Best dryland puck replacements

[Portable Mink]

Hi all,

I'm just starting to play hockey by doing a hockey school course and skating a couple of times a week.
What i would like though, is to be able to practice my stickhandling and puck control at home either on the carpet or on the road outside.

Ive searched around the internet for a bunch of different ones (green biscuit & flypuck etc for outside, carpet puck for inside), i am looking for real people to provide their experiences and recommendations for what im after.

Ill obviously need to get different ones for inside and out, and as i said, its mainly to develop my puck control without looking and work on a few simple moves.

No chance of outside rinks in Australia so any help is appreciated!
Cheers!

 

[newfr4u]

just use a golfball. it's a good approximation, and i think the the fact that it's way-way cheaper than other options makes it a very good approximation.

 

[Eleven]

just use a golfball. it's a good approximation, and i think the the fact that it's way-way cheaper than other options makes it a very good approximation.

Yup. My kid's hockey team uses golf balls for all their off ice stick handling. It also is great for hand-eye coordination, pulling the ball up and balancing or bouncing it on the blade...there are tons of possibilities using a golf ball.

 

[EasternConferences]

I use something similar to this (but I think mine is from Franklin):
http://www.hockeymonkey.com/ar-hockey-velocity-street-puck.html

It definitely isn't a real puck and will never feel like a real puck, but I practice with it for a half hour a day in the basement (floor is smooth concrete) and it works great. It's definitely a street hockey puck and all. But I have been improving when it comes to play on the ice! I take shots with it against the concrete walls (it just ricochets off) and stickhandle all around. I've played street hockey outside with it, too. I've never used a green biscuit, but I heard that it doesn't upturn the way this red puck sometimes does. To be honest, it's never been a problem, though. The puck is cheap, it's been incredibly durable (well, my dog destroyed one of them, but with great difficulty) and I would recommend it.

In the end, it's all about hand-eye coordination and soft hands--whether that's with a golf ball, a street hockey puck, tennis ball, bruised apple. Hey, whatever works.

 

[ChiTownHawks]

I have a green biscuit, which works pretty good on slick surfaces, but it is still a lot slower than a puck. Also don't shoot with it b/c if you hit someone you could really hurt them and if you hit a post solidly enough it will explode.

I also have a smart hockey ball and I think that replicates the speed at which the puck moves the best on dry land. It is durable too so can be used outside with no problems.
http://www.smarthockey.com/prod_balls.php

 

[mlsully]

I've been using the green biscuit, which is close to the feeling of a puck. A bit slower, but has good weight behind it. I use this on a slick surface to maximize the speed. The golf ball is great for practicing quick, soft hands and eye/hand coordination.

 

[Jarick]

On carpet, a golf ball. On flatter surfaces, a combination of the golf ball, Smart Hockey ball, and a wood stickhandling ball. You should be able to get all three for under $15. Also, if you can find a wooden egg, those are awesome. Check at craft stores. Unpredictable.

 

[opivy]

On carpet, a golf ball. On flatter surfaces, a combination of the golf ball, Smart Hockey ball, and a wood stickhandling ball. You should be able to get all three for under $15. Also, if you can find a wooden egg, those are awesome. Check at craft stores. Unpredictable.

+2 for the wooden egg, awesome to use.

I've also tried using the baseball ground ball drill balls - they bounce extremely unpredictably but that is for on ice.

 

[Axman]

I've used the green biscuit, flypuck, and the Swedish stick handling ball. All are worth purchasing.
My fav is the wooden stick handling ball. Very quick and is great for hand-eye coordination. You can even see Evgeni Malkin using it before a game on the 24/7 DVD.

I put a golf ball in my hockey bag to warm up with in the locker room simply because I won't care if someone swipes it.

 

[Stickmata]

The heavy plastic stick handling balls are great anywhere. Green biscuit on smooth surfaces.

 

[Stelio Kontos]

Will Have to agree with previous posts. Green biscut on dryland tiles is the way to go.

And i use a golf ball inside on a carpet works wonders.

 

[kilowatt]

Golf balls work just fine to be completely honest. Two other options to check out are green biscuit pucks and smart hockey balls.

http://www.discounthockey.com/green-biscuit-training-puck.html
http://www.discounthockey.com/smhotrba.html

They're both dry land training equipment meant to simulate the weight of an ice puck. A lot of people use them, but then again, you probably didn't see Crosby training with them as a kid. Take it for what it's worth.

Either way, all three options are effective as long as you want to use them, ya know?