Hockey Dryland Skills Training
Your on-ice game was solid last season, but you want to dominate next season and you know that means dryland training drills during the off-season to improve your skills. Fortunately, many excellent drills exist to improve your shot, stick handling, passing, and more, even if your local rink converts to indoor soccer or other uses during the off season. And there are many products you can use to continue your hockey dryland skills training throughout the off season, in your driveway or back yard. That way, when the puck drops on the next season, you’ll be dangling opponents and lighting the lamp.
Dryland Hockey Training Aids
While good old-fashioned work with a stick and a puck is a great way to develop puck handling, shooting, and other hockey skills, there are times when you can’t get on the ice. You can practice on just about any surface with a ball, but to truly simulate on-ice conditions and to maximize your off-season hockey dryland training, consider some of these training aids:
- If you have some room, lay down a series of Xtraice Home Synthetic Ice panels, for an ice-like surface, or Snipers Edge Indoor Dryland Flooring, for stickhandling and shooting. The ice-like Xtraice Home Synthetic Ice panels interlock, allowing you to build as much synthetic ice as you have room for. Convert a garage or basement into a mini hockey rink, or dedicate some space to work on stickhandling, wrist shots, or footwork. You could build a goalie crease and have your friends snipe away while you deny their best efforts.
- Practice taking shots from a hockey shooting pad in the yard, driveway, or basement, and develop a blistering slap shot or the quickest snap shot on the ice.
- Practice stickhandling drills on synthetic ice tiles, or add some fun while working on your stickhandling with the SuperDeker Pro 3-Panel Advanced Training System.
- Snipers Edge CCM SweetHands will help you create that hand-eye coordination that allows you to make the puck dance on your stick blade while you dangle and deke the defense.
- Hockey Stick Weight will help you build the muscle memory on your puck skills. Use it while working on your stickhandling drills, or add the weight to fire off wrist shots, building those muscles throughout the hockey dryland training season.
- A Reaction Ball, like this one from SKLZ, can help a player develop a quicker reaction to a pass that takes a funny hop or a puck that doesn’t come off the boards as expected. This tool can help players and goalies develop quick reflexes and agility.
- Onetimer Hockey Shooting Trainer helps a hockey player work on receiving the puck. The trainer attaches to shooting pads or synthetic ice tiles. Orient it to practice receiving passes from all angles—use it to develop soft hands when receiving a pass, or firing off a one-timer.
- Shooting Target can attach to a hockey goal, and teaches the player to shoot for the corners. Don’t just throw the puck into the goalie’s pads—roof it over the blocker, or slide it into the far corner. This target will help you refine your shot.
- Stickhandling Balls come three to a set, in different weights; use them to correctly develop your puck handling skills. The heaviest ball builds muscle as you roll your wrist and work on your techniques, while the lightest ball builds quickness and reaction.