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.