CLICK HERE TO SEE A VIDEO OF THE DRILL

Welcome to our ninth Drill of the Week, powered by Kenny Brandt and SkilledAdvantageHockey.com. This week we move back to the “pro” level and continue the initial stickhandling progression we had been working through in the first seven lessons. Those seven drills can be found below, so if you have trouble executing this pro-level drill, you can go back to the beginning and perform each drill in the progression to work up to this one. Each of the drills builds on the previous movement, so once you are comfortable with one you should be able to move on to the next one successfully.

Here are the first seven drills in the progression:

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. 

Click Here for Drill of the Week 7.

 

The details about the ninth 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 and to 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.

As mentioned previously, this week we head back off the ice to continue the progression we started with our first seven drills.

The great thing about the off-ice 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.

After perfecting this drill and working on it in your free time away from practice, you should be ready to ramp it up and take your new moves to the ice and to execute whatever drills we post in future weeks. 

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 programs 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 slowly 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, you certainly can speed up a little bit, but even more important you can start to pick your head up and see 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 #9

Backhand Small Circle 1-2-3

Category: Stickhandling Progression 1 

Level: 3 (Pro) 

Variations: 3

Middle

Forehand

Backhand

 

Reps: Complete the pattern 4-6 times out if front and in the middle of our body then complete 4-6 reps on both your forehand and backhand sides.

Materials Needed: 4 pucks – 3 as obstacles and one to handle.

 

Drill Mechanics:

The video shows the mechanics of the drill and the setup. There are three variations to this drill. It is performed in the middle of your body first, then on the forehand side and finally on the backhand side. You should complete the pattern 4-6 times before taking a break and moving to the forehand side. Complete the drill 4-6 times on the forehand before moving to the backhand.

Doing the drill slowly at first and exactly as it is done in the video will help you get comfortable. The more comfortable you get, the faster you can go, and ultimately you should be able to look up while you do the drill.  

 

Drill Breakdown:

• Align three pucks with the center of your body directly in front of you. The first puck should be about the same distance away from you as you normally would feel comfortable handling the puck. The second puck should be 8-10 inches directly in front of that puck, and the third puck should be about the same distance directly in front of the second puck.

• Start with the puck on the backhand side of the stick.

• Perform a backhand small circle as you see in the video on puck 1.

• Perform a backhand small circle as you see in the video on puck 2.

• Perform a backhand small circle as you see in the video on puck 3.

• Pull the puck using the toe of your stick on the forehand back through pucks 3 and 2.

• Pull the puck using the heel of the stick on the backhand through pucks 2 and 1.

• Repeat 4-6 times and before moving to the forehand side of your body.

• Perform 4-6 reps on your forehand then try on the backhand side of your body.

• Perform 4-6 reps on your backhand side and then you can start over at the middle of your body.

• See the video for the forehand and backhand setup. 

 

Good luck and have fun!