Practice Cone? That used to be my nickname!
Written: Jul 23 '04 (Updated Aug 06 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cones are great for practice
Cons: Cones are bad in a game
The Bottom Line: Ah, the wonderful, absurdities you can find if you peruse the epinion’s database. The practice cone is among the best items to be found.
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| puckmugger's Full Review: Hockey Practice Cone |
▪ So what about cones?
Cones are generally made from rubber or plastic and, unlike hockey pucks, come in a variety of colors. Most popular among the available colors is the traditional high visibility, safety orange. I have seen yellow, blue and green as well
While they are useful for controlling traffic in a construction zone, they do have other uses as well.
▪ Are there other uses for cones?
Yes you moron, I just mentioned that! Pay attention, I will type more slowly so you can keep up.
▪ Random related story
Back in the earliest days of my play at the YMCA, when I was but a goalie and hadn’t donned the skates of a forward, I kept hearing the other players speaking of a wonderfully talented hockey player by the name of Pelone. I figured he was a Czech or French Canadian and didn’t really think much of it.
Then one day curiosity caught up with me and I asked, “Eric, who is this guy, Pelone that you are always talking about? I didn’t see anyone that good out there today.”
Eric chuckled and told me, “Pelone is what we call the guys who cannot skate. Just say pylon with a French accent and you get the idea.”
It all made sense and I was suddenly relieved that I was the goalie and not a “Pelone”
▪ Tricks with Cones
Put the jersey number of the slowest player on your team on a cone and sit it on the locker room bench. When the guy walks into the room say, “John, I thought you were already dressed.” Then do a double take looking at the cone. John will play extra hard that night after he beats the pulp out of you.
▪ Practice Cones
During a drop in game it is considered bad form to place cones all over the ice to practice your stick handling drills. Guys in the midst of a game will pummel you with more that nasty insults for doing such a thing. However, there are other sessions that most rinks have called, “Skate and Shoots” or “Stick and Pucks” or “Stick Times” where people come to practice their skills. Generally in this type of session forming an actual game is prohibited.
This is where the practice cone comes in handy. You can do such fun things with practice cones as place them in a line and weave around threading the puck through them, faster and faster until you trip and fall.
▪ Why Coaches like practice Cones
Hockey players are inherently . . . well they aren’t always the smartest guys you will find . . . at least while they are on the ice. There is usually more energy than focus, especially when there is a drill being run instead of a game.
Telling a player, “You need to shoot from the top of the circle so the goalie gets practice.” Just doesn’t work. Instead coaches put up a cone giving the player a three dimensional marker instead of that flat line painted under the ice surface.
▪ Why players like cones
Unlike the line painted under the surface of the ice, the player can move the cone when the coach is looking the other way and shoot from where ever he feels like shooting from. “But Coach, that’s where you put it, really!”
▪ How much do cones cost?
Cones come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. A set of four weighted twelve-inch rubber cones in safety orange will set you back $15 to $20. Plastic cones are cheaper, but don’t stay in place as well as they are also lighter.
▪ Safety Tips
Do not sit on practice cones. Do not put a cone on your head and try to skate at top speed unless it is small enough to not cover your eyes.
▪ Final Thoughts
Unlike Sticks and Pucks, practice cones are not an integral part of the game.
Cones might look like funnels, but they are not usually food safe and thus not recommended for cooking utensils.
If you are short a defenseman, don’t try substituting a cone. Cones skate much more slowly than defenseman and are considered illegal substitutions in most leagues. Besides, they hog ice time, rarely changing up with the players on the bench.
▪ Bottom Line
No matter how drunk you are, holding up two cones to your chest and pretending to be Madonna isn’t as funny as you think it is.
Cones can be great fun, but should be used with proper adult supervision to avoid choking hazards.
▪ Conclusion
Practice cones can be useful as training tools. I am pretty certain of this since most of the guys who have trained with cones are better than me. They come in a variety of materials, colors, shapes and sizes.
If you are a coach, cones are a must have item. It is hard to set up drills with the marks on the ice. While figure skaters often draw on the ice, hockey players need to develop their peripheral vision and learn to skate with their head up. Most drills that involve skating, puckhandling and shooting will require the use of several cones.
As always with such a general item, I will award cones three stars. Some cones are better than others.
Also more for fun: NHL Official Ice Hockey Puck
Recommended:
Yes
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