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At-home figure-eight ball control

Guide a soft ball around two markers with both sides of the stick blade while keeping the feet in place.

6U · 8U · 10U · 12UBeginner6 minutes1–1 players
Original drill diagram
At-home figure-eight ball control: player positions and movement 1AB
Off-ice floor schematic, not an ice session. Player 1 stays still. Solid arrows show the soft BALL route; the dark dot is the starting ball. A and B are low cones within comfortable reach. Original schematic; not to scale. Circles with numbers or letters mark players. Other markers and arrows are explained in the caption; some diagrams show puck or ball movement instead of skating. Red arrows show shots. Follow the written setup for spacing.

How to run it

Equipment: Stick, Soft ball, Cones

  1. Clear a flat, dry, non-slip floor with an adult. Place two low cones side by side, roughly one stick-blade length apart; both must be reachable without leaning or stepping over them.
  2. Stand behind the markers (1), feet comfortably apart and knees soft. Put a soft ball at the crossing point. Keep the whole stick and ball route clear of people and furniture.
  3. Guide the ball around A, through the middle, around B and back through the middle. Your feet stay still; only the ball follows the arrows. Use both faces of the blade, not a hooked toe-drag.
  4. Make two slow eights, stop the ball, relax your hands, then reverse direction. Reset after a lost ball rather than chasing it through the room.
  5. Use the six-minute station for short attempts and pauses. Finish when attention or control fades; there is no speed target.

Key teaching points

  • Top hand = the hand near the knob; it turns the blade. Let the lower hand guide the shaft without squeezing it rigidly.
  • Forehand and backhand mean the two faces of the blade. Roll the top wrist so the face nearest the ball gently contains it.
  • Cue: “Quiet touches.” Guide the ball a little at a time; do not slap it from cone to cone.

Common mistakes

  • The ball shoots across the room. Try: use shorter, slower touches and stop it after each half-loop.
  • Arms stretch fully or the body tips forward. Try: move the cones closer to the player and shorten the reach.
  • The blade hooks around the ball using only its toe. Try: practice side-to-side touches with both blade faces before returning to the eight.

Make it fit the player

  • Easier: for 6U or a first-time 8U player, remove the cones and make slow side-to-side touches, stopping the ball each time.
  • Harder: for a confident 8U–12U player, glance briefly at an adult after each complete loop, then return attention to the ball. Do not add speed and looking away at the same time.
  • Readiness: if the ball cannot stay within reach, use the easier version regardless of age.
Research context & source notes

Background sources for this drill’s skills and teaching principles.

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