Field Hockey Tip
Field Hockey Drill: Agility and Ball Control
It can be hard to practice field hockey when you have limited space and are alone, but it is important to keep practicing and refining your skills. This drill taught at our Nike Field Hockey Camps, is something you can do at home, by yourself, with a small area. It will help improve your ball control while doing short and sharp movements. Often times, in the shooting circle and neutral zone on the field hockey field, players find themselves marked by a defender. When this happens, it is important to be free, so you can reduce the chances of getting the ball intercepted or stolen from you. This drill will help you with your agility and cutting speed, which will help give you time to receive passes and lose your defender.
The Set-Up:
For this drill, 5 cones will be needed. Set two cones 1 & 5, thirty feet apart. Cone 2 and 4 should be thirty feet from 1 and 5, and cone 3 should be ten feet from cones 1 and 5.
The Drill:
In this drill, start at cone 1 and sprint to cone 2 while dribbling the ball. Cut to cone 3 before decelerating and pulling the ball around cone 4. From there, dribble the ball to cone 5, cut around the cone and finish back at cone 1. Time yourself each time to keep track of your progress. Do this drill as often as you can to help improve your speed and cutting technique.
Bonus Tip:
Mobility is one of the most important factors in becoming a quicker and more explosive player. The stance in which we play field hockey, bent over at the hips, in combination with sitting for long periods of time throughout our day, can result in tight hips, can slow us down on the field, and may even lead to injury. Take some time at the end of your training sessions to include a hip mobility stretch, such as Hip Flexor stretches, Figure 4 stretches, and Spidermans, to help improve your mobility and range of motion. This will help you to move with speed and agility in multiple directions with fluidity.
For more drills and tips, join us this summer at a Nike Field Hockey Camp!