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
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
Perpetual Breakout Drill Mimics Passing Patterns Often Encountered in Games
The Perpetual Breakout is a great drill to develop hockey breakout abilities in a high-tempo, flow and timing setting. Here’s what the drill looks like:
Perpetual Breakout Explanation:
1. “Ghost man” passers start the drill by shooting then picking up a puck behind the net to initiate the breakout
2. Low forward simulates winger, and swings in to pick up board-side breakout pass
3. High forward swings through and acts as the centerman providing middle support
4. winger one-touches to center, who attacks and shoots, then initiates breakout in far zone
5. winger moves to middle line.
NOTE: winger can swing from top down, or from bottom up, depending on your team’s breakout set up.
Introducing… the Best Hockey Passing Rebounder on the Market!
Over the past few years, a number of Hockey Passing Rebounders have made their way to the off-ice training market. These rebounders offer many fun and effective ways of working on your passing both on and off the ice, and I highly recommend owning one.
The passing rebounder I want to show you in this post is by far and away the best one on the market today. The X-Passer is a heavy-duty, versatile passing rebounder, that has improved on some of the design flaws of other rebounders that are currently on the market. It’s a lot of fun to use, and it works REALLY well. I’m excited to show you what this is all about, so let’s jump straight in!
First Impressions and Design Features:
The first thing that struck me about the X-Passer was it’s weight. This thing is heavy duty! It’s obvious that XHOCKEYPRODUCTS intended this to be used with real pucks, and full-speed passes. The weight and design of the X-Passer make it so you can literally throw it down in the middle of the floor, and fire hard passes at it… and it won’t move around on you. This feature allows you a lot more placement and configuration options, and definitely beats the “clip on” rebounders!
Next, the X-Passer uses a bungee system as its rebounding mechanism. This helps to keep the rebounds true and flat. In fact… it’s almost impossible to have a puck flip up on you, even with HARD passes (something other rebounders have been known to have issues with). So long as you’re sending it in flat, it will always come back at you flat and hard.
Third, the X-Passer has a “retractable spiking system” which allows for easy conversion for on-ice use. All you do is twist the screws in the top of the X-Passer, and spikes pop out the bottom. This feature can open up all kinds of new doors for creativity in practices!
Using the X-Passer:
The X-Passer is a blast to use. It’s a lot of fun when things “just work” the way they’re supposed to. I use the X-Passer to work on pretty much every type of pass; forehand and backhand “cushion and sweep,” touch passes, you can even get creative and combine it with other products to work on your saucer passes!
Conclusion:
A few people have asked me if the X-Passer is worth the higher price when compared to some of the other, “cheaper” rebounders on the market. In my mind, if you’re serious about your off-ice training, it’s absolutely worth paying a premium for a product that is going to work the way it’s supposed to, and last as long as you’ll need it to. When you pick up your X-Passer, that’s exactly what you’re getting!
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Slovakian 3-Pass and Shot Drill:
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