Whether you’re new to hockey or not, catching passes on your backhand can be tricky.
Compared to catching passes on our forehand where players have the pocket of their curve to cradle and cup the puck or ball, passes to the backhand can easily ricochet off the backside of the curve.
Thankfully Brandon Rubeo from Quest Hockey and the Hockey Players Club is here to provide 2 important tips to help you confidently catch passes on your backhand.
Practice these 2 tips to confidently catch passes on your backhand:
1. Cup the puck by rolling your wrists.
The first tip, and dare we say far-and-away the most important tip to catch a pass on your backhand, is to roll your wrists, particularly your top hand, to cup the puck as you receive the pass.
Many players make the mistake of not rolling their wrists resulting in the puck carelessly bouncing off their backhand.
Instead, as soon as the puck makes contact with your blade, practice softly cupping and cradling the puck by rolling your wrists.
2. Position your blade towards the passer and make contact with the puck ASAP.
If time and space permit, position the blade of your stick towards the passer and make contact with the puck as soon as possible to maximize your time and space to softly cup and catch the pass.
For example, if you’re right-handed and catching a pass from your right side, position your blade to the right side of your body towards the passer and aim to make contact with the puck as soon as you can.
This way, you have all the space in front of and across your body to softly cup and catch the puck as opposed to leaving your blade on the left side of your body with limited space to roll your wrists and catch a pass on your backhand.
TIME TO PRACTICE!
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