The Top Five Skills Needed to Become a Good Hockey Player

Becoming a top-level hockey player doesn’t happen overnight. Much like any sport, consistent practice is required to improve. To succeed, mastering fundamental skills can take your game to the next level. So, let’s take a look at the top five skills needed to become a good hockey player.

Passing 

Fundamentally, because of the team-based nature of hockey, passing is an essential skill. Although individuals are capable of scoring all-important goals, matches aren’t won on the efforts of just one player. Because of this, passing practice shouldn’t be overlooked. 

Passing presents the quickest method of moving the puck between players and into free spaces, according to Gaimday. While there are 28 passes to learn, a give-and-go pass is perhaps a helpful one to learn first. Not only does this improve technique, but it also aids accuracy and movement. 

Precision Aiming 

Furthermore, as well as passing, players should also work on their shooting aim. In hockey, precision is far more pivotal to success than power. The crucial thing to remember when practicing aim is to follow through with the stick. By doing this action in either a high or low-swinging motion, it will impact on the puck’s trajectory, thus enabling players to pick their spot with more accuracy.  

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Importantly, aiming isn’t limited to shooting. As the sport is reliant upon good coordination and speed of thought, adopting the same technique as above when passing will also help to develop the accuracy of passes.  

Skating Skills 

As well as the above, learning how to efficiently skate will add another dimension to any player’s game. Given that skating is the foundation of the sport, developing this skill will improve numerous traits, including agility, speed, and turning and pivoting, as per Hockey Skills Training. 

Although everyone can’t be the next Bobby Orr, putting in the effort to develop better skating skills will undoubtedly pay dividends. The Boston Bruins, who are +600 with NHL betting odds to win the 2019-20 NHL, as of August 13th, were fortunate enough to have Orr in their side for the best part of ten years. The defenceman is regarded as being the sport’s greatest player of all time as he possessed an unrivaled skating ability.  

Stickhandling 

Developing stickhandling skills should also be a priority for any aspiring hockey player. Sympatico defines the attribute as being able to move the puck with your stick while skating. Puck control is a necessity within the sport because it acts as a means of retaining possession. 

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Regarding practice, it’s advisable to keep your arms and wrists relaxed while in possession of the puck. Importantly, this will provide more fluidity in your movement, allowing for faster changes of direction if and when needed.   

Teamwork 

As touched upon in relation to passing, teamwork is arguably the most valuable skill in any squad-based sport. While, of course, it’s advisable to show your own personality during a game, this shouldn’t come at the expense of solid foundations and communication. Having the ability to work together in the pursuit of a common goal is likely to positively impact results.  

Moreover, learning how to work in a team when faced with adversity is much-needed for those with professional aspirations. Ultimately, forming a sense of community that centers around respect provide the platform for any sporting success.   

Practice Makes Perfect 

Although it’s a cliché, hockey is one of those sports where practice really does make perfect. When working on the above, watching footage of high-level players can be advantageous, although you shouldn’t try to replicate their style. Of course, be inspired by aspects of their game, but always harness your skills in a manner that best suits your approach.

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