Summertime is a great time to sharpen your off-ice stickhandling skills
By Jeremy Rupke of HowToHockey.com
(As Seen in Hockey Development Magazine)
Two hockey skills that are easy to practice over the summer are off-ice stickhandling and shooting. All you need is a smooth surface and a net, and you’re good to go!
The only issue with off-ice stickhandling however is the lack of movement. On the ice we’re constantly skating, gliding, turning and moving, and the only way to replicate this off the ice is with roller blades. Regular inline skates work well to add movement, and are a great way to add more of a challenge to your off-ice practice routine. But they aren’t perfect.
If you want to make the most of your inline training sessions, I recommend the Marsblade roller frame. They will help you improve your balance and agility more than any standard set of roller blades. In the video below are 5 stickhandling drills for you to practice while using inline skates.
Inline Stickhandling Drills with the Marsblade
Per Mars of Marsblade invited me to California to shoot some hockey videos. I thought this would be a great opportunity to share some stickhandling drills while using the Marsblade roller frame. I chose these drills because I feel they can easily transfer from off-ice to on-ice. They work on combining the hands and feet; separating the upper body and lower body; puck recovery; puck control around the entire body; and overall speed.
These drills work even better with the Marsblade roller frame because of the rocker motion, especially with the shuffle stride and slalom skate technique.
Pavel Barber Stickhandling Drills
Stickhandling expert extraordinaire Pavel Barber also got in on the action and recorded some of his favorite stickhandling drills to do while using roller blades. This video shows you some tips from some of the best hands on skates!
Jeremy Rupke is the founder of How To Hockey. Follow him on your favorite social media channel. Click here to order your own Marsblade roller frame system on Amazon.
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