Hockey is a fun-filled, fast-paced sport that’s perfect for kids and adults alike. However, it is also a sport that requires focus, ball control and co-ordination. If you have kids who want to refine their skills, you’ll be happy to hear that there are several drills they can do while at home.

Image Credit

The Straight Dribble

Anyone who wants to get into hockey will need to learn how to dribble straight first. In this dribble, the ball never loses contact with the stick, and it’s steered forward as smoothly as possible. This continued contact provides the best control and is also the best protection against opponents. Players must hold their stick straight in front of them, controlling the ball while still looking up to ensure they don’t collide with anyone.

Cone Dribble

Once the straight dribble has been somewhat mastered, another great field hockey drill to practice at home is dribbling through cones or obstacles. You can set three or four cones up in the garden a few meters apart, and then see who can dribble the ball around them the fastest without losing control.

Image Credit

Loose dribble

You can think of this as a sped-up version of the straight dribble, and it’s a drill you’ll often find in training videos like those available at https://www.sportplan.net/drills/Hockey/. Loose dribbling requires players to push the ball forward, but instead of ongoing contact with the stick, it can be tapped a bit ahead. The tap distance can depend on how fast the player is, so it’s a good idea to work up to bigger distances and start small. This field hockey drill can also be done with cones to increase its difficulty.

Indian dribble

The most essential dribble of all and one that helps players get the ball past opponents, the Indian dribble may be tricky, but it can be practiced at home once the straight and loose dribble are mastered. In this drill, the ball is also moved forward but is then pushed to the left by rotating the stick 180 degrees. This involves tapping the ball to the left then rotating the stick, all while ensuring the ball doesn’t move too far forward and out of control or into the path of a player on an opposing team, who can then claim possession.