learning hockey at an advanced age

[mjpisat 36]

I been at it for 3.5 yrs and didn't even attempt to start trying backward crossovers until 2 yrs in. You are doing it right by taking the time concentrating on the skating.

[Amazinmets73 69]

Thanks all. My game has been improving through practice and pick up games. I've been fortunate enough to play against relatively skilled players (the best players in our games are former college players) and acclimate myself to fast paced games.

It was a little disconcerting at first, but that's always how I've preferred to learn. The way I see if you truly want to improve it's always best to start off as one of the worst players in your league and bust your ass towards being one of the best.

[Amazinmets73 69]

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

Wow, so much improvement on those backwards crossovers in such a short amount of time. I don't know if you're doing it off camera, but make sure you're going around the circle both ways. If you want to mix it up, go around the circle facing the scoreboard the entire time, pivoting from forwards to backwards and vice versa at the top and bottom of the circle.

When you're getting back up after the rolls, make sure you keep your feet underneath you. I'm nut sure if the second one when you were coming back if your foot slipped or not. One knee up then the other, you don't have to spring both legs at the same time. A drill for that is to skate the length of the ice. Drop one knee of the near blue line, dive on the red and the other knee on the far blue. Or do one knee three times, etc.

[Amazinmets73 69]

[mjpisat 36]

So this thread has inspired me to go back and concentrate on the basics and work on things I kind of skipped. I've been playing for 3 years 8 months now. Past year I haven't been able to make it out as much as previous 2.5 years. Played ball/street hockey as a kid but never skated much. Started at 34, will be 39 in October. So not old, but not young. I was going to start a new thread but figured would post here. If this ain't cool, let me know. Anyway, first time I recorded myself. My biggest take away was I'm not bending my knees enough and have very short strides. Critique away.

[shoot_the_goalie 281]

Amazin. This is fantastic! So much improvement. Try to get your center of gravity a little lower, bend those knees but keep the upper torso centered and balanced (your upper is leaning a touch too forward), and try to elongate your crossovers into smoother strides. A great drill that will help all this is to skate backwards using the red face-off circles, but on only one foot using your inside edge (right foot if you're gliding left, and left foot if you're gliding right). See how much of a full circle you can complete. Will really help with your balance when using edges. Great stuff!

[Amazinmets73 69]

 

 

What can I do to get faster? 

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

Should have a very quick first three steps then go in to a full stride.  Honestly, you're looking great.  Maybe try to keep your chest/chin a little more upright.  Looks like you're getting decent knee bend.  Concentrate on keeping your arms moving forward and backward with less of a swing/twist to them.

Screen cap'd a frame, you want to keep momentum going as linear forward and backward as possible.  As you can see, your front arm is curled in front of your chest and the back arm is swinging out.

Edited March 1, 2016 by MyBoxersSayJoe
Clarification on hand positioning.

[Ashtasticness 89]

I really think it depends on your athleticism and your willingness to learn and practice and do what coaches tell you to do. I mean really listen and take their advice. I started at the same time as a a couple guys. I'm way better of a skater. I don't have much confidence in my hockey skills but I would say I'm way farther along than they are by a long shot. I don't expect to ever be amazing but if you want to improve, you have to make that happen on your own. I work out, I eat right, I go to practices, practice off ice, and (what I think is most important)  I watch/ask questions/listen to people better than me. You can't feel bad or get defeated if someone is better than you. Learn from them, ask them questions, and have a drive to be better than you are now. There was one day at an adult practice (proflow) that they had us skate backward to the blue line, switch and go forward to red, etc and I had no idea how to skate backward and I was SO embarassed. I was so mad and when I finally got home I cried. But now, I skate backward and transition decently enough (better than some).  :) if you wanna make it happen, make it happen.

[chk hrd 164]

First....NO CRYING IN HOCKEY!!!

Don't ever be embarrassed if you can't do something or have a question. That is part of the learning process. We all had to learn, some just did it earlier than other. When you are practicing, don't every be afraid to fail or fall. You learn that way. As long as you are putting in a honest, hard effort you have nothing to be embarrassed about. If someone gives you crap because you asked a question, fell during a drilled or whiffed a shot they are the fools not you. Even the pros still make mistakes and they will tell you they are always learning something.  

[Amazinmets73 69]

 

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

Looking a lot smoother and stable!

 

Haha, chk hrd, try telling Mike Peluso there's no crying in hockey. (I get the league of their own reference)

 

Edited March 14, 2016 by MyBoxersSayJoe

[Amazinmets73 69]

Update: I've been in Canada the past 5 weeks (Calgary and Vancouver) been playing a lot of drop in with skilled players but it's much more difficult to get open ice here as opposed to the east coast

[GreatestAmericanBeardo 258]

I was getting a little worried about you amazin'. Thought you dropped off the face of the earth...  Yeah, playing open (prob even more so in Canada) has got to be different then what we've been seeing from your videos.   I STILL can't believe you have all that open ice at home.  

[MikeBoyarchuk 45]

Nice. Keep it up. Looking forward to another video! And yes... Ice time is not always that easy to come by in Canada as the demand is high...always lol!

Edited May 30, 2016 by MikeBoyarchuk

[Amazinmets73 69]

 

[puckpilot 312]

On 23/04/2016 at 1:01 PM, Amazinmets73 said:

Update: I've been in Canada the past 5 weeks (Calgary and Vancouver) been playing a lot of drop in with skilled players but it's much more difficult to get open ice here as opposed to the east coast

Wow, I just skimmed through this thread, and it's pretty cool to see you make progress. Boo on the nay sayers.

As someone who when through some health issues a few years back and had to literally relearn how to skate, shoot, and stick handle I empathise a lot with your struggles. As I was skimming through this thread, I took notice of something about your stick handling, and I thought this video I found on youtube might help. It was extremely helpful to me in not only getting me back to where I was before my health issues. It helped me surpass my previous skill level. The instructor works with a lot of NHL players, and is I believe a skills coach for the Maple Leafs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgEHrq59czk

 

Oh, if you're looking for open ice in Vancouver, check out Richmond Ice Center. They usually have stick and puck every day from 9am-3pm. 

 

Cheers.

 

[Amazinmets73 69]

Haha I live at the Richmond centre  when I'm in Van. 6 CAD for 6 hours is unbeatable

 

Thanks for video I'll check it out

[Zylos45 118]

Looking good my man...good transition and crossovers

 

 Shows you can become a good hockey player at any age.

 

 

[chippa13 1844]

Just like anything, as long as you can put in the time and effort, it is never too late.

[howtohockey 3]

On ‎2016‎-‎11‎-‎18 at 3:44 PM, chippa13 said:

Just like anything, as long as you can put in the time and effort, it is never too late.

Absolutely! It's funny how working on your golf swing, or Tennis stroke is normal even for people in their 70's but people don't think they can get better at hockey. Get a little shooting pad a few pucks and mess around in the basement for 30 minutes a day and you'll see improvements. I think the biggest set back is skating, it's a little harder to practice for most. I'm trying to develop an off-ice solution with simple exercises that translate to improvements on the ice.

[Amazinmets73 69]

Skating comes far easier to me than shooting haha

[Amazinmets73 69]

 

 

 

[Vet88 674]

On 4/23/2017 at 5:34 AM, Amazinmets73 said:

 

 

It's great seeing how much you have improved. My thought is that you are now beginning to repeat / reinforce bad skating technique. Looking at the way you are skating you are too much on your inside edge and are using the sides of the boot to accelerate with, turn etc. To correct it it doesn't matter how much I or anyone else talks to you about this, this can only be learned by muscle memory experience. The approach I use is to get players to start lacing 1 eyelet down, practice like this then just as you start to feel comfortable, drop another eyelet. Keep going until you get to 4 down (the top 4 eyelets not laced). At this stage your ankles have no support from the boot, they have to hold you upright and you have to be skating on top of the blade or your foot will collapse. Game time you lace back up to where you are comfortable with but every non game skate you drop eyelets. If you really want to see how much impact this has on your skating, next time you have access to a goal on the rink undo 2 or 3 eyelets and then try and push the goal across the rink. If you have good technique you will be fine, if you use the sides of your boot in any way at all as leverage during the push your foot will collapse inwards and you have no power in the push.

ps - and on those turns really focus on getting the inside foot more forward. Try stepping into the turn / pushing forward with the inside foot, not just gliding into it.

Edited April 26, 2017 by Vet88
added goal push comment