We love hockey at Downe House. With matches and training every week, it’s important to know the game and what you can do to improve. Our Hockey Captain Jess tells us her top ten hockey tips for improving your match performance.

Here are my top ten hockey tips that will improve your game drastically!

1) Get low to the ground

The lower you are, the more surface area of the stick is touching the ground, increasing your chance of making contact with the ball.

2) Pace is paramount

Work on your ‘sprint fitness’ through interval training. The fitter you are, the less painful the final five minutes will be!

3) Push, push, push

The less hitting and slapping you do, the quicker the ‘contact time’ of stick and ball and decreased risk of losing the ball to the opposition.

4) Fancy footwork

Move your feet around the ball, transferring weight on to your strong side and watch for the opposition going for feet, especially when in the D to prevent short corners.

5) Use the sidelines

Be it in defence to channel a player or in attack to create width for transfer opportunities, the sideline can act as an extra teammate when used wisely!

6) Look up

Your teammates should always back you up and offer lead runs. The more you look up, the lower the risk of ‘mistake passes’.

7) PRESS

When you react quickly to the opposition taking balls, and get lower and tighter, the smaller the chance of the ball passing through your defence.

8) No time wasting

Taking the ball quickly gives you a valuable competitive advantage and does not allow your opposition to set up.

9) The louder the better

Communications is key! Vocal teams are always more daunting to play and often work more efficiently.

10) Play the tunes

Get a good playlist – the better the tunes in practice, the more motivated the team will be! It’s been scientifically proven that music can aid sports performance!

Hockey is one of many sports we do at Downe House. Why not see what else is on offer by browsing our Sport Directory?