The X-Tiles Flooring System Allows you to Build a State of the Art Hockey Training Center, One Piece at a Time!

I was recently introduced to a new hockey dryland tile that I’m really excited about. It’s called the X-Tile, and it’s made by XHockeyProducts (yes, the same company that brought you the X-Passer, and the X-Deviator).

If you’re familiar with XHockeyProducts, you already know they are famous for designing heavy duty, smart, & functional hockey training equipment… and this product is no different!

The X-Tiles are not only an awesome flooring product to give you a slick surface for stickhandling, shooting, and passing, but they’re also a fully integrated, hockey training system that works in tandem with many other products! In this review I’ll be showing you how the X-Tiles work, and sharing my experiences with them.

Unboxing:

My first impression of the X-Tiles was that they are actually a really good weight. You don’t want a product like this to be too flimsy, but at the same time, you don’t want it to be too hard to move around. The X-Tiles are a durable, manageable weight.

Size:

The next thing you’ll notice about the X-Tiles is that they’re huge (2 feet by 2 feet!). I always say “the bigger, the better” when it comes to flooring tiles because you want to have the fewest seems possible.

Assembly:

The X-Tiles are REALLY easy to put together AND take a part. This is a big feature in my opinion because it allows for a degree of portability, and gives you the option to change configurations if you want (a feature I have made use of a few times myself).

The easiest way to put together your X-Tile set-up is to lay it out first to get an idea of where everything is going to sit, then tap it all together with a rubber mallet. In the video above, I put together a 15 tile set-up in about 11 minutes.

Add-ons:

One of the coolest features with the X-Tiles System is that you can add on various pieces of equipment to enhance your experience and work on different skills. Here’s a quick list of add-ons you’ll want to consider:

1. X-Deviator or X-Deviator Mini – hockey stickhandling aid that can be adjusted into multiple configurations
2. X-Tiles Passer – bungee rebounder that snaps into the X-Tiles
3. X-Saucer – awesome device used to work on saucer passes, also built to snap right into your X-Tile set-up
4. X-Tiles Pocket – a “pocket” piece that is designed to hold the X-Deviator in place. Again, built to snap into your X-Tiles set-up

Experience:

As you can see in the video, using the X-Tiles System is A LOT of fun! The tiles are very slick, the seams are very flat, and the pucks slide well on them. The add-ons work really well, and are fully integrated with the tile system. I like the fact that you can easily change configurations or add to your X-Tiles system over time.

The X-Tiles are also pretty “kid proof.” I’ve had my boys using these things every day, and they’ve held up just fine. My kids love it!

Conclusion:

This is definitely a product I stand behind. If you’ve got it in the budget, I’d pick up a few boxes of X-Tiles right up front, along with all the add-ons (check out the Weiss Tech Hockey Package XHockeyProducts has put together). It’s a fantastic training system that is unlike anything else out there. However, the beautiful thing is that you ARE working with a budget, you can just as easily start basic and then keep adding to it piece by piece as you have the funds.

Technorati Tags: Experiences, First Impression, Flooring Product, Flooring System, Flooring Tiles, Hockey Training, Huge 2, Piece At A Time, Portability, Rubber Mallet, Slick Surface, State Of The Art, Stickhandling, Tandem, Tile, Tile Set

Check out this Slide Board Designed Specifically for Goalies!

Every now and then I come across a hockey training product that just makes me go “wow!” That’s what happened when I first saw the X-Goalie Crease Slideboard from XHOCKEYPRODUCTS.

Now, I’m admittedly NOT a goalie guy. But it’s not hard to tell when something is going to be beneficial for an athlete. Watch the videos I’ve included in this post, and check out how closely this product allows the goalies to mimic their on-ice movements. Incredible!

Here are a few of the features you should know about:

Regulation-size Crease
The X-Goalie Crease Slideboard features an NHL regulation goalie crease that utilizes Fan-tastic Sports technology along with the “ProHybrid Visual Lead Position System.” This system allows a goalie to develop muscle memory using the same Squareness, Angle and Depth as he uses on the ice.

Customizable Movement Patterns
This crease uses adjustable stoppers to create customizable movement patterns. PowerStrides, Shuffles, Pushoffs, Recoveries, Slides and even paddle down wraps can be practiced on our board.

Two Challenging Training Levels
This crease has two challenging levels: Foundation and Elite. Young goalies will want to start by using the crease at the Foundation Level. This level will allow them to get a feel for the system, and begin to build their leg strength and coordination.

The Elite Level has stopper placements progressively further out as you approach the top angle. This level will challenge even the most established goaltenders due to the precision needed in angle adjustment, and the power it takes to carry the full distance outside the crease.

Stoppers, Pushers, and Recovery Bumper
All stoppers are located on the “Awareness to Squareness” lines. Each line gives the goalie/trainer immediate feedback as to whether or not Squareness has been achieved to a specific angle.

In addition to the stoppers, the X-Goalie Crease Slideboard is equipped with a Recovery Bumper. This semi circle railing mirrors the crease line. It is used to execute a recovery or pushoff from your butterfly. The bumper is strategically placed in an ideal position relative to the stoppers for maximum load and power out of your hybrid setup.

Moving in towards the posts you will find two blue net play stance stoppers. These stoppers are placed off of each post to ensure the goalies feet are 30 degrees off the goal line. This 30 degree angle gives the goalie a solid base while allowing him to see the strong side corner while keeping the weak side blue line angle in his or her peripheral vision. The goalie can lead the play with a quick shuffle, come back to the same post, lead again, then rotate and shuffle 30 degrees back to the opposite post.

Lastly, this crease has paddle down wrap recovery bumpers in place. These arched rails enable the goalie to recover out of a paddle down wrap as if a player makes a pass instead of executing a wrap around.

Conclusion
I don’t often wish I were a goalie… (No offense to any of you keepers who are reading this!) I love my position, and I play it well. However, this just looks like A LOT of fun to me, and I’m a little envious to tell you the truth! If you’re a goalie… you’ve gotta check this out.

WHERE TO GET IT: Currently the X-Goalie Crease Slideboard is only available at XHOCKEYPRODUCTS.COM… in fact, this product is so new, they’re still in “pre-order” mode right now. But you can sign up to get on the pre-order list here: CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER

Cheers!

Jeremy

Technorati Tags: Angle Adjustment, Athlete, Coordination, Crease, Elite Level, Fan Tastic, Foundation Level, Full Distance, Hockey Training, Leg Strength, Movement Patterns, Muscle Memory, Nhl, Placements, Position System, Slide Board, Slideboard, Slides, Sports Technology, Wraps

Welcome to our Hockey Coaches Training Course!

This course is designed as a pre-season “tune-up” to help coaches think through the Team Systems they plan on using throughout the upcoming season. So, our main focus will be on hockey systems, and what options might work well for your team.

CLICK HERE to see our course syllabus, which outlines everything we’ll be covering in this course. As we progress through the week, the individual topics will become live as more content is added.

DISCLAIMER: Every team is different, and has different strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, what works well for one team might not work for another. There are many “correct” ways of implementing systems with your team. The things I’m showing you are based on personal experience as a player and coach, and should be tweaked and adjusted to best fit your team’s style. ENJOY!!

Technorati Tags: Coach, Coaches Training, Course Introduction, Course Syllabus, Eastern Time, Hockey Coaches, Hockey Training, Implementing Systems, Personal Experience, Strengths And Weaknesses

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