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How to Pick Good Off Ice Hockey Drills
By hoif | August 23, 2010
Jeremy S. Weiss asked:
Hockey is a very complex game. There are many aspects of athleticism that must work in harmony for a player to be effective on the ice. Interestingly, off-ice training is often overlooked and neglected–even among top-caliber hockey teams. Players who perform a well-designed sequence of off ice hockey drills can gain a definitive “edge” over their opponents.
Here are a few pieces of advice when designing your training program:
Select off ice hockey drills that mimic skills you’ll need in games. Some of these skills would include quick feet, agility, leg strength, explosiveness, core strength, balance, and stamina, just to name a few. Use timed training to simulate the work-to-rest ratio you’ll have in a game. Most youth teams use 3 lines, so a work-to-rest ratio in that case would be 1:2, in other words you’ll rest twice as long as you worked for between sets. Older teams often use 4 lines, so the proper work-to-rest ratio would increase to 1:3. This tip is especially useful with sprints and other explosive exercises. Supplement your strength and endurance training with off ice skill development. Just about every player has a place somewhere at their house where they can stickhandle a ball around. Now days there are many cool stickhandling balls available, some are weighted to develop wrist strength, some are extra light to work on quick hands, and some are built to act and feel like a real puck. Invent a stickhandling routine and do it regularly. Also, try and find a way to shoot at least 50 pucks a day. You might have to get more creative with this one, but if you can make this happen, you’ll see big benefits from it!
Utilize these three tips when selecting your off ice hockey drills, and you’ll already be off to a good start. Remember, most of the people you’ll be playing with are doing nothing. So, even if your exercise routine is a work in progress, stick with it and make tweaks along the way, and you’ll undoubtedly see the advantages!
Hockey is a very complex game. There are many aspects of athleticism that must work in harmony for a player to be effective on the ice. Interestingly, off-ice training is often overlooked and neglected–even among top-caliber hockey teams. Players who perform a well-designed sequence of off ice hockey drills can gain a definitive “edge” over their opponents.
Here are a few pieces of advice when designing your training program:
Select off ice hockey drills that mimic skills you’ll need in games. Some of these skills would include quick feet, agility, leg strength, explosiveness, core strength, balance, and stamina, just to name a few. Use timed training to simulate the work-to-rest ratio you’ll have in a game. Most youth teams use 3 lines, so a work-to-rest ratio in that case would be 1:2, in other words you’ll rest twice as long as you worked for between sets. Older teams often use 4 lines, so the proper work-to-rest ratio would increase to 1:3. This tip is especially useful with sprints and other explosive exercises. Supplement your strength and endurance training with off ice skill development. Just about every player has a place somewhere at their house where they can stickhandle a ball around. Now days there are many cool stickhandling balls available, some are weighted to develop wrist strength, some are extra light to work on quick hands, and some are built to act and feel like a real puck. Invent a stickhandling routine and do it regularly. Also, try and find a way to shoot at least 50 pucks a day. You might have to get more creative with this one, but if you can make this happen, you’ll see big benefits from it!
Utilize these three tips when selecting your off ice hockey drills, and you’ll already be off to a good start. Remember, most of the people you’ll be playing with are doing nothing. So, even if your exercise routine is a work in progress, stick with it and make tweaks along the way, and you’ll undoubtedly see the advantages!
Concerned posts:
- Hockey Shooting Drills – Incorporating Speed Training Into Shooting Drills For Maximum Results
- Hockey Training Program – The 3 Crucial Aspects of Off Ice Hockey Training
- Hockey Workouts – In-Season Strength Training For Hockey Players
- Ice Hockey Training – Using Your Dry-Land Workout to Become Dominant on the Ice
- 4 Mistakes Summer Hockey Training Programs Make
Topics: Hockey For Beginners | No Comments »