55967 visitors ![]() |
Coach's CornerMar 28, 2012, 11:55 am Defence One-on-One 1) Stay Between the Forward and the Net 1) Stay Between the Forward and the Net. When learning how to play defence in Hockey, you can never go wrong with the basic principal of keeping yourself between the opposing player and the net. One-on-Ones are a perfect example. 2) Control the Gap A Gap Too Wide will allow the forward to cut to the inside. Or, it may give him enough room to get in close to the goalie for a shot, using you as the screen. You don’t want the gap to be much wider than about two lengths of a hockey stick. 3) Watch Their Hips One-on-Ones in hockey can be tricky against an experienced ball carrier. These guys are just dying to deke you out and score that highlight reel goal. Watching their hips will help prevent you from getting deked-out in your own zone. 4) Keep your Stick out in Front Keep your stick on the rink out in front of you, with one hand on the stick. Not in the air, not off to the side. Pointing your stick at the hockey player coming in allows you the flexibility of swinging it towards whichever side he tries to go around you. Feb 7, 2012, 3:47 pm One of the most important stickhandlings basics is to always keep your head up. You've got to be able to be aware of what's happening around you on the rink without looking at the ball. If you're staring at the ball while stickhandling, you're likely to be checked by somebody you didn't even know was near you. A second tip in stickhandling is to use 'soft hands'. What this means is to not grip the stick too tightly. Try to control the ball gently so you don't over handle it. Think of the ball as an egg, and try not to break the shell. The shorter your stick, the easier it will be to bring your upper arm across your you body. Your stick should be around chin level when on skates, or nose level when off the floor. When practising your stickhandling, try to reach out as far as possible with the ball on both sides of your body. Try to use just your upper hand on your backhand side. This will help you when trying to move around other players on the rink. Jan 31, 2012, 8:12 am
Yoga can do wonders for your flexibility. The incredible stretches and deep breathing increases the blood supply to your muscles and ligaments which reduces the chance of injury. Yoga a powerful tool for stretching and strengthening the muscles and increasing flexibility. Physically, hockey demands a lot of strength from legs. This mean that hockey players keep a lot of stress in their legs. Calves, quads,glutes, and lower back muscles are heavily used. There are many yoga stretches that can help after hockey play, to relieve tension and prepare for the next game. |