CLICK HERE TO SEE A VIDEO OF THE DRILL

After our six-week off-ice stickhandling progression, it’s time to take it to the ice (or your online skates) for our Drill of the Week 7, powered by Kenny Brandt and SkilledAdvantageHockey.com.

Hopefully you’ve stuck with it for the past six weeks and are ready to move to the next level of drills with this one, but if not don’t worry, each of the previous drills that build up to this week’s can be found at the links listed farther down in this article.

The details about the seventh drill in our weekly series also can be found below, and the accompanying video of the drill being performed is posted each week on YouTube, Facebook Instagram and Twitter. Make sure to follow @KBDangles on Instagram check out the Skilled Advantage Hockey website for more great video content and lessons.

Also, if you shoot a video of yourself doing the drill and post it on Instagram, tagging @KBDangles and @MYHockeyRanking, you will be eligible to win a free membership to www.SkilledAdvantageHockey.com. 

This edition of Drill of the Week is the seventh in a progression of stickhandling drills, but this time we move to the ice – or anywhere you can do the drill using inline skates. Each week we build on the previous weeks’ drills, and the great thing is that each of the first six drills can be done literally anytime, anywhere with minimal equipment or space needed. Going forward if you don’t have access to ice but still want to practice, you always can find a safe, flat surface and try on your roller blades or roller skates.

Our first drill six weeks ago was considered a “rookie” level or basic drill. You’ll see that now that six weeks later we have built up to the “pro” level. If you missed the previous lessons and want to catch up – or if you find yourself struggling with this drill – you can simply go back to Drill of the Week 1, master that and then move on to each of the subsequent drills until you feel ready for this one. By mastering the previous drills, the next exercise in the progression should become easier to perfect.

Click Here for Drill of the Week 1.

Click Here for Drill of the Week 2.

Click Here for Drill of the Week 3.

Click Here for Drill of the Week 4. 

Click Here for Drill of the Week 5.

Click Here for Drill of the Week 6.

The great thing about the previous six drills is that if you’re watching a game or movie on TV, you can get your stickhandling board or stickhandling ball and practice the drills while trying to watch. You also can do them while you’re waiting for your turn to play a video game. In fact, doing the drills – once you are comfortable and can do them properly – while watching TV will help you learn to play with your head up when you stickhandle on the ice.

Now, after perfecting those drills and working on them in your free time, you should be ready to ramp it up and take your new moves to the ice for more practice and to learn new skills.

As always, a word of warning, though. You must practice the right way to see positive results.

You shouldn’t be able to look up while performing these drills right away. Don’t rush a drill the first few times you try it. It’s not a race. Practicing the drill properly is the only way to improve. If you take shortcuts and don’t follow the pattern as you see it in the video or if you don’t try all the variations, you’re not going to see positive results. You can practice all you want, but if you practice the wrong way or don’t put the proper effort into what you are doing, you’ll never see the improvement you seek.

People who look for results from diets and exercise plans often veer from the course because they don’t like a certain food, don’t feel like taking the time to prepare or buy the required foods or don’t like a certain exercise. Instead, they substitute something else or just ignore what they are supposed to do. Ultimately, they don’t get the results they want or aren’t patient enough to wait for the results, get frustrated and give up.

Don’t be that person.   

Take your time. Read the drill description. Watch the video. Imitate the movements and try to perform the drill exactly as you see it. Go slow so you can do it properly. It’s okay if you mess up, because that means it’s a skill you haven’t mastered and that you are learning something new.

You only get better by doing things that are outside your comfort zone. As you get better at the drill and get the feel of the movements, yes you can speed up a little bit, but even more important you can start to pick your head up and scan the ice or whatever is in front of you as you do the drill. This will help make it second nature for you to pick your head up and be able to see the ice when you carry the puck or stickhandle in game situations.

Don’t Forget to Join Our Contest!

As an added bonus, if you record yourself doing this drill on video and post it on Instagram and tag both @KBDangles and @MYHockeyRanking, you will be entered into a drawing to win a free month’s membership to the Skilled Advantage Hockey Website!

CLICK HERE TO SEE A VIDEO OF THE DRILL

Drill of the Week #7

Alternating Toe-drag & Backhand Pullback Continuous

Category: Advanced Stickhandling Progression

Level: Pro

Variations: 1

Forehand only (shown for both lefties and righties in the video). Right-handers move clockwise. Left-handers move counterclockwise.

Reps: 2-3 full rotations then take a break and try again.

Materials Needed: Stick and five pucks, cones or similar items to serve as obstacles and one puck to handle.

Drill Mechanics:

The video shows both the right-handed and left-handed forehand variations. We are only working on the forehand here but wanted both righties and lefties to see how it looks from their perspective. Right-handed players should move the puck clockwise, while lefties should move it counterclockwise.

Perform 2-3 full repetitions, take a short break and go again. Do this as often as you like until your hands feel fatigued or you feel comfortable with it. You can speed up a little and try to perform the drill while looking up as you get more comfortable. Try to master the proper mechanics of this drill before going more quickly and eventually looking up as you execute it.

Drill Breakdown:

• Place 5 pucks in a cross-like pattern as shown in the video – three in a straight line in front of you about 18-20 inches apart and then one 18-20 inches to the left of the middle puck and another 18-20 inches to the right of the middle puck. You will handle the sixth puck.
• Puck moves on the backhand through the middle of two pucks.
• Toe-drag.
• Puck moves on the backhand through the middle of two pucks.
• Backhand pullback.
• Repeat above steps until you have completed 2-3 full rotations.
• Take a short break then try again. 

Good luck and have fun!