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Рус

USE OF THE STICK

One of the most overlooked skills for defensemen is proper use of the stick. It is such a simple concept that people don’t consider it a skill, but it is an essential element of the game. The first thing a defenseman must learn about using his stick properly is to control it with one hand, the top hand (the right hand, if the player is a left-handed shot), as opposed to both hands. When the other team has the puck, a defenseman should have only the top hand on his stick 80 to 90 percent of the time. In addition to aiding backward skating, having one hand on the stick also improves many other aspects of a defenseman’s game, including strength, size, mobility, and balance.

When a defenseman is pursuing a forward with the puck, he should have just his top hand on the stick at all times. The first reason is that it makes him bigger. Keeping the top hand on the stick and letting it lead him whenever he chases a forward allows the defenseman to take up extra space. For example, if the stick is four feet long, the defenseman is taking away an extra four feet of ice from the forward if he has one hand on the stick, has the stick blade on the ice, and has the blade aimed at the puck. The defenseman must keep the stick on the ice and let it lead him to the player he is defending.

Stick position is very important. Often defensemen have one hand on the stick but hold the stick sideways across their bodies. Having the stick across the body allows the forward more space. The defenseman must keep the stick in front of his body. He must be conscious of keeping the stick in the shooting or passing lane of the puck. More often than not, a player with the puck will change direction. In this case, the defenseman must have one hand on the stick and must lead with the stick at all times as he changes direction to defend the player with the puck. The most common mistake a defenseman makes when he changes direction is putting his bottom hand on the stick.

Keeping one hand on the stick and keeping the stick on the ice and in front of the body when changing direction will give the defenseman more mobility. One problem defensemen have when they get comfortable playing with one hand on the stick is that they tend to rely on it too much when playing one on one. Defensemen must always remember to play body on body, stick on stick. They must continue to play the body and not be overly conscious of the puck. When the defenseman has one hand on the stick and is defending, he should always remember to move his legs. The stick is just an extension of the body.

A great way to teach players to keep one hand on the stick when defending is to tape a tennis ball to the bottom hand. That way they won’t be able to put the bottom hand on the stick when defending people in open ice, and they have to change direction. It is such a natural reaction to put the bottom hand on the stick that many players do not realize how many times they actually do it. Having a tennis ball on the second hand reinforces how often they want to play with two hands on the stick.

There are only two situations in which a defenseman should play with two hands on the stick. The first is when he has established body positioning in front of the net, and the second is when he has sealed the opponent along the boards. If the defenseman has established body positioning in front of the net, he should have two hands on the stick so he can gain leverage when battling the opposing player and take away his hands and stick. Tying up someone in front of the net is more about tying up the player’s stick and hands than it is about moving the player out from in front of the net. Because players are so much bigger and stronger today, the defenseman’s main objective when battling a player in front should be tying up his stick and hands to prevent him from deflecting shots and picking up rebounds.

It’s important to have one hand on the stick when a defenseman is pursuing an opposing puck carrier. It is equally important to have two hands on the stick when the defenseman has sealed off the player and he has nowhere else to go. When defending along the boards, the defenseman needs two hands on the stick to battle the opposing player. Having two hands on the stick allows the defenseman to use the boards as leverage. It also gives him a chance to pick up any loose pucks. The defenseman must keep his body between the net and the opposing player. Body positioning is the most important part of any battle along the boards.