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Hi, my name is Brian Mullen. I spent my whole life around the game of hockey.
Beginning with my roller hockey days in New York through my 11 seasons in the
National Hockey League. During this time I found that learning the fundamentals
of the game is essential to succeeding in this sport. And I would like to pass
along my knowledge to you. So lace up your skates,
grab your stick and learn the game of hockey online with me.
Passing
Thus far in the offense section of "The Hockey Clinic with Brian Mullen" we have talked about the proper use and care of your hockey stick in Stick Basics, and techniques for improving your Stick-handling.
This week we'll touch on the other friend of a player in the offensive end of the ice: the pass. Many young
players feel that all the glory in hockey comes from scoring the goal. So
often, though, the pass that sets up the goal is even more spectacular.
Forehand Sweep Pass
The pass that is most often used in the game of hockey is the "sweep pass." It is called a
"sweep pass" because the upperbody movements resemble those of a person sweeping the floor with a broom.
- Keep both hands out, away from your body.
- From the ready position, bring the puck behind your back leg
(see Fig. 1).
- The puck should be in the middle of the stick blade.
- Cup the stick around the puck -- just like we learned last week from the
stick-handling drills.
- Your body weight should be on your back leg with your head up, looking at your teammate.
- Bring the puck forward by pulling with your top hand and pushing with your bottom hand
(see Fig. 2).
- The puck is propelled forward by the sweeping motion of your arms.
- As your stick "sweeps" from behind your body to the front, transfer your body weight
from your back leg to your front.
- Once the puck is released, follow through with your stick -- point the
stick blade in the direction of the pass (see Fig. 3).
When passing, never aim directly at the body of your teammate. Focus on the blade of his or
her stick and if the player is moving try to lead the pass in front of the player.
Backhand Sweep Pass
The steps for a backhand pass are quite similar to that of the forehand with a couple
slight variations.
- Just as with the forehand sweep pass, keep your hands away from your body for
better movement.
- Bring the puck towards your back leg (see Fig. 4).
- Cup the puck by dipping the shoulder of your lower hand down towards the ice.
- Place your body weight on the back leg.
- Focus on the stick blade of your teammate.
- Sweep your hands forward, transferring the weight to the front leg (see
Fig. 5).
- Follow through with your stick in the direction of the pass (see
Fig. 6).
Flip and Lift Pass
Most passes in hockey are clear, open-ice passes which is why the "sweep pass" is most
commonly used. However, during the course of a game you may find that sticks, skates or other
players will be blocking your passing lane. When this situation occurs, you will need to use either
the "flip pass" or the "lift pass." The skills for these maneuvers are similar to the
"sweep pass" with the following changes:
Flip Pass
- Use the center of the stick blade.
- Turn the wrist of your lower hand up towards the sky.
- Pull the shaft of the stick with your top hand which will scoop the puck off the
ice.
- You should raise your stick only two feet in the air on the follow through.
- The height of the follow through determines how high the puck will travel in the air
as well as whether the pucks lands flat on the ice -- which is what you want to happen.
- If you find the puck fluttering in the air or landing on its edge, chances are your
follow through was too high.
The "flip pass" is a good pass when you are being closely defended from the front. The puck
should only go as high as one to two feet off the ice and travel a distance of about six to
ten feet. For a distance any longer than 10 feet you should use the "lift pass."
Lift Pass
- The puck placement on the stick for this pass is the front part of the blade or
what is known as the "toe."
- The speed of the puck comes from the pulling motion of the top hand on the shaft of the stick.
- The height is created by the flicking motion of the lower hand on the stick and...
- by the follow through of the stick. The higher the level of the stick the further the
puck will travel and at a higher altitude.
The "lift pass" is a pass in name only. Very rarely will you use this maneuver to move the
puck to one of your teammates. Most often the "lift pass" is used to clear the puck,
especially when defending power plays.
Next Class
I hope you enjoyed this session of "The Hockey Clinic with Brian Mullen."
The next time
we get together we will learn how to
accept or "catch" a pass.
"The Hockey Clinic with Brian Mullen" Archive
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