Find hockey coaches near me in Port Elizabeth

Improve Your Skills with Private Hockey Lessons

Hockey is an amazing team sport, but you require some hockey skills to play well and to land a spot on a hockey team. Whether you are planning to make the team, play socially or simply want to improve your hockey skills, getting private hocky lessons will give you the edge you need.

Some hockey players have been on the field for years, and they would agree that a newcomer’s best chance to catch-up with more advanced players is frequent practice and dedication. Hockey lessons from an experienced player or coach will guide you through developing the basic skills to handle the stick and ball like a pro. Mastering the fundamentals will allow you to run out on the field with a bit more confidence.  

The Skills of Hockey Players

Generally, sportspeople make playing hockey look so simple and easy, but like most sports you would need a range of skills before you can run out and become the team’s reliable star. Some of the skills a hockey coach or hockey tutorial will teach you are:

-Dribbling the ball and trapping (the ability to receive and run to where there’s an open space)

-Hitting the ball with different intensities to specific places while executing precise passing. For this you’ll require the right body, ball, foot, head and hip position

-Reading the game and leading. Experienced players can read the game and open themselves up for receiving the ball or passing it to other players

-Good and proper tackles to try get the ball from other players. This can be a tricky one and timing is everything while players continue to obey the rules of the game

-Reverse stick hit (tomahawk) is a tactical hit where you use the side of stick

-Flicks will lift the ball off the ground, but again this comes with its own rules and precautions

-Working as a team and working together to pass, defend and open-up spaces to get the upper-hand against opponents

-Deceptive actions can also be used to confuse opposition

An experienced hockey coach will teach you all these basic drills and give you homework or solo exercises to do to improve your ball skills and fitness.

Playing trials will certainly be a better experience if you have the basic skills and rules in the bag. Once you are part of a team, you’ll learn about working together and all the other complexities around playing on the field.

The Basic Field Hockey Positions

Knowing the basic glossary in field hockey is generally expected of advanced players. As a beginner you can watch hockey on TV or research hockey terms online to become acquainted with the language. There are quite a few terms to learn, as you have gathered by now, but here are a couple of playing positions to get you started:

-Defender: A player whose core function is to stop the other team from scoring

-Attacker: A forward player with the main objective of scoring goals

-Centre-Forward: A player that covers the centre of the offensive area, they also take shots at scoring goals

Players on a hockey field all have their own role and function. A defender will be in the back end trying to defend opposition as they break through while strikers and runners are the speedy ones who break through with the stability and support of the midfielders. Your capabilities and strengths are generally what will determine where and how you get placed on the hockey field.

Hockey is also a game of fitness and most players have to run up to 10 kilometres during a game, but the attackers and midfielders generally run a bit more and also require a bit more speed and agility. The more you play, the more you’ll learn to play and love certain field positions. You might even opt to become the goalkeeper?

More Ways to Learn Hockey Basics

Hockey is ultimately a team sport, and some skills can only be learnt on the field. You should however not worry too much about this when you are starting out as there are many skills and tricks you can master in the meantime. Watch hockey games, learn about the rules and have discussions with people who know the game.

Doing research online will be a great help for learning some basic ball handling skills or ball and stick techniques. There is a hockey tutorial on almost any skill and you will also be able to find a lot of information around how sportspeople build their fitness to gain the fitness and stamina that’s required by hockey.

Eventually, the best way to master the game of hockey is to play it. Joining a social team, gathering a group of friends or trying out for a club are all good ways to become part of a team and learn together. The physical act of managing yourself in pressured game scenarios against an opponent is something you can only practice once you are in those circumstances. So, the sooner you get playing the better.

Group sessions are also a possibility if you are planning to set-up your own private hockey lessons. Your friends and newly created team can join you and with the help of the hockey tutor, like the ones you’ll find on Superprof, you can drill exercises and play mini-games under their guidance.  

Get a Superprof Hockey Tutor Today

Whether you want to learn with one person, or with a group of friends and split the costs, with Superprof you can compare hockey tutors and select one that you think will be best suited to your objectives and level of playing.

Hiring a tutor that is relatively close to you will make scheduling your hockey lessons easier and the tutor will do a skill assessment before they construct a suitable training programme.  Be patient, be open to learning and enjoy the experience while you are discovering hockey. Picking the right hockey tutor will not only make the experience more fun, you’ll learn much quicker and in no time have the confidence to run out and compete in trials for the team you always wanted to play for.