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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.