Learning Hockey:
Dominate the field with the push, pass and stop

It’s not enough to be able to push the ball towards a target. You need to know how to stop an incoming ball as well. Push and stop are very effective for passing the ball around during the game. Here’s what Jude Felix has to say about it. Prepare to stop the ball by getting into the running position with the upper body bent slightly forward from the back. Knees should be shoulder-width apart, with a slight bend forward as well.

Anticipate the ball coming your way and be ready to stop it on the forehand. Shift your feet towards the left and allow the ball to come naturally to your forehand. While holding the stick with your hands apart, ensure you stop the ball neither too close to your feet nor too far away from your body.   

That’s not all; there are a few more things you need to be mindful of for that perfect stop. The grip on the stick should be firm with both hands and the blade of the stick should be slightly tilted, facing the ground. This ensures the ball doesn’t bounce off the blade. It is advisable to twist your hips and upper body slightly when you’re about to stop the ball. These same steps are to be followed when you stop on the reverse and in front of you.

Remember, if you’re receiving the ball with a forehand stop, allow the ball to pass your left foot and then immediately use the stick to stop it. On the other hand, when receiving the ball on the reverse stick or blade, allow the ball to pass your right foot and then immediately stop it. Now, let’s move on to the practice exercises.

Divide the players into teams of 2. Standing 10 yards apart, when you hear the whistle, start pushing and stopping, making continuous passes and counting the same. Keep at it until the second whistle. The objective is to see which group makes the maximum number of passes without losing control of the ball.  Practise the exercise first using the forehand stop, and then using the reverse stick stop.

There’s another important stopping technique to learn which can confuse your opponent. When you see the ball coming to your forehand, step forward, pretend by pointing your stick in line with your left foot, but instead stop on your right foot. The same applies while stopping on the reverse. You pretend to stop on your right foot, but actually stop the ball on your left foot.

The first exercise involves pushing and stopping in 2s with the forehand and reverse stopping. From the centre, run 3 yards to the right, stop the ball and pass it back to a teammate at the centre. Return to the centre, run 3 yards to the left, stop the ball with the reverse stick and pass it back. Continue this routine and keep switching sides.

The next exercise is passing in 2s. Run 3-4 yards in twos and pass the ball forward using the right foot at the time of passing. This run-and-push routine helps in improving your passing game.

Next, pass the ball in 3s, changing the direction of passing every now and then, forming a small triangle. The fast-paced change in direction helps build control and accuracy while passing.

The final exercise is a relay pass that is practised in groups of 4-5 players with one ball per group. The players need to relay the ball, passing it along from one to another, until the last person stops the ball and pushes it towards the target. The first group to reach the ball to the target wins the round.

Now that you’ve read enough and more about the push and stop technique, it’s time you learnt how to hit the ball hard. Read on to know how to go about it.