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