🏒 Unlock Pro Level Puck Handling

If you feel like your puck handling is stiff, clunky, or restricted, you’re not alone.

Most players unknowingly handcuff themselves with poor technique.

It all starts with how you position your arms and control the puck.

At Pro Performance Hockey Lab, this is what we teach to separate great puck handlers from average ones:

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1. Get Your Top Hand Away from Your Body

Many players crowd their body with their arms too tight, making it nearly impossible to move freely.

Solution: Extend your top hand away from your body.

You want to feel like you're chasing after the puck, not awkwardly pushing it along at your feet.

This freedom creates smoother, quicker stickhandling with better reach and control.

Last week, we went over The Key to Elite Stickhandling.

Be sure to check it out once you’ve finished this lesson.

2. Puck Handle Off the Heel of Your Blade

Elite stickhandlers don’t use the flat part of their stick or the toe.

Instead, they work the puck off the heel, with the toe slightly elevated.

✅ Heel of the blade = softer touch, quicker adjustments
🚫 Toe of the blade = choppy, mechanical movement

If you want to handle the puck like a pro, mastering this detail is essential.

3. Keep Your Hands Low (But the Bottom Hand High)

There’s a difference between having “high hands” and having your arms lifted awkwardly.

Top players have a bottom hand positioned higher up on the stick shaft, giving them better control without stiff, mechanical movements.

✅ Hands low and relaxed = Fast, fluid stickhandling
🚫 Hands stiff and flat = Robotic, predictable movements

The Bottom Line

At Pro Performance Hockey Lab, we coach our players to not fight the puck.

The best players create space between their body and the puck, work off the heel of the blade, and position their hands for maximum control and creativity.

Master these fundamentals, and you’ll feel a noticeable difference in your game.

And as always: "Do the common thing uncommonly well."

When you’re ready to elevate your game, here’s how I can help you:

1. Elite private training to provide the 1 on 1 attention you deserve.

2. Spring 2025 clinics for offseason skill development.

3. Summer Camp 2025 to prepare for the upcoming season.

See you on the ice,

Coach Scott Rutherford
(716) 912-4465