HOCKEY PRACTICE APPARATUS AND METHOD OF TEACHING HOCKEY STICKHANDLING SKILLS USING SAME

摘要

A hockey practice apparatus comprises a thin mat memberhaving a length and a width each substantially greater than itsthickness, a generally centrally disposed longitudinal axisextending along its length, and including a bottom stratumpresenting a slippage precluding bottom surface and a top stratumadjoined to the bottom stratum and presenting a low frictionsubstantially planar top surface for receiving a hockey puck infree sliding relation thereon. A method of teaching hockey skillscomprising the steps of providing a practice surface for receivinga hockey puck thereon; initially placing a visual target adjacentthe practice surface so as to be viewable concurrently with thepractice surface by a practising player standing beside thepractice surface and stickhandling the puck with a hockey stick,thereby encouraging the practising player to look at the visualtarget while stickhandling the puck with a hockey stick; and,subsequently moving the visual target to a superior position in thepractising player's field of view, thereby encouraging thepractising player to look up while stickhandling the puck with ahockey stick.