The Benefits of Great Puckhandling Ability Part II

by Cliff Graziano Jr.
This is the 2nd part of a series of articles that I have written on Stickhandling. Please go back and read the original article “The Benefits of Great Puckhandling Ability” from Friday January 26th on Betterhockey.com before reading this Part II article to get a full understanding of what I’m writing about.

Picking up where I left off from article #1, all the things I mentioned in this previous article is of great importance to handling the puck. From dribbling the puck correctly to protecting it properly is of the utmost importance.

This segment I'm going to explain some more moves a player can use in game situations, how to practice them, and when to use them in certain situations. To use the basic front fake, you must always have speed, and power your way around your opponent protecting the puck with the formula of putting your body between the puck and the defender. This move is not one of trickery, it is basic, and you'll probably over the long run, use this move more than any other. Please see article #1 on how to properly execute this move with the video clip ”The importance of keeping your hands away from your body”.

The next move I like to use a lot when attacking the offensive zone is a move Wayne Gretzky used quite a bit. As a Head Instructor for The Turcotte Stickhandling Hockey School we teach these moves and they have names to remember them by. This move is called “The Gretzky Move”. This is done when coming down the off-wing. Myself being a “lefty” I would skate down the right side of the ice and dribble the puck on my forehand side of my body, dribbling the puck not too far behind the line of my skates. (If you would draw a straight line from toe to toe of your skate and beyond to your forehand side) the dribble should be even with the line which means your hands are in good position away from your body. (The shaft of your stick should be parallel to the toe line). Keeping your skates straight in a shuffle stride position you turn your body into shooting position and fake your shot right at the defenseman transferring your weight from your back foot to your front on the fake as if you're going to shoot and use him as a screen. Then you snap the puck back and away from him transferring your weight back to your back foot creating more of a gap (time & space) between you and the defenseman. This will move you more into the center of the ice either giving you a better angle to shoot from, giving your teammates more time to get to the net for passes, tips or rebounds, or moving the defenseman out of position opening up a backdoor lane to pass to an open man. Early in the game I would head down the off wing and turn and shoot using the D-man as a screen, setting him up for later in the game to pull off the move. He'll think you're going to shoot again and most likely will freeze up giving you more freedom to skate to the inside of the ice.

Another move that can be used is called “The Side Fake”. This is mostly done on a breakaway on a goalie, but can also be done in other areas. You can use this move in any zone. Such as, if you're carrying the puck in the same position as the Gretzky Move, on the forehand side in a shuffle stride, turn your body slightly to your left (as I'm a lefty) and fake a pass by pushing the puck about 3 feet out towards the man you're faking a pass to and stopping it on your backhand in full extension, then pick up your stick quickly, put the puck on your forehand side of the blade and taking it straight across your body to your backhand side in full extension. This is why in article #1 (see video) that I explain that you need to get your hands away from your body for the arms to pass along the front of your body without getting them caught in your mid-section. There you will be in a position to carry the puck one hand on your backhand with speed and power, whether it be driving to the net protecting the puck in the offensive zone or gaining more speed through the neutral zone. This move is not very difficult if done properly. It's two straight lines, straight up and straight over like the letter "L".

All of these moves require good skating ability and the use of the edges of your skates properly, transferring your body weight, putting yourself in a stable position to either make a pass, get off a shot or stabilized enough that you won't get knocked off the puck physically.

I hope this information will help some of you become better puck handlers and keep a lookout for Part III of "The Benefits of Puckhandling Ability" as I will discuss more ways to control the puck, as well as how and when to make more creative moves that will increase your puck control ability and help you become a more offensive player.

Cliff Graziano Jr. is a Head Instructor of The Turcotte Stickhandling Hockey School for over 10 years. He owns and operates The New Jersey Renegades Travel Hockey Club and played his youth hockey for the NJ Rockets and the Junior Devils. He went on to play his collegiate hockey at Penn State followed by a minor league professional tryout in the Detroit Red Wing organization.

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