Here’s a solid drill from my Slovakian friend Jan Bednar. He sends me awesome drills from time to time, and they’re always exactly my style! This drill has two variations, one ends in a 1 on 0, and the other ends in a 1 on 1. Here’s the diagram:
Slovakian 3-Pass and Shot Drill:
1. Player from low line passes to the first player from the line at center ice.
2. One-touch pass back, then loops around the center circle.
3. Player from low line receives pass, then executes side-step crossovers to the far side of the circle, powerturns out of the crossovers, and hits the other player with a long pass.
Variation: Same set-up as above, except play ends in a 1 on 1 (see diagram #2)
Butterfly Passing is a great drill to work on passing fundamentals with youngsters, and to iron out technical “wrinkles” in more experienced players. Although the drill itself is simple, players should use this drill as an opportunity to work on passing accuracy in stride, and should focus on precise execution at full speed. Here’s the diagram:
Butterfly Passing Drill:
1. Two lines at one end, the width of the goal posts
2. Players skate in pairings all the way down the ice, passing back and forth while maintaining stride
3. At far end, players peel off, around the bottom of each’s respective circle, then skate back making cross-ice passes back into the zone they started from
The Sniper’s Edge is an Awesome Hockey Targeting System that Offers Plenty of Versatility
A few months ago, I got my hands on the Sniper’s Edge from HockeyShot. I had seen this Hockey Targeting System in the past, but hadn’t ever used one before. So, I was excited at the chance to give it a whirl, and was impressed with the experience.
Product Overview
The Sniper’s Edge fits over any standard two-car garage door opening, and comes in 2 sizes, 7′ x 16′ or 8′ x 16′ (so make sure you measure the height of your garage door before ordering).
The unit comes tightly wrapped in a box – make sure you follow the labeling and DON’T USE A KNIFE TO OPEN THE BOX, as you will risk slicing a hole in your tarp before you even get it open.
Installation
The Sniper’s Edge doesn’t come with any of the necessary hard-ware to install it. So you’ll need to pick up the following items from Home Depot or Lowe’s:
Screws
Washers
16′ wooden dowel
Once you have the proper hardware, assembly is pretty easy… Just follow the directions included in the box. I put it up myself in about 22 minutes, and it would have been a lot quicker if I had had a partner.
My Experience
Once your Sniper’s Edge is all set up, just grab a Shooting Pad, some Pucks, and have at it! This set-up works really well in neighborhood or indoor settings, where you don’t want errant pucks damaging houses, windows, or other valuable items. The Sniper’s Edge is a tarp, so everything hits with a dead bounce and drops straight down.
Another cool feature on the Sniper’s Edge is the pocketing system. Anytime you snipe a corner, the puck is caught in the back pocket, and drops down to the bottom of the unit, making clean-up easy (as long as you’re hitting the corners!).
All in all, this is a great product, and one I highly recommend!
Double Bank Pass is Great, High-Tempo Passing Drill
The Double Bank Pass Drill is quick paced, and a lot of fun. This is one you should definitely try out on the ice, as the diagram doesn’t always do it justice (at least it didn’t for me!). Here’s the diagram:
Double Bank Pass Drill:
1. 4 lines, each with pucks
2. On whistle, two players leave from diagonally opposite lines.
3. The first player fires a cross-ice pass to the opposite line, then skates up ice to receive the first bank pass.
4. Receiver steps out to create a good passing angle, then executes a bank pass to the player who passed to him.
5. The second player skates further up ice, timing it to be ready to receive the second bank pass from the first player in his line.
6. Both players attack 2 on 0
QuickStickz is a Fun and Effective way to Develop Stickhandling Ability
I’ve been really excited to get this post out, and let you know about a cool product called QuickStickz. QuickStickz is an innovative new way to work on your stickhandling abilities off the ice, and it’s a lot of fun too!
A few months ago I was invited to take a look at QuickStickz, which is a video-game-based, hockey stickhandling development system. I had seen the product before, but I’d never had the chance to get my hands on one. The idea seemed really cool, so I was excited to see what it was all about.
How it Works:
QuickStickz uses a special infrared camera that connects up to your PC via USB jack. The camera combos up with a customized SmartHockey stickhandling ball, that has been machined out with a whole bunch of tiny reflectors all over its surface. As you stickhandle, the camera picks up the movements of the ball, and sends the signal into the computer, which allows you to see your stickhandling movements on the screen.
Set-up is pretty simple, just plug in the camera, go to the QuickStickz member’s area, and install the plug-in when prompted.
Drills and Games:
Once you’re up and running, just select a drill or a game from the member’s area, and have at it! The drills are designed to help you work on various skills such as tight puck movement, wide puck movement, dekes, toe drags, etc. The games apply these skills in a more dynamic environment.
Member’s Area:
The member’s area is a great way to track your progress. You can check your own stats and progress, or see how your top score compares to other top scores from around the world. The member’s area also tracks how much time you’re spending on QuickStickz. This makes it easy for parents or coaches to check in on the player’s efforts and progress.
Conclusion: QuickStickz is a great tool to help any player develop his or her stickhandling abilities. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s a product that I think connects with kids on their level. The one weakness of QuickSticks is that it’s fairly sensitive to the ambient lighting in the room you’re using it in. Sunlight badly interferes with the infrared signal put out by the camera, and makes the ball just jump around on the screen. So make sure you close the blinds, and rely on your “artificial lighting” (regular lightbulbs), and you should be just fine!
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Slovakian 3-Pass and Shot Drill:
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