mentioned figure eights. What are those?

My .02 : It seems the people who get the puck are the people who get them selves open for a good short to medium distance pass and communicate with their teammates. Try to know what you are going to do with the puck if it came to you at any given moment. If you aren't the best skater/stick handler you can still be a great passer If you know where your teammates are.

To the good players out there at drop in: feel free to provide some instructive positioning tips to us slower skaters so we can get better. It's fun for us to watch you skate around us and dazzle with your stickhandling prowess but its more fun to know where to be to get a pass from you.

[Cosmic 178]

Easiest way to score goals is go to the net with your stick on the ice, if your playing forward that is. I always find when I join a new team that everyone warms up to you faster after you score a few goals.

I agree with the 1st sentence (stick on the ice as you approach the net); that is pretty much my main strategy (it works).

I also agree with the 2nd sentence (score goals and people will like you), but it is easier said than done lol. I get my share of goals, but I think it is because I am the guy that the D is always least worried about, and we have the best goalie on our team. It was just funny reading this advice. Some things, you can really control, like how well you hustle, get back on D, etc., but goal scoring I find to be alot of instinct (predict where the puck will go) + luck (odd bounces lead the puck to go where you are predicting it to go) + focus/finishing (smash puck to area that you see white mesh). Not everyone can balance/master this art.

[MThockeydad 469]

To the good players out there at drop in: feel free to provide some instructive positioning tips to us slower skaters so we can get better. It's fun for us to watch you skate around us and dazzle with your stickhandling prowess but its more fun to know where to be to get a pass from you.

This is huge. I have some great players in my local drop-in and also on my league team who are VERY good with constructive criticism.

"When you're playing forward, stay just inside the other team's D on the blue line. Be ready for a break-out.

Don't drop too low unless your center and your D on your side are out of the slot and they have players in your house."

"When you're playing D and the puck comes down your side, put pressure on their offense. Push them to the outside.

When the play comes down the opposite side, hustle down the ice and guard the house."

I still haven't learned center. It seems to be "chase the f-ing puck everywhere, look for passes to your wings, shoot the puck, and guard your goalie while trying not to get exhausted in 1.5 minutes!"

[bwhockey17 12]

I found playing whenever I could to be helpful. Whether it is shooting in the basement, playing in the driveway or stick handling at home, all those actions help you gain confidence and familiarity with puck handling. In terms of positioning, watch the pros - and when I say watch, really watch and analyze what they do. Even playing video games like NHL 14 would help. Just become a student of the game and you'll do fine!

[rsakas 0]

To the OP, how's it coming? What's working?

Well, I still suck haha. I'm getting a little better slowly but surely though.

I haven't had time to get on here to respond and thank everyone, but I have been reading all the comments via email notifications and I must say that every comment has been extremely helpful! Practicing stickhandling at home is working very well, except for the fact that my mom hates me for scratching our hardwood floors. I've been watching hockey(and playing old NHL video games) as much as I can, which unfortunately is not a lot, but it's really starting to pay off.

Please keep the great advice coming!!!!

Some skating tips would be awesome! (i play roller btw, dont think i mentioned that before..)

[bwhockey17 12]

Just get low, and power through your first 3-4 strides. I found making a V shape with me skates when taking off gives me more dig on the ice, and make sure to angle it about 45 degrees as well.

Edit: don't know how that will translate to roller though haha

[dre3k 0]

Since you play roller I would say the most important thing is puck possession (no offsides, icing) so try to work on that during your rink time. It's better to pass back to the Def and setup again then to have a turnover or dump/chase...Not sure what position you play but if forward like others have said - crash the net and shoot low to produce more rebounds for teammates. If defense then try to 'step up' on your man earlier than later and use the boards to pass as opposed to across the ice.

As for skating try turning instead of completely stopping, work on tight turns and also try to always be moving instead of standing still. Like others have said - get low and try to have your first couple strides be powerful. Also, if you can just skate around town to do errands/exercise or to local parks...the more comfortable you are skating the better you'll get at hockey.

Hope this helps and hang in there

[mapleleafs13 2]

i would just keep going to pick-up shinny sessions at rinks and play, the more you play the better you get.

here in toronto we have free outdoor rinks that get taken care of and zambonied everyday in the winter. So you can go out and practice stuff for free and even play some shinny games.

[MThockeydad 469]

I would say the most important thing is puck possession (no offsides, icing) so try to work on that during your rink time. It's better to pass back to the Def and setup again then to have a turnover or dump/chase

Great advice. I need to work on this myself!

[bwhockey17 12]

I also find playing ball hockey for a few hours with a tennis ball or street hockey ball is fun. Loosens you up, and lets you be creative.

[mapleleafs13 2]

"How do i stop sucking?"

watch this video, learn to do what he does: