I CANNOT learn how...

[Jbear 113]

...to do that "trick" where you pick up the sitting flat puck onto your blade! I've been playing hockey since 1975...played HS...college...a year after that in Canada.   I have been trying to learn how to do this forever!  It's driving me nuts.  I'm a good hockey player...I'm a good teammate (at least I've been told these things), but sometimes I feel like I'd give it all up if I could just learn this stupid trick.  Ok...obviously I'm kidding, but...I'm not giving up!  Maybe it's stick length/flex (I'm 5'9'"...75 or 80 flex cut to 60.5" toe on the ground)? Wax isn't sticky enough (I use a candle)? Sins from a previous life?  I'm clueless.  There are guys that I can play circles around who can do it. Are there any other accomplished players out there in the same boat?

HELP!!!!! Or ridicule me...either is fine.

[Cavs019 708]

The trick is to actually push down on the puck and load the shaft to generate centrifugal force and then pull upward smoothly from there. 

If I’m being blunt though it’s a completely useless skill and I wouldn’t spend a ton of time practicing it or worrying about it. I enjoy doing it in warmups from time to time to get my hands loose but beyond that its pretty pointless unless you plan on attempting the Michigan on a nightly basis (and dealing with the repercussions of people potentially trying to take your head off). 

Edited June 21, 2021 by Cavs019

[Jbear 113]

I completely agree...I've had a very successful 50 years of hockey without being able to do it. It's just bugging me that I can't...and I'm not the sort to quit.  I'm sure it's pretty obvious that the tone of my rant is hyperbolic/humorous.  Rest assured...it's not affecting my enjoyment of the game🤣🏒🥅🇨🇦😎.

Edited June 21, 2021 by Jbear

[shooter27 116]

I’d suggest YouTube.  There has to be video explainers on this trick on there somewhere.  It sounds like you’ve kinda psyched yourself out about it though, just have fun with it.

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

The Zorro?  Pavel Barber has a lot of tutorials on it.  It took me months to get the basic motions down, and even then, I can't do it in anything other than warm-ups.  I usually have to go forward then pull back.  If you want an aid in learning, try a softer wax like Sex Wax.  The funny thing is that all I concentrated on in my youth was skating, skating, and skating.  As an adult, I'm actually working on my hands for a change.  Especially since I'm slowing down as I get older.

 

[psulion22 402]

On 6/20/2021 at 8:33 PM, Cavs019 said:

The trick is to actually push down on the puck and load the shaft to generate centrifugal force and then pull upward smoothly from there. 

If I’m being blunt though it’s a completely useless skill and I wouldn’t spend a ton of time practicing it or worrying about it. I enjoy doing it in warmups from time to time to get my hands loose but beyond that its pretty pointless unless you plan on attempting the Michigan on a nightly basis (and dealing with the repercussions of people potentially trying to take your head off). 

I knew a guy that was a new player pretty determined to learn how to play.  He used to go out to a roller rink every day and work on skills to improve.  The problem is he wouldn't work on any skill needed to play hockey.  Mostly he'd practice clappers and picking the puck up on his blade.  He got really good at both, it was pretty impressive in warm ups.  Too bad that once the game started he wasn't ever close enough to the puck to use those skills because he never worked on his skating, stick handling, or giving/receiving passes.  He wanted to look cool, and felt that those two skills would accomplish that, while being afraid to fall and be embarrassed.  Needless to say, he doesn't play anymore.

[Jbear 113]

Good point...I've known a lot of guys like that🤣

[marka 526]

Howdy,

Playing hockey, for nearly everyone, is about having fun.  If hockey is more fun if you learn to pickup the puck from the ice...  Cool!  Its not an "either/or" situation where you have to pick being able to do that or being able to skate well.  You're allowed to do both.

Mark

[Jbear 113]

Apparently...I'm not🤬🤣

Good point...I've known a lot of guys like that🤣

[marka 526]

Howdy,

Could be worse... You could start playing when you're 46 and not be able to skate well, have crap hands, shoot muffins, and not be able to pick up the puck from the ice either.

Uh... Or at least... So I'm told.  🙂

Mark

[psulion22 402]

6 hours ago, marka said:

Howdy,

Playing hockey, for nearly everyone, is about having fun.  If hockey is more fun if you learn to pickup the puck from the ice...  Cool!  Its not an "either/or" situation where you have to pick being able to do that or being able to skate well.  You're allowed to do both.

Mark

Except that he didn't do both.  He chose one over the other.  And he stopped playing after a short time because it wasn't fun for him anymore.  Once he progressed past the beginner stages and into games, he wasn't ever near the puck to make any hockey plays.  He got frustrated and quit.

So I do agree with you, hockey should be about having fun for most people.  But emphasizing skills that are less or not utilized in most situations in favor of important ones is probably not a good way of having fun in the long run.

[Jbear 113]

Just wanna be clear...the nature of my post is totally whimsical! 

[psulion22 402]

6 hours ago, Jbear said:

Just wanna be clear...the nature of my post is totally whimsical! 

I got you. I’m in your boat. Picking the puck up is a totally useless skill that has no real application in a game and is pointless to try and learn. Or at least that’s what I tell myself because I can’t, for the life of me, figure out how to do it! 

[mhein22 9]

you are trying to push the top back edge of the puck down with the bottom of your stick blade, so that the puck stands up.    picture a dice.  you push on one edge and the dice will turn on its "side".

so get your blade on the back edge of that puck, then get your hands real low to the ground.  and try to tip that puck to stand up by pushing on your stick.

[start_today 770]

15 years ago, we were all bemoaning how kids spent too much time practice moves like this and super fancy video game level stick handling moves, but weren’t focusing on “practical” skills. 

Now the NHL is the most creative and fun it’s ever been, and dudes are doing wild stuff at full speeds in game. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Edited August 16, 2021 by start_today

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

I witnessed three of our younger players on a summer team I coach attempt the Michigan during games this summer.  The skill some of them have and integrate into the game is wonderful.

[Jimijames 1]

Good question. Here’s how you do it. You have to get the shaft of your stick quite low to the ground, and place the width of your stick blade on top of the puck. The puck MUST be in the middle of the width of your blade. If the bottom of your blade is below the puck, or the top of your blade is above, it won’t work. 
Now, once you have the blade placed centred over the puck, when you apply downward pressure on the shaft, you should see the top edge of the puck start to lift off of the ice. This is because the edge of the puck is rounded, and when the blade is centred properly and the downward pressure is applied, it’s forcing the opposite edge of the puck to protrude off of the ice a bit. 
Once you manage to achieve this, it’s only a matter of the drag and scoop, because the puck is already tilting upward. Now if you do a toe drag, and scoop, you should be able to scoop that puck up onto your blade as it goes from curve side down to curve side up. Good luck. Practice it like this, and you’ll soon get it.