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Some common hitting faults
assessing hitting
skills
NARROWING THE ANGLE
One of the ways that the coach can
demonstrate to the player that their hit
is not accurate enough is to have the
player stand 10 yards from the goal one
yard from the baseline. Place a ball on
the ground (a stick length is a yard) and
instruct the player to shoot at the far
sideboard in the goal. Most players can
hit the ball in the goal from this position.
Now place a ball one foot from the
baseline. Most players cannot hit the
far backboard inside of the goal. Why?
The additional mental pressure or the
smaller space causes them to tighten
up and their fundamentals break down
during the swing. Or it could be their
fundamentals are not good enough to
hit the ball on target.
Video the player – a mobile phone
can be used – while they are hitting the
ball from different angles and play the
tape back to them while they are on the
field. Talk to them about the results that
they are getting when they hit the ball
and how the results are related to the
swing that the player sees on the screen.
Narrowing the angle to assess accuracy
MIND THE GAP
Next place a line of cones or boards
across the goal and leave a one yard
gap. Have the players stand at the top
of D in a 45 degree arc and hit the ball
into the gap from the top of the circle.
How many can hit the ball in the gap
standing still? How many can they hit
in a row into the gap. Make the gap
smaller. Now what happens? If they
cannot hit the ball into the gap while
stationary and under no pressure they
certainly will not be able to score when
they are on the field.
Hitting into a gap in the goal from the top of the
circle will test players’ swings – try stationary
first, then hits on the move
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Derek Pappas has played hockey on three continents and in 10 different countries. He was on the US international training
squad in the 1980s and now coaches skills, patterns of play,game tactics, and various teams.
He is CEO of GroupAngle http://groupangle.com
3. llllllllllllllllllllll iMPROVe
building a
normal backswing (keeping the angle
of the stick) so they can feel what the
repetitive swing swing should be like instead of the
fishing/casting motion that most use
Watch an international team warming which releases the angle between
up before the game and look at their the arm/wrist prematurely.
fundamentals. The players with good * 10-20 balls are placed on the ground
fundamentals hit the ball on target from in a line one foot apart, the player hits
the top of the D – the other players hit one ball after another at a target 20
the ball all over the place because they yards away (see below). Depending
do not have a repetitive swing. Drills are a on their fitness level and age the
way to build a repetitive swing. player will typically fatigue after about
5-15 balls and faults under pressure
HITTING THE WALL become evident.
A concrete wall is the best partner for Hitting against a wall an accurate hit into
a player that needs to understand they the green zone will see the ball return to the
cannot hit the ball correctly. Have the striker (top). Even small inaccuracies will see
the returning ball missing the hitter – instant
player stand 10-15 yards away from the Watch the grip, ball position, back
feedback
wall. The player should hit the ball at swing and follow through. After they
the wall so that the ball strikes the wall MORE DRILLS master this drill have them stand to
perpendicular to the line of flight and the Drills must be used to relate the the left or right of the ball and pull
ball returns to the spot where the player fundamentals to performing the skill. it into a hitting position and then
hit the ball from. This drill builds up spacial Drills must also reinforce the skill. Some hit it. After that have them run five
awareness in the player. The player has to of the following drills can be done as a yards with the ball and hit it. Vary the
figure out what the 90 degree line is to group and some are best done one-on- types of runs-right, left, backwards,
the wall and has to correctly hit the ball one with a player and a coach. forwards.
along that line to get the ball to return to * The player holds the stick out in * Players shoot on goal stationary/
the same spot that the ball was hit from. front of them, waist high with the moving seven yards from the goal/
Hitting the ball back and forth between toe pointing up. The coach then one foot from the base line (this
two players does not build this type of grabs the end of the stick and moves also tests the player psychologically
awareness – until the player can hit the the stick around the players waist because the goal mouth is only one
ball exactly where they want. The reason through the back swing and follow foot wide at that angle)
is that the receiving player moves to through while keeping the toe up. * Hit with the right foot in front of the
where the ball is hit and the player hitting The objective is to get the player to left (stationary)
the ball does not get any feedback about understand that they should not * Hit the ball with the right arm
the direction of the ball that they just hit. rotate the stick around the handle, only, swinging the stick back slowly,
The second thing that the wall drill that the stick should point away from cocking the wrist, and then down
teaches the player is to hit the ball on the the target on the back swing and at and through the ball, careful not to
ground. When you are standing 10-15 the target on the follow through. roll the stick over the top of the ball.
yards away from the wall the ball returns * The player swings the stick back and * Hit the ball with the left arm only.
to the player very quickly. If the player forth touching the same spot (from Focus on hitting the back of the ball.
hits a bouncing ball at the wall the ball Balbir Singh three-time Olympic gold Hit the ball with the left shoulder
will bounce back to the player and be medal winner) in each direction. The and tricept. Imagine that the left arm,
much harder to trap. The player should arc at the bottom should be shallow shoulder, and stick form a wall at
learn to “glue” the ball to the ground. For and not steep. impact. Follow through is limited to
more advanced hitting such as the skip * The player swings the stick back and one foot.
hit, “tomahawk”, or undercut the player freezes their position, the coach then * Hit the ball off the right and left feet
should back up and make sure that these checks their alignment, grabs the end on the run.
types of hit pose no danger to the other of the stick and tells the player to pull * Hit the ball as hard as you can and
people using the field. the stick down like they would in their stop the stick follow through two feet
hockeyimages.co.uk/Peter Savage after the ball.
* Choke up on the stick 20 cm’s and get
very low to hit the ball in a compact
position.
* Hit the ball 30 yards along a line on
the field.
* Stand in the centre of the field and
alternate hitting the ball at targets
which are 30 yards way on the left
and right sidelines(below).
This is not a comprehensive list of drills or
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tests. It is a starting point and does not
include foot work drills or the different
types of hits.
p
Great Britain’s Ben Hawes prepares to hit – note the strong shoulder rotation and tucked-in right elbow