Girl at Signature Sports Camp in NY practicing field hockey

5 Field Hockey Drills to Improve Your Skills

Share this post:

Field Hockey is one of the fastest games on two feet: it requires agility, conditioning, hand-eye coordination, and continuous practice (and that’s just scratching the surface). Whether you’re a seasoned field hockey player looking to refine your skills or a beginner who is excited to learn, we broke out a few of our favorite field hockey drills that will increase your skills on the field. And don’t worry, the majority of these drills can be done right at home! Let’s jump in: 

Master Ball Control with Box Dribbling

Box dribbing is one of our favorite field hockey drills because it can be done by yourself and doesn’t require much equipment! And even better, this drill can be explained in 5 steps: 

Girl at Signature Sports Camp working on drills during indoor field hockey practice
  1. Set four cones up in a square. 
  2. Start on any corner: From Corner 1 to Corner 2, loose-dribble the ball while running – keeping it in front of your stick but letting it bounce off in front of you. 
  3. From Corner 2 to Corner 3 you shuffle and pull the ball from left to right as you shuffle from Corner 2 to Corner 3. Keep the ball in front of you and tight on your stick! 
  4. From Corner 3 to Corner 4: pick up the speed! And the key is to keep the ball tight on your stick – don’t let it come off and bounce in front of you! 
  5. From Corner 4 back to the start at Corner 1: pull the ball onto your weak side and dribble back to the starting corner!

This drill can be done fast or slow. The faster you go the more challenging! This progression and digression make this drill perfect for all skill levels. You’re improving your ball control, hand-eye coordination, and developing the ability to master quick changes of direction.

Shooting out of a Dodge

Our next drill combines practicing dodging a defender with accuracy in shooting. For this drill, you’ll need to have access to a field: 

  1. At the top of the circle set up two cones to represent a defender – these cones should be about a stick’s length apart. 
  2. Start 5 yards away at the top of the circle, dodge the cones, and take a shot on cage while on the run right after you dodge. 

This works on your elimination skills on the move and getting a quick shot off right out of a dodge! If you don’t have a goal you can set cones up to aim at. You can also progress this drill by incorporating different dodges. 

Stick Work: It’s all about Repetitions 

Let’s start with the setup of this one: You’re going to want to set 6 cones up in a straight line with about a foot between them. The goal of this drill series is to improve your field hockey stick skills, dribble between the cones doing the following:

  • Round 1: Tight dribble through the cones – don’t let the ball leave your stick!
  • Round 2: Pull the ball through each cone – moving side to side and focusing on BIG pulls!
  • Round 3: Move through the cones without using your reverse!
  • Round 4: Use your quick feet and follow your ball through the cones as you dribble through them!
  • Round 5: Use your spin skills and spin around every other cone as you dribble through
  • Round 6: Dribble up to one cone, pull back, and lift up over two cones. This works on your lifting skills!

As with many skills: stick skills are all about repetitions. We recommend setting a timer for each round and progressing your speed from 25% to 50% to 75% and finally to all out 100%. 

Dodge & Pass or Dibble

This crucial drill develops confidence and quick decision-making. It forces you to keep your head up and mind sharp when looking for defenders. This drill does require a few players, so grab your friends if you want to do this one at home! 

  1. Set up 3 cones 10 yards away from each other. 
  2. Start on an end cone and dribble up to the center cone. 
  3. Dodge around the center cone and pass to the third cone. You can also dodge and dribble to the third cone. When you dodge and dribble focus on accelerating out of the dodge to beat your defender! Keep your eyes up so you can see if another defender is coming or if your passer is ready. 
Coach at Signature Sports Camp demonstrating field hockey drills during practice

Minefield

We love Minefield because it’s creative, engaging, and an awesome way to improve a player’s ball control, shooting from different angles, and shooting techniques. 

  1. Scatter 15-20 balls in the circle. Run up to each ball and take a shot as quickly as you can!
  2. Try different types of shots and getting them off as quickly and as hard as you can. 

This one is all about reps too! As is everything in sports. 

Elevate Your Field Hockey Game with Consistent Practice

These 5 Field Hockey drills are a great way to get on the field (or the backyard), practice some of the sport’s foundational aspects, and get creative. Whether you’re perfecting your accuracy or just picking up the stick for the first time, developing field hockey skills requires dedication and practice. We hope you have a blast trying out some of these drills—let us know what your favorite is! 

Signature Sports Camp athletes participate in beach volleyball during an evening activity at the Florida Overnight Camp location.
Signature Sportsd Camps Logo Transparent Background

Wait!

GET A FREE SIGNATURE SPORTS CAMP BROCHURE!

Sign up to receive detailed information about Signature Sports Camps locations, coaches, and experience.

Tell us what sport you're interested in!