11Jul 2011 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments

Stickhandling: Swedish Wooden Ball Review

Coaches' Corner, Hockey Drills, Hockey Equipment, Individual Skill Drills, Individual Skills, Off-ice Training, Puckhandling, Skills, Stickhandling, Useful Products
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…
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07Jul 2011 by Jeremy Weiss 2 Comments

Stickhandling: SmartHockey Ball Review

Coaches' Corner, Hockey Drills, Hockey Equipment, Individual Skill Drills, Individual Skills, Off-ice Training, Puckhandling, Skills, Stickhandling, Useful Products
The SmartHockey Stickhandling Ball is Something Every Hockey Player Should Have in His or Her Bag! Every once in a while a hockey product comes along that just makes sense. The SmartHockey Stickhandling Ball is one of those products. I've been using the Smart Ball for about 7 years now, and I've really enjoyed it. There are a few reasons why the Smart Ball is such an effective stickhandling tool. Versatility and Durability Since it's a ball, the Smart Ball can be used on many different surfaces. You can take it inside and use it on carpet, bring it to the rink and use it on the rubber flooring there (I keep a Smart Ball in my bag to use for warming up my hands before games), or you can…
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29Jun 2011 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments

Stickhandling: Green Biscuit Review

Coaches' Corner, Hockey Drills, Hockey Equipment, Individual Skill Drills, Individual Skills, Off-ice Training, Puckhandling, Skills, Stickhandling, Useful Products
The Green Biscuit Behaves Like a REAL Puck, Even on Pavement! My First Experience with the Green Biscuit I've gotta admit, the first time I saw the Green Biscuit online, I didn't get it. It seemed a little weird, and kinda "gimmicky" to me. Then, a few months ago I saw one at my local hockey shop. I picked it up off the counter, and asked Darren, the store owner, what he thought of it. He told me it was amazing, and that he'd never seen anything like it. I've been friends with Darren for years, so when he tells me "I've never seen anything like this," I usually perk my ears up! Here are his exact words: "Jeremy, that puck is the damnedest thing... it feels EXACTLY like a…
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27Jun 2011 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments

Stickhandling: FlyPuck Review

Coaches' Corner, Hockey Equipment, Individual Skills, Off-ice Training, Puckhandling, Skills, Useful Products
The FlyPuck is a Great Tool for Achieving an "On-ice" Feel, While Off the Ice! Over the past few years, a number of off-ice hockey pucks have made their way onto the scene. Initially, most of these pucks were designed to be used for roller hockey, with the intent of using them on a SportCourt surface. Some of these pucks worked ok, some of them not as well... but at the end of the day none of them REALLY did what we needed them to do. Requirements For an off-ice puck to be an effective tool for stickhandling development, it has to have the same weight and feel as a real puck does on the ice, and it also has to behave like a real puck does on the ice.…
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22Jun 2011 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments

Stickhandling: Dryland Flooring Tiles

Coaches' Corner, Hockey Equipment, Individual Skills, Off-ice Training, Passing, Puckhandling, Shooting, Skills, Useful Products
Dryland Flooring Tiles are one of the Most Versatile Hockey Products on the Market Today In this post, I wanted to introduce an extremely effective and versatile product, HockeyShot's Dryland Flooring Tiles. The reason I say this is such a versatile product is that you can literally design your "floor plan" to fit your training objectives. This might mean using six or eight tiles as a shooting pad, or it might mean going wall to wall with them in your basement for a fully functional stickhandling, passing, and shooting facility. Not only are the flooring tiles versatile in how they can be used, but you also get a lot of flexibility when it comes to timeline. You don't have to outfit your whole room all at once... These tiles are…
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