How to Play Better Defense in Hockey

The ONE MECHANIC you need to learn how to play defense in hockey!

How to play better defense in hockey is the hockey training video that you need to play better defense. Whether you've been looking for ways to skate backwards to angle out forwards or for hockey drills that you can use to shut down elite offensive threats, this video is the answer to the question "how to defend in hockey?".

In this video, we look at the patterns used by Erik Karlsson, Cale Makar, Moritz Seider, and countless other pro defensemen to play top level defense. If you've struggled with defense positioning when your forwards turn the puck over, or if you've been looking for the one mechanic to immediately improve your defensive game, you'll want to watch this one! This is the ultimate hockey defense basics tutorial so that you never get caught out of place when you're on the ice. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for our advanced defense video that will break down other hockey skills and drills that you can use to level up your defensive play and improve your game that much more.

Learning how to skate effectively is the key to becoming a better hockey player. The Downhill Skating system is the next evolution of hockey training, built through insights gained from watching thousands of hours of NHL Superstar Mechanics, and turning them into actionable hockey training and hockey drills for all levels. Whether you're just learning to play hockey, are on the cusp of making the jump to the next level, or are already an established pro, Train 2.0 can help you reach that next summit in your hockey development journey. We hope you enjoy today's hockey mechanic tutorial.

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[Trainpoint]

Thanks for watching! How much will this fundamental defense mechanic help you next time you have to play 1-on-1 in your game?

[jerryb]

No joke, as an adult learning to play hockey, this is the single most helpful video I've ever found on YouTube. Please, keep making this videos that simply these concepts!

[Woody_]

Playing hockey for my first year at 22 years old, this 2 minute video made more sense than any I’ve seen in the last hour. Thanks a lot!

[MR_MOTIVATION]

This was the video i was waiting for please do more defense! Love the channel! ❤

[MartinSamardzija]

When you are playing with better and especially faster forwards you are going to want to do backwards crossovers much more consistenly in order for you to keep up with them and so that they dont start acellerate and skate much faster that they did, catching you off guard and them blowing past you. And this is just my experience and opinion and i think what you show is really great for the youth/young defencemen who needs to learn the basics first and all that. And this just shows that, its great. But have in mind when the defencemen is really fasta nd agile/skating power and acelleration you are going to want to do more consistenly crossovers in order for you to keep up and to trick them

[adamwolven]

Thanks for the video. This already helped out my defense a lot. I appreciate the clear, foundational basics

[jestexgarcia]

Thank you for your insight and upload of your video!! I just started up again playing hockey, offensive defensiveman, this video helped a lot. 🙌

[luckyhaskins]

excellent stuff. my ten year old son wants to be a defensman in the NHL. Starts with a dream.
This is his first season ever on ice skates so he is the rookie but already picked up has his first game assist. He loves it. skates on his inlines every day there is no snow if he cant get on the ice, and garage hockey when there is snow on the road. proud Dad- Hockey is the very best sport for young men, hands down.
we just played the Dee, in houghton, the birthplace of professional hockey. we usually play in calumet Mi

[fellspoint]

Yep, that’s a concise explanation of basic defense. Very well done.

[donnielawson]

This is great! I sent this to my 14 year old defender.

Is there a mental frame of reference for when to transition and start skating forward? Blue line or maybe when the forward is at the same level as the defender.

[SynapsVR]

This is going to help greatly for my game tonight

[CreemoreTorch]

Thanks for breaking it down into easy to follow steps. I’m a pick up player, but this video has me thinking that I need to use my natural inclination to play on the Left side D. Thanks

[ejshafer]

Awesome video. I also watched the part 2 Gap Control video and found it very helpful. Thank you.

[ProdigyHighlights]

Started doing this pattern over and over in skate and shoots - cross, corkscrew, pivot - over and over in drills and learning some blue line control...if you can do this with any speed in beer league, you're basically Dahlin. It's made hockey much more enjoyable to know we can actually play defense instead of stick waving and hoping our goalie saves.

[kyleb]

My team captain talked to me last night about possibly dropping me back to defense because of my speed. This video is extremely helpful with learning positioning

[surlycrosscheck]

My son has been playing defence for a few years now (coaches moved him there after being centre for years). We were worried at first how he’d react (you know how kids are) but he loves the game even more now than ever. We know they moved him there initially because of his skating and size which is fine but of course now that he’s years in, most kids have caught up in skating ability. They’re all pretty even. My son still has size in his corner and is always being coached to “take the body”. He does often but also often ends up in the box when he “takes the body”. Usually an interference call as opposed to giant hit or anything. He plays aggressively but he just a naturally “nice” kid so it’s not in him to be mean…….unless someone touches the goalie. He legit doesn’t like that. Anyway, would you be able to show some examples of good ways of “taking the body” without drawing a penalty? And/or even what the right thing to do when you’re alone defending in front of the net and there is a scramble happening? Who do you take?

These are all things that can be coached but the coaches have heaps of work with the team as a whole so it’s tough for them to focus on these things in practice.

Appreciate you doing some defensive talks as I often feel that in hockey, great defensive plays go unnoticed and are overshadowed by a simple goal.

As a dad who loves the game but never played, I always appreciate anyone who takes the time to teach the craft. My son LOVES this game as most Canadian boys his age and is always working on it. Maybe a visual tutorial on YouTube might help him understand the situation a little better.

Cheers.

[jimdingley]

what is the best video to learn a backward crossover?

[Nick-pghh]

Hey Jason I was about to buy your membership but I wanted to know how do I cancel it after the month is over to not pay again for the next month if I decide not too?

[homeofhockey]

Thank you for teaching me and at 1:40 my coach tells me to put my stick behind me to make them go more wide and not cut back. But when they try to drive in you put your stick on stick body on body etc. but it might just be that I’m ten and it’s different for my age

[sussypickle]

This helped me so much i playd for higher grade