How to increase hockey stickhandling skills

Would this system be beneficial for defensive players?
Thanks
Tammie
Hi Tammie,
One of the most important abilities for a defenseman to posses is the ability to control the puck at the blue line and in the corners. A defenseman who can shuffle laterally and pivot with the puck cant do it properly without rolling his wrist. Picture the following in a public high school game:
The d-man has the puck inside the offensive blue line, he goes to wind up and shoot and lo and behold a player comes out to challenge him......4 out of 10 times he will shoot it into the blocker 5 times he will dump it in and only once will he stickhandle, fake and let a nice crisp snap shot go.
The ability to stickhandle is a tremendous asset for every player on the ice. Not only does it allow the player with the puck to control the moment, it can buy a little time (a split second or 2) for a team mate to position himself for a pass or deflection. Couple the ability to stickhandle with the ability to fake and you have a defensive player that can work the puck out of his zone and an offensive player that can can put himself in a better postion for a shot.
That was a great question....I hope I answered it for you.

Dear Ron,
We bought the system a few months ago. My son has used the system on a semi regular basis...(because of the hectic schedules in the afternoon)However we have still seen significant improvement, using the system 4-5 times per week...
This is very good news.....You should continue to see an improvement as he develops. Dont be worried about the inconsistent use, as long as hes doing it (properly) a little each week. Hes only a mite and he has lots of time. take a peek at our observation and faq sections on the web for more info on this.

Our son is mite and using the blue puck for the majority of his mite travel games...We only use the blue puck when we play against squirts... I was wondering...might we see better on ice results when he is using a black puck regularly...and what effect do you think the weight of the blue puck has on his stickhandling because it is so much lighter than even the smallest ball for the kwik hands system?? I have noticed him over-pushing the blue puck on many instances and then it gets away from him...and i dont know if its me or what but he seems to handle the black puck much better??

I think the blue puck is a great idea and they should have switched to it a long time ago. Using the heavier puck is the reason why many mites never roll their wrists....its too heavy. The only problem is this, our younger players using our system will develop strength and motion faster than expected. This causes the light puck to fly on the ice, especially if its freshly cleaned or hardly used (in the case of mites). Dont be worried about this, he will adjust and adapt and when he does.....he will be able to fly and keep the puck on his stick.

If you have a moment let me know what you think???

It sounds like your son is making fine progress....remember that he has lots of time !! Its better to do a little, but do it properly, than it is to do alot improperly.

Yours in Hockey,
Mark Hayes
Alpharetta, GA

My 11 year old son has one of your stickhandling balls and has been working with it in the basement off ice. He has been playing hockey for 4 years and wants to improve his stickhandling, but someone mentioned to him that right handed dominant people usually shoot left and he might want to try to switch (he is right handed and shoots right).

Would this be smart and is the way he's doing it affecting his ability to stickhandle well? If he can develop the skills necessary by working with the ball, will his left hand learn to control the stick as well as his dominant right hand would. Any advice? Thank you for your time.
Denise

Right hand dominant players do generally shoot left handed. There are many factors to consider, level of play, how used to the right side is the player, how often he plays, how his shot has developed to name a few. The most important factor is this: Is he using his top hand to stickhandle or his bottom ? If his shot and style has developed nicely on his right side it may be very difficult and counter productive to change. It should be very simple to train his top hand to acquire the "new" proper motion. I would begin training his top hand and also experiment by having him use the same righty stick as a lefty. In our video (part of the system) we show this exact drill. Provided the blade does not have a heel curve it should make no difference. Experiment and see how comfortable he is as a lefty. I wouldnt play him in a game as a lefty but he can play some pond hockey to test the left side. The system will help him and show just how much work needs to be done. If he is having a hard time keeping his bottom hand loose use a piece of 1 1/2 inch pvc pipe over the stick or have him hold the bottom of the stick with only his thumb and forefinger (like a ring).

On a really wild side......picture a lefty coming down the left side cuts by the d and switches his hands to take a forehand shot as a righty....wouldnt it be great !

Finally try it on both sides and see how he looks and feels. Use the system on both sides to build strength in both wrists. We have players doing exactly this. Keep me informed on his progress an dont hesitate to email or call with any questions.
Thanks
Ron

Ron,
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. I just had one more quick question. You mentioned that the most important factor was "Is he using his top hand to stickhandle or his bottom?" He said he directs the stick with his right hand the most, which in his case is the hand lower on the stick. Would this give an indication of what he should do? Thanks again for your time!

Denise Kruse

Im not sure what you mean by directs the stick....The top (primary) hand is used for wrist rolling and is the essential component in stickhandling. The bottom hand is used to steady the stick and, will slide up and down on the stick during stickhandling, based on puck and body position. Anytime the lower hand is used as the primary hand (for wrist rolling) it can create problems. Creativity is lost and the ability to perform fakes can be inhibited. Anytime the bottom hand is used to hold the stick tight during stikhandling, will generally inhibit the proper motion.

Hope this answers your question.
Ron

Ron: Peter's doing really well with your program He uses levels 4 and 3 with relative ease. Levels 2 and 1 obviously challenge him quite a bit. I continually monitor his technique and make sure he does the reps properly. He's currently doing about 60 reps at each level. Ron, is there any problem with Peter doing a pyramid type of program? In other words, he wants to perform the levels in this manner (for example): golf ball, level 4, level 3, level 3, level 4, and golf ball.. Is this OK? I have noticed that his stickhandling on the ice is improving.
Thanks Ron. John Karney

With level 3 and 4 this is not a problem. But DO NOT do this with the whole system. When he is using the whole system follow the system from Level 1 to 4. This is important because we want high resistence to form the proper motion and reinforce it with decreasing resistence.

Its great to here Peter is improving.....Keep up the good work and it will only get better from here.
Good Luck and keep me informed of his progress.
Thanks
Ron

Can I use the system on my concrete garage floor?

While a smooth, hard and fast surface is great for developing hand speed, its not very good for strength and motion development. Strength and motion development requires the proper amount of resistance. We tested various systems and found that 1/2 inch foam rubber mats work the best. See KwiK-Hands Mats for more information.

Where is the best place to use the system?

Any place where you can lay down a 2 ft x 4 ft 1/2 inch foam rubber mat. I found its easier to get the kids to do the sets if they do them during their favorite show (Im sick of Sponge Bob are you?). If the system is close at hand then they are most likely to use it.

Why is a high number of repetitions important?

The only reps that count are the reps done properly. To be able to execute the proper motion on demand and without "thinking" about it, it must first be learned and committed to memory. Committing the proper motion to memory can only be done over a period of time using proper repetition. Click on the Proficiency button for more information.

What do I do after my proficiency level has been reached?

Well, I don't think you can ever be too good. Once this level is reached its time to start working on your fakes and dekes. Use either the 19 oz Pro Ball or the 8 oz Stickhandling ball and after each set practice your shoulder and head fakes. Make sure you do both sides. At this point you wont be thinking about your stickhandling anymore. It will be automatic and you will find it easier to execute the fakes.

Hi, we received the balls on Friday. It was a straight delivery to our house with no extra charge. I have done the balls with my son and I couldn't help but notice that the upper forearm on the stick gets quite a workout. Actually when I was done it is quite pumped up. What are your thoughts on this: I shoot left so it's my right forearm getting the workout, should I also do sets from the right handed shot position also, so both arms strengthen equally? I know the bottom hand has little to do with stick handling, but if I strengthen it as well, it could help with shooting. What do you think?
Jeff and Laurie Fletcher
Kingston, Ontario (Canada).

Awesome !!!!! You are seeing and feeling exactly what the system is all about.......BUT...While changing hands will give you the desired results (strengthening the opposite wrist and arm) and improve your shot.....DO NOT do this until the proper motion has been mastered. This occurs when the proficiency level has been reached. As stated in the proficiency handout the time varies based on the factors involved. One note about switching hands, do not sacrifice proper motion for strength. Proper motion always comes first and strength second.

Are all stick handle strokes to be 2 ft long, even with the small ball and golf ball?

Until the proper motion is used for all KwiK-Hands balls stay at the 2 ft length. The golf ball is used for 2 reasons.
a) Prior to the system set it acts as a warm-up. b) After a system set it causes a change of weight and sensitivity and forces a dramatic adjustment to motion and feel, to be registered and adjusted to. This is very important. We want to desensitize the player to the condition of the ice (resistance) and whats on his stick. We want the player to be able to stickhandle a puck no matter what weight puck is used. The length of travel of the golf ball is not important in either a or b.

Are some stick handle strokes to be 4 ft long?

You will gradually increase to the 4 foot length as wrist strength increases and the proper motion is developed. The increase will occur naturally during system use. By the time the proficiency level is reached the length should have increased to the 4 foot length. We find that the players using the system after proficiency, will use the level 3 and 4 (stickhandling and pro ball) at a high rate of speed and vary the length during the workout from 6-8 inches to 4 feet.

My player is nearing the proficiency level and is beginning over stickhandle the puck. What do I do?

Watch for the following; When the player becomes proficient he becomes much more confident, this sometimes leads them to over stickhandle the puck. This generally doesn't occur in open ice but you may see it when he approaches an opposition player. He may slow down and rely on his fancy stickhandling. If he's playing at a high level (AAA) this becomes a liability instead of an asset. It is however "normal progression". If you see this occur, remind him that speed kills, and speed combined with great stickhandling skills, kills faster and leads to more goals. Once the player learns to use this new found skill properly the players game will reach a much higher level.

Can I take a break from the system?

Absolutely! Its a good idea to get as close to the proficiency level as possible before the break occurs. Once the proficiency level is reached maintainence sets can be done 1-3 times a week or as needed. Remember, this is not a rigid system and it can be tailored to a specific players need, but your ultimate goal is to reach the proficiency level.

I cant seem to keep my bottom hand loose.

Try holding the stick with just a thumb and index finger. Remember that the hand is only used to steady the stick. If this doesnt work you can make your own Wrist Assist or purchase them via our web site. Simple get a piece of 1 1/4 inch Schedule 40 PVC and cut 2 pieces. The first being 5 inches long (for use with a glove) and the second one being 3 inches long for use without a glove. Slide it over the top of the stick and grip the pipe when stickhandling. This should fix the problem.