How to break in a lacrosse stick. Mastering the Art of Breaking in a Lacrosse Stick: Essential Techniques for Perfect Pocket Performance

How to effectively break in a traditional lacrosse pocket. What are the crucial steps for achieving optimal pocket performance. Why is proper breaking-in essential for consistent play.

The Importance of Breaking in a Lacrosse Stick

Breaking in a lacrosse stick is a crucial process that can significantly impact a player’s performance on the field. A well-broken-in pocket provides better ball control, more consistent throws, and improved overall feel. But why is this process so important?

A newly strung lacrosse stick often has a stiff, unyielding pocket that doesn’t hold the ball well or release it consistently. Breaking in the pocket allows the materials to soften, stretch, and conform to the player’s specific throwing and catching style. This customization results in a pocket that cradles the ball more effectively, releases it more predictably, and ultimately enhances the player’s ability to pass, shoot, and maintain possession.

Essential Items for Breaking in a Traditional Pocket

Before diving into the breaking-in process, it’s important to gather the necessary items. Here’s what you’ll need:

• A lacrosse stick with a newly strung traditional pocket
• Water (from a bucket or tap)
• A pocket screw or a lacrosse ball and butter knife
• Patience (this can’t be overstated)

It’s worth noting that the quality of materials used in stringing the pocket plays a significant role in the breaking-in process. High-quality leathers, for example, will stretch more consistently and maintain their shape better over time.

Preparing Your Lacrosse Stick for the Break-in Process

Before beginning the actual breaking-in process, there’s an important preparatory step that many players overlook: stretching the leathers. Why is this step crucial?

Properly stretching the leathers before breaking in the pocket ensures that the material will stretch evenly throughout the head. This consistency leads to a more reliable pocket that maintains its shape and performance characteristics over time. Without this initial stretching, the leathers may stretch unevenly during play, resulting in an inconsistent pocket that can affect your game.

How to Stretch Lacrosse Pocket Leathers

1. Soak the leathers in warm water for a few minutes to make them more pliable.
2. Gently pull on each leather strand, working from the top of the pocket to the bottom.
3. Be careful not to overstretch, as this can weaken the leathers.
4. Allow the leathers to dry completely before proceeding with the break-in process.

The Step-by-Step Process of Breaking in a Lacrosse Pocket

Now that you’ve prepared your stick, it’s time to dive into the actual breaking-in process. This multi-step approach will help you achieve a well-formed, responsive pocket that enhances your play.

Step 1: Wall Ball or Shooting Practice

Begin by playing wall ball or taking some shots. This initial use helps the pocket start forming to your throwing motion. Keep in mind that your passes and shots may be inconsistent at first – this is normal and part of the process. Resist the urge to adjust your shooters at this stage.

Step 2: Wetting the Pocket

After your initial practice session, it’s time to introduce water to the equation. Contrary to popular belief, water can be beneficial in the breaking-in process for traditional pockets. How should you apply water to your pocket?

Wet the pocket thoroughly, either by dunking it in a bucket of water or running it under a faucet. The leathers should absorb the water, but you don’t need to completely soak the stick. If you’re using high-quality leathers, this water treatment won’t damage them.

Step 3: Stretching the Pocket

Once the pocket is wet, it’s time to stretch it out. There are several methods you can use:

• Pound the pocket with a baseball bat for about a minute, similar to breaking in a mesh pocket.
• Use a pocket stretcher if you have one available.
• If you don’t have a stretcher, you can use a lacrosse ball and a butter knife (with parental supervision for younger players).

Step 4: Observing and Adjusting

After stretching, closely examine your pocket. Are the leathers tight or loose? If they’re tight, let the pocket dry overnight. If they’re loose, you may need to slightly tighten them. Be cautious not to over-tighten, as this can create stress points at the bottom of the pocket.

This is also the time to check your sidewalls. If they’ve loosened during the process, tighten them up. To prevent this issue in the future, consider using a double interlocking technique when stringing your sidewalls.

Assessing the Break-in Progress

How can you tell if your pocket is breaking in properly? One key indicator is when the cross lace starts to bite into the leather. Once you observe this, you can stop the water treatment and continue stretching until the pocket loses its initial stiffness.

It’s important to note that breaking in a traditional pocket is not an overnight process. Depending on the specific pocket and how often you use it, it can take anywhere from a week to a month to fully break in. Patience and consistent use are key to achieving the perfect pocket.

Fine-Tuning Your Broken-In Pocket

Even after your pocket is broken in, you may need to make occasional adjustments to maintain its performance. How can you keep your pocket in top shape?

Periodically use a pocket stretcher to reshape the pocket and ensure it maintains a legal depth. As you play, the pocket may expand slightly, so this reshaping helps maintain consistency in your throws and shot.

Adjusting Shooters for Optimal Performance

Fine-tuning your shooters is an ongoing process that requires attention and patience. The general rule is to have the top shooter as the tightest, with each subsequent shooter slightly looser. If you’re experiencing inconsistencies during wall ball practice, try this adjustment method:

1. Loosen all shooters completely.
2. Tighten the top shooter and test.
3. If performance improves, tighten the second shooter, and so on.
4. Continue this process until you achieve the desired ball flight and feel.

Maintaining Your Broken-In Lacrosse Stick

Once you’ve achieved that perfect pocket feel, how do you maintain it? Regular maintenance is key to ensuring your stick continues to perform at its best. Here are some tips for keeping your broken-in pocket in top condition:

• Clean your stick after each use, especially if you’ve been playing in wet or muddy conditions.
• Store your stick in a cool, dry place to prevent warping or damage to the materials.
• Periodically check for loose strings or wear and tear, addressing any issues promptly.
• Consider applying a leather conditioner to traditional pockets to keep the leather supple and prevent cracking.

By following these maintenance practices, you can extend the life of your broken-in pocket and maintain consistent performance on the field.

Troubleshooting Common Break-in Issues

Even with careful attention to the break-in process, you may encounter some challenges. Here are some common issues and how to address them:

Uneven Pocket Wear

If you notice that one side of your pocket is wearing faster than the other, it may be due to an imbalance in your stringing or your throwing technique. Try adjusting your sidewall strings to even out the tension, and focus on maintaining a consistent throwing motion.

Pocket Becoming Too Deep

As you break in your pocket, it may stretch more than desired, resulting in an illegally deep pocket. To fix this, you can:

• Tighten your bottom string
• Adjust your sidewall strings
• Use a pocket stretcher to reshape the pocket to a shallower depth

Inconsistent Ball Release

If you’re experiencing inconsistent releases after breaking in your pocket, focus on fine-tuning your shooter strings. Remember the principle of descending tension from top to bottom, and make small adjustments until you achieve the desired ball flight.

Breaking in a lacrosse stick is as much an art as it is a science. It requires patience, attention to detail, and a willingness to make ongoing adjustments. By following these steps and guidelines, you’ll be well on your way to achieving a perfectly broken-in pocket that enhances your performance on the field. Remember, every player’s ideal pocket is unique, so don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works best for your playing style.

How To Break In A Traditional Pocket

This week we’re going to look into how I break in a traditional pocket. Note, how I do this may be different from others, there’s no “right” way. It’s important to remember that breaking in a traditional pocket is a gradual process, it’s not something you can do over night.  However, once broken in and properly maintained, you’ll get a pocket that you’ll never forget.

How To Break In A Traditional Pocket

Necessary Items

Alright, here’s what you need:

1. A strung traditional pocket (kind of important here)…Here I am using my newly strung STX Stallion Omega
2. Water (bucket or tap)
3. Either a pocket screw or ball and butter knife
4. Patience, this is key

Before we begin, we need to take quick step backwards to address your leathers.  The most important rule is to use good quality leathers (shameless Gopher Lax plug).  The second is to properly stretch your leathers.   This will allow the pocket to break in consistently and also test the quality of your leathers.  If you don’t stretch beforehand, the leathers will stretch and break in at different spots throughout your entire head.  This will lead to a very inconsistent pocket. Ladies, this goes for you as well. Stretch your leathers for the same reason.

The Process

Step 1 – Wall Ball or Shoot Around

Note, during the initial break in, your shots and passes are going to be all over the place.  Avoid tinkering with the shooters until after you’ve finished that session. Typically, what I do with the shooters is leave them in the head with descending tension (top the tightest and bottom the loosest).  Spend some time on the wall, this is the key to a good break in.

Step 2 – Get the pocket wet

Now, I know what you’re thinking.  Water and traditional pockets are a no no.  You may be slightly correct but in the break in, water is your friend.  Again, if you’re using good quality leathers, water will not ruin them. You do not have to drown the pocket, get it wet so the leathers absorb the water.  No bucket? Run it under the faucet until the pocket is wet.

Step 3 – Pocket Stretching

Use your favorite method. Here I’ll pound the pocket out for a minute with a baseball bat (similar to how you do it with mesh) and then throw it in a stretcher. Don’t have a stretcher? A ball and butter knife work just as well (kids, check with your parents on the knife part first)….

Step 4 – Observations

When you stretch the pocket, if the leathers are tight (not loose) then leave it over night to dry.  If the leathers are loose, SLIGHTLY tighten the leathers. If you over tighten, you’ll create stress points at the bottom of the pocket and create a potential snap point. Are your sidewalls loosening? Here’s where you tighten those up. How do you avoid that issue at the start? I suggest double interlocking the sidewall. If they loosen slightly, it’ll only be that area.

Step 5 – Is it working?

You can tell the pocket is breaking in once the cross lace starts biting into the leather.   Once this happens, stop with the water treatment and continue the stretch up the pocket isn’t stiff anymore.

Step 6 – Follow up

From time to time your pocket will expand, use the stretcher to reshape and shallow the pocket to your desired “legal” depth.

Step 7 – Wait!  What about the shooters????

This will be an ongoing process. You need to remember that the top shooter needs to be the tightest and the bottom the loosest. If you’re wall-balling and something is off, loosen all the shooters and then tighten the top.  When that’s working, tighten the second, etc…

It’s important to use patience with this. I’ve had traditional pockets that I’ve broken in in a week and some that have taken a month. Go slow, put the reps in, if you ever have questions, I’m here to help!

Next week’s article is a real Rock-It…..I’ll be putting my spin on a ladder pocket in an STX Crux 500.  Stay tuned!

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Lacrosse Goalie Stick Maintenance: How to care for your stick

A goalie’s stick is his or her weapon.

You’ve invested time, money, and lots of effort to get your stick exactly the way you want it and the now the thing is throwing absolute dimes.

So why let that go to waste?

Unlike the other lacrosse goalie equipment that we use, our sticks are the most fragile.

A helmet or chest protector won’t be ruined after a practice in the rain or mud, but your stick certainly can be.

Follow the advice in this article to ensure that your weapon of saves is in peak condition every time to step into the goal.

When you first string up a goalie stick with new mesh it needs to be broken in.

The mesh is stiff and is very likely to give up a lot of rebounds.

Our save technique can help reduce the chance of a rebound but we’re much better off with broken in mesh.

To break in the mesh – use it. It isn’t rocket science.

Pound it with your fist. Pound it with a ball. Play wall ball. Take shots. Anything to get that mesh worked in.

STX even sells an item that will help you pound the pocket, aptly named the Pocket Pounder:

I’ve heard stories of goalies using products like fabric softener, hair conditioner or shaving cream to speed up the process of breaking in their mesh however I tend to stick with the traditional methods.

Just work that pocket until its broken in.

The first basic rule of caring for your goalie stick is to treat it with respect.

Respect means not leaving your gear lying on top of the stick where the weight could mess up the mesh or plastic.

When not in use, your stick should be kept leaning against a wall with the mesh pushed out.

Respect means not letting your friends play with your stick.

They don’t know the time and effort you’ve put into creating a perfect pocket. They could accidentally alter the way it throws or worse yet, break the stick.

Even if they don’t break the stick, the extra wear and tear they put on your stick will certainly shorten its life.

Respect means storing your stick in a room temperature environment instead of a freezing cold garage. The bitter cold can make the plastic brittle and very susceptible to breaking when its hit by a hard shot.

Heat and humidity also has the same effect on the plastic so be sure you’re storing your stick in a room temperature environment, especially during the off-season when you’re more likely to be working out in the gym than on the lacrosse field.

Another tip is don’t hang your stick on the wall via a nail. The pressure on the mesh causes a premature rip and you’ll have to restring your goalie head.

And finally respect means basic common sense. Care for your stick and you’ll have one less thing to worry about when the other team’s offense is ripping shots at you.

It is ideal to have a backup stick.

When I played I had an identical stick setup (STX Eclipse with 12 Diamond Mesh) that I used as a backup stick. While my game stick used the Warrior Kryptolite shaft, my backup used an inexpensive aluminum shaft.

I’ve since upgraded to the STX Eclipse 2 and now use the OG Eclipse as my backup wand.

I would rotate use between my primary and my backup stick during the practices so each stick remained well broken in and each pocket threw exactly the way that I wanted.

If there was a practice that occurred during a rainy day, I’d always use my backup stick while my gamer rested on the sideline upright with a plastic bag covering the head.

I even know many goalies who even have a 3rd stick that they only use during rainy days. Unfortunately, most goalies can’t afford this luxury. You’ll be fine with a primary and a backup stick.

If you can’t afford a backup stick but have a backup goalie on the team, spend some time during practice familiarizing yourself with one another’s sticks. That way in an emergency you’ll be able to use the backup keeper’s stick.

There are no rainouts in lacrosse. We play in all conditions and unfortunately for our sticks, some of those conditions include mud, rain, and snow.

The way you care for your stick after the game can mean the difference in ensuring it’s not ruined the next time you take the field.

The important thing to know is that wet lacrosse mesh on your goalie head will dry in the same form you left it.

Here are the steps to follow after a rainy game or practice –

1. Clean off any excess mud right away – Use a hose to clean off dirt and mud from the head and pocket. It’s even ok to use soap to ensure all the mud is off. Since the mesh is already wet before we start the drying process we want to ensure there’s no mud or dirt remaining on the stick.
2. Fill pocket with newspapers or an absorbent towel – Crumple up a bunch of single sheets of newspaper and stuff them into the pocket of your stick. The paper will help absorb the water. In place of newspapers, you could also use a small towel.
3. Pound the pocket with your glove or hand to reform the pocket.
4. Store the stick overnight with a heavy lacrosse ball and the newspapers in the pocket.
5. After the stick dries, the mesh will stiffen so be sure to pound the pocket again and throw with it to re-break it in.

After a game or practice it’s so easy to toss your stick in the corner or leave it in the car but good goalie stick maintenance requires putting in some work to ensure your baby is well-taken care of and continues to perform.

You don’t want to be dependent on another player or another coach to string up a goalie head.

By learning how to string your own goalie head you can also be in control. As you get better at this skill, you can customize the string job to match exactly how you like to play.

Also by learning how to string your own head you become familiar with how to make small adjustments to help your game.

If your stick is not throwing correctly, you’ll know how to adjust the shooting strings to fix it. If the pocket is giving up too many rebounds, you’ll know how to adjust the sidewall strings to tighten the top and loosen the bottom.

If a string breaks, you’ll know how to fix it rather than completely giving up on the string job.

Goalie string jobs also loosen up with time as fast shots will stretch out the strings and pocket so you’ll need to know how to give the stick tune-ups from time to time.

Learning how to string your own goalie stick is well worth the investment in time if you plan on being a goalie.

If you don’t know how to string a stick you can start with my illustrated guide to stringing a goalie head. There are also embedded videos in that post if you’d rather learn via video.

The lacrosse goalie stick is the single most important piece of equipment when it comes to making saves.

The other gear is also important but more so to protect us, not necessarily to make the save.

So as goalie we spend a lot of time ensuring our stick is just right. Why let all that time go to waste by not caring for your goalie stick?

Follow the tips in this article to ensure your save machine is always operating at the highest level.

Until next time! Coach Damon

Do you have any other lacrosse goalie stick maintenance tips? I’d love to hear them. Please let me know in the comments. 

Illegal Stick Troubles | Universal Lacrosse Blog

One of the worst things that can happen to you and to your team is to get an illegal stick call.  It is one of the easiest penalties to avoid and is also one of the most painful.  I know my coach back in college hated them.   During practice we would have random stick checks, like in any game, and heaven help you if your stick didn’t pass the tests.  If anyone’s stick were illegal we would all run.  And he would make us run a lot.

Fortunate enough, however, we never face an illegal stick call in any of our games.  I guess my coach had some good reasoning with for all those sprints.

Now I know that things happen.  Weather can mess up your stick, turning your beauty of a pocket into a monstrous whale are even a used stick just breaking in some more are the wrong time.

We here at Universal Lacrosse have put together some nice quick tips to keep your stick legal so you won’t get that devastating penalty.

First, you want to dry your stick after any rainy game or practice. Second, DRY YOUR STICK AFTER EVERY GAME OR PRACTICE.  A wet pocket is one of the most common causes of an illegal stick.  When you get home take you stick out of your bag and stuff your pocket with old newspaper or even paper towels.   The paper will absorb the water and help your pocket retain its’ shape.  There are also some mesh options that can help you out with this problem.  Try out some East Coast Mesh.  It has a wax coating that makes it completely water proof so you won’t have to worry about your pocket bagging out on you at all!

If you’re caught in a rainy game and your stick is already starting to bag out on you, try tightening the bottom string of your head.  This will pull the mesh closer to the head making you pocket a little shallower.

If your stick is illegal in the sense of not letting go of the ball one of the easiest things to fix it is to remove one of the shooters that you have strung up.  This will help you throw smoother as well as not holding on to the ball in a bad way.

If you know your way around stringing a pocket and you have some time, restringing your head all together might be your solution.

This could be a little more time consuming but it could pay off in the long run.   If you stick has too much hold try stringing it in a way that your channel isn’t as tight.  A tight channel can be beneficial but if it’s too tight then it can be a complete nightmare.

An illegal stick is something you always want to avoid when playing Lacrosse.  Hopefully with these few quick tips, you have the knowledge to keep your stick in playing fashion and to keep you on the field.

IT’S ALL U

The Backup Stick Epidemic » Powell Lacrosse Sticks

Decades ago it was much harder to get two sticks that would throw the same with the long break in time and fine tuning required for traditional pockets. Lacrosse players had to patiently work with their stick every day to be able to play with it consistently and having a second stick ready to play with was difficult.

In 2019, new mesh and stringing technology has cut down that time completely with sticks being ready to use right out of the box and stringing a stick being easier than ever before. We have come a long way from the old horror stories of “factory stringing. ” Today prestrung sticks have great pockets in them that players can start practicing or playing with immediately.

Powell Lacrosse pride’s itself on selling prestrung heads and complete sticks that require no fine tuning and will throw true the moment you pick one up.

With all this improvement in the quality and break in time of sticks, why is there still an epidemic of players having backup sticks they cannot play with or not having one at all?

I’ve seen countless young players who only bring one stick to practice, a summer tournament, or even a high school game believing having their one perfect stick is good enough. In youth and high school lacrosse, it can be difficult for everybody to have two sticks if they cannot afford it. I often remember letting a teammate use an old shaft or other teammates selling their old sticks for very cheap so that everyone would have the required two sticks needed to play on most travel or varsity teams.

Having two sticks that you can pick up and play with at any time is potentially a game saver. If your team’s star attackman breaks a sidewall string, their head cracks, or shaft snaps in the last 5 minutes of a game and they do not have a backup stick, there is almost nothing that can be done especially if the player has been using the same stick all season. There is no way they can pick up someone else’s stick and perform the same way they would with their own. You do not want to be the one to let your team down.

Many college players are spoiled as they get two new sticks every season to ensure they have a backup, but you would be surprised how many Division 1 lacrosse players would not be able to play the same if they had to pick up their backup stick from the sideline and use it. I’m sure many players can relate as I remember several practices where my coach told us to drop our game sticks and use our backups all practice instead. Plenty of passes went straight into the ground or flew above players heads as we quickly found our way to the sideline to do sprints. It is the responsibility of each player to having two interchangeable sticks they can use at any time to set themselves and their team up for success.

Some players can go whole seasons using the same stick and having no problems, while others go through a stick every few weeks. Breaking a head is much more devastating than a shaft. Finally getting that perfectly strung head is like finally having the right tool for your craft. It lets you sling passes right into your teammate’s stick or score shots on the run every time. Cradling the ball in that stick just feels right as you run down the field or dodge a defender without fear.

Why not have two of these perfect sticks?

So the next time you go to play wall ball or shoot, put down your gamer and pick up your backup. If anything getting comfortable with your backup stick will allow you to get more reps as well as a better understanding of exactly how you like your sticks strung. You will become a better lacrosse player from it and a more prepared young man or woman.

For those still needing a backup stick or looking for their new gamer, Powell Lacrosse has prestrung heads and complete sticks strung by our Powell String Team that are ready for players to use right out of the box. If you buy two Powell prestrung heads or complete sticks then the only choice you will have to make is which stick to use first.

Look out for deals on sticks and equipment throughout the month of March and get yourself ready to make your teammates jealous as you pick up your backup confidently knowing it is ready to score goals.

Amazon.com : StringKing Complete Junior Boy’s Youth 10U Lacrosse Stick with Head and Shaft (White Head & Silver Shaft) : Sports & Outdoors

I have to say we have owned a lot of sticks, my son and I play both Box and Field Lacrosse and I coach youth lacrosse. We spend on average 12-20 hours a week with our sticks in our hands. (laugh it up) . We both use the full size Mark1 and Mark 2v heads in our game sticks, but mine was recently stolen after a game. I ordered an exact replacement Mark1 on A7150 and it arrived and played as well as my broken in stick right out of the box. Now onto the Complete Jr, I ordered one as well to show my players what a properly strung and balanced stick could do for their game. I have to say I may keep this twig as my coaching stick, out of the box it looks identical to my game stick. Only upon close looking and actually holding it and having it sit next to my stick can I tell it is a bit shorter and the shaft is narrower diameter than mine. that is where the comparisons stop. The 2s mesh used is already formed into a perfect pocket, and the hold (ability to keep ball in the pocket) is remarkable. Out of the box I put 3 straight balls into the top right corner of our goal, I wish I had it on video. This is a game changer, every youth player deserves this stick.
On a total side note the graphics are so downplayed that this doesn’t scream beginner stick, many new sticks are so plastered with colors and logos meant to get you or your young player to grab it off the shelf at the big box store. Those same logos alert all the youth players that you are new on the field. That is not a bad thing, but if you want to snipe corners and not stick out the StringKing line up is all about performance.

I can go on but one last thing, we had a 14U player buy one of their top Metal2 shafts in the winter (AZ we play year round)
a baggage handler trashed it literally ran his duffle over on the tarmac. StringKing warranted it and had a stick in his hands in 1 day, if that isn’t 100% committed customer service then I don’t know what is.

I have used their mesh for years, it is the best not close to or good enough, THE BEST, and their newer heads and shafts live up to the same lineage of quality they started way back for stringers.

I was not paid for this and have no connections to the company, but I am overwhelmed with what a great product and company these guys run.  

StringKing Complete Jr. Youth Lacrosse Stick with Head & Shaft (All-Black)

Find the Sweet Spot – Absolute Lacrosse

Today: Tempest Pro 2.0 AKA my stick.

Crafting the perfect pocket is an art. There’s a fine line between a creating a masterpiece and breaking the rules. Thankfully, women’s sticks have come a long way since the wooden, pancake flat tennis rackets of yore. Composite materials lighten the shaft, angled necks facilitate stronger shooting, and tapered, textured shafts aid grip.  Actual shooting strings emerged, improving accuracy and adding whip.  There is a lot of new technology available for women now–My stick has the gripper pro stringing, which prevents the ball from slipping and helps direct passes and improve accuracy.

Even with all of this, I’ve always been jealous of the Men’s pocket.  In middle school all my guy friends  lax-bros-in-training were on an eternal quest to build a bigger, better pocket. They softened their heads in the microwave, meticulously pinching them shut to minimize the surface area for checking. They watched YouTube videos of DIY pocket pounders, and sat in the back of every class -pounding the netting until the teacher told them to stop.  Repeatedly.  A one-inch adjustment of my strings before a game resulted in the inevitable scramble to retighten at the end of the warm up. Sometimes, you just wanna cheat the system.

While it might be easy to slyly tug on the bottom strings of your stick right before the ref plops the ball in for final judgment, this could have disastrous consequences later (sorry Florida). Some refs are oblivious to life*; the only lacrosse exposure they’ve had was that brief scene in the end of Mean Girls when a behaviorally reformed Regina George barrels down the field, stick in hand, wearing something that resembles a basketball uniform. In 2004. Then they saw a “referees wanted” ad on craigslist in 2012. And now they’re your ref. Said refs will not be concerned about checking your pocket after a goal. They’ll just be trying to figure out what a goal is. However, there are other refs who will care. These refs sleep with the USL rulebook under their pillow, and check USL website daily for new rule interpretations. They will care so much about the state of your pocket that they will check after EVERY goal (I’ve experienced this in high school and college). They will also measure the length of your stick, and the angle of the pocket against a table (this happened to me while playing in Santa Barbara in February).

For the sake of these refs, and your development as a player (too big of a pocket is a stick skills crutch) build your pocket right. The trick to building a pocket is that you want to minimize the slack in the narrow portion of the head near the neck. That’s where the ref is going to check to ensure that  the ball is visible above the sidewall. This is fine.  You don’t want a pocket there anyways; at no time during play should the ball live near the neck. It doesn’t matter if you’re a middie or a defender; you should be cradling and releasing from the sweet spot right below the bridge of your first shooting string. This is the only place you want a pocket. So…. (1) get your stick wet (2) tighten all the string all the way (3) Get a ball and nestle it in the sweet spot right below the 1^st shooting string (4) Wrap rubber bands, hair things, whatever you need to keep the ball in place (5) Let your stick dry, hanging off a level surface over night (to ensure the ball doesn’t slip).  Do this a couple times a month, or after you play in wet weather to maintain your pocket, and you’ll be golden.

90,000 Alexander Ovechkin – about 4th place in the list of NHL snipers: “It means a lot”

On November 13, Columbus (USA) at the Nationwide Arena stadium hosted the NHL regular season match, in which the Columbus Blue Jackets hosted “ Washington Capitals “. The meeting ended with the victory of the guests with a score of 4: 3.

Sean Kurali scored a double for Columbus, Gustav Nyquist scored the third goal. “Washington” responded with Garnet Hathaway’s double, striker Alexander Ovechkin and his colleague Conor Shiri also scored, whose precise shot in the penultimate minute of the meeting was victorious.

NHL

Ovechkin became the 4th in the list of the best snipers in the NHL. How much to Gretzky?

09/11/2021 At 06:35

Having scored in the first period, Alexander made another record – the 742nd goal in his NHL career. This put him in a clean fourth place among the best snipers in League history, surpassing Brett Hull. The record holder is Wayne Gretzky (894). The top 3 also includes Gordy Howe (801) and Jaromir Jagr (766).

In total, in 1211 NHL games during his career, Ovechkin scored 1344 (742 + 602) points for performance.In 14 games this season, the forward has 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) and is second in the sniper race, just 2 goals behind Edmonton’s Leon Dreiseitl.

After the match in the Washington dressing room, the players and the coaching staff were photographed as a souvenir, capturing a historic moment in their captain’s career.

A little later, Ovechkin commented on the new achievement.

“It means a lot. When you start playing and get into the NHL, you never think that you can be in this position next to such names, but this is a special moment for me, for my parents, my brother, my wife, children . .. this is very important ”, – Ovechkin was quoted by journalist Samantha Pell on Twitter.

Now the fifth scorer in NHL history, Brett Hull congratulated the Washington captain on finishing fourth in the historic race.

“Alex, congratulations on your fourth place in the list of all-time top scorers. I have a great friend Wayne Gretzky [“The Great”]. When he gets a good shot on the golf course, he remarks, “You have to earn the nickname you were given.” Well, Alex, the G8, you’ve lived up to your nickname – and more than that. Congratulations again, keep going up these stairs.Success! Keep it up, ”Hull said.

Former goalkeeper Jude Hull, son of Hall of Fame member Brett Hull, reacted to the achievement of Washington captain Alexander Ovechkin, who surpassed his father in the list of the best snipers in NHL history, sharply negatively, did not skimp on emoticons with a thumbs down hands. This caused a negative reaction from fans in the comments to the post.

According to The Athletic journalist Tariq El-Bashir on Twitter, Ovechkin will keep his commemorative stick, and then wants to exchange with Brett Hull. This could happen on January 7th when Washington is in St. Louis for an NHL regular season game.

Follow the hockey news on Eurosport.ru Source – the official website of the NHL.

NHL

Ovechkin breaks the NHL at 36. How he does it?

06/11/2021 At 06:27

Hockey

Zhamnov – about Panarin, Ovechkin and the captain of the national team at OI-2022

04/11/2021 At 12:09

“At 17, Gretzky and Lemieux walked to greatness. I went for donuts. ” He scored 86 goals in a season and made America happy – Hockey News

More than a year ago, we started a series about NHL legends, whom Alexander Ovechkin bypasses in a historical sniper race.His first hero was Luke Robitaille, and the last may still be Wayne Gretzky.

Today Alexander Ovechkin beat Brett Hull, a great sniper who was also often criticized for playing on the defensive. Hull has scored 86 goals in a season, the third in history, behind only Gretzky, who has scored 92 and 87 goals in the regular season.

There will be no beautiful overcoming and lifting from the very bottom. Brett Hull was the son of Bobby Hull, one of the greatest players in ice hockey history, so he didn’t have to play hockey to get out of poverty or work in a factory in the summer to raise his paycheck.

Brett Hull played his entire career to enjoy hockey. He escaped comparisons with his father and hated the nicknames given to him in the part of Halla Sr. He fought for his own legacy and was torn from the shadow of the great father, although at the start of his career he planned to go to college and did not want to play in the professional league.

In beautiful fairy tales, a father has three sons, around whom the plot revolves. In hockey reality, Bobby Hull had four sons. The fattest and laziest scored 86 goals in a season.

Hull was a fun-loving bumpkin – because of his excess weight and a desire to go to college, he was only chosen in the sixth round of draft

It all started in Manitoba. In 1972, Hull was 8 years old and was first covered with the greatness of his father – the newly created WHA rolled out to the star “Chicago” an incredible check for 2.7 million over 10 years, of which 1 million was paid as a signing bonus. Little Brett looked at the flashes of the cameras, the huge check in his father’s hands and did not really understand what was going on.

It was not bad in Winnipeg – by that time Hull Sr. had already put the children on skates and dragged them to matches and training.After a couple of seasons, Brett even found himself a favorite player, whose name was not Bobby Hull – it was Kent Nilsson, who moved to Winnipeg in 1977. The cunning Swede liked to lure the sons of Hull for pocket money – he drove up to Brett and his brothers, who were watching the training from the stands, and said: “I bet for a couple of bucks that I hit the bar 7 times out of 10.” Hull’s sons shook their heads in disbelief, Nilsson put 10 pucks in a row between the tops of the face-off circles and consistently hit the crossbar 8 or 9 times.

Another Swede, Ulf Nilsson, Brett and his brother Blake carefully pulled the clubs – the father had a left grip, and the brothers played with the right, so they had to find a suitable bend. The brothers smashed all Nilsson’s hockey sticks to the trash in the neighboring Manitoba ponds and grounds – they adored hockey and did not miss a single match of their father. Years later, Ulf Nilsson would be working in television and interviewing Hull, who would be a superstar by then.

– Brett, last question.How many clubs did you steal from me in Winnipeg?

“Hundreds, Ulfi, hundreds,” Hull will answer with a laugh.

Brett’s parents divorced in the 80s – Hull Sr. was constantly on the road, loved to have fun and, according to rumors, sometimes beat his wife. The children stayed with their mother and moved to Vancouver – Hull gave up hockey for a while and turned into a lazy 16-year-old slacker who loved three things most in his life – David Bowie songs, delicious food and rides in a 1975 Ford Pinto.

“At 17, Gretzky and Lemieux were on their way to greatness. When I was 17, I went for donuts, ”he will write later in his book.

One day Hull decided to pull off a perfect business scam – he heard about an upcoming strike at a local brewery and decided to cash in on a potential shortage. Hull stole 140 bucks from his stepfather, convinced an older acquaintance to buy beer with this money, and filled his bedroom with crates of alcohol to the brim. The plan had only one flaw – the strike never happened, so Hull was left alone with a bedroom full of beer and his stepfather, who did not kill his stepson because of the money spent, but was indignant that he did not offer him a beer.

Hull existed for a whole year – once he calculated that he ate 35 sandwiches with roast beef a week, but he could not figure out what to do with himself. He was rescued by his mom and teammate Ellie Cook – he went to play for the Penticton Knights of the British Columbia League and convinced the coach to take Hull to the screening. The scouts considered Cook to be a talent, so the coach of his new team decided to give a chance to a player he had never seen. However, when Ellie called Brett and said that he was waiting for him at the Penticton, Hull lazily finished his sandwich, thanked Cook for the invitation and refused.

Half an hour later, Ellie got a call – Brett’s mom was on the line. She said only one phrase: “My son is going with you to Penticton tomorrow.”

Hull arrived at the training camp with a weight of over a hundred (with a height of 180 cm). He was given a sweater with his father’s number, and fans began to lure into the stands with the slogan “Look at Bobby Hull’s son.” The coach honestly told him: “You are now about the 20th striker in the team. All you can do is work. ”

Hull took this advice and plowed like a rabid bull – on runs he reeled in 12 kilometers, drenched in sweat and running later than the rest, and then died in the gym doing push-ups, pull-ups and exercises on the softened abdominal muscles. In the second half of the season, Hull got a permanent place in the squad (his friend Ellie was already in a different team by that time) and hammered 48 goals (4th result of the season, the first was Cliff Ronning with 82) – it turned out that he had amazingly accurate and strong throw.

A year later, the former fat man scored 105 goals in 56 matches and got into the NHL draft – he did not dream of this league, and he simply did not go to the interview, and left the questionnaire form for young players blank. Hull dreamed of going to university – getting a scholarship through playing hockey and learning a real profession.He even started doing his homework for the first time in his life. To the laughter of his teammates, he studied right on the bus that rode to away matches.

All this led to the fact that the future fifth sniper in NHL history (and at some point even the third) was lying in the 1984 draft almost all the way to the basement. This is the draft that Mario Lemieux and everyone else were on, and there were already 12 rounds at that time. Hall was taken in the middle – the sixth round, in front of him – dozens of guys who will never make it to the NHL.Calgary hit the jackpot.

Before NHL spent two years at university, and then fought Calgary for a rookie contract

Hull did not go to the NHL, despite the draft – he received a full scholarship at the University of Minnesota and joined the local team. In an interview with Hull, the head coach did what others did not think to do – without knowing it, he said very important words for Brett.

“I want you to understand – we do not want to see Bobby Hull’s son on the team. We want to see hockey player Brett Hull. “

This is how the future NHL superstar became a student.

Student hockey is quite specific – after the junior Hull got used to the speed and to the fact that here you have to work backwards. The coach of his varsity team followed the Herb Brooks approach of discipline and hard work. In Miracle, Brooks, played by Kurt Russell, makes the US team run shuttles after defeat until they lose their strength – in Duluth, Hull ran at least a couple of times a month.

It sounds surprising, but a sniper, who will be reproached for laziness and unwillingness to play defense for almost his entire career, deliberately chose this path and asked the coach to give him additional training in skating or work personally on playing defense.

A bummer who wants to plow in order to be successful. The bummer who scored the most. In his second year at University, Hull shot 52 goals, reached the semi-finals of the student championship and became the best sniper of the US national team at the 1985 World Cup.

In the NCAA semi-finals, Duluth played against Rensseller Institute and lost in the third overtime. Five assists in that game were given by the guy Hull followed the entire match. His name was Adam Oates.

Calgary entered Hull immediately after the World Cup – Lanny MacDonald, Gary Suter, Al McInnis and Hokan Loob played in the Flames then, and the team was considered a contender for the Stanley Cup.Calgary manager Cliff Fletcher decided to add attacking potential and fresh blood to the squad, so he remembered the young player who scored in almost every match.

Hull’s agent was Brian Burke, the future Vancouver manager, who brought Pavel Bure to the NHL. Hull doubted – he believed that a bilateral contract was not worth dropping out of university. Burke convinced him, because by that time his name and reputation in the hockey world were highly valued.

Burke did not work with those who wanted to play hockey for the sake of expensive watches and cars.He sought out the hungriest and boldest clients all over North America and beat them to the finest terms. And he made Hull a one-sided contract with Calgary, which protected the newcomer from losing money at the farm club – the contract was signed on a 3 + 1 basis with a signature bonus of 150 thousand, and Hull even played two games in the playoffs. Calgary lost in the final to Montreal, and a year later it turned out that on the right flank of the Flames there was wild competition for a place in the composition – there were Hakan Loob, Joe Mullen and Lanny McDonald.

Another problem – Calgary loved to evaluate players based on the results of physical tests. If you could push out the most, you were the best player on the team in the eyes of the coaching staff. Hull was not an athlete and was a green rookie – he was sent to farm with Terry Crisp, who loved formations so much that he required players to play even 2-on-1 exits according to the plan. A few years later, Sergei Makarov will come to Calgary and tell Crisp that he is a lousy coach, but Hull did not have that option – he scored 50 goals in a season in farming, but the coach did not think that it was enough to play at the base.

And a year later Terry Crisp became the main in the main team, and Hull tore his hair out of powerlessness – fortunately, he was able to improve his physical tests, got a place at the base and began to score, although Crisp still periodically sent him to the reserve.On November 15, 1987, Brett shipped three pucks to Vancouver, and the coach said in an interview with reporters that he was unhappy with how Brett played defensively.

Four months later, Hall was traded – the team took on defender Bob Ramage and goalkeeper Rick Womsley. Cliff Fletcher broke his main rule of not selling young talent, but the conflict with Crisp could not be resolved otherwise. Ramage ended up helping Calgary get to the first Stanley Cup in club history, and right after the trade, the Calgary Sun released a cartoon in which the Flames manager ripped the Blues down to their underpants and shoved them a player who didn’t always make it into the squad.

Fletcher himself thought differently and in the last conversation before leaving he said: “Sonny, it’s like in a TV commercial – take it now, pay later. Obviously, we will pay for this deal later. I wouldn’t be surprised if you score 180 goals in four years or something. ”

Fletcher was wrong. Over the next four full seasons, Brett Hull scored 269 goals.

Oates Hull has been one of the best in history. Money destroyed it

When Hull moved to the Blues, there was a rather average team that lacked a bright sniper.On the other hand, there was a decent lineup of centers – Federko, Zesel and Ronning (the one whose record in points for the season Hull broke in the junior league). This was enough to advance to the playoffs and even break into the second round, but higher achievements required a strong move. The St. Louis management hoped to find the secret ingredient for the breakthrough in Hull. In the first season, in the top three with Peter Zesel, Brett shot 41 goals. In the playoffs, Hull scored 5 goals in 10 games, but the Blues were eliminated in a seven-game streak in the second round against Chicago.

The team was then coached by young Brian Sutter – at 33 he became head coach and quickly realized Hull’s advantages and disadvantages. If Bobby Hull combined jet speed and throw, then his son had significant problems with skating. But all these shortcomings were covered by a crazy vision of the site and a sense of space.

Hull cleverly pulled away from the defenders and opened up for a pass, and his wrist shot was amazingly accurate, sharp and strong – the goalkeepers of that time had almost no chance.

“Brett Hull’s shot is better than anyone in NHL history.

Coaches often think that snipers are lazy, but they are not. For example, Brett had to wait until I dealt with an opponent in the corner of the court, adjust to my leisurely pace and open at the right time. Believe me, you need to be very disciplined for this. Throwing is an important quality for a sniper, but their main talent is being ready to use it at the right time. In training, I deliberately made Hallu uncomfortable passes, and he managed to bring the puck to the gate.

The shot is important, but Hull had both a shot and an incredible hockey IQ. And he played in an era when the hands were beaten much more often than they are now. Then you could have broken three fingers in one playoff. ”

This is how Adam Oates described his former partner.

Oates appeared in St. Louis in the summer of 1989 – for him the “musicians” gave Bernie Federko, who had the status of a local legend and rightfully wore the captain’s patch. The exchange paid off very quickly, although in the first season, Hull and Oates crossed only in the majority.

Hull scored 72 goals from Zesel and Oates, and even when the former was traded to Washington in the summer, Sutter hesitated before uniting the two stars.

He understood that in this case he would sacrifice the depth of the line-up, but if the pin shoots, it could be a breakthrough. Another reason Sutter was hesitant was their identical grip. Hull and Oates played with the right hook, and the best joints of the time (Gretzky-Curri and Bossy-Trottier) had different grips.

Sutter was reassured by assistant Bob Berry: “We don’t care about the grip if our center passes perfectly from the backhand.”

Oates added: “Coach, how many goals are scored from beautiful passes? Most of the pucks hit the goal after the most common ones. ”

And they were combined. Not everything went smoothly – Sutter periodically bred his stars to different links, but by the break for the All-Star Game, they finally felt each other.

The rock group “Hull & Oates” gave concerts in every city – the soloist scored 50 goals in 50 matches and gave a season of 86 goals, the backing vocalist and songwriter got exactly 90 assists and could have gotten to a hundred, if not for hurtful injury.

When Hull arrived at Calgary and put two goals on the former team, the Calgary Sun released a cartoon again: the Flames manager holding a Hull jersey and saying, “Oops!”

A year later, Hull scored 70 and again knocked out 50 in 50. Two seasons in a row – a completely top level, at which only the greatest kept. But even hundreds of goals did not save Hull from criticism – the Blues lacked the depth of the roster, and the team lost in the playoffs offensively. In the second season of the killer band, the Blues were eliminated from Chicago in 6 games, and Oates moved to Boston shortly before the deadline.

The bunch broke up because of money – the Blues gave Hall a four-year contract for 7 million, the team had dear Brendan Shanahan and Garth Butcher, and the salaries of the stars began to rise a little.

Oates looked at the deals that Kevin Stevens and Pat Lafontaine made (both received more than a million salaries a year – Sports.ru), then looked at his 420 thousand check for the last season in the Blues and realized that it was more expensive : “Halley, I’m 29, I don’t have much left. If the league has money for all these guys, there will be money for me. “

The manager of the team, Ronald Caron, added fuel to the fire, who first spoke to Oates in a raised voice, and then could not resist and called him an individual farmer, who fills statistics without benefit for the team.

After that, Oates’s fate was sealed – the best center in Hull’s career went to Boston. The Blues never made it through the second round with Hull, and his career began to decline – without Oates, he twice got over fifty dollars, and then the number of goals only decreased.

Before the 1994/95 season, champion coach Mike Keenan joined the team, who in the nineties was famous for trying to take the soul out of every player of his team – he left Alexei Kovalev on the ice for 5 minutes in the Rangers, and in “St. Louis” instantly exchanged Brendan Shanahan, expelled Grant Fuhr and removed the captain’s patch from Hull. This would not have been a problem if Iron Mike had not given it to Shane Corson, who joined the team literally that summer.

Hull was just tired, it didn’t even help part of the season side by side with Wayne Gretzky – the Great went to play out in New York, and Brett held out in Missouri until the summer of 1998 and after another relegation in the second round entered the free agent market.

Could have played for Canada, but chose the United States and gave the States a major victory in history

Hull was the son of one of Canada’s greatest stars, but spent an international career with the US national team. How did this become possible?

First of all, Hull’s mother was American. Well, the second main reason was that the coach of the Canadian youth team Dave King looked at Hull in 1986 in the matches for Duluth and made the following verdict: he skates poorly.

This is how Hull became an American.On this score, he was teased in the NHL teams – Brandan Morrow, with whom they reached the final in 2000 and lost to New Jersey, reminded Hull that he is Canadian, even in his farewell letter.

“As a child, my favorite player was Brett Hull. He was my idol, my idol. I loved the way he scores goals and the grin that never left his face. He exuded pleasure from the game.

Without a doubt my favorite Canadian hockey player.

(You’re Canadian, Brett. Stop messing around ######, admit it, man). “

Hull went to the 1996 World Cup with the US national team, because he valued loyalty like no other – the Americans believed in him in 1986, when he was needed by just about anyone, and believed that he owed the national team … He didn’t care that anyone thought he was Canadian.

Then the US team was not yet considered elite – the Americans had good hockey players in the NHL, a big victory at the 1980 Olympics, but they lacked really top players. The dream of the American Federation was the real stars – those who could steal the attention of American boys from Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.

There were many notable players in that team, but even American journalists considered it a blue-collar team who can dig soundly on a nickle and at the sides, but not show the class against Gretzky, Lindros, Yzerman and Sakik.

American head coach Ron Wilson made good use of the team’s high average. He immediately found the main goalkeeper, Rangers’ Mike Richter, who helped bring the Stanley Cup back to New York.

For Mike Modano, he chose two powerful edges – Keith Tkachak and Bill Guerin.Guerin was called “Messier for the Poor” – strong as a bull, but without the brilliance and greatness of Mark. Well, Tkachak was simply incredible when it came to fighting on the verge of a foul and easy provocations.

The second best striker of that team was just Hull – for him Wilson picked a center that could at least partially copy the style of Adam Oates. It was Doug Waite – in two seasons in the NHL before the World Cup, he collected 140 assists. With his help, Hull scored the most in the tournament – 7 goals.

On August 31, the Americans sensationally removed Canada – 5: 3.Hull scored 2 + 2 – scored the winning goal and added to the empty net. Then this special forces, without noise and dust, threw five goals of the Russian national team. And in the final match in the USA group, they poked fun at the Slovaks – 9 goals against a decent team.

In the semifinals again Russia – and again five goals from the Americans, two – personally from Hull. Canada was waiting in the final – it was a series of up to two wins, and the Canadians took the first match in Philadelphia. There were two games ahead in Montreal.

“If someone decided to bet on us, they would have been given a couple of thousand to one that we would take two games in a row in Canada,” Modano recalled.

Over two games in Canada, Mike Richter took 70 shots from the Canadians. In the third game, Canada led the lead with 3:18 left. Hull corrected the puck and evened the score just at this mark, and then the Americans rushed forward. Legend has it that before the match, Ron Wilson called Tony Amonti and said that he wanted him to become the American Paul Henderson (scored the decisive goal in the 72 Super Series – Sports.ru), to which the player replied: “Who is Paul Henderson, damn it? ? “.

Amonti scored 2:35 to finish while Hatcher and Deadmarsh finished off Canada.

“Canadians were born to play like a champion, but the Americans won” – this was the headline of another issue of Sports Ilustrated. This victory officially secured the status of a great hockey power for the United States – at the next four Olympics with the participation of NHL players, they will take two silver medals, and more and more American stars will appear in the main league of the world. And to the explosive growth of the hockey nation, Brett Hull, the Canadian abandoned in Canada, put the hockey stick.

In Dallas, Hull became the champion and scored the winning goal, which is still discussed today

Yes, you definitely heard about this episode.

For this puck, Hull had one of the worst goals scored seasons of his career and steadfastly fulfilled every demand of the most corrosive NHL coach.

Hull was going to Chicago that summer, but his agent did not agree with the club on the money. And after a while an offer came from Dallas – three years, 17 million. And one big nuisance named Ken Hitchcock.

Hitchcock looked like a good-natured chubby man – few people knew that he almost died of overweight and every day he was fighting a tough fight with himself.Corrosive, attentive to detail and very demanding – so much so that he retrained Mike Modano, who scored 50 goals, in a two-way center.

Hull agreed. He was offered good money and Dallas had a really great team. At the gate is a student of the Tretiak Belfort. In defense – Darian Hatcher, Craig Ludwig, Darryl Sidor and the pick Sergey Zubov. And a decent attack with Modano, Lehtinen and Carbonno, which lacked a stable sniper capable of hammering in goals in a very strict system.

Hull remembered student hockey when his coach looked more like an army sergeant. And Hitchcock set conditions for the sniper – he will not chase Hull in training if the veteran gives all the best in every match.

“I told him: let’s come to an agreement. You respect me, I respect you. He agreed, ”Hitchcock recalled.

One day coach gave Hull a day off and he walked into general manager Bob Gainey’s office in the arena overlooking Dallas’ training field, put his feet on the table and watched the rest of the team train.Yes, he was still a bummer who liked to relax.

But when Hull went out on the ice, he found the strength for hard work. Each training session of Dallas ended the same way, despite the gentlemanly agreement with Hitchcock – Brett Hull remained on the ice and methodically inflicted at least two hundred shots on goal.

“I studied with this team all season. I used to fall asleep with thoughts of how to score a goal in the next game. They taught me how to play better. I learned that you can help the team in a different way, not only with abandoned washers.Every day I went to practice with Guy Carbonneau and we talked a lot about my game. We talked about defense, about how to cover the puck, and how if you do it all the time, it will definitely bring results, ”Hull recalled many years later.

In 60 regular season matches, he scored 32 goals and 58 points. Many people dream of such a result, but Hull was interested in something else – will he be able to maintain his effectiveness in the playoffs, will he be able to go beyond the second round at least once in his life and prove to everyone that the Blues’ problems were not in him? And finally, will he be able to take the Stanley Cup like his father, to whom absolutely every reporter has compared him?

Hull scored exactly 0 goals in the first round against the Oilers.In the second round, the Stars faced St. Louis, and Hull approached the matches against the main team in his career in a state of a beaten dog.

“When we got back to St. Louis, I felt this pressure. It was everywhere. In this arena where I haven’t been for so long, ”Brett said.

He said hello to everyone in the very first game – he designed it in the form of a small black rocket that flew into the Blues gate.

Dallas hit the streak in six games with Hull on six points. The winning overtime goal was scored by Mike Modano with a Brett pass. This was his main career victory.

In the seven-game thriller against Colorado, Hull scored three more times – when Dallas reached the final at Buffalo, the wealthier Texas side seemed to win easily. No matter how it is.

Buffalo with Hasek and concrete defense dragged Dallas away in the third overtime of the sixth match. Hull played the final series on one leg – he tore a ligament in his knee and could not even train normally, and had previously suffered a groin injury.Hitchcock kept him in the squad, but released him in a very sparing mode. Before the sixth game, the team doctor recommended leaving Brett in reserve.

In the third overtime, he scored the winning goal, which became one of the most scandalous in the history of the NHL – Hull’s horse was in the goalkeeper area, but the league considered the goal legitimate. Lindy Ruff tried to get to Gary Bettman right in the booth, and Buffalo general manager Darcy Regier was outraged in front of the TV cameras and said that he saw incredible meanness.

Hull didn’t care, because he thought of only one thing: “When I left St. Louis, many said that the team with Brett Hull would never win the cup. When I moved to Dallas and became the missing piece of the puzzle, and then scored the winning goal in overtime, it was a special moment. ”

***

After his parents divorced, Hull had little contact with his father. They did not quarrel, it was just that the circumstances developed in such a way that the family ended up in different parts of North America.Brett lived in Vancouver, Bobby lived in Chicago.

Hull Jr. hated being called the Golden Brett — a clear reference to his father’s nickname during the “Winnipeg” era. Halla Sr. was then called the Golden Jet – for the speed and incredible power of the throws. Hull Jr. deliberately avoided any association with his father. “Call me Halley,” he said.

Bob Berry at St. Louis explained, “Brett, the current generation doesn’t know much about the players of the past. There are only two names that everyone knows – Bobby Orr and Bobby Hull. “

Over time, they began to meet more often and just talked like father and son. One day Bobby looked at Brett’s golf clubs and said:

– Son, you should change them, they are bad.

– Pa, they’re fine.

– No, you need another bend.

– What’s cooler, your 58 goals or my 72?

– I scored 77 for Winnipeg!

– And in the NHL?

In 1991, the Hull family came to the NHL All-Star Game – Brett was supposed to play at the main show, and Bobby was to play in the veterans match, before which he was given a questionnaire, where there was a poll “Does any of your relatives play hockey? ? “.Bobby replied, as befits an NHL star: “Yes, my son Bobby Hull Jr. plays in the night league, and my wife sometimes wears goalkeeper pads (pun, pads – pads, also pads – Sports.ru).”

In 2005, Brett Hull returned to the Phoenix for several games, coached by Wayne Gretzky. He played only five matches, one of them with the number 9 on his back. The fact is that the Phoenixes moved from Winnipeg, and Bobby Hull played at number 9 for the Jets, and this number was withdrawn from circulation.

It was Bobby’s personal wish: “I don’t know what good I have done in my life that I have such a son. I must have done the right thing once and received such a gift as a reward. ”

In the summer of 84, a chubby guy who went to university did not yet know that his new coach would be right. Bobby Hull’s son has never played in the NHL. Brett Hull played in the NHL.

In previous series:

Photo: eastnews.ru/DARRELL SANDLER, John Swart, Mike Butkus; Gettyimages.ru / Ezra Shaw, Brian Bahr, Ronald Martinez, Harry How, Jeff Vinnick

How to break your back: 13 steps (with pictures)

Joint cracking (also called joint cavitation) is often pleasant because it can release tension and increase range of motion. Cracking or relaxing the joints of the spine is usually safe if performed in a controlled manner and within the normal planes of motion of the spine.Rotation and extension of the spine are movements that typically cause the small facet joints of the spine to crackle. However, visiting a joint specialist such as a chiropractor or osteopath is always a good idea if you have an underlying spinal problem.

Steps

Part One of 3: Using High Performance Techniques

1. One Pull your back over the edge of the bed. Another way to achieve more expansion is to use the edge of the bed as a fulcrum so that your head can drop below the level of your spine.This position is effective primarily for cracking the mid-back.

   • Lie on your back on the bed so that everything above the shoulder blades is extended over the edge.
   • Relax your back and allow your head and arms to slowly extend towards the floor while exhaling fully.
   • After each downward extension movement, hold for about 5 seconds and then do a full squat to return to the starting position and take a full breath. Repeat as necessary.
   • This movement carries a slightly greater risk of spinal injury, so perhaps ask a companion to be an observer to make sure you can do it safely.

   Tip: This movement is also great for strengthening your abdominal muscles.

2. 2 Climb from behind. A possibly more effective method of adjusting the mid-back is a hug from the back because it is a little easier to stretch the thoracic spine in that direction, assuming the person doing it is strong enough to lift you off the ground a few inches or so. …Instead of breaking your back with their hands, the person lifting you can use gravity and their own chest, arching backward (which requires less coordination).

   • Cross your arms in front of your body and allow the stronger, taller person to hug you from behind and grab your elbows for support.
   • After exhaling completely, signal and let the person lift you off the ground while squeezing you and extending your mid-back.
   • This maneuver is a little risky for both participants due to the greater stress on the spine and shoulder joints.

3. 3 Embrace a bear hug. “A very common way to break your mid-back is when someone hugs you tight from the front. Some stretching is necessary to loosen the joints, and it certainly helps if the hug is stronger and taller than you so they can get good effort. Be careful, however, as rib fractures and lung injuries can occur.

   • Stand face to face with someone the same height or larger.
   • Let the person hug you and ask them to clasp their hands near the area you want to crack, while you relax your arms at your sides.
   • After full inhalation and exhalation, signal the person to squeeze harder with their hands with quick thrusts (this requires some practice and coordination), which will expand the spine slightly and probably free several joints.
   • For women with large or sensitive breasts, this technique may not work.

4. 4 Don’t let anyone hit your back on the floor. There is a technique that should only be used by someone with appropriate training, such as an osteopath or chiropractor. There are laws that prohibit some healthcare professionals from performing this maneuver without proper training. If you want your back to break this way, talk to a licensed professional. Advert

Part 2 of 3: Low-Risk Exercise

1. One Stretch your spine with your hands. By slowly unbending the spine in a controlled manner, you can reach out to your back and apply pressure to the area that is most stressed, causing a more targeted stretch here. This movement requires a little more flexibility, especially from the upper body and arms.

   How to stretch your spine with your hands
   Stand and slowly stretch your back.
   Move your hand back and slowly press on your spine while pulling your stomach forward.Use your dominant hand or wrist for more control and strength.
   Hold on to 10-20 seconds and try it 3-5 times a day depending on your condition.
   The area of ​​the spine under the highest pressure can crack, especially if you have the ability to reach the thoracic spine.

2. 2 Add standing spine rotation. The spine tends to have a greater range of side-to-side motion than extension, so rotation is generally safer or more gentle.Rotation of the spine can cause cracks in most areas of the back, especially in the lumbar region or lower back.

   • Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart (for stability and balance), put your hands in front of you, bending at the elbows.
   • Rotate your upper body as far as possible in one direction in a controlled manner, then switch and do another after a few seconds.
   • You can use some momentum by swinging your arms, but be careful not to go too far and risk stretching the muscle.
   • Repeat as many times as necessary, but once you break your back, it will not break again in the same segment of the spine for 20-30 minutes or so. It takes so long for the joint to reboot again.

3. 3 Use a foam roller. Riding on firm foam is a good way to massage your back and also increases the chance of cracks or fissures in some joints of the spine, especially the mid-back (chest).Foam rollers are widely used in physiotherapy, yoga and Pilates.

   How to use the foam roller
   You can find foam rollers at sporting goods stores or large box stores – they are very inexpensive and almost indestructible.
   Place the foam roller on the ground, perpendicular to where you intend to place your body .
   Lie on your back with the foam cushion below your shoulders.
   Place your feet on the floor, bend your knees and lift your lower back to so that it rolls back and forth on the foam.
   Never lie flat with your lower back on the foam roller. because it will stretch the lower back excessively. Always bend to one side while rolling your lower back on the foam roller.
   Use your feet to move on the foam, to massage the entire spine (at least 10 minutes ). Repeat the procedure as many times as necessary, although your muscles may ache a little after using the foam roller for the first time.

4. 4 Rotate the spine while sitting on the floor. Another way to rotate the lower half of the spine is to do it while sitting, which may seem more stable and easier to control. You can also use your arms to induce a little more rotation without rocking your body, which is probably a little safer.

   • Sit on the floor with one knee bent and the other extended – it doesn’t matter which side you start on, because you will switch several times and do both sides.
   • With the foot of your bent leg on the ground, push it and rotate your torso in the opposite direction, using your arms to stabilize you and induce more rotation.
   • Try looking over your shoulder from the same side as the bent knee.
   • Wear by runners to help your legs hold better.

5. 5 Sit in the chair for more leverage. Rotating the spine while sitting in a chair is helpful because you can grab onto parts of the chair to gain extra leverage and rotation. Spinal joints need to move slightly outside of their normal range of motion to crack, so using a chair for this may be the best choice.

   • Sit facing forward in a stable chair. While trying to keep the glutes and legs in the same position, twist in one direction as far as possible (hold for a few seconds), then move in the other direction. At the same time, breathe normally.
   • Grasp the edges or top of the chair for more leverage – a wooden chair works well for this.
   • In this position, your lower lumbar spine is more likely to crack or weaken.

6. 6 Do a twisting stretch while lying on your back. Another way to break your mid and low back is to lie on your back (supine) and use your leg / knee as a lever to rotate. Make sure the floor is soft or soft for maximum comfort.

   • Lie on your back on a soft floor, raise your leg to your chest, bending it at the knees. Then, with your other hand, pull the outside of your knee towards the floor, which will create a rotation in your lower back and hips.
   • You may feel the lower back and / or hip joints relax and crack during this movement.
   • This is the same position that a chiropractor or osteopath will put you in to correct your lower back and hips (sacroiliac joints).

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Part 3 of 3: Stretching your back safely

1. one First stretch your back muscles. Muscle tension in the back is often relieved by simple stretching without popping or popping at the joints of the spine.Cracking joints too much can damage joint tissue and accelerate the development of arthritis known as osteoarthritis (a type of wear and tear). So, aim for good muscle stretches to begin with, and don’t focus too hard on trying to get any clicks.

   Back Stretch Guide
   Perform this simple stretch 3-5 times a day depending on how tight your back is.
   – Lie on your back on a flat, padded surface (such as a carpet or yoga mat) to avoid injuring your spine.
   – Raise both knees towards your chest with your hands until you feel a slight to moderate stretch in your back muscles.
   – Hold for about 30 seconds.

   Warnings
   – Do not hold your breath. Instead, you should breathe in and out deeply, relaxing as you stretch.
   – Never jump or force the spine or other joints to move, as this could result in injury. You may need to slowly swing back and forth in this position to better stretch the muscles, but always do it carefully and carefully.

2. 2 Stretch your back by lengthening the spine. Another type of stretching can be done while kneeling facing the floor (lying down), similar to a yoga position known as baby pose. Again, the purpose of this pose is to stretch your back muscles and spine, but it may not cause cracking if you avoid twisting or extending your back.

   • Kneel on a soft surface with your buttocks resting on your feet. Then bend forward at the waist, pushing your toes forward as far as possible, trying to touch the floor with your nose.
   • Hold this stretch for about 30 seconds while continuing to breathe. Do this exercise three to five times a day, depending on how tight your back is.
   • You may not be very flexible, or your belly may be in the way, but try to stretch your arms as far forward as possible until you feel that your back and spine are stretching at least a little.

3. 3 Straighten your spine while standing. Extension of the spine is a movement that often creates a crackling sound, but your spine has quite limited movement in that direction, so don’t be too aggressive when doing this.Extending your back doesn’t actually stretch your back muscles, but you may feel some tension in your chest or abdominal muscles.

   • Place both hands behind your head and slowly tilt your head back, arching or straightening your spine so that your belly sticks out.
   • Hold this position for 10–20 seconds and consider doing this three to five times a day, depending on how tight your back is.
   • The area of ​​your back that is most likely to crack in this position is your thoracic region, which is the part of your spine between your shoulder blades.
   • Make sure your feet are firmly set and shoulder-width apart to maintain balance and reduce the risk of falling. Look forward so as not to tilt your neck and head back too far.

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Community Q&A

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• Question: Is it safe to break your back? Karen Litzy, PT, DPT
  Physiotherapist Dr. Karen Litzy, PT, DPT is a licensed physical therapist, international speaker, owner of Karen Litzy Physical Therapy, PLLC, and host of the Healthy Wealthy & Smart podcast.With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in a holistic approach to physical therapy classes using exercise therapy, manual therapy, pain training and home exercise programs. Karen holds an MA in Physiotherapy and a PhD in Physiotherapy from the University of Misericordia. Karen is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and is the official spokesperson for APTA as a member of their media corps. She lives and works in New York. Karen Litzi, PT, DPT Physiotherapist’s Answer No, this is not something you should deliberately do on your own.It is best to see a physical therapist to make sure this type of movement is safe.
• Question Does breaking your back hurt at all? What does it look like? Nice to give you back. Sometimes you will only get a few cracks and feel no relief because there are still pockets of fluid and the pressure has not been released from them. Once you can break your entire upper back, you will feel it all over your body. Your whole body becomes relaxed in waves, and this strange good feeling hits you.
• Question: My spine breaks every time I breathe in. This is fine? This is definitely not normal. You should see your doctor to check if everything is in order.
• Question: Is it bad to stand on your back when you are lying face down? Amer Zanabli Yes. Depending on the weight of the person standing on you, you can damage your internal organs with constant stress.
• Question: Will the arch of my back break my back? Yes, depending on how much momentum you use to bend back.
• Question How to get rid of back and shoulder tension? Are these methods safe? If tension in your back and shoulders is a persistent problem, you should definitely see a chiropractor rather than breaking your back. Breaking your back may temporarily make you feel better, but it is not the best solution to a more chronic problem. In addition, the treatment for tension in your back and shoulders depends on the cause of your pain. A common cause of back and shoulder tension is stress, which can lead to muscle tension.If so, be sure to sit back and relax. Writing down all of your tasks and planning your life daily can also make your life more organized and reduce stress.
• Question How can I break my lower back? Place your hands on your hips and lean forward as if you are about to touch your toes. Move your body in slow circles; your lower back will crack over time.
• Question: Does it help to lie on your back on the edge of the bed? Sometimes it may not, but don’t give up.Try something else like above. Just don’t try to do risky things. You never know when you might break your back too much.
• Question: What can I do to relieve low back pain? It depends a lot on what is causing your back pain as there can be many different causes. See more information at https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Lower-Back-Pain. It is also important to see a doctor if the pain persists after a while.
• Question: I am overweight and in pain after breaking my back.Should I see a doctor? If you experience pain when a joint is cracked, it is unsafe and harmful to you. Probably, excess weight has nothing to do with it. Considering how important your back is, you should see your doctor.

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Hints

• Bend your back and twist the body in both directions until you hear a crackling sound. Remember to bend forward and repeat the exercise, otherwise you may injure your back.
• Sit back in your chair with the middle back on top. Gives a wonderful crackle.
• Do not break your back as often (more than a few times a day), as over time this can lead to joint damage and spinal problems.
• Using a foam roller, extend your arms outward in a palm pose.This usually produces more spinal claps.
• There are many resources online describing safe ways to “break your back” from professionals such as chiropractors, physical therapists, and osteopaths. However, none of them calls it a hack. Instead, you should look for phrases such as “how to adjust to your back” or “how to mobilize your lumbar spine.”
• If you know gymnastics, do the bridge on a safety mat or bed.

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Warnings

• If you or your partner begins to feel pain (especially sharp or burning) when trying to break your spine, stop immediately.
• Consult a chiropractor for additional stretching and / or spinal manipulation techniques. Adjusting your own spine (or another if you are untrained) carries risks, so proceed conservatively and with caution.
• It is best to see a physical therapist to determine if it is safe to break your back.

1. • If you have a medical condition such as osteoarthritis, osteopenia, or neurological problems such as weak legs, do not try to break your back.[V161524_b01]. August 27, 2020.

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