Hockey is one of the most popular sports around the world. Unfortunately, not all hockey players are created equal, and there are some hit-taking strategies that may make you a more effective and durable hockey player.
Whether you play regularly with the men’s national team or just watch them on the weekends, you’re bound to hear the call of the horn at least once or twice. Being on the receiving end of a hard hit in hockey is absolutely brutal, and it can be hard to recover from. There are ways to prevent these injuries, however, and a team of Danish scientists have published a study that suggests certain manoeuvres could make you less likely to get hurt in the first place.
Here are their top five hitsuck-beating strategies.
Table of Contents
Attack The Corners
When a fast, determined player decides that your corner is their next prey, it’s time to deploy your counter-attack strategy. The key is to stay focused and determined, and when they come at you with a hit that you don’t expect, you have to be ready to lean into it and hit back with a higher, tighter strike. The idea is to force them into trying to hit you on the move while leaving your defence undisturbed. That way, you can secure a full guard position and pin them against the boards, where the action is.
Protect Your Chest
A common rule in hockey is that you can’t cross the line to the middle without risking a major penalty. It’s an attempt to create even more offence-to-defence gameplay, as well as to protect the goalie from injury. Crossing the line to the middle is usually done in an attempt to hit a player behind the net, or to hit a player with the puck on the boards. Despite its popularity, this is probably the worst place to get hit because there’s always someone around the corner.
Dive For The Puck
When you have the puck on the blue line and the other team throws a hit at you, it’s basically a given that you’ll dive for the puck to avoid major injury. Hockey is a fast-paced sport, and you never know when a hit is coming. Being able to avoid a hit altogether is highly unlikely, so when it does happen, you must be ready to dive for the puck. One of the reasons why this is such a good idea is because it forces the opponent to alter their normal skating pattern and take a more vertical stride, which results in their centre of gravity being higher. This makes them more vulnerable to a hit from the side. You must be able to anticipate when they will hit you, and when they do, you must be able to react quickly enough to prevent major injury. Remember: you’re diving for a puck that they may have illegally accessed from the perimeter, so be careful not to break any rules in the process.
Don’t Fall For The Slapshot
Another basic rule in hockey is that you must be able to see the puck. The problem is that sometimes the offence gives the puck to a player positioned behind the net, who then passes it on to another player who is trying to score, and we all know what happens when you fall for a passing play. You get clobbered without ever seeing the puck coming. The solution here is simple: if you don’t have the puck, don’t fall for a slapshot. This means that even if they manage to get the puck over to you without being seen by the referee, you must be prepared to intercept it. You can also use this technique to your advantage by quickly ducking behind the net when they shoot the puck towards it. You can also use this to your advantage by quickly ducking behind the net when they shoot the puck towards it. This forces them to alter their shot and shoot it early, which often leads to an easy goal for you. You can also use this to your advantage by quickly ducking behind the net when they shoot the puck towards it. This forces them to alter their shot and shoot it early, which often leads to an easy goal for you.
Play To Your Strengths
Every player has strengths and weaknesses and, as a general rule, it’s a good idea to play to your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. One of the best strategies for doing this is through proper training and conditioning. If you watch closely, you’ll see that hockey players do not only focus on the essentials of skating and puck handling, but also work on their upper body strength, balance, and eye hand coordination. The same concepts apply to you as a hockey player; you must be able to identify your strong points, and work on making them even stronger through proper training.