Steve I try to have some games where the puck is dumped in either by the coach or a player and players battle for the loose puck. I stress that it imp
ortant to get to the puck first and many times absorb the first hit and protect the puck with your skates or lean on the stick to make a heavy stick that is hard to lift.
Usually the player must recover the puck and either try to score or make a play. i.e. Play full ice and the puckcarrier must dump in the puck when he gets to the red line. Or play a SAG where the coach dumps the puck in and the player battle for possession. A drill might be to dump a puck in from centre and two players race for it.
http://hockeycoachingabcs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?showtopic=436&topic=436#436 is a drill example.
Steve
Tom,
Thank you for the reply. I have done similar things and have a progression of "chairman of the boards" drills where 1v1 competitions are done. But I also have worked puck protection 1v1's (open ice and along the wall) and my points of emphasis are all about protecting the puck and most of my comments to the players attempting to steal are deception, footwork, etc... but with the thought that I am not teaching it complete enough I thought about who is hard for me to play against, and stick strength was what I identified as a big factor in loose puck competitions. I am all for letting the game teach the player but I also like to be able to break down a skill and help a player execute it at a high level.
Steve
steve
Steve the only thing I can add is to have them at about the hash marks and put the puck in the corner. Stress that they have to get into a strong position on the way in. Only go in first if you can get into a good puck protection position and accelerate out quickly. I teach to lock up on the way in and battle for body and stick position often knocking the opponents stick away and then getting tight to the boards and protecting the puck with the body while you try escape moves.
Maybe other coaches can tell things that work for them.
Posted this after Steve's earlier comment on the Transition Games area before I saw this topic started... oops!
Steve,
Nice to hear from you. When you say "puck recovery" I think of a player approaching a loose puck to gain possession; then make a play. Not sure what age / level of player you are working with; or if you are specifying "puck recovery" in a certain area (OZ, NZ, DZ) of the ice ie: on a dump-in (for either a breakout or off a forecheck?)
Regardless of your meaning, this is what I do to allow reps on puck recovery:
I will spot the puck into different areas of the ice during my drills and games. Sometimes I like to spot it right along the wall - even flipping it up on end - tight against the wall. Sometimes I jam it right against the side or back of the net. Sometimes I spot it close to the player; sometimes far; sometimes I lift it into the air so it bounces; sometimes I rim it hard. It is up the to player to have their head on a swivel and read the checking pressure / time and space available prior to getting to the puck. Sometimes I pass the puck to the unsuspecting player - hard on the tape - when they are expecting a loose puck... just to keep them on their toes!
If I am training kids to take the puck off the wall (on a rim or on a breakout pass into the skates or on the stick), I demonstrate how I want them to do it and let them practice. Two ways to do this - bum on the wall with the stick facing the middle of the ice, or turn and skate up the wall, timing the approach with the puck / with the situation. Then I try to incorporate a game-like drill or a game itself that lends itself to puck recovery along the wall (or wherever I want to work on it.)
Hopefully, this helps answer your question.
Thanks for the comments and I will work to return the favor by being more of a contributing member to this forum rather than just a parasite of it. Just so you know I work with all age levels as an occasional club coach but most of the time with a high school team. Thank you - Steve
Tom,
And to all others who are starting their season - Good luck. I pop in once or twice a week to see what people are discussing but enough of the non-essentials. Have any of you guys worked on puck recovery (the opposite of puck protection) I have been working on some individual skill drills to get players to utilize and strengthen their bottom hand. It gets a little sketchy because playing the body is so important but strong sticks win pucks. Just trolling for ideas and thoughts - over and out Steve