Method and apparatus for hockey stick handling training

Abstract

A hockey training kit comprising one or more steel practice balls of varying weights and diameters. Each of the steel balls is heavier than a hockey puck and is used for stick handling practice. The method of the invention includes teaching the proper wrist hand and arm motions for stick handling and offers training session schedules for significantly improving stick handling skills in 60 days.

Description

BACKGROUND OR THE INVENTION [0001] The invention provides a method and apparatus for training a hockey player to control a hockey puck or ball with a hockey stick. The invention specifically teaches the proper hand, wrist and arm motions for stick handling, builds strength and endurance in stick handling muscles and provides the user with an opportunity to quickly improve stick handling skills. [0002] Ice hockey is played on ice with a hockey puck sliding on the ice. Each player uses a hockey stick to control or direct the puck in a desired manner with the objective of shooting the puck into a goal. The act of a single player maintaining control of the puck with a hockey stick is called stick handling. Other types of hockey are also played on non-ice surfaces using balls and pucks, e.g. street hockey, floor hockey and field hockey. In street, floor and field hockey a ball or a puck may be used on non-ice surfaces, but the skills of stick handling are similar in all hockey type games...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] The stick handling training is initiated by applying a first torque to the hockey stick shaft using the upper hand. This rotates a blade of the shaft which is in contact with a practice rolling element thereby rolling the rolling element across the practice surface in a first direction. The user then lifts the stick blade over the top of the moving element using the lower hand, to position the stick blade on an opposite side of the rolling element and to stop the rolling element from rolling. The user then applies a second torque, opposite in rotation from the first torque, to the hockey stick shaft using the upper hand to roll the rolling element across the practice surface in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction. The user repeatedly moves the rolling element between two practice positions about 610 mm, (24 inches) apart to improve stick handling skill and muscle strength and endurance.

Problems solved by technology

This is not enough time to learn and practice stick handling.

As a result, youth players are not skilled or confident enough to stick handle at a desired level by the time they reach high school and college hockey programs.

It is a specific problem that many hockey players do not perform enough stick handling motion repetitions to reach the required proficeincy level and this is especially the problem in current youth hockey programs.

It is important to note that stick handling can be done by other motions of the hands and arms but that these other motions are inefficient and will generally not lead to the player achieving a high proficieny at stick handling skills.

Although a player may achieve some success with this motion, it is not a desirable motion for stick handling and its use will ultimately cause the player to perform below a level that coaches find acceptable.

Accordingly, it is a further problem that hockey players do not learn the proper stick handling motions and instead train their muscles to perform incorrect motions.

This is further compounded in the fact that once the player has trained the muscles and nerves to perform incorrect stick handling motions, correction of these incorrect motions is difficult.

This is a particular problem in youth and womens hockey leauges where muscle strength and endurance may be insuficient for performing the required stick handling movements over a long period, or with suffiucient quickness.

However, Mayer II never teaches or suggests that the proper stick handling motions should be learned and strictly followed during practice sessions.

Although, the prior art recognizes the need for effective off-ice stick handling training, it fails to provide a simple reliable solution that addresses every aspect of stick handling training.

In particular, the prior art fails to address the need to teach each player the proper hand wrist and arm motions required for proficient stick handling.

In addition, the prior art fails to provide training instructions that can be readily understood and followed by the player and by which the player may monitor progress during training.

Images