Our Hockey Checklist

I've mentioned a few times that my granddaughter and I came up with a checklist to help us improve our game.  It's kind of a mish-mash of things, but important enough to need reminders.

The first five are fundamental skills that you want to make habits.

• Hold the stick correctly.
• Hockey stance.
• Hands out in front of the body.
• Bottom hand loose and slides when needed.
• Top hand controls the stick.  Rotate the wrist.

The next one is simple, but oh, so important.

• Tap the stick one-handed to build hand, wrist and forearm strength.

Drills can be frustrating at first, but keep practicing and you will get better fast.  Be creative!

• Ball or puck at the heel of the stick when stickhandling, for better control.
• Drill:  Around two pucks, then figure 8's.  Clockwise and counter-clockwise.
• Drill:  Stickhandle around the body: forehand, backhand, out front, in close, out wide, behind, etc.

These last two items are things to work on regularly.  They're important and will give you an edge on the ice.

• Saucer passing.
• Elevating the puck when shooting.

So that's our list.  What would you do different?  What did I miss?  Let me know in the comments, and thanks for your feedback.

Agility - Five Dot Drills

What is agility?  Here's the formal definition:

1.  The ability to move quickly and easily.
2.  The ability to think and understand quickly.

So there's physical agility and mental agility.  We're going to talk about the physical side here.

There are lots of agility drills out on the internet.  The "Five Spot" (AKA Five Dot) drill is one that I've seen used by hockey coaches and players.  To do the drills, you'll need to lay out the following pattern.

You can buy mats or carpets with the dots already there, or you can use chalk outside, or even bits of tape indoors.  The diagram below shows the standard layout, but for younger, smaller players, you can shrink it to fit their size (slightly wider than shoulder width).  Ideally, the spots should be four or five inches across.

So how do you use this pattern?

This .pdf page lays out the drills and time goals for the drills.  Clicking that link will open a file you can download for reference.

Here's an excellent video showing each exercise in action.

What Did I Get For My Twenty Five Bucks?

A while back I posted about buying a bunch of PVC at the local hardware store.  I got three ten-foot lengths of 3/4" pipe, a ten-pack of "T" joints, a ten-pack of 90 degree elbows, and four 45 degree elbows.  Total cost was not quite twenty five dollars.

So let's look to see what kind of hockey training aids I made for that investment.

My first project was a DIY Dangler.  The photo below shows the final pair I built, and next time I go to the hardware store I'll pick up another "T" so I can turn these two into a single piece twice as long - when I want to.



After the danglers, I tried a couple versions of a simple backstop so I could practice snap shots and saucer passing indoors without having pucks bouncing and ricocheting all over the room.   Below is the current version, which uses a beach towel draped over the frame.  So far, this is working well.  More details can be found here.



Next up was a mini-goal that I set in front of the above backstop.  I haven't done anything more than put the frame together for now, but it still provides a nice target when shooting or saucer passing.  There's no post about this one yet, but the idea is simple, use 90 degree elbows to connect 18" lengths of PVC pipe together into a sturdy unit.  The two pipes leading back from the base don't have to be 18" long, use what you have or what length would fit best for your setup.



Lastly, I put together this DIY version of a Fast Hands stickhandling training aid, using the awesome instructions by Mark Ivan.



Right now, everything is just press-fit together, and only the danglers are painted.  I already have PVC solvent from a previous project, so that wasn't included in the original cost.  Same for the spray paint.

As always, a reminder that all the cool toys in the world won't make you a better hockey player, if you don't use them.  Put in the work, and have fun doing it!

Stronger Grip - Farmer's Walks

The Farmer's Walk is a very simple exercise that will make your hands and forearms stronger.

The idea is simple.  Grab something heavy in each hand and walk as far as you can with it, until you have to set it down.  For instance, an adult could carry a couple of 5 gallon buckets full of sand or water.  If that's too much, try a cinder block or brick in each hand.  For a youngster, big cans of soup, small dumbbells or even large books would work.  It's easy to tailor the weight to something you can handle for 30 seconds or so, but heavy enough that at the end you really want to put it down.

Rest for a minute or so, then turn around, pick up the weights again, and walk back to where you started.

Farmer's Walks are great for your forearms too, and your back... actually, it pretty darn good for your entire body.

Two or three times a week is enough for this one.

Directions

So far, a lot of what I've posted has been about stickhandling.  The reason for that is simple, stickhandling is what I concentrated on the most when first starting out, mainly because it's a fundamental skill that I could practice at home.

Whether it's the strengthening exercises I've talked about, or the cool little toys that help keep practice fun (and I love the cool little toys), the primary emphasis has been on that basic skill.  To work on skating - and you should - you need ice time.  For shooting, you need some sort of goal or backstop.  For practicing your stickwork, you only need a stick and a ball or puck.

So yeah, we'll be branching out here soon enough.  I'll talk about some apps I've tried and like, and some store-bought training aids that I think are worth the money.  I'm just getting serious about shooting, so look for more about that too.

In the meantime, have fun.

DIY "Fast Hands" Stickhandling Training Aid

The Fast Hands Stickhandling Training Aid is very cool and allows a lot of creativity and variety as you practice.  In the video below, Mark Ivan shows how you can build your own version using 3/4" PVC.  His instructions are clear and simple, and you'll see step by step how to proceed.

I sat in my living room with a PVC cutter and parts, and created my own (just slip fit for now) in about a half hour.  Time well spent.



Mark gives all dimensions in the video, but here it is all listed out.  All the pieces are 3/4" PVC.

1 - 12" long
2 - 11" long
2 - 10" long
6 - 3 1/2" long
4 - 1" long

4 - "T" joints
4 - 45 degree elbows
2 - 90 degree elbows

Primer and solvent (optional)
Spray paint (optional)

A note about the primer and solvent, you'll find that you don't need much, so buying a can of each will give you enough for many, many projects.

Here's a great video showing you twenty five different drills you can do with your new training aid, and each drill is shown at full speed, then slowed down so you can see what's going on.  One thing to remember is that you don't have to stand still in front of it.  Try standing to one side or the other as you practice.  Move around it as you move the puck.  You can also pop the puck or ball over the top of the bar, so you can get used to thinking in 3D as you stickhandle.



Each flat side is numbered, with 1 on the left, going to 5 on the right.  This becomes helpful when you write down your favorite drills, so you can note which openings you're using.  I can see this becoming a kind of "HORSE" game with stickhandling sequences instead of shooting too.  Think Simon with a puck instead of flashing lights.

Finally, here's a video with stickhandling wiz Pavel Barber.  He stresses creativity and getting out of your comfort zone as you practice for maximum benefit.  The key here is not trying to go too fast for your skill level.  Speed will come as you improve, so don't frustrate yourself needlessly by trying to do too much too soon.

Hand, Wrist and Forearm Strength - Forearm Roll

This simple piece of exercise equipment will really give your wrists and forearms a workout.  Known as a Forearm Roll, you might be able to make your own with stuff you already have in your garage or shop.

If not, the materials are simple and cheap.  Get a 24" length of closet dowel or 1" PVC pipe.  It doesn't have to be exactly 24", but don't go too much shorter than that.  For a youngster, a leftover piece of that 3/4" PVC we've been using for other DIY projects will work great (use the thick wall schedule 40 type).

Tie a length of clothesline or thin rope to the dowel.  Paracord works well too.  The rope should be long enough to reach the floor when you hold your arms straight out in front of you.  Make the knot tight enough so that it doesn't slide around the dowel as you try to roll it up.  A strip of duct tape over the knot helps here.

On the other end of the rope, tie a weight of some kind.  You can use a dumbbell, a small bag full of sand, or a weight set plate like in the picture above.  Be creative if you have to, what the item is isn't really important.  Again, for the youngsters you can try a mesh bag that onions or oranges come in, filled with a can or two from the pantry.

To use, stand straight up and hold the dowel in both hands with your arms extended straight out in front you you.  Now, start to roll up the rope by turning the dowel in your hands.  As the dowel turns, it will take up the rope, which in turn will lift up the weight.



When you get to the top, turn the dowel in the opposite direction to lower the weight back to the floor.  Repeat two or three times.

This exercise really works the forearms.  Don't try to go too heavy with the weight, try something relatively light at first.

DIY Shooting Backstop - Updated - New Version

Not long ago I posted about a quick and dirty shooting backstop that I put together.  It worked great, but at the same time, it was more like a "first draft" because of the way I used bits and pieces laying around the shop to put it together.

Here's version 2.  It looks better, is easier to set up and take down, and is a little more stable as well.



The first difference is that I replaced the two bath towels with a single heavy beach towel.  After playing with different ways of attaching it to the frame, I found that just draping it over the top bar worked well enough.  Even better, this made it much easier to take apart and store when not being used.

The second difference is the frame.  It's still made of 3/4" PVC pipe.  The two uprights and top crossbar are each 36" long, connected by 90 degree elbows.  The uprights end in a "T" joint.  The rear legs are 18" long (you could probably go a little shorter), and the front legs are 4" long.



Everything is just press-fit together.

I'm going to use this for a few days and see how it works out.

Pile o' Pucks

You don't need a bunch of pucks to practice shooting with.  One single puck is enough.  But, after every shot you have to retrieve the puck.  So while you don't NEED a bunch of pucks, it sure is nice to have more.



Just for fun, here's a shot looking into my milk crate full of pucks.  There's about 50 in there, along with a FlyPuck, two Green Biscuits and two Snipes.

If you're in a sporting goods store, pick up a puck or two.  If you're at your local rink, stop in the shop and get a few (helps to support them too).  You can get pucks by the dozen on Amazon.  I pick up a dozen once in a while when they're on sale for about fifteen bucks.

You don't have to break the bank, and you don't need to get a bunch all at once.

BUT, if you can get a bunch all at once (Santa?  Are you listening?)...

Regular ol' hockey pucks cost about a dollar in Canada.  In the US, you can expect to pay a dollar and a half or more, depending on how many you buy all at once. 

And then there are these amazing deals from PatriotPuck.  First off, shipping is free.  Always.  A box of 25 pucks costs $24.99.  Best price around, but it gets better.  Buy a box of 50 and you pay $38.99, and a box of 100 is 77.95.  That's pretty amazing.

So, do you need 100 pucks?  Nope.  Do I recommend getting more than just a few?  Absolutely.  You see my crate o' pucks above.  I'm putting in an order for another 50, and my granddaughter might find a box of 25 under the Christmas tree.

My (American) Thanksgiving Gift to You

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  Personally, I'm thankful that at my age, I'm still healthy enough to be learning something new and fun like hockey.

My gift to you:  On YouTube, there's a channel called The Hockey Guy.  He's a serious hockey fan, and covers the entire league rather than focusing on just a team or two.  Smart, insightful and funny, he also manages to put out two or three excellent videos every day.

Check him out.

DIY Passing Rebounder

I built the one described in the video, and as he suggests in the video comments, I made mine three feet long instead of four.  Honestly, this takes about twenty minutes to build, start to finish.

This works great.



Details:  I used a 3 foot long length of particle board and a 40" long bungee strap.

I used the fat, wide bungees he mentions in the first comment on the video, but they're now unavailable.  So for my next one (to be built), I bought these "Highland Fat Strap Bungee Cords 4-Pack - 30" and 40" from Amazon.

Here's the Amazon link.

They're made by the same company.  Prime shipping, and only $7.99 for the set.  I do plan on making another one soon.

If you're worried about the bolts chewing up your floor or carpet, you can get non-slip material and put pieces under the legs.  The plastic dip for tool handles might work too.

Stickhandling Videos

Here are some videos I found on YouTube showing different techniques and drills for stickhandling.  I re-watch these occasionally as a refresher, and to remind myself to focus, because I will get better if I put in the work.

I'll be adding to this set over time, so check back and scroll down to see what's new.

Stronger Grip - Rubber Band Extensions

This exercise is one you can do pretty much any time you have a few minutes to spare.  Wrap a thick rubber band around your fingers, then extend your fingers to stretch the rubber band.


This is a very effective way to strengthen the muscles of your hand.

DIY Shooting Backstop

This one is about as quick and dirty as it gets.

I have a mini-goal that I use to practice sauce passes and snap shots in my basement, kind of like the Hockey Sauce kit (instructions to come in the near future), and I needed a backstop for it.  Since it's only one foot square, it's easy to miss.  I did have a piece of hardboard behind it, but pucks would just bounce off of it and rebound all over the place.  What I needed was something to soften the bounce when the puck missed.

I cut three three-foot long pieces of 3/4" PVC pipe and connected them with 90 degree elbows into an upside down "U" shape.  At the bottom of the "U", I put two more 90 degree elbows and connected one foot long pieces of PVC to give it a little stability.

I set it into place, then put the hardboard backstop on top of the legs.  Then I took two old bath towels and wrapped them over the crossbar so they draped down to the ground.  I used some clothespins to hold the towels in place.  Like I said, very improv.



 It works pretty well.  Any pucks that missed the goal hit the towels.  Mostly they were deadened and fell right to the ground, but occasionally they'd hit straight on and thump the hardboard backing.

I need to come up with a simple, cheap way to replace the clothespins... hmmm... sew a pocket along the top and down each side to slip over the frame?  Maybe.

I like the towels because they're heavy and should be durable.  A piece of plastic tarp would probably work too, but be a bit noisier.  More netting would work too, but I don't have a piece that large and the towels were free.

If you try this, let me know how it works for you.  If you have a better way, let me know!

DIY Stickhandling Training Aids - "Dangler"

Remember the commercially available stickhandling training aids I talked about before?  Well, here's the first set of instructions on how to make your own.  I'm going to use 3/4" PVC pipe for mine, but there are numerous YouTube videos out there showing you how to make versions out of wood, broken hockey sticks, old pucks, and more.  In fact, my first set (that I still use) are made of scrap wood and a dowel bought at Wally World or any craft store.  I describe it in detail, and how to build one in another post here on DIY Hockey.

If you only have 90 degree elbows laying around, you can make a usable version, as shown in this picture.  It's kind of easy to tip over though because of the design of the legs.  It's simple to improve on it.



 First, replace the bottom 90 degree elbow with a "T" joint, and by adding short legs on each side the stability is much better.  Here's a photo of one of the "T" legs, painted but not attached.




The picture is rotated, sorry about that.  The short white piece at the top is a 1" long piece of PVC pipe, and the two side legs are 3" long pieces of the same.  I've found that by using the 1" length connector between the "T" and the 90 degree elbow above, you have enough room for a stickhandling ball to pass beneath.  Perfect.

One bonus is that by making several of the "T" foot sections, I could configure this pretty much any way I could imagine.  Add a "T" joint to the end of the crossbar, and you can add another straight piece, like so.



You can also vary the length of the top bar to change the difficulty of drills with the dangler.  Watch the video below to see what I mean.

Instead of a "T" joint, you could add 45 or 90 degree elbows to create a V or U shaped dangler.



You can use PVC adhesive to permanently fix the feet and just press fit everything else together, or you could treat everything like one giant tinkertoy set and build to suit.  It takes seconds, and is light enough that a small bag could carry a lot of pieces to use.

I still recommend the cheap spray paint though.  Because spray paint.  I went to WalMart this morning and looked through their paint section.  They were out of the red, so I got two cans of flat black for less than a dollar each.  Here's what my PVC danglers look like after a coat of paint, I think they look pretty good.



Here's a video showing some nice drills you can do with a "dangler" stickhandling aid.



If you do just ten minutes of this every day, you'll get better faster than you think.  And for proof, take video of yourself before and after!

Two Good Ideas

When my granddaughter was taking the Power Skating class, they carried their sticks with them the entire time.  The idea is that you get used to always having the stick in your hands as you move on the ice.

Likewise, when you're practicing stickhandling or other skills at home, you can wear your hockey gloves (if you have them).  Practicing bare handed is good, but getting used to the gloves is better.

Both sensible ideas.

DIY Stickhandling Training Aids - "Dangler" - My Early Versions

Remember the commercially available stickhandling training aids I talked about before?  I described how to make my DIY dangler out of PVC here (including a video of drills you can do).

There are numerous YouTube videos out there showing you how to make versions out of wood, broken hockey sticks, old pucks, and more.  My first set (that I still use) are made of scrap wood and a dowel bought at Wally World or any craft store.



 To start out, I bought a 1/2" diameter dowel that was three feet long at the store.  I found some scrap wood in my shop, and cut out four rectangles that were four inches tall by three inches wide.  I drilled 1/2" holes in two of the rectangles, and 5/8" holes in the other two.  Finally, I slid the two rectangles with the larger holes onto the dowel, and then fit the two rectangles with the 1/2" holes on the ends of the dowel.  I used a little wood glue, then drove a drywall screw through the wood of the rectangle and into the dowel to secure it.

The result was a three foot long bar that was just tall enough for a stickhandling ball to pass under, with two inner movable "feet" that could be positioned anywhere along the length of the dowel.

I bought a cheap can of red spray paint and I was ready to have some fun.

There were a couple of things that I didn't care for though.  First, instead of rectangles, I wish I'd have made the bottoms wider to make it harder to tip over when I accidentally hit the bar with my stick.  I also found the three foot length rather awkward to carry around.

What I wound up doing was to cut the dowel into three pieces, making the two ends each 15" long, then I permanently fastened the two movable rectangles to the ends.  This way I had two 15" bars to use.  I could practice with one, or set two up however I wanted, like an "L" shape, or a "V", or even in a line.  Having the two smaller ones offered more flexibility.

The red paint is a little chewed up from the formerly movable legs, but I can touch that up if it bothers me (it doesn't).

It doesn't matter what design you use, or what materials you make it out of.  What matters is that you use it regularly.  Practice every day, even if it's only a few minutes

Hand, Wrist and Forearm Strength - part 3 - Power Ball Gyro Exerciser

I'm not sure whether this qualifies as a toy or a genuine piece of exercise equipment.  I bought this Power Ball Gyro Exerciser on Amazon for less than $15.00.

The idea is simple, inside the hard plastic outer shell is a gyroscope (the yellow ball with the groove in the picture).  You get the gyroscope spinning, and then hold on to the outer shell.  They gyro creates momentum that tries to force the ball into motion, and as you hold the ball, your grip resists that force.  This works your small muscles.

It does seem to work, at least as far as tiring out your muscles.  Getting the gyro revved up and then holding the ball still takes some effort.  When I'm done with a "workout" I can definitely feel it.



I bought a stripped down model.  You can get some that light up and have an LED screen mounted to tell you the RPMs that the gyro is doing.  The way mine works is that you tuck a string (included) into the slot on the gyro, and pull start it like a lawnmower.  Once you get it spinning, you start to make a rocking motion with your hand to rev the gyro up even more.  Once it's going good - and you can tell - then you can just hold the ball and fight the centrifugal forces.  I find that I'm much better at keeping it going, and revving it faster, with my dominant hand (right, in my case).

This thing isn't benignly harmless, you have to pay attention while using it.  There's some heft to it and the entire unit is trying to move when you've got it going.  In addition, I was inattentive once and  managed to touch my forearm skin to the spinning gyro (clumsy and not paying attention... it's a gift I have).  It pinched off a thin layer of my skin about a half inch long and eighth of an inch wide.  Left a visible scar when it healed.

This thing is fun and kind of cool to play with, and it might actually be beneficial when it comes to building up your strength, but it doesn't do anything that you can't do with other exercises.  There's a lot of hype on the internet about powerballs, and unsurprisingly, some of the most glowing reviews come from sites that sell them.

As I usually try to do, here's a video showing the powerball in use.  Note that he starts the gyro with his thumb and rocking his hand.  I've not been able to do that, but the string works just fine for me.



If you give it a try, or have used it before, let me know in the comments.  Did it work for you?

Hand, Wrist and Forearm Strength - part 2 - Exercises

This video has more excellent, simple exercises to improve the strength in your hands, wrists and forearms. Doing these will definitely help your game.



If you don't have an appropriate weight to use, try something like a soup can (for the little ones) or even a heavy book. It shouldn't be so heavy that it's awkward.

Stickhandling Training Aids - What's Out There

There are some really nice stickhandling training tools out on the market.  Sweet Hands, Extreme Dangler, My Enemy Pro, XDeviator, and many more.  I like toys and gadgets, so I wish I could get them all.  Unfortunately, I'm not made out of money, and some of these are really pricey.




Luckily for me (and you), these are all the same thing in concept, and we can easily make our own for a fraction of the price.  It might not be as pretty or as versatile, but just like the commercial ones, just owning it isn't going to make you better.  You have to do the stick drills using them.

There are also things like Attack Triangles and other goodies that we'll worry about in another post.

Now, to be sure, none of these are essential.  You can do the exact same stickhandling practice with mini-cones or even extra pucks spaced out.  The primary advantage these have is that it forces you to lift your stick over the device as you move from side to side, as if you were stickhandling around someone's stick who's trying to defend.

In the near future we'll look at several different ways to build these at home.  In the meantime, you can look at the above examples for inspiration.

DIY Hockey Materials - PVC Pipe

A lot of the DIY plans I'll show on here will be made of 3/4" PVC pipe.  It's cheap, easy to work with, and versatile.

Something I recently discovered was that there are more than one kind of 3/4" PVC pipe.  The top pipe in the picture is Schedule 40, and the wall is quite a bit thicker than the pipe on the bottom.  The bottom pipe is also more flexible than the schedule 40.  That might not be a good thing, since it may be less durable over time.

On the bright side, both types will fit into PVC 3/4" fittings, so in that way they're interchangeable.



Speaking of fittings, I'm using 3/4" slip fittings, rather than threaded.  There's an adhesive you can use for PVC, but so far everything I've built has worked fine by simply press fitting things together.

Here are the three joints I use:  A "T", a 90 degree elbow, and a 45 degree elbow.  When you buy these at the hardware store, make sure you get the slip-fit versions, and that everything is for 3/4".  You don't want the threaded type, and there are some out there where one end is 3/4" and the other is 1/2" or 1".



I bought a "contractor" pack of 10 T's, and another 10-pack of 90 degree elbows.  I won't need nearly as many 45's, so I bought a few of those individually.  In all, I bought 30' of 3/4" PVC (3-10 foot sections), 10 T's, 10 90 degree elbows, and 4 45 degree elbows, and the total cost was around $20.00.  You can bring the price way down by just buying what you need for each project, instead of stocking up on the raw materials like I did.

Use a tape measure to determine where you need your cuts, and a pen or pencil to mark the pipe.  I use a sharpie.

The tool shown below is a ratcheting PVC pipe cutter.  It's faster and more convenient than a hacksaw (discussed here) and miter box (discussed here), but a good one is quite expensive, and I've found that the precision leaves something to be desired.  It can be difficult to make a straight cut with these, most of my cuts end up being at some sort of angle.  The angles are small enough that it doesn't affect assembly, but it still irks the perfectionist in me.

I took this with to the hardware store.  When I got to the car with the 10 foot lengths of pipe, I cut them in half.  Makes it much easier to transport.



So that's my introduction to PVC for the DIY Hockey training aids.  The nice thing is, almost everything I'm going to show you can be made with materials other than PVC, so if you've got scrap wood in the garage, you might be able to make it work just as well.

All Around Stickhandling

Like most beginners, there's a huge difference in how well I can stickhandle depending on where the puck is.  I do ok as long as the puck is in front of me, or on my forehand.  Even if the puck is slightly behind me on my forehand side, I'm not completely hopeless.

My backhand is a whole different story.  I stink.  This is ok, because it points out exactly where I need to devote extra time and attention in order to improve the most.

In the diagram below, the two red ovals indicate where my feet are when I'm in my hockey stance.

With practice, my goal is to be able to stickhandle equally well no matter where the puck is.  Not just around, but out wide and in close, down by my feet.

You could, if you wanted, "draw" this diagram on the floor or ground where you practice.  Use chalk outside, or electrical tape or masking tape indoors on tile or hardwood floors.  I've never seen the need to have this diagram drawn out for me, because I have it in my mind while I'm practicing, but I can see where it would be handy if you're working with someone else (like a younger player).

Here's another excellent video showing what I'm talking about:



Have fun.

Tools: Miter Box

For the DIY projects on this blog, a simple miter box is going to be an essential tool.  Fortunately, a miter box good enough to do the job is very inexpensive.

Basically a miter box keeps the saw blade in the proper position to make a cut.  The saw below is making a 45 degree cut, but for our purposes we'll be making 90 degree cuts (straight across). 

The way you use the box is to place the item to be cut (PVC pipe or hockey stick) into the channel against one side, then hold it tight there while you make the cut with the saw.

Bottom Hand Slide - DIY Training Aid

I've mentioned several times that the bottom hand on your hockey stick is more of a guide, and that the bottom hand shouldn't hold the stick too tightly.  Here's a great video showing how the bottom hand slides as you move the puck.



There are training aids you can buy that help you learn to keep the bottom hand loose, but here are two ways to make your own for almost nothing.

First, you can use the cardboard roll from toilet paper or paper towels.  Slip it over your stick, and hold the cardboard roll instead of the stick with your bottom hand.  Do NOT crush the cardboard!  Do your stickhandling, and be aware of your bottom hand sliding up and down the stick as you move, being careful not to squeeze the cardboard tube.

A second, slightly more durable way is by cutting the top and bottom off of a disposable plastic water bottle.  Once again, grip it lightly to keep from crushing it as you stickhandle.

My granddaughter really likes to practice like this, she prefers the plastic bottle.  It's fun, and it doesn't take long for you to forget that you're holding a tube rather than the stick, and it becomes the natural way to do it.

Related to this, because the top hand is doing so much of the work, it really pays to work on your hand strength.  Don't forget to do exercises for both arms though, both the top hand and the bottom hand!

Have you used a slider glove or other bottom hand training aid?  Or have you used one of the DIY versions above?  Let me know about how it helped your game in the comments.

Wrap Around One and Wrap Around Ice

The Hockey Wrap Around is a training aid that lets you use your expensive ice hockey stick outside without chewing up the bottom of the blade.  Here's a video about it (enjoy some pretty good stickhandling too).



I have the model shown above, and it really works well.  It does add some weight (between two and three ounces) to the blade of the stick, which isn't a bad thing.  When you take it off before heading out onto the ice, your stick feels lighter and your hands feel faster.  It's like training with a weighted stick.

I really like mine, and it has done an excellent job of protecting my stick.  I may not have a huge financial investment in my hockey stick (see buying my first hockey stick here), but the cost of the Wrap Around is still well worth it to me.  There are videos on YouTube about making a sort of DIY version using aluminum soda cans, but for me, the hassle outweighs the cost savings.  This isn't something that's going to wear out in a week.

I suppose giving the bottom of your stick an extra layer or three of tape would work too, at least for a little while.  So while I think this is a good thing to have and an excellent value, there are certainly ways to do more or less the same thing for less money.

The people who created the Wrap Around have continually improved it (as seen in the above video), and their latest version is called the Wrap Around Ice.  Instead of metal, it's made of a durable plastic.  It weighs about half as much as the metal versions.



I haven't tried the Wrap Around Ice yet, because my original metal one still has plenty of life left in it, and I'm not one to rush right out to get the latest toys.

As usual, I'll put a link here to Amazon.  The price at the time I posted this is $31.00, with free shipping if you have Prime.  You can find it cheaper online at other websites, but you might have to add shipping to the cost.

If you like to practice or play outside, especially with the same stick you use on the ice, then I think the Wrap Around is a solid investment.

One last thing, if you're eyeing those stickhandling aids that were shown in the video, I'll be posting DIY versions of most of them in the near future.

Do you have the Wrap Around?  What do you think of it?  I'm especially interested to hear your experiences with the Wrap Around Ice.  Leave a comment, and thanks for reading.

Hand, Wrist and Forearm Strength - part 1

Your top hand does most of the stick work in hockey.  I found that I needed to be stronger, especially since I'm "wrong handed" and use my non-dominant left hand on top.

Regular practice will help, but especially for the younger players, they need something more because the sticks are comparatively heavy for their size.

Here's a simple drill my granddaughter and I set up for her.  Just inside the door of her bedroom, her hockey stick is leaning against the wall.  On the floor is a puck.  Every time she goes into her room, she grabs the stick with her top hand only (checks her grip), steps back from the puck, and taps ten times on each side of the puck.  Back and forth, ten times.

It only takes seconds, but by doing this several times every day, it helps build up her hand, wrist and forearm strength, and teaches her fine control using just her top hand.  After a few weeks it's already become easier for her, and she's increased it to twenty taps on each side.

Here's a (low-quality) video showing you what I mean:



Remember, this is my top hand only.

A couple of things to notice here.  First, I'm tapping near the heel of the blade.  You have more control of the puck closer to the heel.  Secondly, when I tap on either side of the puck (or ball, either works), I'm twisting my wrist so that the blade of the stick "cradles" the puck.  You can see how the blade rotates as I tap on either side.  Cupping the puck like this gives you more control over it as you stickhandle, shoot, make passes or receive passes.  It's another habit to get into.

If you found this useful, please leave a comment.  Let me know if you do these kinds of strength drills, or if you do other kinds.  I'm just a beginner, so I'm always open to learn new ways.

Stronger Grip - Paper Crumples

This one is super simple but super effective.

With one hand, hold a single sheet of newspaper by the corner.  Using just that hand, crumple it up into a ball.  You'll be amazed at the workout this gives the muscles in your hand, wrist and forearms.

Do a single sheet for each hand each day.  That's all it takes.

Balance - Standing on One Foot

Obviously, good balance is key when playing hockey.  You're on skates, on ice, trying to maneuver around other players while controlling the puck with a stick.  If your balance is good then you can do it all without worrying about whether or not you're going to fall on your butt.

Off ice, there are some easy exercises you can do that will help you improve your balance.  You can do these with shoes on, but it's better and a little harder to do them barefoot.

The first one is simple.  Stand on one foot.  For one minute.  You'll feel all those little muscles in your feet, ankles and legs working to maintain your balance.  Do this a couple of times a day for a week or two and you'll start to notice a big difference in how stable you feel.

When that seems easy, then do it again while standing on a pillow.  You want a little bit of instability in the surface you're standing on, so a bath towel folded three or four times works well too.  The soft cushion under your feet gives your body something new to deal with while maintaining your balance.

To make the above even harder, do them with your eyes closed.  Then try again with your eyes closed and your head tilted back as if you were looking at the sky.

These little exercises will lead to a huge improvement in your balance.  Bonus because I find I can do these any time during the day when I'm standing in line or waiting for something.  Even if I can't do a full minute, every little bit helps.

Taping Your Hockey Stick

If you go to YouTube and do a search, you'll find tons of videos showing how people tape their hockey sticks.  There is no right way, there is no wrong way, there's just the way that you prefer.

I saw a video of a pro player who gets teased by his teammates because he doesn't really tape his stick at all.  He likes the textured grip that comes standard on his stick, so he just takes about an eight inch piece of tape and randomly wraps it around the handle.  Mostly so he can tell his teammates that he taped his stick.

Here are two videos that I like showing one way to do it.  Maybe as I become more experienced I will change how I do it, but as a beginner, this works for now.



As for the color of the tape, that's another personal preference thing.  Some say that using white tape lets the goalie pick up the puck off your stick easier when you shoot, but goalies say that they're too focused on tracking the puck to notice the color of the tape.

I use white tape, because that's what I bought when I got my stick.  My granddaughter uses pink, except for a single strip of white that we put near the heel of her blade as a reminder to keep the puck there while stickhandling.

No need to overthink this.

Hand and Stick Speed

Doing your stickhandling with good technique is more important than doing it fast.  Work on the details like keeping your hands out front, sliding the bottom hand, cupping the puck, keeping your knees bent, and so on.  As those key things become habit, your speed will improve and you'll get faster.

Doing it fast without the fundamentals means you'll be sloppy and out of control.

So do it correctly first, and before you know it you'll be doing it fast and right.

Evidence of Improvement

If you do a stickhandling drill every day, you will get better at it.  But the improvement can be so gradual that you don't feel like you're making progress.  Here's how to prove it to yourself, since seeing is believing.

Take a video of yourself doing the drill.  Phone camera, GoPro, video camera, whatever.  Just get at least thirty seconds of you doing the work.  A minute is better.  Don't worry if you mess up the drill, that's what this is for.  Don't stop it and start over again, just get a minute of you doing the drill today.  Save that video.

Practice that same drill for two weeks.  Put in the work.  Don't video it, don't watch the original video, just do the drill every day.

In two weeks, take another video of yourself doing the exact same drill.  Same angle if you can, same length of time.  Once again, just let the video run, don't worry about messing up.

Prepare to be amazed.  Watch the new video.

Now, watch the first video you did two weeks ago.

By contrasting the old and new videos like this, you'll see the huge improvement you've made, even if it doesn't feel like you've gotten better.  Look closely at the two videos, and make note of what you could do even better from here on.  Maybe you're not holding your hands out front enough, or you mess up your backhand too much.  Keep doing the drills, and concentrate on those weak parts of your stickhandling.

If you'd like, take another video in two weeks, and see if you still see improvement.  You will.  The main point here is to prove to yourself that the practice you do every day is working.  It does work.  You just saw it in two videos.

Have you tried something like this before?  Let me know in the comments below.

Tools: Hacksaw

You're going to need a hacksaw eventually.  A lot of DIY projects here will involve cutting PVC pipe, which is easy to do with a hacksaw.  When you buy a new stick, you'll have to cut it to your preferred length - with a hacksaw.

You might already have one, or have a power miter saw which will do the same job.  That's great if you do, but if you don't, get a decent quality hacksaw.  It should cost around $15.00, and will last a lifetime.  Blades are pretty cheap too.

Oh, and get this kind:

There's another kind that looks like this:

This kind works for a lot of things, but the top one will make things much easier down the road.  You'll see.

An 18 TPI (teeth per inch) blade works well for what we'll need to cut.  You can go higher - more TPI - but I wouldn't go less than that or the edges of the cut will be torn up.  Speaking of the edges, to clean and smooth them a piece of medium grit sandpaper does the job.  A pack of a few sheets is inexpensive and will last a long time.

Hockey Stance

As an older guy, one of the toughest things for me to do is the "hockey stance".  I'm just not as flexible as I used to be, but I'm working on it and getting there.

So what is it and why is it important?

In the basic hockey stance your feet are shoulder width apart , or a little wider.  Your knees are bent.  Your weight should be over your feet.  Keep your upper body and head up.

Here's a great image from HockeyShot.com and HowToHockey.com.



Compare the stance of the player in black with what I described above.  This, "get into hockey stance" comes right after "check your grip" on our hockey checklist.

There's a lot of good things that come from being in this stance.  First, your center of gravity is lower and centered over your feet, which makes it harder for another player to bump you out of the way.  Secondly, with your knees bent like that, you get more power from your legs as you skate.  More power equals more speed.  This applies to all motion too, whether it's side-to-side or even backwards.  The bent knees also act as shock absorbers, so your movement is smoother and you'll have better balance.

If you watch video of Sidney Crosby, you'll notice that he stays really low as he moves and protects the puck.  It's really hard to knock him off the puck or take it from him because of that.  He generates a lot of power from his legs too, which means faster acceleration and better speed.

Younger players need to be reminded of this.  My granddaughter's coaches constantly tell the kids to get into their stance (sometimes they call it the athletic stance), but there's so much going on that many of the kids don't, and the coaches miss it.  So, if you're the parent of a youth player, or a player yourself, make it a point to drill this into your head until it becomes habit, like gripping your stick correctly.  It may feel a little weird at first, but it soon becomes second nature and it'll feel wrong not to be in the proper stance.

Personally, I'm working on flexibility and leg strength.  I do squats and wall sits.  I walk a lot.  Try climbing stairs.  Squat jumps and box step-ups work too.  These kinds of exercises aren't just for hockey players, they're a good thing for adults of any age.

Practice Pucks and Balls

A standard six ounce hockey puck slides nicely on ice.  Since you probably don't get as much ice time as you'd like, it helps to have a way to simulate the action of a puck on ice at other times.  There are quite a few tools to do this.  In this post, I'm going to talk about balls and pucks, in a future post I'll talk about synthetic ice.

 (top row, left to right)  regulation puck, Flypuck Pro, Green Biscuit Snipe, Green Biscuit, (bottom, left to right)  Swedish Stickhandling ball, muscle ball, Smarthockey stickhandling ball.

You can see that the practice pucks are all the same size as a regulation puck, but their weights vary.  The balls are all about two inches in diameter, you can see them compared to a standard puck.  There's a reason for that particular size ball too.  A two inch diameter means that the ball will hit the blade of your stick one inch off the ground, and a regulation puck is one inch tall.  So the balls are that size to feel closer to what a real puck feels like on your stick.

Personally, I consider the first three below to be essentials for stickhandling.  The next couple become essential when you start learning to shoot.

1.  Smarthockey Stickhandling Ball (lime green ball in the photo).  This training ball weighs slightly less than a standard puck and hits the blade of your stick in the same way as a puck.  I use one of these every day when I practice on carpet.  They come in many colors.

2.  Swedish Wooden Stickhandling Ball (brown ball in the photo).  This ball is the same diameter as the Smarthockey ball above, but it's made of solid wood and much lighter.  I like to use this ball to improve my hand speed, since I can stickhandle faster due to the lighter weight.  Surprisingly inexpensive, but even better, you can go to a craft store and buy a four-pack of two inch wooden balls for a few bucks.  They're the same thing.

3.  Green Biscuit Practice Puck (green puck on far right).  This is the best "dryland" puck out there.  The Green Biscuit is the same size as a regulation puck, but it's a little lighter so it slides easier to simulate the action on ice.  A good portion of each face is also inset to reduce friction.  The best part though, is the unique two-piece design, with rivets loosely holding the top and bottom together.  What this means is that the puck stays flat when it travels over concrete sidewalks or asphalt roadway, because the two halves dampen any vibrations that would normally lift the puck onto its edge.  The only drawback is that the Green Biscuit is not made for shooting.  The special plastic is rather brittle and can chip and crack if you use it to shoot with.  It also comes in various colors besides green, including pink (my granddaughter has a pair of these that she practices with).

4.  Green Biscuit Snipe (dark green, second from right).  This companion to the original green biscuit is made out of a slightly different plastic that allows you to shoot away.  The trade off is that it doesn't slide quite as nicely as the original.  Standard color is a darker green, but other colors are available.

5.  Regulation Hockey Pucks (far left).  Eventually you'll be practicing shooting, and having a few (or more) real pucks make it easier.  Rather than having to retrieve your Snipe after every shot, imagine having a bucket with 10 or 20 pucks that you can shoot all at once before having to gather them up again.  I've heard that Canadians can buy pucks inexpensively at any Canadian Tire store.  I buy mine on Amazon by the dozen when they're on sale.

6.  The Sweet Hockey Muscle Ball (silver ball in the middle).  This beastie is the same size as the other balls, but it's made of solid steel and weighs three times as much as a regular puck!  Just as the wooden ball allows you to practice speed because it's lighter, this ball is designed to strengthen your hands, wrists and forearms.  A few minutes with this ball is a real workout.

7.  "Practice" Pucks (orange puck).  You can get pucks that are lighter than standard pucks, the same weight, or heavier.  The idea behind this is the same as for the practice balls.  Green Biscuits aren't the only type of these pucks, just the best (in my opinion).

Note:  All of these are available on Amazon, but you'll probably find them at your local ice rink shop, sporting goods store, online hockey retailer, etc.  Sometimes they'll be cheaper than Amazon too.

You can also use a golf ball or even a tennis ball instead of the stickhandling balls above.  They won't feel as close to a real puck, but they're better than nothing.  The main thing to remember is that you need to work on your stickhandling on a regular basis.  Regular practice is way more important than the kind of ball or puck you use.  I try to practice for 10-15 minutes every day.  It's a nice stress reliever after a long day at work.

Do you have a favorite?  Something I didn't list that you like?  Leave a comment and let me know.

Holding the Hockey Stick

How hard can it be to hold a hockey stick, eh?

While passing the puck back and forth in the driveway with my granddaughter, I noticed that she didn't always hold her stick correctly.  Worse than that, she didn't always hold it the same way.  Later, when watching her team practice, I saw many of her teammates doing the same thing, being inconsistent about how they held their sticks.

Lorelei and I made "holding the stick correctly" the very first thing on our hockey check list.  Every time she picks up her stick, she takes a second to make sure she's holding it correctly.  Let me explain why this is so critical, and then I'll show you how to do it.

When you're playing or practicing stickhandling, you're teaching "muscle memory".  Eventually you don't even have to think about what you're doing or how to do it, because your body "knows".  Pick up a pencil, or a fork, or a video game controller and you'll experience the same thing.  If you're not holding it the way you usually do, it feels wrong, and you'll probably be clumsy with it too.  Imagine trying to walk if you had to devote your whole attention to every single step like a toddler just learning.

Think of it this way, if you're holding the stick correctly, then the blade will be facing straight up and down on the ice.  If, instead, you're holding the stick rotated ninety degrees in your hand (exaggerated, but I saw it), then the blade will be laying flat on the ice, and to bring it to the correct position you'll have to twist your wrist in an unnatural way.

So do this.  The top of the stick should fit into the "v" of your stretched out hand, like this:

Every.  Single. Time.  Soon you won't even have to look.

Wrap your fingers around the stick.  Do NOT choke up on the handle.

When the kids were holding their sticks, they kind of randomly used one of the two grips below.  Both are wrong, especially when you use both without thinking about it.

Nope.

Definitely nope.

Get into the habit of checking your grip.  Make it a "rule" with the kids and it won't take long for them to show improvement, just because of better consistency.

Did you or do you have this problem?  Have you helped beginners by showing them the grip?  Did it help?  Let me know in the comments.  Thanks.

Right Handed or Left Handed

Because the top hand does the majority of work when you're controlling the puck, many coaches teach that your dominant hand should be on top.  So, right handed people should have their right hand at the top of the stick, with their left hand down lower.  Lefties would reverse that.

What it really comes down to is comfort.  I'm right handed, but I much prefer my left hand on top.  Shooting with my hands on the stick this way just feels better and more natural to me, so that's what I do.

Don't be afraid to try both ways when you buy your first stick, but when you do decide, commit to it.  Indecisive swapping back and forth is not going to help.

Now, if your left hand is at the top of the stick and your right hand farther down, then you are a right-handed shooter (that's me).  Right hand on top and left hand farther down makes you a left-handed shooter.  The important thing is to do what feels right to you.

Left handed:  Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, John Tavares, Connor McDavid.

Right handed:  Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, Brett Burns, Erik Karlsson.

Buying My First Hockey Stick

After doing tons of research online in an effort to educate myself about hockey sticks, I finally did something smart and just went down to the pro shop at my local hockey rink.  All that research wasn't wasted, but it's easy to be overwhelmed with information that you don't necessarily need at first.  I was close to "analysis paralysis" because I was trying to juggle so many bits of knowledge, hoping to get the perfect stick on my first try.

Honestly, the perfect stick isn't going to help.  As a beginner, you're going to stink, and it doesn't matter much which stick you use.  In a way, it's very liberating to realize that.

But I pretty much knew what I wanted, and when I went into the shop I talked to the guys there, explained that I was an absolute beginner and let them know the following things:

1.  I didn't want an expensive stick.  In fact, last year's model on clearance would make me happy.
2.  I was pretty sure I wanted wood, mostly because it was cheaper than composite.
3.  I was pretty sure I was going to be a right handed shot.

Item 2 was right out the window.  This particular shop had gotten rid of the last of the wooden stick inventory months before, and had no plans to get more.

Item 3 was easy to confirm.  I made a few "shots" using both righty and lefty sticks, and it just felt better for me to use the right handed sticks.

Item 1 was where I hit the jackpot.  The stick I selected was on clearance from *two* years before, and was quite a bit less than I was willing to spend.  While "trying it out" the guy asked me how it felt, and I had to laugh because I had no idea whether it felt good or not.  My first stick is a GRAF PK330 Sr.

I bought the stick, a roll of white tape, and a stickhandling practice ball.  Now all I had to do was practice.  A lot.  Alone.  To avoid embarrassment.

I was very happy.

So what about you?  What stick do you have?  Are you happy with it?  I'm always looking for feedback, so feel free to leave a comment below.

Why "DIY Hockey"?

I started learning hockey as an absolute beginner.  Everyone does, but at 57 years old, being an "absolute beginner" seems a bit more daunting.  Maybe it's because I know just how far I have to progress just to get from hopeless to just plain lousy.

This blog is here to track my progress and collect stuff I've found all over the internet into one useful  place.  Except for personal experiences and opinions, everything here is from other, better, more experienced hockey people.   For beginners of any age, maybe you'll find some answers here, or at least get pointed to other places to get answers.

The "DIY" part is about making progress on your own.  I'm not worried about the skating part, for that you need ice time.  But I can practice stick handling at home, I can work on skills and do drills to improve my balance and agility.  I can focus on certain things to get stronger in ways that will help my game improve, without needing to be on skates.  You can too.

As far as practicing at home, I don't consider that work, although I am working at my game.  This stuff is fun, and the better you are at it, the more fun it is.

Finally, if you've looked online at the training aids that are out there, well, they're expensive.  I'm sure they're worth it, but I'm also sure that more than a few can be improvised at home for a lot less money.  So the "DIY" will also mean putting together my own training aids that will work as well as the ones online.

Who I Am

For those who ask themselves, "Am I too old to learn to play hockey?", let me answer that for you.

Nope.

My name is Ted.  I'm 58 years old, and I started learning to play hockey this year.  Why in the world would a guy my age take up hockey, of all things?  First, I've been a fan of the sport for most of my life.  Google the California Seals if you must.  Yeah, they were my team as a kid.  Terrible team, but they made up for it by having a truly awful logo and team colors.



When my granddaughter was born, she attended her first minor league hockey game before she was a week old (Norfolk Admirals).  A few years ago they moved to Phoenix, Arizona, home of the Arizona Coyotes.

The 'Yotes take their community outreach seriously, and spend big bucks on ice rinks and youth hockey in the area.  My granddaughter started playing mites three years ago, and loves it.

Grandpa (yours truly) loves that she loves it.  So what else could I do but learn for myself, so I could be more involved in what she was doing.  When we visit each other, we have a blast playing street hockey and attending games.