Vision training for Ice Hockey
Pierre Elmurr BAppSc (Orthoptics) DOBA MAppSc (ExerSportsSc)
Sports Vision Scientist
NSW Institute of Sport, Australia
VISION TRAINING
"Vision training for sport is the
application of specific exercises
conducted over a period of time that
leads to neural restructuring of cortex
and brainstem pathways allowing a
person to maximise efficiency while
performing visual perceptual tasks
leading to enhanced visual motor
performance”
ASSUMPTIONS
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Specificity of the vision training programs
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Skill level of the athlete
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No “hardware” eye problems
VISUAL SKILLS
EYE SIGHT
Visual acuity
Eye dominance
Contrast
Sensitivity
Depth
Perception
OCULAR
MOTOR
SKILLS
Accommodation
Binocular vision
Dynamic
VA
Pursuits
stereopsis
Vergence
VISUAL
PERCEPTUAL MOTOR SKILLS
Eye hand
coordination
Eye foot
coordination
Peripheral
vision
Visual memory
Visual perception
Visual
processing
Saccades
Visualisation
Hockey Specifications
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Puck black disc shaped
3 inch’s in diameter (7.6cms) & 1 inch thick (2.5cms)
Ring 61 metres long by 30 metres wide (international)
Net 1.2 m high by 1.8 feet wide
Slap shot - puck speed about 130-145kph range, average
passing speed of the puck from player to player is around 50 to
95 kph, variable due to distance and the opposing players in
the way
Fundamental skills of ice hockey
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Back hand
One timer
Slap shot
Snap shot
Wrap around
Wrist shot
Visual skills for ice hockey
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Gaze Control
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Peripheral awareness
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Visual search strategies
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Visualisation
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Eye hand coordination
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Visual memory & concentration
Gaze control
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Vickers 2004-2006: Is gaze control is a factor for
successful scoring on penalty shots in ice hockey
Found that highly-skilled shooters use a head-down
approach at the time of the shot, and focus most of
their gaze on an area of the ice located on or just in
front of the puck
lower-skilled shooters use a head-up approach and
focus most of their gaze on the target, which tends to
be the goalie or the upper corner of the net
Gaze control
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Vickers concluded: "Given that the head-down
shooters were more successful, it may be that this
style of shooting is more difficult for goaltenders to
read because the shooter provides fewer cues about
where the puck is going”
The Quiet Eye Phenomenon:
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Panchuk study 2006 - shooters taking unobstructed
shots on goaltenders from close distances, closely
mimicking the NHL's shootout procedure that decides
tied games
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Study shows that the distance of the shot doesn't
seem to matter, as long as goalies concentrate their
gaze on the puck and stick in the critical second
before it's released
Peripheral Awareness
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The ability to focus on the appropriate key (i.e.
the puck carrier) and still maintain an awareness
of overall play/action
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Allows the players to use a 'heads up' skating
style and still be confident in his puck handling
Peripheral awareness drill
Multi-coloured jerseys
Equipment: Hockey Puck
• Duration: 3 to 5 minutes
• Description:
1. Use an area ¼ size of the regular playing field
2. Divide players into 3 different groups of colours
3. Start with one puck
4. Players only pass to 1 colour & can only receive
from 1 colour. Eg red passes to blue, blue passes
to yellow and yellow passes to red
5. Add 2nd & 3rd Puck to the drill to increase difficultly
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Peripheral awareness
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Wayne Gretzky – hockey experts say his peripheral
vision was his main competitive advantage
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“I had trouble playing the NY Islanders. Same colour
pants, I always know where everybody is around me,
do it by taking quick side glances without pulling my
head up. You don’t have to see a guy’s insignia on his
sweater to know what team he’s on. All you need is a
split second glance”
Visual search strategies
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Gaze characteristics of elite & near elite athletes in ice
hockey defensive tactics Martell & Vickers 2004
Used a live defensive zone task
Regulated their gaze using 2 different gaze control
strategies
A quick cascade of fixations/tracking allowing rapid
access to contextual information & building a early
situation assessment
A stable object-oriented quiet eye to effectively control
the opponent at the conclusion of the task
Visualization
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A Solid technical and tactical performance can
only be retrieved when its clearly represented in
the mind
Good visualisation technique includes full reality
of the game, the players involved, the spectators
and the atmosphere of the stadium
Eye hand coordination
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The process of taking a pass and accurately shooting
to the open part of the net is one example of this skill
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Plays an important part in deflecting shots and
knocking down high passes in order to control the
puck, or in helping a goalie to make a glove save
Visual memory & concentration
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? Skilled players can recall & recognize patterns of
play more effectively then less skilled players
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? Expert players use their knowledge of situational
probabilities (expectation) to anticipte future
events
Visual memory & concentration
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Since the puck remains tiny in comparison to the size
of the ice surface and the players, players need visual
concentration skills to see it in a crowd. Players should
practice following the puck through a crowd of players,
which can become difficult as they become fatigued
www.hockey.intelligym.com
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The Hockey IntelliGym™ is a software-based
training tool that helps players develop hockey
sense – the perception and decision-making
skills necessary to stay one step ahead of the
puck and the game.
Developed by USA Hockey
Decision making process of ice hockey players
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Step 1: Observing how & where the puck is coming from
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Step 2: Knowing where teammates are on the ring
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Step 3: Knowing where the opposition are on the ring
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Step 4: Deciding what to do with the puck ball after a good first
touch
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Step 5: Knowing your options by observing where the puck is
to be moved or passed
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Step 6: Deciding when the puck goes
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Step 7: Deciding how the puck goes
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Step 8: Deciding why the puck goes (the tactical objective )
SPORT IQ SKILL
Decision
training
Gaze
control
Skill
acquisition
Visual
search
The zone
Talent
identification
Visual cues
BRAIN SKILLS
Anticipation Attention Decision
making
Pattern
Peripheral proprioception
recognition awareness
Neuroplasticity
SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY SKILLS
PSYCHOLOGICAL
OBSTACLES
Adversity
Burn-out
Choking
Fatigue
Aggression
Pressure
Fear
Anxiety
Intimidation
Anger
Pain
Self Doubt
Slumps
Addication
Stress
SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY SKILLS
ULTIMATE
MENTAL
ATHLETE
Consistency
Flow
Killer instinct
zone
Emotional Mind strength
toughness
PSYCHOLOGICAL
STRATEGIES
Arousal
confidence
Breathing
Humor
concentration
Goal setting
Motivation
Meditation
Visualization
relaxation
Positive thinking
Rituals
Perseverance
Faith
Self talk
Mental
toughness
SUMMARY/TIPS
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Conduct “hardware” assessment and
relate results to on field performance
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Treat “hardware” deficiencies
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Work closely with sports scientist/coaches
to assess/train & enhance specific visualperceptual parameters related to specificity
to ice hockey at all levels
THANK YOU!
pelmurr@sportsvision.com.au