SweetHands is a Really Useful Hockey Stickhandling Aid that Can Be Utilized in Many Different Ways!

If you’ve been following along with our Home Hockey Training Center course, you probably know by now that versatility is one of the biggest selling points for me when it comes to selecting hockey training products. I like products that will give me multiple uses, and that can be combined with other products to make an even more creative “work space.” SweetHands definitely fits that criteria!

Features and Benefits
Here are a few of the SweetHands features I thought were noteworthy:

1. Durable product that can be used on or off the ice.
2. Comes with two end pieces and six middle pieces, so you can use it as one 8′ set-up, two 4′ set-ups, or any combo in between.
3. Lightweight (less than 9 lbs), and since the pieces come apart, it’s really easy to bring it to the rink with you.
4. Comes with a drill book and a 29 min DVD, which gives you plenty of ideas on different ways to use the product.
5. Can be used in a wide variety of ways, in combination with lots of other products… just be creative!

My Experience
Setting up your SweetHands is easy. The pieces just snap together, and you’re up and running in seconds. I liked being able to choose how many pieces to include in my set-up. As you see in the video, I messed around with a few different combinations to work on different aspects of stickhandling.

I also like how durable this product is. I had seen some durability demos on other videos (kids stepping on the SweetHands “crossbars” with skates), but I wasn’t planning on actually putting hat to the test… However, my rambunctious 4-year-old thought otherwise. I caught him walking tightrope style across the SweetHands unit, AND jumping up onto the crossbars like plyo jumps, and trying to land and balance on them! I’m happy to report, the SweetHands held up to the abuse just fine.

Sweethands is a pleasure to use. It works really well, and does exactly what it was designed to do. As I was making the video, I kept thinking how much better a stickhandler I would be if I would have had some of these tools available to me as a kid!

Conclusion
I had a lot of fun putting this post together. SweetHands is a great product, with lots of versatility, and the capability of making you a better hockey player if you use it consistently. It’s lightweight, portable, and easy to put together and take a part.

The drill book and DVD are two added bonuses that are VERY worthwhile! In fact, if it were sold separately (which it’s not), I’d recommend picking up the DVD even if you didn’t get the SweetHands unit itself, it’s that good! I definitely recommend this product to anyone looking to improve their stickhandling off the ice!

Technorati Tags: Agility, Athlete, Balls, Bounce, Boxer, Carpet, Combinations, Conclusion, Creative Work, Crossbars, Drill Book, Durability, Durable Product, Forearm Strength, Hockey Training, Home Hockey, Inexpensive Tool, Many Different Ways, Optimal Level, Pavement, Pleasure, Puck, Raw Strength, Reaction Speed, Rubber Flooring, Skates, Skill Requirements, Squats, Sweethands, Training Tools, Ups, Versatile Product, Versatility, Work Space

The Swedish Wooden Ball is the “Speed Bag” of Hockey Stickhandling

In most areas of athletic development there are drills and products to work on raw strength, and there are drills and products designed to work on speed and agility. Think of the difference between a boxer punching the heavy bag vs. the speed bag, or the difference between squats and sprints. Well, stickhandling is no different.

We use different pucks, balls, and other training tools to work on different aspects of stickhandling skill requirements, in an attempt to put together a “complete development package” that will help the athlete to perform at an optimal level. Heavier pucks and balls will develop wrist and forearm strength, while lighter balls will develop faster hands, and quicker reaction speed. Both types of training are important.

Why it Works:
The Swedish Wooden Ball was designed help you work on your quick hands. This ball is substantially lighter than a puck, and since its made out of wood, it gives you a real dead bounce, which is what we’re looking for in a hockey training puck or ball.

Since it’s a ball, you’ll be able to use it in more places than with a puck (think rubber flooring at the rink, carpet inside your house, pavement, concrete, etc.) This is a very versatile product.

Conclusion:
This is a great, inexpensive tool that will give you some variety in your stickhandling training. I recommend picking up two or three of these balls. One for your hockey bag, and a couple to keep around the house. Then all that’s left is to get creative with it!

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: Agility, Athlete, Balls, Bounce, Boxer, Carpet, Conclusion, Forearm Strength, Hockey Training, Inexpensive Tool, Optimal Level, Pavement, Puck, Raw Strength, Reaction Speed, Rubber Flooring, Skill Requirements, Squats, Training Tools, Versatile Product

Off-Ice Skill Development Strategy

This is the 2nd of 3 intro videos for the Home Hockey Training Center. Check out the first video before watching this one. Here are the links to videos 1 and 3:

• Video 1: Course Overview
• Video 3: Objectives and Considerations

There are certain hockey skills that can very realistically be developed away from the rink, and then there are some that don’t work quite as well. You can gain an advantage over your opponent by practicing as many skills as possible off the ice. This video breaks down which skills can (and should) be worked on away from the rink, and gives a quick overview of how you might want to strategize your off-ice training plans.

The main hockey skills that can be developed at home are as follows:

1. Shooting
2. Stickhandling
3. Passing Technique
4. Some Skating Elements

Then there are a few physical performance items that should be worked on at home as well:

1. Agility
2. Strength
3. Explosiveness

With the cost of ice so high, developing your hockey abilities at home is a cheap, and extremely effective way to improve your game!

Technorati Tags: Agility, Course Overview, Development Strategy, Elements, Game, Hockey Skills, Hockey Training, Home Hockey, Opponent, Physical Performance, Skill Development, Strategy Development, Video 3

Here’s a nice little agility drill that brings in many different skating elements!

I’ve mentioned before that technical skating drills can be boring and monotonous for many youngsters. The problem is that skating ability is SO essential… you HAVE to find ways of developing it! One method I’ve found to work with youngsters––and older players too –is to add a shot at the end of a skating drill. This tactic turns it from a skating drill into a shooting drill, and is much more fun and motivating for the players.

Start with no pucks. As your players progress, add a puck, then start making them do 5 push-ups for each time they lose the puck. Players must be able to execute these skating maneuvers at full speed without mishandling the puck. Add more pressure by assigning push-ups if the next player in line catches you. FULL SPEED IS THE KEY HERE – PUSH YOUR PLAYERS OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE!!

Enjoy!

CLICK HERE for a PDF of the Overspeed Agility Drill

Technorati Tags: Agility, Comfort Zone, Elements, Full Speed, Pdf, Puck, Pucks, Push Ups, Skating Drills, Skating Maneuvers, Speed Is The Key, Tactic, Ups, Youngsters

The Michigan Tech 1 on 1 Drill is fantastic for working gap control, passing, agility skating, and many other skills!

This is one of my favorite 1 on 1 drills because you can use it to work on so many different skills. Make sure your forwards swing fairly deep into the zone to receive the breakout pass. This will allow the opposing defenseman time to close the gap properly and play the 1 on 1 the way he or she should in a game.

Also, make sure your defensemen get outside the blue line… that gap MUST be closed, and the defensemen need to be able to get their speed up quickly after the pivot.

Enjoy!

CLICK HERE for a PDF of the Michigan Tech 1 on 1 Drill

Technorati Tags: Agility, Defenseman, Defensemen, Forwards, Game, Gap, Michigan Tech, Pdf, Pivot