You might not realize it, but hockey training aids are some of the most important factors in the creation of champions. Whenever you push yourself to be better than you were the day before, every day, you create a pathway to success in everything that you do. When it comes to practicing hockey, you know that you have to keep at it and stay strong because that is exactly what your rival teams are doing.
The Home Skating Rink
If you have the capacity to do so, your best bet is to create a skating rink out of synthetic ice in your garage or backyard so that you can continue to practice your ice skating skills no matter if the skating rinks are open or not. One of the greatest hockey training aids is to have your own rink. Even if you don’t have the room to install a full rink, you can create a practice area just big enough for you to get the basic stickhandling moves in. If you don’t have the room for anything, you can also get yourself a hockey shooting mat. This way you can continue to practice whenever and wherever you want.
The Hockey Shooting Tarp
The hockey shooting tarp was created for two reasons. First, to allow players to practice making shots in an environment that is very similar to shooting at a real goalie. Second, the shooting tarp is meant to cover the walls and appliances in order to protect the area from flying pucks. As you may already know, pucks at high speeds can cause a lot of damage to whatever they hit. If they don’t penetrate the object and leave a hole, they will definitely leave a black scuff mark wherever they hit.
One of the greatest things about practicing with a shooting tarp is that it gives you the opportunity to focus on particular targets on the tarp that will allow you to fine-tune your shooting and accuracy skills. When you practice the same shot over and over again, after a while it becomes second nature and you don’t even have to think about it, you just make the shot. This is why it is so important to practice as much as you can and allow yourself to strengthen the areas that you might be weak in. The shooting tarp can help you gain:
- Speed
- Accuracy
- Hand-eye coordination
- Muscle memory
The Hockey Balance Board
The greatest thing about practicing your balance on a balance board is that it strengthens your core and sharpens all of the skills that you need to be a strong and effective player. By simply balancing on a board for 15 minutes every day you can expand your core muscles beyond anywhere they have been before. Balancing helps to strengthen your skating skills in a big way, along with exercising the back muscles that can become vulnerable if not exercised.
The Hockey Passer
If you have played enough hockey you know that being able to control the puck is critical. If you cant give or take a pass, you may as well not even play. Getting the puck from one end of the rink to the other is all part of the game, so teamwork is extremely important. When you practice with a hockey passer/rebounder you can work on the speed and strength of your passes. You get to decide how hard you slap the puck to the passer, and how it comes back to you. If you repeatedly pass and receive the pucks faster and faster, over time you will be amazed at how great your skills will become when you get in a real game.
Training Aids Are Great
At the end of the day, the people that practice the most are the ones that are going to benefit the most. It doesn’t take long to spot a weak player in a game. Don’t be that player. Spend time practicing and using the tools that have been designed to help you flourish as much as you can. Hockey training aids are always going to give you that extra bit of training that will set you apart from the rest and give you the edge that you need to win games.
