Pivot and Puck Control Drill
Coordination & Body Control
Legend
- player
- cones
- movement path
How it works
Develop coordinated body control through repeated forward-to-backward and backward-to-forward pivots while maintaining puck possession.
What you need
- hockey stick
- puck
- cones
- ice
Your focus
Pivoting is one of the most coordination-demanding skating movements because it requires controlling body rotation, edge pressure, and stick position simultaneously. Players who master smooth pivots with the puck can change direction in game situations without losing possession. Building pivot coordination at this age creates the technical versatility needed at competitive levels.
Set up 4 pivot gates at intervals across the neutral zone.
Player skates forward with a puck to the first gate and pivots to backward skating.
At the second gate, player pivots forward again; repeat through all 4 gates.
Player shoots on net after the final gate; rotate after each rep.
Goal
Success is completing the pivot series without the puck drifting ahead of you, it stays on your blade through every turn.
Helpful cues
- Complete the pivot before worrying about the puck
- Rotate through your hips, not your shoulders first
- Stay low through every pivot, height means loss of edge control
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Practice pivots without a puck until the movement is smooth, then add puck carry.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Add a passive defender at each gate who can poke-check, forcing the player to protect the puck through the pivot.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.