Advice needed on Pokechecking

[Cujorulesdtown9]

Ok, when you guys poke check, how do you move while doing the pokecheck?

Do you do a full on dive? What I do always seems to be the wrong move. I pokecheck while crouching with my pads together, and if I miss the pokecheck im basically screwed as the players are quick enough to shoot around me if I miss.
I dont know if there is a certain point, or as in to how far a player should come in before I even try it? I must be missing something, because everytime I try a pokecheck, I manage to miss 55% of the time ending in a goal.

[KBeats]

I only pokecheck when the player is looking moreso at the puck than at me and the goal. That way he won't see me going for the pokecheck. I'll let other people add (and subtract maybe) from this.

[elite]

I only poke check if I know they're coming in close enough that I WILL get it. Sometimes on breakaways, too, as a sort of deke, but generally only when I know I'm going to get it. Most of my poke checks are in close on cuts across the crease. See the video below to see an example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfFD2OfQLWw

Hope that helps!

[maddogg]

im with elite on this one i usually only pokecheck when a player is cutting acrosse the front of the net. all i can say is if you miss on the poke check get his feet.

[buffay34]

Yea, if i miss a poke check, i either roll and dive in desperation, or if i can, definitley just grab the guys feet. Ive never been called for grabbing a players feet. Its actually a good laugh as well

[Ahhhh!]

I only pokecheck when they cut across. I find the sweep check more effective EDIT: for most things.

[nizmo]

Originally Posted by elite

I only poke check if I know they're coming in close enough that I WILL get it. Sometimes on breakaways, too, as a sort of deke, but generally only when I know I'm going to get it. Most of my poke checks are in close on cuts across the crease. See the video below to see an example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfFD2OfQLWw

Hope that helps!

Curious, but are most of your YouTube videos from inter-divisional play?

[elite]

Nah. In fact, none of them are. Lindenwood is the #1 team in the country in DI. UMSL (my team) is one of the top DII teams (runner-up last year, champions in 2003).

[nizmo]

Originally Posted by elite

Nah. In fact, none of them are. Lindenwood is the #1 team in the country in DI. UMSL (my team) is one of the top DII teams (runner-up last year, champions in 2003).

Cool just wondering...

I play for UCSD.

[elite]

Oh, okay, cool. We played you guys two years ago. I don't think we played this past year.

[leaferguy]

If you really want to pokecheck, understand that you cannot telegraph it.

I learned at Keeks' camp that I was double clutching. You could read it from a mile away. Since then, I've stopped using it in game (save for the short side walk-ins) and have been practicing it. Until I get it right, I won't use it in-game.

Essentially, you want one consistent motion. A quick flick of the wrist/arm and the stick is out, another quick flick and it's back in your hand. The longer you give the player to realize what you're doing, the more of a disadvantage you're creating for yourself.

I would recommend getting someone to tape your playing somehow to see if you double clutch (almost like shifting the stick and then pokechecking, rather than doing it all in one move).

[avatarkava]

To echo leafer and elite's points, you should only be pokechecking on players coming in from your stick side at an angle, and then only sparingly when they're close and you know you can get it.

If you pokecheck on a player coming in from your glove side or straight on, you take away your ability to recover if you miss, throw off your balance, and drop the shoulder on the side in which the shot is likely to come. It's the equivalent of going into a barrel block.

... and while I have a minute to give a vocabulary lesson:

Curious, but are most of your YouTube videos from inter-divisional play?

You are correct nizmo. All of them are from interdivisional play.

DI vs. DII = interdivisional
DII vs. DII = intradivisional

Same as interstate/intrastate highways. Common mistake

[fish taco]

There are a few kinds of poke checks. You can poke check while in the butterfly, standing up (I don't think that's a good idea), you can dive, or you can slide to one direction while keeping your stick against the ice. If the player goes the opposite direction you slide, you stick will most likely stop the puck. I find the sweeping poke check pretty effective, and I also utilize the butterfly poke check.

[DRE75HABS]

Originally Posted by leaferguy

If you really want to pokecheck, understand that you cannot telegraph it.

I learned at Keeks' camp that I was double clutching. You could read it from a mile away. Since then, I've stopped using it in game (save for the short side walk-ins) and have been practicing it. Until I get it right, I won't use it in-game.

Essentially, you want one consistent motion. A quick flick of the wrist/arm and the stick is out, another quick flick and it's back in your hand. The longer you give the player to realize what you're doing, the more of a disadvantage you're creating for yourself.

I would recommend getting someone to tape your playing somehow to see if you double clutch (almost like shifting the stick and then pokechecking, rather than doing it all in one move).

A fake double clutch is good to force a player to shoot fairly quickly... remember that there are only a few things as goalies we can do to make things go our way, to "force" the things we want to happen, happen.

[Brodeur#30]

when i poke check,on a break away,i will challenge 5-10 feet out of the crease so that he cant shoot and thus,will make him deke.I make a billy smith type swing but not as violent which ussually gets the puck of his sdtick and over in the corner.if you dont get it with the stick he will be on the side which you swung the stick,and if you slide and stay in position you will have an easy save. works about 95% of the time



~jordanpenny~