Stick handling starts with the puck moving on the blade. Tap, tap, tap. Forehand, backhand, forehand. Hundreds of taps build the soft hands every hockey player needs.
What you need: A hockey stick, a puck (or street hockey ball off-ice), open space.
Setup: Kid stands still with the stick on the ice or floor. Puck in front of them.
How to run it:
- Tap the puck from the forehand to the backhand.
- Tap it back to the forehand.
- Continue tapping for 30 seconds. Slow tempo.
- Rest 15 seconds. Repeat for 4 rounds.
- Last round: faster tempo. Same control.
What to watch: Are they looking at the puck? At this age, looking at the puck is fine. Eyes-up handling comes later. Right now: feel the puck on the stick.
If they’re struggling: Use a softer ball (street hockey ball) instead of a puck. Slower tempo.
If they’ve got it: Tap-tap-pull (two taps, then pull the puck back toward the body). Or tap with eyes closed for 10 seconds.