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Toe pull around a cone

Pull a puck away from a fixed obstacle, then send it sideways into open space with a distinct change of direction.

10U · 12U · 14U+Intermediate6 minutes1–1 players
Original drill diagram
Toe pull around a cone: player positions and movement 1Exit
Close-up of the puck route: the dot starts beside the obstacle. The curved arrow pulls it toward player 1, then sideways toward the exit cone. It is not a skating route. 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: Skates, Hockey protective equipment, Cones, Stick, Pucks

  1. Place one cone a stick length in front of the player. Put a puck just to the forehand side of the cone and a second cone 3 feet to the side as an exit marker.
  2. Reach the blade toward the puck and turn its toe behind the puck. Draw the puck back toward the feet until it clears the obstacle.
  3. Move the blade around the puck and guide it sideways toward the exit marker. Keep both skates still for the first set so the stick action is easy to see.
  4. Reset the puck by hand or stick and make five attempts. Then start 3 feet farther back and glide into the same pull for five more attempts.
  5. Use six minutes with pauses between sets. Count only pulls that clear the first cone and finish within one blade length of the intended exit.

Key teaching points

  • Cue: “Back first, sideways second.” The puck needs to clear the cone before changing lanes.
  • Leave room between the hands and body for the blade to rotate.
  • A small controlled pull is more useful here than a long reach that leaves the puck behind the skates.

Common mistakes

  • Puck hits the cone. Try: complete the backward pull before the sideways touch.
  • Puck slides under the blade. Try: slow the pull and keep the toe in contact with the ice.
  • Player reaches too far. Try: bring the starting puck closer to the forehand side.

Make it fit the player

  • Easier: remove the obstacle and trace the two-part puck route between two starting marks.
  • Harder: glide through the pull and continue three strides beyond the exit without stopping.
Research context & source notes

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

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