Puckhandling Is A Mentality! (One “Sick” Goal!)
July 22, 2010 by Dennis Chighisola
Every time I get to talking about puckhandling with someone, I almost always find the need to suggest that “it’s a mentality”. Said maybe another way — that’ll help you better understand, I should probably say that it’s a “mindset”.
And, while the majority of hockey people might feel the fancy dangler is just a natural — or that he or she was born with that ability, I’m here to tell you that I know I can teach it.
Okay, before offering much more, let’s have a look at one “sick” goal by Jarod Palmer. After that, I’ll catch you on the other side.
– Dennis Chighisola
Puckhandling Is A Mentality!
Jarod Palmer Sick Shootout Goal (July 18 2010)
Okay, I’m a little old to have the word “sick” in my vocabulary — at least in the above context. But if ever there was a play that deserved some wild adjective, that surely was IT!
About my title theme, though — that puckhandling is a mentality…
Well, as I watched that play a number of times, all I could think about was the creativity that went into arriving at such an idea. Just think about that yourself. And, think about the mentality that Palmer (and any other slick puckhandler) has to have in order to think-up at such an idea. Unbelievable.
By the way, I don’t know if you noticed how believable young Mr Palmer was as he took that fake shot. And, did you even hear the supposed shot? Actually, that might be one of the most remarkable things about that play. Then, although it was difficult to detect, even in slow-motion, I think Palmer also kicked the puck from behind with his left skate. And he did that without ever looking downward and giving the goaler a hint that he hadn’t really shot.
Of course, I’m all about teaching, as well as sharing with you all that I know about the teaching process. So, I’m going to suggest these two things for anyone who wants to become a dangler, or anyone who wants to encourage a player to become slick with the puck…
For sure, disciplined drills form the foundation for good puckhandling. So, a player should absolutely master all the basic moves.
Along with the discipline, however, there has to be some creative time. In other words, a player should just hot dog with the puck for awhile — just fiddling and diddling, and having some fun. In my clinics, I’ll usually encourage my students or players to just “Go nuts!” For, this is where the mentality or the mindset begins.
Again, although that goal by Jarod Palmer surely was sick (LOL), I’m even more fascinated by the creativity that young athlete surely had in devising such a move.
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Todd Jacobson (our CoachChic.com goalie coach) just sent me a link to the following video. And, as I was watching and shaking my head, I was also telling myself that, “That is just another example of great puckhandling stemming from a special kind of mentality!” Here you go…
Hi Coach,
Sorry to ask on this article but I wasn’t quite sure where to ask… In the Incredible stick handling video you mention two different sized wooden stick handling balls. How big are they? I am assuming the bigger one is about the size of a golf ball?
Thanks,
Jon
No problem asking here, Jon (thanks). And, as for those balls…
1) The smallest one is about the size of a golf ball. As I say in that video, the only thing that might make it a little bit better than a golf ball is that it isn’t quite so lively or dangerous if it bounces.
2) The larger ball is about 2 1/4 inches in diameter (sorry, I’m not up on metric measurements).
Now, here’s a REAL tip for you and other members… Check with arts and craft suppliers for wooden balls, or a store that carries parts for making or refinishing furniture. Quite often they carry them to be used for decorations, etc, and they are unbelievably inexpensive.
Hoping that helps, and thanks again!
For the coaches or parents that like to do things with their kids/players, feel free to do the stick handling with them and make it into a bit of a game. Make a little obstacle course and time yourself. This can be done anywhere by placing somethings on the ground and moving around though and sometimes over them. Once the kids see you doing it they will either feel pity and want to help you or will laugh at you and show you how to do it. Either way it becomes a game and them teaching you can be more fun for them than you teaching.
old teaching trick? Maybe or you may just learn to do it yourself.
That is just an awesome idea, Stirling! For sure, it ain’t easy teaching one’s own. But with that approach, I sense such activities can become more of a laugh fest than a source of tension. Again, Stirling, awesome idea!
Hi Coach,
Jarod’s puckhandling skills came from 3 areas. I ran a national award winning player development program in Minn. for about 10 years and Jarod was my best helper. He was one of only a few players that I have coached that could do the full spectrum of puckhandling skills at full speed with his head up. He also took nearly every extra moment in practice to work on his puckhandling skills along with adding his own creativity. Thirdly, he shot and puckhandled off-ice on a very consistant basis. The move in the video is a combination of forhand carry into quick dribble with crossunders to fake slapshot to inside kick-up to a Koivu. The Koivu is the fake shot to the backhand top shelf part. He has a great move from the camp in 2009 also but his best move was actually on the day before in the 2010 camp both of which can be found on video if you search hard enough. He actually went 3 for 3 with elite level moves in the prospect camp shootouts. He put up another one last night in the Aeros/Marlies shootout that is supposed to be highlight reel stuff but I can’t find a video on that one. Good luck with your hockey training !
Jeff Palmer
Jeff, that’s awesome insight into a REALLY great combination of moves! Thanks for that!
And, can I presume that you are Jarod’s dad, or related in some other way?
Hi Coach,
Jarod is my son and he has an older sister who was a strong olympic candidate prior to a series of concussions and an older brother who played for the Bismarck Bobcats for 2 seasons. His older sister is now officiating at high levels and still very much enjoys the game. His older brother helped lead the Bobcats to 2 national tournaments and then came back to help me coach boys highschool my last year. He did a great job coaching which makes for some really fond memories. Jarod is down at Houston(AHL) for the moment and is playing well enough to deserve a call-up in the near future. He is a phenominal dangler but has the hockey IQ to simplify his game to get it out and get it in when needed. He lead Miami/Ohio in +/minus last year and is leading the Aeros at this time also. I coached college for 8 years and then boys highschool for 2 years while I ran my player development programs until 2008. I have developed some custom triangles for teaching slip moves and also shooting through screens that have made my camps rather unique and a lot of fun. I had them custom made from goal net pipe so that they are heavy enough to stay put even when shooting through them. Jarod took 2 of them down to Houston with him and the guys are enjoying them. Keep up the good work and God bless !
Coach Jeff
I really had to chuckle at all that, Jeff, since you and I seem to have traveled just about the same paths over our hockey lifetimes, and I suspect we also think an awful lot alike.
My school coaching experiences were similar (7-years at the college level, and 3-years in high school). I’ve also created a number of training aids — probably a lot like you did, mainly out of necessity.
Then, a lot of years ago, I heard that I won a hockey teaching contract after someone in a meeting said something to the effect that, “Dennis’ son is the best player around, while the rest of these candidates can’t ever teach their own kids to skate!”
All that said, I’d enjoy you getting involved here whenever you have the time. Members here are great people, they all have a serious thirst for more knowledge or suggestions, and it’s up to guys like you and me to help them in any way we can.
Hi Coach,
I had a feeling we had a lot in common. I am sure we could talk for days or longer. I have met a lot of good coaches but elite level skill development eludes even the best of them for the most part ?? Too much emphasis on games instead of the components(skills) of the game. I have even run into high level coaches who steer kids away from backhands instead of putting the extra time into developing a great backhand. Most of them are amazed when I tell them that there are about 300 backhand passes per game at the NHL level. The average is even higher if you are watching a Redwings game. I wrote an eye opening article for “Lets Play Hockey” a few years back on the 3 reasons to use your backhand and it actually changed the mindset of a lot of coaches back here in Minnesota. Keep up the good work and take the time to reflect on all the joy you have had doing what you are doing and all of the joy you have imparted !
Coach Jeff
As for me — personally, I know a few good reasons why players SHOULD send passes from their backhand when the intended receiver is on that side…
1) Turning to make the play on the forehand tells the entire world a pass is imminent, as well as where it is headed. (Nor can that kind of pass be disguised within a puckhandling move.)
2) While a backhand pass can be made fairly lateral between two players, the puck has to be drawn rearward quite a bit to send a forehand pass, which drastically increases the angle between the passer and the receiver, which in turn makes that pass all the more difficult to catch.
3) The pass from the rear (as I just described) can occasionally get the potential receiver run over by a freight train as he looks behind him for the puck.
Adding to the above, I discourage players (mainly defensemen) from turning drastically towards a puckcarrier so they can catch the puck on their forehand. The problem with this is that the potential receiver ends-up only being able to see a small portion of the ice, and he’ll have to collect the puck, turn and look around before making the next play. In other words, turning towards the inside of the rink prevents him from seeing checkers and open mates up-ice, and thusly slows the next move.
So, ya, I think we are VERY much on the same wave length, Jeff.
Hi Coach,
You have some very good insights there. I teach the backhand pass for quickness, puck protection purposes and for improved angles as you mentioned. I do teach defensemen to go weakside on the breakout by using their skating ability to beat the forechecker to the net. By cutting tight to the back of the net it creates a legal pick on the forechecker but when this is done on the backhand side it is important to make the backhand pass for the quickness and puck protection issue. It would also eliminate the telegraphed pass as you eluded to and sets up the counter/reverse options better. I have found that if a player can shoot well backhand that they can generally pass well backhand. I also consider it a weakside skill which usually takes 2-3 times as much practice. One of the tricks I use for teaching backhands is to have players use an old, broken or inexpensive stick that they can cut the front half of the blade off from. I have found that shooting/passing backhand from deep in the heel to the middle of the blade where there is generally the least amount of curve causes much more consistant backhands. I also encourage players to tape their blades deep into the heel and wax the bottom of the backside for better backhands. Players that do this also tend to catch passes on their backhands better as they have a much better feel for the sweetspot on the back of their blade. Big curves with a lot of pitch can make backhands very difficult. I usually show young players my “Gretzky” curve which is a very moderate 1/4″ mid-curve and then tell them that the guy who used this curve set a record of 92 goals in 1 season with it at the NHL level. Too many young players use sticks that are better suited for a sandtrap in golf and they have little or no chance of developing their backhand with it. I teach players to shoot low hard backhands which double as good saucer passes also and to shoot high hard ones which can be lifesavers for dumping pucks out and in too along with helping to make the fake shot backhand deek effective. Backhand flipshots also double as flip passes and are so helpfull in putting rebounds over butterflied/sprawling goalies. Once players are mature enough I recommend using weighted(orange) pucks for some of their shooting practice particularily off ice. It can produce some rather quick and favorable results. I do believe backhands have made a comeback, partly due to the thin blades on the newer sticks out there and that coaches have started to see the advantages again that can be gained from good inteligent backhand passes. When Jarod was out at the USNTDP(first year) his coached stopped practice one day and yelled at the entire team for using their backhands. One of the players challenged the coach telling him that “Palmer” uses his backhand all the time. The coach looked at Jarod and then turned to the team and said, “Palmer has a backhand !”. Funny and true story !! Have a great day and thanks for all of the hockey talk !!!
Coach Jeff
Jeff, you are not going to believe this, but…
Quite some time ago I told members about my “Russian Half-sticks” (and there’s a video in that article which shows my guys using theirs in an off-ice setting). My guess is that I’ve been using those for about 20-years or so, and for the very reason/s you suggest: so that players spin their passes from heel to mid-blade.
Also, while I’ll have to check to see if I’ve shown that idea yet — about teaching my defensemen to cut the net closely, I tell them to do this so that a check must fall in line behind them (and there’s hardly a chance for that checker to overtake the D because he can’t take the shorter, inside route).
As for your other things you mention, I’d like to address them a little later (I’m readying some new content for this site right now).
Awesome stuff, Jeff, and this is stuff I hope members are paying very close attention to.
I just added another example of great puckhandling stemming from a certain kind of “mentality”. So, have a look and be amused!