Blue or White Pucks

[Labrat198 7]

I want to work on my stick handling, primarily trying to not look at the puck while skating. I am wondering if using the Blue Mite pucks would help develop my feeling a regulation black puck or if the White Goalie pucks would be better so I would have a harder time watching it on the end of my stick.

Let me know if you think either of these plans could backfire on me too, such as if you have used the white pucks and found yourself watching it even more because you couldn't see it with your peripheral vision.

[shoot_the_goalie 281]

I'm a little bit of old school mentality, but I would say just practice with a regulation black puck. That's what you're going to play with on the ice, then why not practice with it, so there's no adjustments to be made later? Dryland training is different, cause sometimes practicing with a real puck does not simulate on-ice conditions/physics.

[Stewie 721]

Use black pucks in the game, so use them in practice. There is something to be said about some training tools, but the puck isn't something you really need to mess with.

[x-axis 44]

No. My old coach used the weighted heavier orange pucks during practice to help us to develop softer hands. It works. The only thing is you can't shoot with them otherwise you'd probably break the glass.

[Stewie 721]

No. My old coach used the weighted heavier orange pucks during practice to help us to develop softer hands. It works. The only thing is you can't shoot with them otherwise you'd probably break the glass.

he's talking about developing his periphery vision however. Nothing is going to teach you how to see a black puck in your periphery like using a black puck.

[x-axis 44]

stick handling is as much about feeling the weight of the puck as it is about seeing it on your periphery. both work and are developed in tandem.

Or to clarify, I've found that using orange pucks was easier in the transition back to black pucks in the development of seeing and feeling them.

But to each their own. What works for Stewie or myself may or may not work for you.

[Labrat198 7]

stick handling is as much about feeling the weight of the puck as it is about seeing it on your periphery. both work and are developed in tandem.

Or to clarify, I've found that using orange pucks was easier in the transition back to black pucks in the development of seeing and feeling them.

I have played around with the orange pucks a couple times and could feel it more. I felt like I wasn't glancing down to check where the puck was before a shot (outdoor rink so no glass) or pass as much. My logic was if I used a blue puck, the regulation pucks would feel like the orange ones do now. But perhaps using the orange pucks to develop the muscle strength and memory helps develop a feel for anything on the end of my stick.

All that said, I have a tendency to overthink everything and get stuck pondering the nuances of a subject instead of just working on the basics. Tossing a couple colored pucks in with all the regulation pucks I have just to change things up a little probably falls in that category.

[badger_14 601]

One of the exercises I've seen suggested for kids is to stickhandling with softballs - since you have to be more careful so as to not scatter them around the ice, you get a better sense of where the puck (or object) is and how much effort it takes to move it. I did try this for a while (when I was skating out) and found it helpful.

To be totally out there, I read a book where a guy put like - a visor, I think? - under his eyes, so that even if he looked down, he literally would not be able to see the puck, and would have to go totally by feel. Never tried that one, though.

[Labrat198 7]

One of the exercises I've seen suggested for kids is to stickhandling with softballs - since you have to be more careful so as to not scatter them around the ice, you get a better sense of where the puck (or object) is and how much effort it takes to move it. I did try this for a while (when I was skating out) and found it helpful.

To be totally out there, I read a book where a guy put like - a visor, I think? - under his eyes, so that even if he looked down, he literally would not be able to see the puck, and would have to go totally by feel. Never tried that one, though.

I use a couple different balls when I am playing around in the driveway that I could toss in my puck bag easily enough. I have heard about using a visor to block your vision but that's more involved than I want to get.

[Vet88 674]

Didn't matter what puck I used, you have to learn to look up. Same as skating or puck handling, not looking at the puck is muscle and game memory that you have to learn, very rarely does it come naturally. One of the hardest things is to keep remembering to do it during a practice, you start off with the best intentions and often when you have finally finished the practice you realise you may have only done it a few times when you promised yourself you were going to do it all the time! At each practice I used to put a little strip of different coloured tape across the top of the blade, it works as a different visual prompt for each practice that jogs the memory to look up every time I looked down at the puck.

Try to get someone to help you, they skate backwards in front of you and keep reminding you to get your head up you every time you look down, as they weave their way around the rink you have to follow them puck handling all the way. Free skate or skate around cones or a course and even other players, add in dekes and passes and you have a really focused drill that works on keeping your head up in game like situations. Then have them holding up a hand with 0 - 5 fingers extended, you count the fingers and they do this 5 times, you add up the 5 sets of fingers and tell them the total, this causes you to concentrate on something else whilst puck handling and your head is up. Toss the puck into the corner or against the boards then skate in to get it, focus hard on not looking at the puck once you know where it has stopped / is going and skate in hard to pick it up whilst all the time looking at your partner. Once you have picked the puck up either deke your partner or pass to him or stop turn stop turn pass (whilst stop turning you can glance up down at the puck but primarily your head has to be up).

I must admit this is one of my big gripes about receiving players thru the grades, often their skills are good but they haven't been taught or had enough work done on how to look up and therefore their game sense is limited.

[Labrat198 7]

At each practice I used to put a little strip of different coloured tape across the top of the blade, it works as a different visual prompt for each practice that jogs the memory to look up every time I looked down at the puck.

I like that idea!

[Miserable 6]

I coach mites so I spend a lot of time with those damn blue pucks and would recommend staying away from them and just using regulation pucks to train with.

I understand the idea of the lighter puck but hate everything about it. I also spend more time during the week on the ice with the kids than I do playing on my own so I have to adjust to the regulation pucks again for men's league.

Not a huge deal (all set after 1 or 2 shots in warm ups) but if you're trying to train in a specific skill, the less adjustments you have to make between practice and in game, the better IMO.

[Speedz98 15]

I coach mites so I spend a lot of time with those damn blue pucks and would recommend staying away from them and just using regulation pucks to train with.

I understand the idea of the lighter puck but hate everything about it. I also spend more time during the week on the ice with the kids than I do playing on my own so I have to adjust to the regulation pucks again for men's league.

Not a huge deal (all set after 1 or 2 shots in warm ups) but if you're trying to train in a specific skill, the less adjustments you have to make between practice and in game, the better IMO.

I coach PW and SQ but at a tournament my organization went to, our Mite team lit their competition up and outscored the opposition pretty heavily. The tournament had the Mites play with blue pucks...All our mite teams practice with black.

I think for little little guys 3-5 years old in some cases, using blue pucks to work on skill development and fundamentals so they can physically manipulate and have the strength to make the puck do things isn't a bad idea at all. When you have little players starting that early it's not a terrible idea to try to cater to their strength levels. For team practices though, especially Mite Major teams, 6-8 years old..black pucks are the way to go. You want them to have the strength to make cross-ice passes to prepare them for full-ice hockey (squirts).

For adults, working with Orange pucks presents another challenge and is equivalent to weight training in my mind. Imagine working on your hands two days before a game with an orange puck and then playing with a regulation one..how light it will feel, it'll be like a toy on your blade. That's progress.

[CommodoreColt 19]

I disagree with the oldschool. Practice stickhandling with a variety of different objects to develop your senses, coordination, and touch beyond what you'll need to dangle blindfolded with a black puck.

Obviously everyone should practice mostly with regulation rubber when they can. But throwing some variety in, say an 85/15 or 90/10 mix, challenges what you think you know about moving that black puck around where you want it exactly when you want.

Think of how much harder it is to handle the puck at the end of a long shinny compared to warmups. As you fatigue your perception and feel for the puck changes... your senses dull and your forearms tire. Your body and its reflexes that are only used to working with a 6 oz. black puck suddenly can't recognize it as a 6 oz. black puck but something heavier and less predictable.

I don't want to diminish anyone else's way of thinking but diversity in practicing does have great benefits. Stickhandle with anything you can find. Besides, it's fun.