Print this page

Stick Handling The most important aspect of floor hockey is stick control. Without stick control, the coach cannot teach any of the other aspects of the game.     Your Athlete Can: Never Sometimes Often Pick up stick and put proper end on ground Grip the stick with one hand controlling stick Grip the stick with two hands controlling stick Pass the puck to another athlete Pass the puck without a high stick Move stick from one side of body to the other while moving Change grip to accommodate next move Move puck without looking down at it Look in one direction and pass puck in another Move around the court while controlling puck Stick check Shoot on goal Shoot on goal without a high stick Perform a lift shot           Athlete Readiness Beginning athletes will have very limited control with their stick. They will rarely catch the puck with their stick and when, passing the puck to another athlete, will have just as much chance to pass it as to leave it at their feet. Their grip will change with every exercise and from one side of the body to the other. When they have possession of the puck, they will always be looking at the puck and not at any other athletes on the court. When you ask them to pass the puck, they will generally not look at the athlete whom they are supposed to pass to. When passing a puck, it will always remain on the ground. Also, when following through on a pass, they may have a high stick.     Intermediate athletes will have moderate control with their stick. They will usually catch the puck with their stick and can pass the puck in the correct direction, but not always directly to the person intended. They will have their own grip, but usually from only one side of the body. They cannot tell if their stick has the puck without looking, but they can move with the puck and pass while looking up about half of the time and at the puck the other half. If they concentrate hard enough, they can do a lift shot, but never under pressure. At this level, they will be aware of their high sticks and work on keeping them down.   Advanced athletes will have complete control with their stick. They will always catch the puck with their stick and can pass the puck directly to the feet of their intended receiver. They can move the puck without having to look down to see if they still have it and can pass using their stick on either side of the body. They will always perform a lift shot and will have several grips to use as needed to aid them in getting the puck where they want it to go (corners of goal, etc.).   The Grip Teaching the Skill Before athletes can learn any pass, they must first learn to hold the stick properly. Teach the basic grip: the dominant hand should be the lower hand. If the athlete is right handed, the right hand should be under the left hand. Have athlete "shake hands" with the stick, with the palms facing up as though they were shoveling. Hands should be a couple of inches apart, with elbows loose and bent and arms hanging loosely, ready for any action. If this grip is uncomfortable, try reversing hands, putting the dominant hand on top. Also, move hands so that the palms face down as though they were sweeping, and see if this grip is more comfortable.     Teaching Points Encourage athletes to keep the tip of their stick below their waist at all times. Show them how to control the stick by using both hands. The bottom hand acts as a pivot point and the top hand is the control. The lower you drop that top hand, the higher the tip will come off the ground.   Key Words "Two hands on the stick" "Keep your stick down" "Keep you head up"   Coaching Tip Encourage athletes to handle the puck without looking at it. Let them know that everyone misses at times and they will learn to "feel" the puck at the end of their stick eventually. In the meantime, it's OK when they miss or leave the puck behind them. The more they practice, the sooner they will master this skill.   Moving with the puck Teaching the Skill "Moving with the puck" allows an athlete to move the puck from one area of the court to another without giving up control. Your athletes need to be aware of several things at the same time: where they are on the court in relationship to their teammates and those on the opposing team, and where the goal is. In this case, "practice makes perfect" — that is to say, the more hands-on experience your athletes get in this area, the better they will be. Have the athletes concentrate on where they want to go first, and then add in obstacles as they master control of this skill. Use drills to hone this skill.   Teaching Points As with all skills involving the puck, your athletes must learn to "feel" the puck at the end of the stick. Keeping the head up and looking at the other athletes on the court is a main priority. As the athletes move around on the court with the puck, show them how to avoid having the puck taken from them by turning their body to shield the puck from an attacker and keeping their body between that athlete and the puck.   Key Words "Keep your head up" "Keep moving" "Shield/protect your puck"   Faults & Fixes   Common Mistakes Correction Drill Reference Athlete leaves the puck behind Remind athlete to keep stick on ground Musical Pucks Drill Follow the Leader Drill While in possession of the puck the athlete keeps eyes on the ground Remind athlete to keep head up while in possession of the puck Follow the Leader Drill Coach does not know which hand is dominant on the athlete Determine from athlete which hand is dominant Circle Weave Drill

Prev Page Next Page