QuickStickz helps hockey players improve their skills from home

The QuickStickz system provides interactive exercises which help hockey players improve their stick-handling, puck control, passing, and more.

“As your child progresses in the game of hockey, there comes a point where most of their peers possess similar skating and shooting skills. At that time, it’s the ability to handle the puck during game situations that will set your child apart.” So says Halifax-based Skillz Systems, developers of a virtual hockey training system called QuickStickz.

Here’s how it works. The QuickStickz system includes software, a USB camera that you attach to your computer and a special stick-handling ball. As you move the ball around (you can use your own stick), its movements are tracked by the camera and displayed on the computer. There are a number of interactive exercises which enable players to improve their passing, puck control, stick-handling and – because they are forced to watch the screen rather than the ball – their awareness of the game.

Does it work? As I’m not a hockey player and haven’t actually tried the system, I really don’t know. That said, it does come with an endorsement from Dave Tippet, head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes who says, “QuickStickz will give players of all ages the opportunity to reach their full stick-handling potential.”

Unfortunately, QuickStickz is probably not a substitute for all those break-of-dawn training sessions, but anything that gives the kids extra ice time (even the virtual kind) can only be good.

To learn more, visit the QuickStickz website.

Filed Under: Games > Tech Trends
Tags: hockey game, QuickStickz, video games