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.
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