The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-16

accordance with height and reach. A
man who is left-handed will naturally
hold the reverse way, but he is play
ing from the other side of his body.
A player who wants to be a top
notcher, however, will make it his
business to become equally proficient
both ways, so that whatever way his
opponent plays or wherever the puck
| may be he is at the greatest adVant-
| age.
Most of the good American and
| Canadian hockey players are as good
on one side as the other. Whichever
| way you may hold the stick, except in
an emergency always use both hands
and get right up to your work.
| The most important points for the
| player, then, to master are dr1bblng,
passing, shooting and lifting the puck.
| To dribble well is essential for eV-
cry man on the team, but especially for
| the forwards.
This is accomplished by carrying the
puck well in front on the ice and pass
| ing it from side to side with alternate
sides of the stick as the player ad-
| vances.
| The angle at which the puck is ad-
vanced would depend on the speed of
| the player at the time. When inter-
cepted, pass quickly to any of the 9TH
/ er players on your side who has the
least interference Don't delay till it is
| too late to do so with safety, and so
give possession to your opponents.
Pass so the puck will slide along the
! ice not toward the mans skates, out
! Just in front of him.
| Surprising the player to be competent
in dribbling and passing, ne must learn
to shoot, which is the usual method of
scoring goals. This is done by placing
the heel of the stick with a turn of the
wrist. 1t is necessary to learn this from
either the left side or the right, and to
do it without hesitation and in tight
corners. The best goal shot is one with
a slight lift to knee high, which is the
most difficult for a goal keeper to stop.
1t is too high for him to get in his stick
effectively, and just too low for the use
of his body.
The lifting of the puck must be learn
ed next, especially if playing in de-
fensive position. This is accomplished
by placing the middle of the butt of
the stick against the lower half of the
puck and scooping with an upward
movement. With practice it can be
lifted high over the opponents heads,
so it cannot be reached by their sticks
while in progress.
The various points of individual play
having been mastered, their use in team
work remains to be studied and prac-
ticed. This combination of the players
is the great feature of hockey, without
which no team can ever rise above
mediocrity.
Not only is it the road to success in
scoring but it makes less hard work
for the men. VINO will be much fresher
at the end than if they had gone in
for individual and grand stand plays:
The first thing to do on securing the
puck is to look for the positions of the
other members of the team, and as soon
as confronted pass to the one who APP
pears to be in the most advantageous
position. Don't be selfish. 1t is un-
scientific, and, although once in a Whlle
success may crown the individual play
of a fast forward, the efforts of such
work will quickly play him out The
only exception to this rule is when the
puck is in front of your own goal, when
it should either be lifted out of danger
or got away to the side as quickly as
possible, when it is then safe to resume
passing tactics
There is one matter which every
player should remember, and that is
that certain position has been assign
ed to him. and he should keep it and
not wander around. There are two rea-
sons for the strictest observance of this
rule. One is that in very rapid plays
it is not always possible to look for
confrere to pass the puck to, and if he
is in his allotted place the knowledge
obtained from practice will obliterate
all guess work. Another reason is that
eacn player has an opponent to cover
him. and to leave his position means
self to lose your head. Keep cool at all
times. This is an attribute all hockey
players should cultivate.
There are many points and com
binations on which it would be posi-
BILE to enlarge, but these can only be
learned by practice in combination.
Training is essential if one is to ex-
eel at hockey, strength of limb and
good wind cannot be dispensed with if
a player expects to last out a game in
good shape.
While it is not necessary to regulate
the food to any extent, pastry of all
kinds is good thing to avoid If boys
wish to keep their wind tobacco in any
form is best left alone: but cigarettes
are most injurious, and must be kept
away from.
One matter that boys are ofttimes
careless over should especially have
their attention when playing hockey,
and that is the danger of getting a chill.
Whether the game is played in a rink
or on the outside, the temperature is