30Apr 2010 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments

Summer Hockey Strategy

Coaches' Corner, Off-ice Training, Philosophy
How to Plan Your Summer Hockey Activities I am often asked what a player should do to make the most of his or her off season. This can be a tough question, because the answer usually varies from player to player. However, despite the many possible "correct answers," there are five main objectives that I think should be staples for any player looking to improve this summer––regardless of age or skill-level: Improve physical performance: The off-season is the time to develop your speed, strength, and size. During the summer months, this should be the primary focus for serious hockey players. Enormous gains can be made by consistently working out in a structured, hockey-specific, strength and conditioning program. Improve technical hockey skills (on-ice): Hockey players should take the time to develop…
Read More
22Apr 2010 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments

Motivate Players with Hockey Shooting Drills

Coaches' Corner, Philosophy
During the course of a practice, it is not uncommon for players to get uninterested and become detached, especially at younger ages while working on boring skills like technical skating. Adding Hockey Shooting Drills into the mix is a wonderful way to liven up your practice and keep your players motivated and up beat. High tempo shooting drills can also help spark some competition and mentally rejuvenate your players during longer practices. When working with Hockey Shooting Drills, I try to implement a few key points that help my players to get the most benefit possible: 1. Make sure your players keep their feet in motion while shooting, this is called shooting in stride. Many players slow down and glide just before shooting, not only does this affirm to the…
Read More
20Apr 2010 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Long/Short Passing

Long/Short Passing

Half Ice Drills, Hockey Drills, Misc. Drills
Long/Short Passing is a Fantastic Half-Ice Passing Drill This is a bit of a "2 for 1" half ice hockey drill, since it's a sequential drill with a long pass, and a short pass. This drill should be executed at a quick pace, so whistle timing is very important here. Have your players focus on executing hard, accurate, stick-to-stick passes––especially on the cross-ice pass. This is a great drill for all ages and skill-levels! Here's the explanation and diagram:   Long/Short Passing Option 1 - Long Pass 1. First player leaves line and skates through the cones as shown. 2. Next player in line fires a hard, stick-to-stick, cross-ice pass. 3. First player receives pass, skates up around the NZ cone, and fires a shot on net. NOTE: make sure…
Read More
17Apr 2010 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments

Slapshot Challenge

Miscellaneous, Off-ice Training
Slapshot Challenge As you know, I'm a HUGE advocate of improving your game during the off-season. I've found that the off-season is a time where you can make massive gains in strength and speed, as well as a time where you can fine tune other elements of your game like shooting and stickhandling. My attitude toward the benefits off-season training is part of the reason I got so excited when my good buddy Jeremy Rupke over at howtohockey.com told me about his idea to create the Slapshot Challenge. He is challenging every hockey player to improve their slapshot this summer, and will be coming out with loads of material to help you along the way. Here's a quick video with the details: I've known Jeremy for a while now, and…
Read More
12Apr 2010 by Jeremy Weiss 11 Comments
9 Half-Ice Hockey Drills Every Coach Should Know About

9 Half-Ice Hockey Drills Every Coach Should Know About

Checking & Angling, Half Ice Drills, Hockey Drills, Individual Skill Drills, Misc. Drills, Passing & Timing, Shooting, Small Area Games, Team Skill Drills
Half Ice Hockey Drills to Add to Your Drill Library With the cost of ice time going up, many teams are sharing practice sessions, especially at the younger age groups. The need for half ice hockey drills continues to grow, and has been a highly requested topic from our readers. So, instead of just doing a video or two, I put together 9 of my favorite half ice hockey drills spanning across all levels of play... beginner to advanced. I've also included a printable PDF version as well as the Importable DrillDraw files, if you want to bring all this stuff to the rink with you. You'll find the links at the bottom of this page. Here we go!! 1. Quad Passing: 1. Players 1 and 2 execute five passes…
Read More