Stick and Cone Balance Walk
Coordination & Body Control
Legend
- player
- cones
- ball
- movement path
How it works
Develop basic coordination and body control by balancing a ball on the stick face while walking through a cone course.
What you need
- field hockey stick
- field hockey ball
- cones
Your focus
Balancing the ball on the stick face requires fine motor control and body awareness from an early age. Walking slowly with the stick improves grip, posture, and the basic kinesthetic understanding of ball-on-stick contact. This foundational skill accelerates development of more advanced stick techniques.
Players place ball on the flat face of their stick (dribble face up).
Walk through a simple cone course (5 cones, 3 yards apart) trying to keep the ball balanced on the stick.
If the ball falls, reset at the last cone and continue.
Progress from walking to a slow jog while maintaining balance.
Goal
You've got it when the ball stays balanced on the stick face through the whole cone course without falling off.
Helpful cues
- Hold the stick level, keep it flat
- Soft hands, grip loose, not tight
- Watch the ball, not your feet
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Use a tennis ball for a larger contact area.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Add a direction change, turn 180 degrees without dropping the ball.No account needed
Build a practice plan
Add drills, keep the plan in this browser, then share a link with your staff or parents.This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.
This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.After every practice, UpLVL automatically surfaces the drills each player needs to work on most. See it for yourself.