In hockey, dangling, another word for deking, means to fake out and maneuver around an opponent with the puck. Becoming efficient at dangling can lead to more scoring chances and greater puck possession. Players with effective puck skills can make difficult moves in high-traffic areas on the ice to elude their opponents. Some of the greatest players of all time such as Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky and Jaromir Jagr have all excelled at this skill and you can increase your puck prowess with a few simple drills.
Improve Dangling Skills
Step 1
Start this off-ice drill with a hockey stick and a smooth playing surface. Use one puck and handle it back and forth. Roll your wrists to cradle the puck on your stick blade and try to make as little sound as possible when handling it. The purpose of this drill is to develop soft hands. Also, if you handle the puck too roughly, it will stand on its edge and roll away from you. Make sure the puck always stays flat. If you practice this drill enough, handling the puck on the ice will seem much easier because no friction is present.
Step 2
Start at one end of the ice and have a partner start about 15 feet away from you. With the puck, skate full speed at the defenseman and he will skate backward to defend you. If you shoot right-handed, go to the left of the defenseman and right if you are left-handed. When you and the defenseman are next to each other, temporarily slow yourself and draw the puck behind your back skate. Quickly pull the puck through your skates and skate by the defenseman. This is a highly advanced maneuver and will take sufficient practice to master.
Step 3
Skate at the defenseman full speed as you did before and take the bottom hand off your stick. Take a couple of skating strides toward the direction of your top hand, right for left-handed shooters and left for right-handed shooters. This should cause the defenseman to think you are going to drive hard to the outside. As soon as he makes his move to take you out of the play, drag the puck underneath his stick with one hand and go the opposite direction.
Step 4
Take one puck and stay inside the face-off circle. At full speed, keep the puck away from your partner, using your body to protect it. Bend your knees deeply and lean on your skate's edges to make sharp turns to elude your opponent. Another maneuver to try when he comes at you is to lightly push the puck in front of you and perform a rapid 360-degree turn around him. Turn your body in the opposite direction of the way you shoot. This move is challenging but fun to attempt. The goal of this drill is to maintain puck possession for 20 seconds.
Tips and Warnings
- Push yourself to try more challenging puck skills once you've become comfortable with the puck on your stick. Try stickhandling a golf ball off the ice to develop faster hands.
- Always handle the puck with your head up. If your eyes are fixed on the puck, a defender has the opportunity to deliver a hard body check that can cause injury.
Things You'll Need
- Hockey gear
- Pucks
- Training partner
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