INPUT ARTICLE: Article: While facing the ball, lower your stick to the ground. Rest the stick's rounded edge on the ground and use it to stop the ball. You may need to step backwards a little to slow the ball before stopping it. Lean the stick forward to bring the ball to a stop. If you don't lean the stick forward slightly, the ball may roll over it and get past you. Trapping the ball allows you to control it so your passes and shots are more accurate. Be gentle when receiving the ball. Pretend it's an egg. Instead of breaking if you bump it too hard, the ball will roll away and the other team will get it. To practice, have someone else pass the ball to you until you feel comfortable stopping it. Position the ball in front of you and place your stick next to it. When the ball is on your left, flick the ball to your right. Then, twist the stick with your left hand until the flat side is to the right of the ball. Flick the ball back to your left and continue doing this for as long as you can. Dribbling this way is excellent for keeping the ball in your possession as you move. Remember to always tap the ball with the flat side of the stick. Even experienced players can have a hard time mastering this technique. Try dribbling in place first. Once you have mastered that, walk up the field while dribbling. Face the ball and position it slightly ahead of you. Bring the head of your stick down towards the ball. As you make contact with the ball, bring your weight down on your front foot. Your front foot is the one closest to the spot where you want the ball to go. A sweep pass or push is a basic pass that provides plenty of control and accuracy when you need to get the ball to a teammate. Keep 1 foot close to the ball and 1 foot behind you. When you move to hit the ball, bring your back foot forward to generate power. A sweep pass is similar to how you would hit a ball in mini golf. Follow through with your swing, but don't try to slap the ball. Remember that you are pushing the ball towards the target. A variation is to dig your stick underneath the ball, then lift it up and push it towards your target. Place your stick parallel to the ground, similarly to what you do when stopping a ball. Wrap the hooked part of your stick around the ball. Transfer your weight from your back foot to your front foot as you swing the stick forward in a single, smooth motion. Use your legs to maintain your balance and generate force. Avoid leaning forward more than you need to to reach the ball. The hook pass allows you to get to balls out of your reach. It probably won't feel as accurate as sweep passes at first, so keep practicing! Stand with the ball ahead of you and keep your left hand around the top of the stick. Slide your right hand up, maintaining a strong grip on your stick. Bring your stick back behind you to start your swing. As you bring your stick forward, shift your weight onto your front foot. Swinging your club this way is similar to driving a ball far in golf or cricket. For more accuracy, push the ball on the ground instead of trying to hit it with power. Remember that you can only shoot the ball by hitting it with the flat part of your stick while inside the scoring circle.

SUMMARY: Press your stick against the ground to trap a moving ball. Perfect the Indian dribble or reverse stick to move the ball upfield. Step towards the ball as you hit it to perform a sweep pass. Squat to perform a hook pass for balls further away from you. Bring your hands together to perform a slap shot.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Upgrade old wire hangers by making padded clothes hangers. Measure the outline of the body of a wire hanger and cut two pieces of silky material slightly larger than that. Sew the two pieces together, leaving an opening at the top, and slide the hanger inside. Stuff the inside of the material with loose cotton or pieces of foam, and sew the opening shut. Use wire clippers to cut the bottom part of the hanger in half. Bend the two bottom halves of wire down to narrow the shape (approximately 3-4 inches, or 7-10 cm, apart). Twist each wire end upwards to meet the bottom of the hanger hook, and twist the ends into a circular shape to cover the sharp points. Place shoes, toe-side up, over each circular part of the hanger to hang them easily in your closet. Start with a finished piece of wood and attach 3 to 6 screws to the board, depending on its size and your preferences, halfway in and evenly spaced. Cut the same number of wire hooks from old coat hangers using wire cutters. Using pliers, twist the end of each hook around a screw until it is firmly attached. If you wish to paint or decorate the coat rack, do so before attaching the hooks to make things easier. Be sure to attach the coat rack firmly to the wall before hanging anything on it. You can reuse wire hangers without making any modifications to them by rethinking their purpose. By hanging a hanger off a bathroom door cabinet, for instance, you can make a simple magazine or newspaper holder. You can also hang up hangers on the wall to hold a collection of eyeglasses, scarves, ties, bras, or other accessories.

SUMMARY:
Sew padded clothes hangers. Make shoe hangers. Build a coat rack. Re-purpose hangers around the house.