| Ice Hockey is composed of two basic skills, great | | | | be." It is easier for younger players to develop good |
| skating technique and great stickhandling skills. In this | | | | passing skills with a stick that is straighter. As he |
| introduction, let's look at good basic stickhandling. The | | | | matures and his skills develop, he can change sticks. |
| very first thing to consider is whether the hockey | | | | Place your hands on the stick far apart enough to be |
| stick you are using is the best one for you. It may | | | | comfortable, but the farther down the lower hand is, |
| be an old stick inherited from a friend or brother, or | | | | the more you will need to bend at the waist. So take |
| it may be the "top of the line" that you had just read | | | | a comfortable standing position and adjust your |
| about in a magazine. There is no best shape or | | | | hands accordingly. To begin a pass, the puck is taken |
| material for a hockey stick, but the most important | | | | from behind the body and swept to the area of the |
| consideration is to have as much of the stick blade | | | | midline of the body. When the puck is in this area, |
| on the ice as possible. This is known as "stick lie". To | | | | this is the critical time to ensure the puck will get to |
| check this, look at the wear on your stick blade. It | | | | its target. Once it is through this area, shift your |
| should be worn pretty evenly all along the middle. | | | | weight to the front leg and point the stick blade at |
| Wear just along the toe, or just at the heel, shows | | | | the intended target. This last motion has the same |
| that you may need a stick with a different lie | | | | effect as the follow through of a stroke in golf, |
| number. | | | | ensuring that the puck is sent in the right direction. |
| Players who like to play hunched over a bit (like | | | | Practice a pass slowly, thinking through each step: |
| Wayne Gretzky) will require a lower lie number, like a | | | | start the puck toward the midline, center yourself |
| 5, and players who skate more upright use sticks | | | | and the target, and follow through. Remember that |
| with higher lie numbers. | | | | the motion is a sweeping motion, not a slapping |
| A stick should be long enough for you to feel | | | | motion. A slapped puck may dance across the floor |
| comfortable receiving and executing passes, and this | | | | instead of sliding, or may explosively get to a |
| is best determined by trying out different stick | | | | teammate before he is ready to receive the puck. If |
| lengths. You might do this by trading sticks for a few | | | | possible, aim "tape to tape", from your hockey stick |
| days with your friends or team members. The old | | | | to a teammate's hockey stick. If there is no one |
| rule that your stick should come up to your chin is | | | | open, pass to an area that a teammate can skate to |
| just a rough estimate, and is not a hard and fast rule. | | | | and receive the pass. If you practice these skills |
| Finally, a rule that is usually quite sound is "the | | | | thoughtfully and slowly, you are guaranteed to |
| younger the player, the less curved the stick should | | | | become more comfortable and proficient in passing! |