Whether you use synthetic ice or dryland hockey tiles to practice on, a hockey rebounder is a great way to get the kind of practice that will bring your skills to the top. If you have played even one game of hockey in your life you already know that it is a very competitive sport. When it comes to heavy competition the only way to stay on top is to practice continually in ways that push you and make you better. With a hockey rebounder, you can sharpen up on your passing skills, your shooting skills, and even perfect those game-winning one-timer shots. Not sure how to use your puck rebounder? Here are some great drills that will help you to get the most out of all of your hockey training aids.
Make sure on the shooting exercises that you have a good-sized stack of pucks to shoot from so that you don’t have to chase the puck every time you hit it into the goal. You want to repeat an exercise as much as you can over and over again to build into that muscle memory.
1 Pass Pass Shoot
The best way to do this exercise is if you already have a hockey shooting tarp in place. This way you can hone in on those impossible shot areas and sharpen your sniping skills as you learn to pass effectively. Place your rebounder about five feet in front of you with one of the broadsides of it straight at you so you can shoot clearly at it. First, pass the puck forehand to the rebounder hard enough for it to bound the puck back at you. Return the puck to the rebounder with a backhand shot. When the puck comes back at you this time, slap a forehand shot into the slot of the shooting tarp that you choose. For the sake of this exercise, go for the upper left corner of the goal. Repeat this over and over 10 times, or until you get sick of it.
2 Rebound Pong
With this exercise, you only need one puck. Position your rebounder between 5 and 6 feet from you towards either side of your hockey flooring area. Start out slow and steady so you can build up your speed. First, hit the puck at the rebounder and make it come back to you. Do this slowly a few times to find your aim. Next switch from backhand to forehand and hit the rebounder. Try to keep a rhythm when you do it so that you are constantly hitting it as if you were playing a game of ping pong. The goal of this exercise is to gradually make yourself shoot faster and harder while maintaining a rhythm so that you build your core speed skills along with your muscle memory.
Off the Side Shot
This exercise will require you to have a good stack of pucks ready to go. It is really pretty simple. If you look at the Sniper’s Edge Hockey rebounder you can see that it is shaped like a triangle. Place the rebounder where you can aim the broadside towards the goal. Get your pucks ready and pick a spot to place them on the shooting tarp goalie spot. For this exercise, pick the lower-left corner. Position yourself in a shooter’s stance and take aim. Slap the puck into the rebounder with enough force to rebound and hit the goal spot you are aimging from. You can start with the rebounder close to the goal, then as you get better, move it back further and make it harder to hit the goals. This one is a bit challenging, but it will build up strength, hand-eye coordination, and agility.
Keep it Up
Staying on top of your game and practicing regularly are key factors when it comes to being a hockey champion. The more you practice, the better you become. It may seem like a lot of work, but when it comes down to the grunt of the game you will definitely thank yourself when you see that you are stronger and better than your opponent.