The Wall Pick-Up Drill — Build Clean Possession & Offensive Pace
Elite players don’t just retrieve pucks — they turn wall touches into offense.
By Jeremy Szczurek of First Shift Hockey (Instagram | Facebook)
In this week’s skill development feature, we break down a foundational skill every player needs to master: clean puck pick-ups off the wall at speed.
So many possessions die along the boards simply because players mishandle the first touch. At higher levels, the first touch is the play — and if you can collect pucks cleanly, accelerate off the wall, and attack middle ice, you immediately control the pace.
This drill trains players to retrieve, load, and explode into space with purpose.
🎯 Skills Targeted:
Clean puck retrievals under pressure
Forehand + backhand wall pick-ups
Footwork timing & body orientation
Inside-edge loading to exit with speed
Turning dead pucks into clean possession
📕 What You’ll Learn:
How to pick up pucks cleanly off both sides (FH/BH)
How to keep feet moving through contact points
How to angle the body for immediate attack options
🧠 Why Work On Wall Pick-Ups:
The boards are where most touches happen — rim retrievals, chips, reverses, and chaos pucks.
If a player can’t cleanly grab pucks off the wall at speed, they:
Kill breakouts
Lose offensive momentum
Get trapped on the boards
Give defenders easy gap control
But when they can retrieve cleanly, they become a possession engine.
Clean retrievals → clean offense.
*Full drill description, tips, and optional variations below the video.
🎥 VIDEO: "Wall Pick-Ups at Speed" — Collect, Load, Attack
📘 Access the Full Drill Breakdown for Free
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