What Do You Need to Make The Jump?
There’s always room for improvement, no matter what your level of skill is. Maybe it has to do with your hockey sense and the way you read the play. Maybe you feel your shot could be better, or you could use some help in the stickhandling department. Or maybe you need to spend more time in the gym because you’re having trouble winning one on one battles. Whatever the case, we ALL have something we can improve in order to become better hockey players.
I, for one, need to improve my patience with the puck. Being an in-your-face, high-tempo player, I sometimes make quick decisions and get rid of the puck quickly, when in reality I have a ton of time to make a different, often times smarter play.
Instead of using my strength in the corners to protect the puck and try to take it to the net, I often times find myself passing it to a teammate as soon as I can. While there’s nothing wrong with this, I’m capable of controlling the puck and making a play on my own, too.
The first step in improving in hockey or any sport for that matter is to realize which aspect of your game needs work. Once you’ve determined what that is, then and only then can you focus your efforts on getting better at that specific aspect.
Don’t make the mistake of being over-confident. Everyone has weaknesses, and the people that eventually improve on them or even turn them into strengths are the ones that can look at themselves in the mirror and acknowledge the fact that they need to work on them.
That being said, I know what I’d like to improve in my game. Being more patient will allow me to carry the puck more and bring it to the net, giving myself more chances to score by being more of an offensive threat.
Now that I know what I need to improve, I’ll make sure I work on it in practice and prepare myself before games with it in mind. I’ll evaluate my play briefly after each shift and then again more in depth after the game to see if I’ve improved. If i have, I’ll keep that positive momentum rolling through my next practice and next game in order to improve some more. If I haven’t improved, I’ll try to figure out why and what I can do during practice to get better.
What do you need to work on to become a better hockey player? I’d love to hear your thoughts and try to help you out as much as I can. Leave a comment below with which aspects of your game could use some improvement.
This will also let me know what kind of stuff you guys would like to read and learn about. It’s a win-win!
Leave me a comment below!
About The Author
Manny Nahal
Hey Ben,
Love your site man! I am looking to make the jump from A travel to Juniors (B). I have been playing for two years almost so you can guess how much I have developed over that time. I have been following your workouts and have seen results. Watching my game videos, I have noticed that I need to improve making moves around the opposing D-men, and like you, need to be a bit more patient. I know the jump from A to Junior B is big but I am confident in my work ethic; what are some things I should focus on/work on during the month I have left before tryouts? Thanks a lot for everything!
Manny
author: Ben | Founder of BuiltForHockey.com
Hey Manny! Sorry for the delay…have been quite busy!
I’m a firm believer that being a strong skater and strong physically will give you an edge over your opponents. If you’re following my workouts than you have that pretty much covered and with time you’ll be a physical force. You’ll also have enough speed to beat defenders simply by skating wide!
Apart from the physical aspect, I think the most important thing is to evaluate your game, the type of player you are, and to just focus on that. If you’re a shooter, work on your shot and show the coaches that you can shoot. Shoot whenever you get an opportunity. In other words, be the best at something. Whether it be hitting, shooting, skating, scoring or making plays – focus on being the best at something.
As for your patience, just always have that in the back of your head – practice holding onto the puck during practice a little longer and seeing the play develop before you make your move. Over time you’ll see improvements.
Hope this helps. You sound confident – that will take you a long way!
Cheers,
-B