Ages 10–13

Dryland Stickhandling

Twelve minutes of hands, most days. A stick, a ball and a bit of floor.

About 12 minutesA stick, a ball and two conesMost days of the week

This is the one you can do every single day — it does not tire your legs, so it fits after school, after practice, or while dinner is cooking. Use a street-hockey ball rather than a puck: a puck will not slide on concrete and it chews up the blade, so tape the bottom of the blade with cloth tape either way. Indoors on carpet nothing slides — put down a smooth board, or use a golf ball. Stick words, once: the toe is the far tip of the blade, the heel is where it meets the shaft, and cupping means tipping the blade over the top of the ball so it cannot run away from you. Go slowly enough that the ball stays on the blade, then speed it up — short and often beats long and rare.

Download the printable See the other sheets

Warm up the handsOne time through.

Arm circles and band pull-apart15 each way

Big slow circles both directions, then pull a light band apart at chest height.
Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the end of every pull-apart.

Common mistake: Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears.

Skip the band pull-apart if you don't have a band.

Wide dribble2 × 30 sec

Hands apart on the stick. The top hand does most of the work by rolling the wrists.
Move the ball as wide as you can reach, side to side in front of you.
Knees bent, and cup the ball with the blade on every touch.

Common mistake: Standing tall and slapping at the ball. Cup it and roll the wrists.

Start slowly. This is the warm-up and the drill at the same time.

Ball controlOnce through. The counts below are the whole job.

Quick narrow dribble2 × 20 sec

Hands a little closer. Tiny, fast touches only a few inches wide.
Soft hands: let the ball sit on the blade instead of batting it.

Common mistake: Big swinging motions. The speed comes from the wrists, not the arms.

Heads-up dribble2 × 30 sec

Stickhandle while looking at a spot on the wall in front of you.
Feel the ball through the stick. Only glance down when you lose it.

Common mistake: Staring at the ball. In a game, your eyes need to be on the ice.

Side-to-side with moving feet2 × 30 sec

Stickhandle while shuffling side to side, like walking the blue line.
Keep your knees bent and your hands out in front of your body.

Common mistake: Feet stopping whenever the hands get busy. Both have to keep moving.

MovesOnce through. Clean first, fast later.

Figure 8 around cones2 × 30 sec

Two cones or pucks about a stick-length apart.
Weave the ball in a figure 8 around them, forehand around one and backhand around the other.
Keep the ball close to the blade the whole way.

Common mistake: Letting the ball drift wide on the turns.

Two shoes or two cans work fine as cones.

Toe drag10 each direction

Roll the blade over the ball and pull it across your body with the toe.
Start slow, then drag it around a cone or a stick lying on the floor.

Common mistake: Pushing with the heel of the blade. Turn the blade over the top of the ball.

The toe is the far tip of the blade. Ten pulling right to left, ten left to right.

Puck protection pull-back8 each side

Pull the ball back to your hip, turning your body between it and an imaginary defender.
Top hand stays out away from your body, then push the ball forward and go.

Common mistake: Pulling the ball in front of your feet, where a defender can poke it.

Put a shoe down as the defender so you know which way to turn.

Finish

Wrist and forearm stretch30 sec each

Arm straight out, fingers up, gently pull the hand back. Then fingers down and repeat.
Worth doing after any heavy grip day or a long stick session.

More free sheets

All eighteen sheets

Want the whole week written for you?

RinkReady lays out your off-ice week, tells you what weight to put on the bar, and keeps the log. Eleven plans, over 120 exercises. Seven days free, no card asked for.

Create your account

Built for healthy players by RinkReady. It adds to what your coach does, it does not replace it. If a movement hurts — not hard, hurts — stop it and ask someone who knows the player.