Eyes up: stickhandle without looking down

Players who stare at the puck miss the open teammate, the defender closing in and the gap to the net. Keeping your eyes up while the puck stays on your stick is one of the skills that separates good players from great ones, and it can be trained at home.

How to do it

1. Start with a slow, wide side-to-side stickhandle while looking at the puck, for about 20 seconds, to find your rhythm.
2. Pick a target at eye level (a spot on the wall, or the TV) and keep your eyes on it. Keep the same slow rhythm and feel the puck on your blade instead of watching it.
3. Glance down only when you lose the puck, then bring your eyes straight back up. Work for 30 seconds on, 15 seconds off.
4. Once you can go 30 seconds without looking down, add front-to-back touches, then switch between the two without breaking rhythm.

Coaching points

• Soft hands: cushion the puck as it arrives instead of slapping it.
• Keep the puck in the middle of the blade, out in front of your body, not beside your skates.
• Bend your knees and stay low. Your hands should move, not your shoulders.
• Use your peripheral vision. You can still sense the puck while you look ahead.

Common mistakes

• Speeding up as soon as you look away. Slow down until the hands are reliable, then add speed.
• Quick peeks down every second. Commit to looking up for a full 10 seconds before you check.

Make it harder

Go faster, add a direction change on every fourth touch, then play it for real in Sudden Shift. Its targets appear all over the screen, so you can only collect them with your head up.