How to Improve Puck Handling Skills

Handling the hockey puck is just as important as skating in the game of hockey. To make smart decisions with the puck and hold onto it in pressure situations, you will need a great deal of confidence. These steps will give you the confidence you need to improve your puck handling skills and make you a more dangerous passer, scorer and overall player.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Practice. The only way anyone gets better at any activity is by practicing. Make it a daily habit. Set aside a certain amount of time everyday to work on a particular skill. If you practice like you play, you will become a better all around player.
2. Learn to roll your wrist and cup the puck. When you move the puck from side to side, it is very important that your wrists roll. This allows your stick to cup the puck. If you use locked wrist to try to perform this task, you will have no control over the puck.
3. Develop your split vision. This is also known as your peripheral vision. Peripheral vision means that you are able to see the puck on your stick while not actually looking directly at it. Once you develop this skill, you will be able to see your options ahead of your and watch the puck out of the bottom of your eye.
4. Use soft hands. Try to gain a feeling for the puck by softening up your hands, especially the bottom one. It is much easier to control a puck with soft hands than to beat one with hard ones.
5. Continue the basic dribbling skills you first learned as a hockey player. All athletes should continue using these drills because no matter how talented an athlete you are, the sport still relies on fundamentals.