I've been skating with my head down all my life which results in me losing the puck or getting rocked...how do i change this?
2007-01-19 01:54:19 · 7 answers · asked by xXPacoXx 1 in Sports ➔ Hockey
This is a tricky one. I have played hockey for over 30 years and played it at the "Junior" level in Ontario Canada when I was a teen.
There are several tricks to doing this that you might try:
1) Make a collar for yourself that has a shield to keep you from being able to see the puck on your stick. Then practice stick-handling.
2) Probably better than the collar-shield above is a shield that fits on your stick below your bottom hand. This shield should block out visibility of your puck-handling so that you have no reason to look down. Then, again, practice stick-handling with this device attached. I have seen these stick-collars in recent years... I believe someone makes them... try your local hockey store and ask about them and how to get one.
3) I spend the entire warm-up (after strectching) simply stick-handling with the puck while I skate, making sure I never look at the puck or my stick. Since it is the warm-up, if I screw up, no harm happens... but I skate around (and intentionally around team mates) stick handling the puck, never glancing below the seem between glass and boards... this gets me ready for stick-handling in traffic during a game.
4) Finally.... "Pain"! At one point in time, all players watch the puck / stickhandling! Eventually the body-checks that you don't see get painful enough that you forcibly prevent yourself from putting yourself in that position... once in a while it is going to happen no matter what (usually while trying to pick up the puck to stick handle with). This is the hardest way to learn... but often the most effective... it's not much fun taking the full brunt of a forceful body check! The mind remembers this and makes you focus on more than just the puck!
Good luck and remember, in hockey (as in pretty much all things) practice is the key! It's a beautiful game when you play it well... it's a nightmare when you have your head down! ;-)
2007-01-19 02:12:07 · answer #1 · answered by RussTik 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The way I learned to keep my head up was pretty easy. In pre game warm ups or whenever you get some free time just grab a puck and skate around with it at full speed. Try to be very conscious of everything around you. You have to try and be able to know that the puck if on you stick by feeling it there not seeing it. It's one of those things that with time and practice you should be able to master it. Good luck!
p.s. I've been playing hockey for about 7 years and I always do this "exercise" before a game. It really helps me.
2007-01-19 05:34:54 · answer #2 · answered by hockeydude25 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
listen im not a hockey player but i wish i had played in my life.--but im a very intelligent person.--to me i think you need to first feel that puck on your stick and be able to skate and have control of the puck as you skate.--you have to have the puck give you feedback through your hands that the puck is there touching your stick.--if you can accomplish that and skate with the puck making contact -most importantly feel it on the stick- you will look down a lot less.---turn your stick so where its against the puck as you push it and changing the angle of the stick as you change the angle of your skating.--i think this answer is genious but thats me
2007-01-19 03:13:13 · answer #3 · answered by george l 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There's a simple way to get used to keeping your head up
Set up 2 cones on the ice about 6 feet apart
Start skating in a figure 8 around the cones (laterally if possible)
Have a second person randomly toss you a ball as you skate
You catch the ball and throw it back
Keeping your head up will come naturally if you don't want to get hit in the head with the ball....
SIMPLE.....
Sounds unorthodox, but works very well
2007-01-19 03:25:09 · answer #4 · answered by Joe Crow 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your best defense is peripheral vision. You need to learn to be able to see the puck as well as everything around you. Once you master peripheral vision... Do not be afraid to duck or dodge out of the way if you see a hit coming at the last second. Better to save your self than get rocked!
2007-01-19 02:37:46 · answer #5 · answered by Todd Maz 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I stick handle with my eyes closed. It resulted in many goals due to head up looking at the open net.
2007-01-19 06:59:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just have confidence and balance yourself.
2007-01-19 02:16:02 · answer #7 · answered by ☮janaenae☮ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋