Interestingly, this question arrived from the Youth Sports Coalition at a time when I really wanted to share a few special thoughts with my members in reference to puckhandling.
-- Dennis Chighisola
Drills to Build Puckhandling Skills
Q: Susan, the mom of an 8-year old, says that her son is just starting out in a local house league program. And, while he seems to take to skating quite easily, she notes that, "...he struggles a bit with puckhandling." From there, Susan asks, "Are there any drills (The Old Coach) would recommend to help him build his puckhandling skills?" A: First, as an aside, I smiled that the mom of a new player already refers to the skill as "puckhandling". That's my preference, since "stickhandling" tends to focus only on the stick-work part of puck control. That said, it would be difficult to totally outline a thorough course here -- in limited space and solely in writing. At the same time, I have what I think are a couple of great ideas for getting that young guy off on the right foot... You see, over my many years in the game, I've noticed that there's a certain sort of "mentality" common to good puckhandlers. I mean, real puckhandlers love playing with that little black thing (or practically anything they can get their sticks on), and they seem to just love experimenting. (As a friend once observed, "Blow a whistle when a group has pucks, and the true puckhandler is the one who can't stop fiddling!") The good news for Susan and her boy is that I've found this mind set to be teachable -- IF the seeds can be planted early enough. Actually, a lot of years ago, I had baseball-sized balloons made to include on them my New England Hockey Institute logo and my favorite puckhandling expression, "Go nuts!" And I've tended to use (and use and use) that expression through the years, as my kids have toyed with either a balloon, a ball or a puck.
As shown in the photo, most balloon dribbling is done in the air.
The idea of the balloon? Practically anything a kid wants to try with it is do-able. It's big, it's light, and it tends to be slightly slow in moving. Still, almost every time a balloon is tapped, it tends to spin-off in an unpredictable way. And this causes one to have to react rather quickly with the hands and stick in order to make the next tap.
There's yet another reason I like to include small balloons in a player's puck-work. For, in my mind, one needs the same kind of dexterity with the stick as he or she might have with a folk or pencil. In other words, the stick has to ultimately become an extension of him or her. And the characteristics of a balloon just seem to help that.
Next, I introduce my students or players to small, wooden Swedish Stickhandling balls. Golf balls are an acceptable substitute, although the wooden balls are a little safer (or slightly less bouncy). Yes, given the luxury of working with my kids in person, I do ensure they are able to perform side-to-side dribbles and a number of other basic movements, and I do ultimately teach some pretty wild moves. For Susan's sake, however, I believe just experimenting with a small ball will help put her young guy on his way to developing better puck skills. (Ultimately, he might try bringing the ball through and around each foot, and even combine stick dribbles with passes off one foot and then off the other -- just "Go nuts", if you know what I mean!)
Then, a few more thoughts...
Notice that I've opted for lightness when it comes to selecting substitutes for a puck. I do this because quick hand movements are the mark of a good puckhandler, and the right props will allow -- or even encourage -- quick reactions. And this points to similar needs when it comes to the desired weight, size and fit of a player's gloves, sticks or any other pieces of gear that can affect hand, arm and shoulder movements. Trust me on this, that lighter is always better.
Also notice the ease in which the above program could be undertaken. The cost for a small bag of balloons would be negligible, a used golf ball should be easy to come by, and it should also be easy enough to find a spot to safely practice these skills.
Finally, I encourage Susan (and every other reader) to borrow my expression, "Go nuts!" Or, come-up with your own way of encouraging creativity, experimentation, and that special kind of puckhandler's mind set. Trust me on this one, too, in that IF a youngster gets the puckhandling bug, he or she isn't going to be able to stop dribbling even when someone blows a whistle!
PS: Sometime after writing this article, I produced a home training course that introduces all the basics of puckhandling, plus quite a few fancy moves. Again, all the drills can be easily done at home and in a small space, and I've also used almost all of these drills on the ice (if you're a coach looking for some great puck-drills). This video course also helps encourage what I refer to as a "puckhandler's mentality". Just click this link to download "Incredible Stickhandling" in my on-line store.
