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your
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skills
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Every issue builds up a comprehensive resource
to help you and your team play better hockey.
with Ben Barnes
individual skills
part 1: receiving and passing
receiving
Being able to control the ball is This may sound strange to seasoned
fundamental to hockey and our first hockey players but stopping a ball
skills:
touch, more often than not, is one that and doing something positive with
keeps the ball within our reach so we it is sometimes forgotten by so called
core basics
can do something with it. experienced players. For this reason I
For beginners it will really be about will talk about open-side (right hand
stopping the ball dead as this skill to a side) and reverse-side (left hand side)
complete novice will feel a lot harder receiving, as well as using your first
than slapping the ball away as soon as touch to put the ball where you want
it is near them. Instinct will always tell it. More often than not, hockey players
us to hit out at an object we are scared let the ball boss them rather than the
of - or even worse, run away from it. other way round.
meet and greet:
As the ball comes towards you on the by keeping the stick firm and behind the
open-side your hands on the stick should ball.
be apart. Your right hand would be
around the middle of the stick (where The ball should come to rest to the
comfortable) and your feet would be at right hand side away from the feet in
a width to give a balanced base to move a position you can then execute the
easily as the ball comes to you. Have the pass. If the ball is bouncing then you
heel of the stick on the floor, firstly as a would need to have a more upright stick
target for the passer, and secondly so you position to prevent the ball going past
can trap the ball as it gets to you. Before you with your head inline with the ball to
the ball arrives the arms should be slightly track the bounce. Get inline with the ball
extended so you can “meet and greet” quickly to adjust the stick would be my tip
the ball, cushioning the ball in to the stick rather than wafting a stick as you jump
with the right hand lower on the stick out of the way.
controlling the pace and spin of the ball
good >>>>
hand position stance for meet and greet
bad >>>
a
ge 41
P

Push
hand too low too far behind too low
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