Air Dribble Drill

For the air dribble you need to be able to keep the ball in the air off the ground as long as possible.  In order to build up the number of times you can "dribble" the ball on your stick start off by:

1. Throw the ball in the air to yourself, hit it with the stick then catch it when it comes back down. 
2.  Once you are able to do this without the ball dropping, increase the times you hit the ball on the stick.
          - throw the ball up and dribble it twice, then catch the ball with your hand.
          - throw the ball up and dribble it three times, then catch the ball with your hand.
3. When you have reached a high number, then try to air dribble with the ball starting on the ground.

THE LOWER YOUR HAND - THE MORE CONTROL YOU HAVE OF THE STICK.

Flick Drill

This drill is to work on stationary flicks:

1. Stand infont of a goal about 15-20 meters away.

2. Line balls along the meter line.

3. Starting with your stick on the ball, wedge it under the ball.

4. Bend your knees and shift your weight from the back to the right foot and release the ball.

5. After you have released the ball make sure your wrists have flipped over.

6. Repeat the drill down the line of balls.

Drill Tip: The faster you can shift your weight and rotate your wrists, the faster and harder your flick will move the ball.

GET LOW AND HAVE STRONG WRISTS!

Sweep Drill

1. Set up cones to make goals that are 3 meters wide, with 5 meters in between each goal along the turf.

2. Place a ball 5 to 7 meters away from the "goal"

3. Start at the first goal; run up and hit the ball between the cones.  Continue until you have hit all the balls. 

Success tips:

Repeat this drill to increase your accuracy and power on the sweep.

As you improve make the goals smaller and place the ball farther away from the goal.

KEEP HANDS CLOSE TOGETHER AT THE TOP OF THE STICK!

Definitions

1. Flexion- the action of bending.

2. Extention- straightening of a body part.

3. Abduct-movement that draws the limb away from the body in the sagittal plane.

4. Adduct- movement that brings the limb toward the body in the sagittal plane.

5. Internal Rotation- rotation toward the center of the body.

6. External Rotation- rotation away from the center of the body.

7. Sagittal Plane-where forward and backward movements occur.

8. Forearm flexors- muscles in the forearm near the ulna.

9. Ulnar Deviation- wrist is bent outward.

10. Radial Deviation- wrist is bent inward.

11. Pronation-the rotation of the forearm so that the palm faces up.

12. Supination-A rotation of the forearm that moves the palm facing up to facing down.

13. Quadriceps- large muscle made up of four parts in the thigh.

14. Posterior- toward the back of the body.

15. Anterior- toward the front of the body.

16. Transverse Plane- rotational movements.

17. Longitudinal axis-axis around which rotational movements occur

18. Elevation- to raise.

19. Midline- imaginary line cutting the body vertically in the middle.

20. Eversion- the movement of the foot outward.

21. Horizontal Adduction- bring a body part closer to the mid-line or center of the body in the horizontal plane.

22.Brachioradialis – muscle in the forearm near the radius.

23. Frontal Plane- movements that occur away from the midline of the body


24. Reciprocal motion - Alternating motion in opposing directions, such as the elbow alternating between flexion and extension.

25. Quadrangular muscle- muscle that pronates the forearm.

Sweep Video

expert

 

novice

Sweep Stance

Step 1: Place ball an arm and stick length away, in line with your front foot

Step 2: Stand an arm and a stick length away from the ball

Step 3: Abduct the right leg in the sagittal plane.

Step 4: Hold stick at the top with both hands

Step 5: Hold stick in front of body off the ground

Sweep Approach

Step 1:Flex the left knee and bring the leg forward.

Step 2: Flex the superior half of the body from the transverse plane, so the stick and knuckles are touching the ground

Step 3: Stick is turned opposite direction of the ball

Sweep Movement

Step 1: Keep both arms extended.
Step 2: When stick is on the ball, use an ulnar and radial deviation (flicking the wrist which makes contact on the ball and moves it).

Step 3: Keep hands close to the ground

Sweep Follow Through

Step 1: Once stick makes contact with ball, let your arms follow the forward movement

Step 2:  As your arms swing forward with the stick, back foot comes forward

Sweep Finish

Step 1: Left foot comes forward from anterior to posterior of the body.

Step 2: Finish in athletic position

Air Dribble Video

Air Dribble Stance

Step 1: Place ball directly in front of you

Step 2: Dominant hand placed at the end of the stick grip, other hand holds the top of the stick

Step 3: Stand directly behind the ball

Step 4: Dominant foot is abducted in the frontal plane.

Step 5: Knees are flexed, the quadricep muscles are contracted.

Air Dribble Approach

Step 1: Place body weight on the front foot

Step 2:  Flex the superior half of the body from the transverse plane; so the stick is able to touch the ground

Step 3: Place stick on the ground so it is touching the ball

Air Dribble Movement

Step 1: With the stick, press against the ground toward the ball to get under it and elevate the ball.

Step 2: Once the ball is off the ground and on the end of your stick, contract the brachioradialis and forearm flexors to deviate the wrist radially.

Step 3: As the ball comes back down, line the stick up under it as if you were “catching” it and deviate the wrist ulnarly.

Air Dribble Repitition

Step 1: When the ball comes back down, radial and ulnar deviation will be repeated in reciprocal motion.

Step 2: Keep eye on the ball as you repeat this until the ball hits the ground

Air Dribble Finish

Step 1: Once the ball drops, stand in athletic position or repeat the process

Flick Video

Video

Flick Stance

Step 1: abduct the non dominant foot forward in the frontal plane.

Step 2: externally rotate the non dominant foot.

Step 3: Place ball in front of the back foot a stick length away

Step 4:  Hold the stick with dominant hand at the end of the grip and other hand holding the top of the stick

Step 5: flex the back knee and put body weight on the back foot

Step 6: Place stick on the ground touching the ball

Flick Approach

Step 1: Drag the ball with the stick from the back foot to the front foot in a forward motion

Step 2: do a horizontal adduction with the back leg toward the bodies midline 

Flick Movement

step 1: externally rotate the front leg and evert the foot; tilt the stick to get under the ball

Step 2:  Shift body weight from back to front foot

Step 3: With the stick tilted under the ball, use your upper extremities to elevate the stick and ball into the air

Flick Follow Through

Step 1: As you lift the ball your arms are extended.Step 2: the torso and arms follow the stick along the transverse plane
Step 3: Once the ball has left the stick, pronate the lower hand and supinate the top hand using the quadrangular muscles.

Flick Recovery

Step 1: internal rotation and adduction of the back leg.
Step 2: Finish in athletic position

Field Hockey

Sweep
Flick
Air Dribble