Coaches Tips #2

Tip # 5

Is that a bat in your hand?  If you do the math, there are more hockey players in Canada that shoot left. Where as almost half the youth hockey players in the United States shoot right. Why is that?  Because they were asked, "which way do you bat?"

Selecting your sons stick is not like going to bat at the ball park.  The sad part is, there are a lot of proshop employees that don't know or don't have the time to explain the mechanics of shooting. So here it goes!

If you write with your right hand, you shoot left.  Why?  Your writing hand is the artistic side of your brain. That hand goes on top, at the end of the stick.  That hand controls the in and out motion of the stick during stick handling.  Where as your other hand goes down on the shaft of the hockey stick.  That bottom hand is used for the power and thrust during the shot.  More on shooting later.

Should my son get aluminum or wood?  My votes is for the wood! Several reasons. It cost less and its more flexible than aluminum.  If you want a great shot...go wood!

Tip # 6

How to select your team captain.

This should not be the player that is like most by the team, or the player who skates the best and or who scores the most goals.   Here are some rules to follow when you select the captain.

1.   Should be the player that works the hardest.

2.   Inspires the team.

3.   Pushes the players do there very best.

4.   Leads by example.

5.   Knows the rules.

6.   Keeps a cool head under pressure in the game.

7.   Helps the young players / rookies.

8.   Knows when it is time to be serious.

9.   The ability to communicate with the referee.

10. Be teachable.

Tip # 7

Know your angles.

Teach our goalie's to use a two phase approach when making saves.

One, know your angle on the court relative to the shooter.

The best way to do this is to always check your angle to the goal post first.

This is done by touching the goal post at arms length, not with their arm at a slight bent. Once this is done, the goalie can set himself in his stance. Or, they can come out and cut down the angle, then set his or her stance.

I use an open leg stance. This gives me a larger "Five" hole to work with. Why! Because I want the shooter to shoot there. Give the shooter, the area that you are good at. Make them shoot where you want them to shoot.

Use Basic Drill # 25 : Goalie Angle Drill listed below to help teach your goalie where to stand on the court.

Now here's the second part of the two phase approach...knowing when to go down!

Picture yourself standing in your crease. Do you see that half circle? Imagine that there is a second half circle just two feet past the circle on the court.

The area between the two half circles is called the "Go down zone." This means that when a player is in this zone with the puck, you go down. If the player is outside this zone, you stay up. Why!

If they are in the "Go down zone" the goalie have a greater advantage of making the save in a butterfly because of the angle between the goalie and the shooter and the goalie and the post.  

So lets stop and thing about this for one second!  Let say the other team has the puck in your defensive zone and the shooter is at the point getting ready to do a slap shot.  Does the goalie stand up, or should he or she go down?

Chances are, you will have two players in front of you, your defensemen, their forward, all jockeying for position in front of your goalie. If the puck takes flight, your chances are really good that the puck will hit some one standing in front.

So be ready to go down!

So the first rule for your goalie is to check their angle to the post. Then come out and stand several inches behind the player that is screening him in the "Go down gone." Make sure that your goalie does not impede with the player infront. (this could tie them up and keep them from making the save)

If the puck leaves the point on the court with all those players in front...he goes down.  Why?  Because the the player or players standing in the "Go down zone" becomes the shooters once they touch the puck for the deflection.

If they wait for them to deflect the puck before they go down...its to late!

My favorite save is the skate save. Why!  Because it places the puck in the corner and not in front for a second shot. However, it is a dying art and you don't see many pro's using it very much.   Skate saves...next month.

Basic Drill # 25

Angle Drill

Goalie "Angle" Drill:

Zone # 1: When shooter is in Zone #1,  the goalie should hold arm out and touch the near post at glove length.  This will help set position in the net.  Then and only then, can the goalie come out to cut down the angle.

Zone # 2: When the shooter is in Zone #2, the goalie should be up against the post with his left skate touching the post facing the shooter.  Goalie should not leave that position to cut down the angle.

Zone # 3: When the shooter is in Zone #3, the goalie should be facing down court towards the slot area with his left skate up against the inside of the near post, and his arm around the post of anchoring.  Have the goalie place the heel his stick at the tip of his skate blade. Have the blade and handle of the stick leaning away from the goalie with the goalies hand at the top of his stick by the knob. The tip of the blade of the stick, needs to be facing the near face of circle at a 45 degree angle relative to the shooter.  This position is formed so that the goalie can poke check the puck along the outside line of the blue goal line and keep the puck from entering the slot area,  when he poke-checks, and with the stick at a 45 degree angle to the surface of the court.  The puck will launch over the players receiving stick in the slot area.  If goalie misses the poke check, the goalie should quickly come out to cut down the angle and force the shooter to pass or make a different move.  Goalie can also do a two legged stack pad slide to make save.

Zone # 4: Same as Zone #3 but have the goalie place the stick handle on the outside of the near post with his arm holding the post for support.  Have the goalie holding his catching glove out and open ready to catch the puck if it is shot in the air into the slot area.

Zone # 5: Same as Zone # 2.

Zone # 6: Same as Zone #1 but have goalie check angle with the tip of his blocker and then come out to cut down the angle.

Zone # 7: Goalie Crease.

Zone # 8: Extension of Goalie Crease. Attacking players can not have skate in this zone.  Whistle is blown and face off outside defending zone.

Zone # 9: "Go down zone."  If an attacking player is in this zone the player goes down on shot.  No players in Zone, goalie stays up.

Total Drill Time: 30Min.