Passing is an essential skill in hockey that can make or break your game. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a newcomer, understanding the intricacies of a well-executed pass can give you the upper hand on the ice. Dwayne Blais, NHL Skills Coach for the Detroit Red Wings, shares invaluable insights on how to pass like a pro.
Forehand Passing Technique
Hand Position
When a player is receiving a pass on their forehand, it’s very important to have good hand positioning. So we want to make sure that their hands are not too close or not too far apart.
Blade Positioning
When we’re receiving a pass on our forehand, it’s very important to keep our blade cupped. The more our blade is open, the better chance we have of that puck blowing up or that puck skipping over our stick. So we want to make sure that blade is cupped and as the puck’s coming, we’re going to cradle that puck.
Addressing the Puck to Pass
One thing to keep in mind when we’re receiving a forehand pass is we want our stick and our hands to address the puck. So if that pass is coming from the right-hand side as a left-handed shot I want my hands to be out front of my body so I can cradle that puck into a good area. For instance, if I’m coming down the wing and the puck comes in on that right side, I can cradle it, bring it to my shooting box, and then release that puck.
Power Hand Role
Similar to our wrist shot, when we’re making a pass, we want to make sure that our bottom hand, so our power hand, is pushing on our stick as we’re following through with that puck. By pushing on our stick, that power hand, our bottom hand, is going to add power to that pass. Whether I have to pass the puck four feet or 20 feet, my bottom hand is going to be the one that’s going to help dictate how hard that pass is going to be.
Backhand Passing Technique
Stick Position
It’s very important to make sure the puck is close to our body. The further out from our body our puck gets, or too far out in front or too far behind, the less accuracy and the less power we’re going to have on that puck. And our hands need to be away from our bodies. The tighter our hands are to our body, the more inefficiencies we’re going to have and the less range of motion we’re going to have to be able to make good passes.
Head Position
In order to become a good passer, a player needs to make sure they keep their head up. If a player is going down the ice I need to be able to see the target and where that player is headed as I make my pass in order to be accurate. I want to make sure that I follow through with my blade and my bottom hand, just like I would when I shoot. So I would load that puck, push on my bottom hand, and follow through to that player’s target.
Hand Positioning to Make a Pass
When a player’s giving a backhand pass they want to make sure that those hands are in a good position. Many times you see players with their hands too close or their hands too far apart. It’s very important to keep that blade cupped on our backhand. We don’t want to open that blade up, we want to keep that blade cupped and just like our wrist shot, we’re going to start on our backhand and the puck will be on the heel of our blade, and then it will roll to the middle as we follow through on that backhand pass.
Pulling Technique
In order to give a good backhand pass, just like our forehand pass, we need to make sure that our head’s up and we’re looking at the target we’re making that pass to. In order to hit our target, we want to make sure that we add power with our bottom hand, so our power hand, by pulling on our stick. So very important here, so opposite of our forehand pass, when we were pushing on our bottom hand, now, just like our backhand shot, we want to pull with our bottom hand. And in order to aim and be accurate, I want to make sure that I follow through to that player’s target.
So if there is a stick out front, I want to make sure that as I’m pulling with my bottom hand and the puck is travelling from heel to middle, I want to follow through with my bottom hand and my blade to where that puck is going in order to hit the target.
Receiving Backhand Passes
Difficulties in Picking Up Backhand Passes
We see a lot of players that have difficulty picking up backhand passes. Backhand passes can be tricky to pick up due to the curve on our blade. If the puck hits us too far on the toe, it ends up in front of us. On our heel, it ends up behind us. We really need to make sure that we have good hand position when we’re picking up a backhand pass. For years now, we’ve been taught to pick up a backhand pass by cradling the puck, which is very very effective in certain situations. If I’m in front of the net, or there’s a soft pass, I can definitely cradle it and then take my shot or make my pass.
Smacking Back on the Puck
When a player is receiving a hard backhand pass, it’s very hard to cradle the puck. An easy way for players to counter the speed of the puck is by smacking back on the puck. And what I mean by that is I’m going to have my top hand up, that’ll keep my blade nice and flat on the ice, my bottom hand is nice and strong and I’m going to add power to that bottom hand by pulling on my stick. If I’m receiving a puck from the left side of my body, I’m going to make sure that my stick is on the right side of my body. And as that puck comes through my feet, I’m going to smack back on the puck and then I can set it up for a shot, a pass, or I can always pull it back to my backhand.
Conclusion
Making and receiving passes is a huge part of the game. Whether you’re trying to break out of your zone, make plays in the neutral zone, or try to create offence in the offensive zone, as a player, we need to be able to make good passes and we need to be able to pick up passes. Getting better at passing is going to enhance your game and make you a much better player on your team.
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