COACHING POINTS FOR DRIBBLING IN HOCKEY

DRIBBLING IN HOCKEY

1.     Dribble straight when you have open space without opponents to move in. Keep an open stance when you have more room. The farther out from your feet the ball is, the faster you can run. This does not, however, work well with opponents right in front of you.

2.     Move the inverted "V" grip of your left hand on your stick a little to the right (see "How to Hit the Ball in Field Hockey"). This shift will make the shift to the reverse stick position easier if you find you need to change the direction you are hitting the ball.

3.     Keep your hands well apart on the stick - but if you get them too far apart, you will have to bend over too far and won't be able to watch where you're going.

4.     Try to keep your back straight and head up with your weight balanced over both feet to enable sudden direction changes.

5.     Cradle the ball in the toe of your stick, moving it where you want it to go while advancing up the field.