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Hockey Shooting & Stickhandling Tips
Wrist Shot
Snap Shot
Slap Shots

Backhand Shot

Stickhandling
Backhand Passing
Hockey Skating Tips
Forward Skating
Backward Skating
Crossovers
Braking
Explosive Starts
Transitions
Tight Turns (Pivots)
Top 10 Skating Tips

Other Hockey Tips
Nutrition
Recovery
Performance

Wrist Shot

The wrist shot is probably the most effective shot in hockey. It is the most accurate shot and it can be released fairly quickly. This is the shot that a player should learn first. While not as fast as the slap shot, with practice, proper technique and upper body strength, the wrist shot can be a very powerful shot.

WRIST SHOT - Use the proper stick grip and take on the proper hockey stance. For the wrist shot, move your lower hand halfway down the shaft to add power to the shot. Position your body at a 45-degree angle to the net. Bring the puck behind or even with your back leg lowering your shoulder as you reach back and down with your stick to position the puck. Keep the puck in the middle of the blade with the blade tilted over the puck (rotate your wrists). In this position, your weight should be on your back leg.

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Snap Shot

Side to Front Snap Shot

Within 15 to 20 feet from the net, an accurate snap shot is the ultimate shooting weapon. This shot has the quickest shot release with plenty of power. Mastering the snap shot is difficult and takes a lot of practice but it is well worth learning. The benefit is being able to shoot a powerful shot with almost no wind-up and no warning.


Back to Front Snap Shot	One Timer Snap Shot

The snap shot is quicker than a wrist shot and more accurate than a slap shot. The most important attribute of a good snap shot is the speed with which you can release the puck. It’s probably the most widely used shot in hockey today.

SNAP SHOT - One of the most effective snap shot is the low snap shot. Try to keep the slap shot a few inches from the ice. At that height, your teammates have a good chance of deflecting the puck in the net and the goalie is easily screened by his own defenseman. The low snap shot is a great weapon especially when used at the point by a defenseman.

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Slap Shot


Slap Shot	Slap Shot One Timer

The slap shot is the most powerful and exciting shot in hockey. However, most of the time, the slap shot ends up hitting the boards. If you are to use the slap shot, you need to develop accuracy.

SLAP SHOT - One of the most effective slap shot is the low slap shot. Try to keep the slap shot a few inches from the ice. At that height, your teammates have a good chance of deflecting the puck in the net and the goalie is easily screened by his own defenseman. The low slap shot is a great weapon especially when used at the point by a defenseman.

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Backhand Shot

The backhand shot is the most difficult shot to learn. Most goalies fear the backhand shot because its trajectory is so difficult to read. A player will loose many scoring opportunities if he has not mastered the backhand shot. This shot is very effective when cutting in front of the goal or when the pass is made on your backhand side at close range to the net. A player should practice the backhand shot as much if not more than any of the forward

BACKHAND SHOT - Use the proper stick grip and take on the proper hockey stance. Move your hand down one-third the length of the shaft. Bring the puck just behind or even with your back leg. Position the puck on the back third of the blade (in the middle of the straight section close to the shaft). Roll your wrists to tilt the blade over the puck. Keep the line of shooting close enough to your body so that you stay balanced but far enough to provide good arm movement.

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Hockey Stickhandling

Stick handling is one of the most important fundamental skills in hockey. You need good stick handling skills to play heads up hockey, to take and maintain possession of the puck, to win face-offs, to receive and make passes and to shoot the puck. All the great puck carriers, great passers and great shooters can stick handle, position and shoot or pass the puck with their head up; this requires a lot of focused repetitive training. Because stick handling is such an integral part of hockey, stick handling should be one of the first things that a player learns and practices.

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Backhand Pass

Use the proper stick grip and take on the proper hockey stance. To set up for the forward pass bring the puck behind your back leg. Keep the puck in the middle of the stick blade. Rotate your wrist causing the blade to tilt over the puck. In this wind-up position, your body weight should be on the leg closest to the puck.

Passing Tip: When making a pass you want to use a sweeping motion. Rather than "slapping" at the puck, begin with the puck on the heel of your stick and during the sweeping motion, the puck should spin to the toe of your stick and off to your teammate. Like shooting, remember to point the toe of your stick at your target at the end of your follow through to increase accuracy.

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Hockey Skating Tips

Forward Skating

The forward skating motion should be your first priority when learning how to skate. Although it may look easy, skating in a forward motion is very difficult and requires a lot of time and practice. Learning to skate with a proper technique will make you improve a lot faster and give you the confidence to develop into a great skater in the future.

Proper Technique

Start with your skates forming a ''V'', knees turned outwards.
Bend your knees (you should not be able to see your toes).
Push one foot at a time and transfer all your body weight into each stride.
Reach a full extension on each stride with your driving leg and with your ankle.
When you fully extend one leg, rapidly return the leg back to the ''V'' position and extend the other leg.
As you get more comfortable, work on extending faster (you will gain more speed).

Tips

When skating forward, your feet should always be hip width apart.
Your body is always square to the direction of travel.
Your back should be straight, your head in the centre of your shoulders with eyes focusing forward.
Don't lean your body to far forward (use the body lean that gives you maximum balance and lets you to take fully extended strides).
Make sure to always bend your knees (beyond level of comfort) A good knee bend equals more power and more balance.
Skate one foot at a time.
Fully extend on each stride with a quick recovery.
As you become a better skater, focus on taking wider strides for more speed.
Skate with a proper arm swinging movement (arm and leg movements work in rhythm with their opposites).
Always keep your stick on the ice, except when you are looking to gain top speed.

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Backward Skating

Backward skating is one of the most difficult skating technique to master. To become a fluent backward skater, lots of effort and patience is needed. In a game, a player spends nearly half the time skating backwards, and it is especially important to play a solid defensive game. By learning the proper technique and following these simple tips, you will be on your way to becoming a solid backward skater.

Proper Technique

Begin by bending your knees (they should be covering your toes).
Keep your back straight and eyes looking forward.
Start each push from directly under your body (from the hips down).
The pushing foot drives to the side to full extension (forming a half moon ''C'') while the other foot glides back.
Push one leg at a time and use all your body weight on each stride.
Pivot the heel of the pushing foot up and outward so it is perpendicular to your glide foot (Form and upside down letter ''L'').
Try to maintain a straight line as possible (do not swivel your hips).
Focus on one stride at a time.

Tips

Always keep your eyes looking forward and shoulders back.
As you improve, angle your upper body slightly forward from the hips (your stance remains almost vertical).
Always keep your hips low to the ice.
Remember to have a strong knee and ankle bend.
Push your leg to a full extension and make sure your gliding leg goes back in a straight line on the flat of the blade.
Skate one foot at a time.
Always keep both feet on the ice (not like forward skating).
Use sprinter type arm movement while skating with one hand on stick.

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Crossovers

Crossovers are a very important part of a hockey player's game. Without proper crossover abilities, turning quickly becomes very difficult. They are the maneuvers that allow players to accelerate on curves, corners and circles. Remember to be very patient when learning crossovers as they are one of the most difficult skating skill to master.

Proper Technique

Make sure to bend your knees (ideal bend is 90 degrees between shin and thigh) and stay low.
As you lean into the turn, keep your shoulders still and level to the ice (do not lean your upper body into the circle).
Only the lower body parts are aligned and pointing in the direction of the turn.
Leaning into a turn, the outside leg crosses over (in front of) the inside leg keeping the skates as low to the ice as possible (within one inch to the ice).
Bring the outside leg back in front while remaining balanced and low to the ice.
Repeat crossover until you are going in desired direction.

Tips (for both forward and backward crossovers).

Hips and skates always face direction of travel.
Shoulders remain as level as possible.
Always keep your head up and eyes pointing forward.
Good strong knee bend and ankle bend are the key to good crossovers.
Pushes are outward / inward (not forward / backward).
Body weight is always above the outside skate.

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Braking

Forward Stop

Backward Stop - V Position

Backward Stop - 90 Degrees

Proper Technique

1) Forward Stop (90 degrees)

As you get ready to stop, turn your hips 90 degrees from the direction of travel, turning both skates simultaneously.
The outside skate slides along the top of the ice on an inside edge, the inside skate trails the outside one sliding on top of the ice but on an outside edge.
Keep both feet wide apart from each other.
Transfer most of your body weight on the outside skate (if too much weight is on the inside foot, you will fall and loose your balance).
Counterbalance the stop with your upper body, keeping shoulders parallel to the ice.

2) Backward Stop (Hips straight / V Position)

As you get ready to stop, keep your hips facing in the direction of travel and begin your slide.
Turn your knees outwards and bring heels in under shoulders.
There should be snow coming from both inside edges as you begin the slide on the ice.
As you begin to feel conformable with the slide, dig inside edges deeper into the ice.
Your body weight should be centered evenly on both feet (do not lean to far forward or you might loose your balance).

3) Backward Stop (90 degree hip turn slide)

As you get ready to stop, turn your hips 90 degrees from the direction of travel, with your back foot lifting slightly off the ice, then returning to the ice.
Both the inside skate and outside skate slide on top of the ice, with the inside skate trailing the outside skate.
Your trailing foot should be in front of your chin, while your back foot should be slightly behind the back of your helmet.
Most of your body weight should be distributed to your back skate.

Tips (Forward and backward stops)

As you get better at stopping, increase skating speed prior to stopping (the key is being able to stop quickly at any speed).
A good knee bend is vital to making good stops.
Always keep your eyes forward and your head up.
Your back should be as straight as possible.
Don't be discouraged if you fall, it's a sign that you are closer to stopping.
Remember to shift most of your weight on the outside foot for balance.

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Explosive Starts

To become a complete skater, you want to be able to explode on the ice from a gliding or stopped position. Many skaters take too much time to gain speed. Hockey is a game of transitions, and you must master the quick start to gain speed quickly from any positions. By following the quick start technique you will gain speed a lot faster. You should also engage in off-ice training and conditioning, as your leg strength is the vital factor in achieving an explosive start.

Proper Technique

Bend knees deeply (you will need all your leg muscles to engage in a powerful start).
Form the letter ''V'' with both skates with your knees pointing outwards.
Spring forward and drive off from the ball of your foot.
Fully extend your legs on each stride and fully extend the ankles (a lot of the explosive speed comes from the ankle flexion).
Visualize yourself as a sprinter (you should be jumping and landing on your fist 3 to 4 steps).
Thrust your body forward and transfer as much body weight as you can to the jumping foot.
Focus on having ''quick'' feet as the faster you execute your jumping strides, the faster you will gain speed.

Tips

Good deep knee bend is vital to a quick start.
Engage in off ice training to develop powerful leg muscles (the more powerful your leg muscles, the more explosive you will be on the ice).
Do not lean your body too far forward, as you will loose your balance.
The ability to get up on your toes is what will get you to explode faster.
Keep on practicing and don't get discouraged (improving explosiveness takes time and practice).

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Transitions

Pivot - Front to Back

Pivot - Back to Front

Transition moves in hockey are extremely important in one's development into becoming a great skater. It is one thing to be comfortable skating in both forward and backward motions. But in order to become a great skater, you must be able to make a quick transition from the forward to backward motion, and from the backward to forward motion. Transition moves require a lot of patience and practice. Apply the proper transition techniques and you will be on your way to becoming a much more complete skater.

Proper Technique

1) Forward to Backward

Bend your knees deeply.
Keep your back straight, head up and eyes pointing forward.
As you get into the transition, turn your hips 90 degrees from your direction of travel (both hips turn simultaneously).
Keep upper body centered over the top of your skates to stay balanced throughout the transition.
The outside skate (planted on the inside edge) pushes a half moon (''C'') deeply into the ice.
The inside skate is on an outside edge and gets you going in a straight line backwards as it pulls underneath the body extremely hard to full extension, forming a letter ''Y''.

2) Backward to Forward

Bend your knees deeply.
Keep your back straight, head up and eyes pointing forward.
As you get ready to make the transition, center all your weight over the turning skate (Plant the skate on an inside edge and it will automatically turn).
Your other foot (the one you will land on) gets slightly lifted off the ice and forms and arrow tip position under your body.
Push off with your pivoting foot and make sure to counterbalance against it to maintain the proper grip to get power and speed from your push.
Once you have made the transition and have your momentum going forward, pop up on your toes and apply the technique of the quick forward start (''V'' start).

Tips

Practice until you can make transitions without loosing any momentum.
Make sure to turn hips 90 degrees when executing the transition (improper hip turn movement results in a loss of speed and balance).
Always keep your head up and eyes facing forward while doing transitions.
Make sure to have a firm knee bend to stay balanced and give you added power when making the transition.

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Tight Turns (Pivots)

While crossovers are the best way to gain top speed in turning corners, it is also very important to learn how to turn quickly while keeping both skates close together. Hockey is not a game played skating in a straightforward motion; you must be able to turn quickly and confidently. When wanting to quickly change directions, a quick turn with both skates together will get you going in the desired direction a lot faster. Master the tight turn (pivot) and you'll have a great advantage in many game situations.

Proper Technique

Make sure your knees are bent deeply (ahead of your toes), your upper body is straight, your head is up in the center of your shoulders and that your eyes are pointing forward as you enter the turn.
As you begin to turn, shift your body weight into the inside leg (the inside hip guides the turn).
Keep the inside shoulder pressing up to remain parallel to the ice surface (try to maintain outside shoulder as parallel to the ice as possible).
Your outside leg glides next to your turning inside leg, and your skates turn simultaneously in the same direction.
Once you have turned and are going in the desired direction, execute a sharp crossover and apply the quick start principles to gain top speed.

Tips

Keep your eyes pointing forward as you turn.
Exaggerate the knee bend, as you must be very balanced to turn as quickly as possible.
The sharper you want to turn, the more downward body weight you should apply entering the turn.
Use your hips as the steering wheel as you execute the turn and keep your legs close together to get a quicker turn.
Focus on maintaining as much speed as you can while turning.
Keep your stick in front of you (preferably both hands on the stick).

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Top 10 Skating Tips

		1 - Knee Bend Always bend you knees deeply in front of your toes (90 degrees). A good knee bend will give you more powerful strides and help you attain better balance. You will also be a lot more solid on the ice. Remember that you can never have enough knee bend while skating.
		2 - Head Up, Eyes Forward Always keep your head up and eyes pointing forward. This will greatly improve your hockey skills, as you will always be aware of what is going on around you. Applying this tip will be difficult when stick handling the puck, but practice it until you are very comfortable. It will greatly improve your stick handling skills and you will be a much better player for it.
		3 - Full Extension Fully extend your leg and ankle on each stride. This will help you attain more speed and become much more explosive on the ice. Keep on reminding yourself to take long strides until it becomes automatic.
		4 - Fast Leg Recovery Develop a fast leg recovery after executing your strides. Keep in mind that the faster the leg recovery, the more speed you will gain. This is an area that is often forgotten by many skaters, keep reminding yourself to do it and gain an edge on the competition.
		5 - Balance Always have your weight directly over your skates as much as possible for stability and balance (when your knees are bent, your always sitting in the middle of your skates). Proper balance is crucial, especially when turning, stopping and during contact. Focus on your balance and you will spend a lot more time on your skates, rather than falling on the ice.
		6 - Lightness on skates Try to feel light on your skates, especially when you are gliding on the ice. You will become a much more graceful skater and use a lot less energy. The more energy you save, the less tired you will become, and the more stamina you will have in the late stages of a game.
		7 - Wide Strides Focus on having fast wide strides. When you are in motion and have already attained good speed, your strides should be a lot wider than when you take off. Again, focus on fully extending to the side, while having quick leg recovery, and you are on your way to improving your overall speed.
		8 - Feet hip Width Apart Always have your skates at least hip width apart when skating (they will often be wider). Having your skates to close together will result in a loss of balance. Your skates should be in a position where you feel comfortable, and where it feels natural.
		9 - Skate Maintenance Always keep your skates properly sharpened at the level you feel the most comfortable. Get to know the person who sharpens your skate and always get them done with the same sharpness. When you know what works for you, keep your skates in that state as much as possible. This will greatly benefit your skating skills.
		10 - Off Ice Training Engage in an off-ice-training program that combines power, flexibility and endurance. A perfect skating technique without strong powerful legs will not let you attain your full potential in terms of speed and explosion. Focus on a program that will build power, endurance and flexibility.

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Other Hockey Tips

Nutrition Tips

Proper nutrition is an area often ignored when it comes to hockey players. However, by eating the right foods, you will have much more energy during games, have a much more positive mental attitude and be able to recover from injuries a lot faster. With all the fad diets out there, it can become confusing on knowing what to eat to fuel our bodies. Here are a few simple nutrition guidelines to follow that can help you be a lot healthier.

Focus on a diet containing healthy foods

Try to include as many as these wonderfully nutritious foods as possible; Fresh fruits and vegetables, Whole Grains (whole wheat pastas, whole wheat breads, brown rice, oatmeal, cereals), lean meats (chicken, fish, lean beef), nuts and seeds (almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, soy nuts), legumes (lentils, beans), eggs, milk or soy milk, yogurt, unsaturated fats (olive oil, salmon, peanut butter) and drink plenty of water (8 glasses / day).

Limit the following foods as much as possible

Sugar (candies, high fructose syrups, sodas, desserts, ice cream), caffeine (coffee, tea, sodas), white flower (white bread, pastries), saturated fats (french fries, red meat, butter, doughnuts). Remember that the key is to avoid as many as these foods as possible, and to replace them with healthier more nutritious foods (mentioned above).

Focus on eating a good combination of carbohydrates / proteins / fats

For each meal, try to have a combination of those three. They are all essential to help fuel your body for hockey and to help you function at your best. Carbohydrates (breads, pastas, sports drinks) will give you the energy you need, protein (leans meats, eggs, fish, nuts and seeds, legumes) will help rebuild your muscles and unsaturated fats (salmon, peanut butter, olive / peanut / sunflower oils) will help lower your bad cholesterol and promote better circulation. We recommend consulting a sports nutrition expert to customize an eating plan that best suits your type.

Eat more frequent smaller meals

Eating 3 large meals is not the ideal way to help our bodies function their best. Our digestive systems need just the right amount of foods to be able to function at full capacity. Try to focus on eating 4-6 smaller meals, and don’t eat large amounts between meals. Eating between meals is ok, but focus on smaller snacks (a slice of whole wheat bread with peanut butter, a few nuts or seeds, a banana). You should also avoid eating too much before going to bed. Eating too much before going to bed will have your digestive system working too hard and will take a lot of energy out of you.

Typical Guideline to fuel your body before games or practices

Larger meals should be consumed 3-4 hours before games or practices to insure proper digestion has been done before you get on the ice. If you don’t have time to eat a meal, try having a large snack 1-2 hours before game time. Focus on snacks or meals that have lots of carbohydrates, as they will give you the fuel you need to perform at your best. The key is to make sure you have enough nutrients in your body to perform at your best without getting tired.

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Hockey Recovery Tips

Hockey is an intense fast paced game that can leave you exhausted, tired and make your muscles feel soar the next day. Most players spend 3-5 days per week on the ice so knowing how to recover faster is very important if you want to avoid running out of energy or getting ill from exhaustion. By applying a few tips, you can recover your muscles a lot quicker and more efficiently. Here is a list of things you can do to help give your body what it needs to recover faster from strenuous hockey workouts.

Drink lots of water or sports drinks during practices or games

Not getting enough fluids in your body during games or practices will accelerate your overall fatigue and heat stress. As your body temperature increases, performance decreases, fatigue increases and you can become ill. Insufficient hydration can lead to these much faster. The best way to stay hydrated and fuelled for hockey workouts is to drink water or sports drinks during workouts (we recommend a high quality sports drink as it also contains carbohydrates, proteins and electrolytes, which will give you more energy than simply consuming water). You should consume 4 to 8 ounces of water or sports drinks every 10-15 minutes. (Avoid sports drink with too much sugar).

Assure to give you body the rest it needs

Nutrition and proper hydration alone are not enough to assure your body to fully recover from strenuous hockey workouts. Rest and sleep are also very important. To assure your body has the necessary rest it needs, you should aim at having at least 8-10 hours of quality sleep every night (especially the night before your hockey games or practices). If your body doesn’t get the sleep it needs, your body will become tired a lot quicker and your performance will suffer from it. You should also try to go to bed no later than 10 O’Clock, as the best sleep quality occurs between 10 p.m. – 1 a.m. Also, try to have a few days a week with very little or no exercise to give your body rest to recover faster.

Work on your endurance and stamina

If you lack endurance and stamina, your body will use a lot more energy and become exhausted a lot quicker. For this reason, it is very important that one of your main goals as a player be to become fit and in shape. There are a few ways to do this; 1- Work on conditioning during practices. 2- Undertake cardio-vascular exercises away from the ice (in-line skating, jogging, and biking). Remember however not to over do any exercise you undertake as too much exercise will deplete your body more than it will do you good.

Treat injuries and take time off from hockey if needed

Hockey is a fast paced game with fast intense movements and with contact involved, many injuries can occur. The most typical injuries suffered from hockey players are muscle strains, back ligament sprains, groin strains, hip injuries, knee injuries, shoulder injuries, wrist injuries, hand and finger injuries, head and neck injuries, concussions, contusions and dental injuries. If you suffer from one of those types of injuries, consult a medical professional and follow his recommendations to treat and heal your injury. Many players don’t take the necessary time off to let the injury heal and they end up aggravating the injury. Give your body the time, rest and nutrition it needs to heal.

Here is a simple guideline to follow if you suffer a bruise or strain during a game.

RICE – Rest (For most injuries, rest the area until the pain decreases.

For simple sore muscles, however, gentle stretching will reduce stiffness more quickly. Hold the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds, then rest and repeat five to 10 times) – Ice (Ice is the most effective treatment for reducing inflammation, pain and swelling of injured muscles, joints and connective tissues—such as tendons, ligaments, and bruises. Apply ice for 20 minutes every two to three hours while awake. For best results, place crushed ice in a plastic bag and wrap with a moist towel) - Compression (Between icings, wrap the injured area with an elastic bandage to help control swelling and provide support. Don’t wrap to tightly!) - Elevation (Raising the injured area above your heart will allow gravity to help reduce swelling by draining excess fluid).

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Hockey Performance Tips

Hockey is not only demanding physically, but also mentally. Also the mental area of hockey is often ignored, it can make the difference between a good player, and a great one. Here is a list of mental characteristics associated with excellence and top performance. Apply them and you will greatly accelerate your development and performance level as a player. To be in top mental health, remember to eat as many nutritious foods as you can and try getting good quality sleep every night. You will not be in good mental health by eating a poor diet and getting little sleep.

Goal Setting

Setting goals will give you a sense of direction and purpose in what you are trying to attain. Are you trying to make the provincial team, get a hockey scholarship, develop a better shot? Once you have established your goals, work and focus your energy on trying to attain them. Make sure your goals are realistic and remember to not be to hard on yourself if you don’t attain them right away.

Mental Rehearsal (visualization)

Visualization is the ability to create a mental model of an event or situation. It is a natural common behavior and can greatly help you achieve your goals and perform better as a player. For example, if you are trying to develop a stronger slap shot and are having trouble, try visualizing yourself executing a good one. By mentally rehearsing yourself achieving what you are striving for, you will increase your chances into developing the desired skill a lot faster. Visualization will also make you perform a lot better in pressure situations.

Relaxation

To perform at your best, you must be able to relax, especially when your body becomes stressed. To increase your relaxation response, try meditation or deep breathing (deep breath from your abdomen). For simple meditation, find a comfortable quiet area in your house (your room, living room), and try focusing on your breath while letting your thoughts come and go. The key is to become in a very relaxed state without trying to control thoughts. Let go and try relaxing as much as you can. Don’t get discourage if you have trouble attaining relaxation. Meditation takes time to develop. As you become better at it, increase your meditation sessions. You may also want to use relaxation music to help get you in the zone. You may also want to try yoga, tai chi, or other forms of relaxation exercises.

Concentration and Focus

Concentration can be defined as the ability to focus your attention on a selected target or purpose. In hockey, being able to concentrate if essential to becoming a great player. An example of concentration in hockey would be trying to find an area to shoot at to score a goal, or it might be looking for a teammate to pass while being scanned by opposing players. The key is to be able to concentrate on a desired area, without letting other distractions get to you. Improving concentration can be achieved by working on being able to zone your focus on the task at hand. Another trick to increase concentration is to not to over think or let distractions get to you. During games, focus one shift at a time. Try to refocus your energy when you get distracted and frustrated during a game because you missed a scoring chance, or during a questionable call by an official.

Positive mental attitude and belief

Believing in yourself and being positive can be developed and trained over time. By continually giving yourself positive feedback, you will greatly increase self-confidence and self-esteem. Try replacing negative self-talk patterns by more positive ones (For example, instead of saying ‘’I couldn’t score a goal on this goaltender if my life depended on it’’ by ‘’I will find a way to score’’. Try using positive confident goal oriented statements such as ‘’I will, I can, I am going to’’. Also, when visualizing, try seeing yourself performing the way you want to (confident, energized, and fully focused).

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Food is amazing. Not only does it taste good, it also fuels functional roles in our body. Check out each food group's role in optimizing hockey performance.

Food Group	Function	Hockey Application
Vegetables & Fruit	*Provide vital vitamins and minerals as well as antioxidants and fiber. These keep our immune systems boosted and basically runs all of the internal processes in our body.*	*Less sick time = more ice time.*
Grain Products	Provide our body with carbohydrates, the main fuel needed for hockey and just being alive. Our brain uses carbohydrates as its main fuel. Grain products are also a source of B-vitamins, fiber and iron in our diets.	*Long lasting energy for practice and games. Players who can think and play.*
Milk & Alternatives	*Provide calcium, vitamin D and other vitamins/minerals needed for bone health.*	*Strong bones that can withstand the bumps, falls and checks.*
Meat and Alternatives	*Provide protein used for muscular repair, rebuilding and recovery. These foods are also high in iron used in oxygen transport in the body.*	*Proper repair = less chance of injury and fresh legs for the next practice/game.*

Hockey equipment:

Always Wear Protective Equipment

Some players think it's okay to play without helmets or proper equipment. This is very dangerous. You should always wear the required equipment (and more!) when playing hockey.

Proper skating:

Correcting a Faulty Stride

Usually problems with boots only come if the boots are too large and don't fit properly. New or second hand boots can sometimes be made to fit well by simply going to the sport shop and putting them into the oven (special oven please don't use the one in your kitchen) and lacing them tightly to the feet of the skater. Using Ankle Protective Skate Inserts is a very useful skate accessory for sufferers of lace bite as well as faulty stride as they will help increase comfort and supply stability to the skater. Please remember that after taking care of the above, practice proper skating strides whenever you can.

Increase Skating Efficiency

To increase efficiency while you skate, remember to bend at your knees and not the waist. By focusing on the bend of your knees you are using the strength from your "gluts" and "quads" rather than damaging your lower back. Also, by keeping your back straight you facilitate the breathing process, increasing your stamina.

Increase Speed

The fastest skaters take the longest time to do ten strides. It is the contact with the ice that produces power. Many skaters leave out the gliding part of the stride and over work, producing short choppy strides. This is inefficient as well as tiring.

Stopping on Skates

Not sure how to stop while on skates? This will most likely take a lot of practice and it is obviously not the easiest part of skating. First: Try going slowly and as you approach the area where you wish to stop, quickly turn your feet sideways in a motion that allows you to slide along the ice while still digging into it. Next: All weight must go on your outside leg. Last: Just keep trying and always remember to keep your balance.

Stick handling and passing:

Forehand Passing

Both hands move in the direction of your target. Do not swing your stick in an arc as you release the puck. Proper knee bend is important. Keep your stick in contact with the puck; do not slap at the puck as you pass it. A pass should be done without making any sound.

Pass Reception

These suggestions apply when receiving the puck on either the forehand or the backhand. As the puck is coming towards you, move your stick towards the puck and tilt the top edge of your stick towards the puck. As the puck contacts your stick, let your stick move a bit in the direction of the puck to cushion the impact of the reception. On the backhand it is particularly important to let the puck cross right in front of your body as you're receiving it. Do not meet the puck with a rigid stick, or the puck will bounce right off your blade.

Stick Handling

As in pass reception, the blade of the stick cups the puck when you are stick handling. This applies to both the forehand and backhand motion in stick handling. You will be a more dangerous player if you have a wide range of motion when you're stick handling. This makes it easier to pull the puck out of the reach of your opponents, yet while maintaining control. You can receive a helping hand by purchasing some of our Training Aids.

Shooting:

The Right Shot

Wonder why players like Joe Sakic and Brett Hull always seem to be able to score from just about anywhere? It's because they have mastered the quick snap shot, wrist shot and backhand shot. If you want to be a goal scorer, don't waist too much time on the big slap shot. You hardly ever have time to use this kind of shot in competitive league play. Instead, practice the quick release. You can do this by using some of our Training Aids available now.

Deaking

If you're fortunate enough to find yourself in a breakaway, try practicing this move as it is guaranteed to bring you success. It is important to initially gather as much speed as you can while keeping the puck ahead of you until you get reasonably close to the goaltender ( do not waist speed and time stickhandling at this point, this will only slow you down ). As you're about to make your move on the goalie, bring the puck to your forehand as if you're about to shoot, wiggle your stick blade to sell your deak, bring the puck to your backhand, wait a fraction of a second ( you will see some room between the goalie and the net ), and finally lift the puck to the superior part of the net.