Quick answer
You improve floorball stickhandling by touching the ball more, in more varied ways, with your head up. Practise 15–20 minutes a day on a smooth surface, start slowly with control and add speed only when the ball stays on the blade. Combine close-control drills (left-right, forward-backward, around obstacles) with scanning, and track your progress weekly. A stickhandling trainer and a tile surface make solo practice easier and give you hundreds of touches per session.
Key takeaways
- Ball touches build skill. Aim for 500+ touches per session by using small spaces and short drills.
- Soft hands and a loose grip are more important than speed.
- Learn to look up: practise with your head up from the first session.
- Use both sides of the blade, forehand and backhand.
- Progress in three levels: control at walking pace, control at speed, control under pressure.
- A smooth surface and obstacles (a trainer or cones) turn the garage or hallway into a skill gym.
- Keep the stick below waist height and the ball low, as the rules require.
What is good stickhandling in floorball?
Stickhandling in floorball means carrying the ball with the blade, changing direction and keeping the ball under control while moving. It is the base for every other skill: you cannot pass, shoot or beat a defender if the ball is not where you want it. Most players I coach think of stickhandling as dekes and tricks, but real stickhandling is mostly small, quiet movements: a soft touch, a quick change of side, a ball that always stays within reach.
A good stickhandler has four things: soft hands, a wide range of touches, the head up and the ability to do it fast. In that order. Speed without control loses the ball, and control without speed gets you caught by defenders. So start with the first two, then add the others.
How do you hold the stick and the ball?
Grip and posture
Keep your hands about 30–40 cm apart on the shaft. The top hand guides, the bottom hand moves the blade. Describe your grip by the side of the body the blade is on, for example "blade on your left side". Bend your knees, keep your back slightly forward and the stick in front of you. A relaxed grip makes the ball stay on the blade; a tight one makes it bounce.
The ball sits in front, not under you
Keep the ball about 30–50 cm in front of your body, in the area where your arms can reach without a stretch. Close to the feet, the ball hampers your steps. Too far away, a defender takes it.
Wrists, not arms
Small wrist movements move the ball; big arm swings lose it. Use the wrists to turn the blade over the ball, and let the arms follow quietly.
What are the building blocks?
| Skill | What you do | Session target |
|---|---|---|
| Left-right (side to side) | Move the ball across the front of the body | 100 touches, then 5 seconds with the head up |
| Forward-backward | Pull the ball back and push it forward in a line | 3 x 30 seconds |
| Figure of eight | Carry the ball around two cones in an 8 | 10 laps each direction |
| Backhand carry | Use the back side of the blade on the move | 5 x 5 m |
| Speed change | Walk, accelerate, slow, accelerate | 6 rounds of 20 m |
| Under pressure | Same drill with a passive defender | 5 x 20 seconds |
For a bigger list of exercises, see 15 floorball stickhandling drills.
How do you train stickhandling at home?
Stickhandling is the skill that benefits most from solo practice, because you do not need a goalkeeper or a partner. You need a smooth surface where the ball glides, some obstacles and a bit of space. A hallway, a garage, a basement or a garden terrace works. Better Floorball is a Swedish brand with its own products and no middlemen. Our gear is designed in Sweden and tested for maximum durability, and used by some of the world's best floorball players.
| Product | Price | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Extreme Floorball Stickhandling Trainer | €69 | Customisable shape for many moves and dangles, easy to fold and carry |
| Extreme Floorball Tiles 8-Pack (0.9 m²) | €79 | Small, smooth surface that snaps together, a good start |
| Extreme Floorball Tiles 15-Pack (1.6 m²) | €139 | Room for figure eights and direction changes |
| Extreme Floorball Tiles 30-Pack | €254 | A real lane for speed work |
| Extreme Floorball Skills Kit | €569 | 45 tiles (4.9 m²), the Passer Pro and the Stickhandling Trainer in one |
The tiles and the trainer are Made in Europe. Each tile is 33 x 33 cm and they snap together, so you can build the surface to the size you have, and take it apart when you are done. More ideas are in the passing and stickhandling collection and the floorball tiles collection.
Coach Erik's tip: Put a small object, such as a coloured cone or a note, where you can see it from the stickhandling area. Every time you look at it, count the fingers on your hand in your head. It sounds simple, but it teaches you to keep the ball with peripheral vision and your head up.
Where should you start, and how do you progress?
Use a three-level system. Do not move up until you can do the drill clean five times in a row.
| Level | Focus | Pace | Test |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Control | Soft hands, ball on the blade | Walking | 30 seconds without losing the ball |
| 2. Speed | Quick touches, change of direction | Jogging | Figure eight in 10 seconds or less |
| 3. Pressure | Head up, with a defender or time limit | Match pace | 5 successful rounds out of 6 |
The numbers are goals to help you compare yourself over time, not official standards.
Eight drills with reps
- Left-right touches (3 minutes). Move the ball from side to side in front of you, 100 touches, with soft hands. Cue: the ball stays in front of your hips.
- Forward-backward pulls (3 minutes). Pull the ball back and push it forward in a straight line, 3 sets of 30 seconds. Watch for: a stiff top hand.
- Figure eight (4 minutes). Two cones, 1 m apart. 10 laps each direction. Cue: turn the wrists, not the shoulders.
- Trainer slalom (5 minutes). Shape the stickhandling trainer and weave around it with the ball, 8 rounds. Make the shape tighter every other round.
- Head-up count (4 minutes). A partner (or a note on the wall) shows a number of fingers. Say it out loud while stickhandling. 5 rounds of 30 seconds.
- Backhand lane (4 minutes). Carry the ball with the backhand over 5 m, 6 times. Cue: keep the stick low and the ball in front.
- Speed-change lane (5 minutes). 20 m, walk-jog-sprint-slow, 6 rounds.
- Finish with a shot (5 minutes). Stickhandle around a cone and shoot at the goal, 10 times.
That is 33 minutes. Do 15–20 minutes of it on busy days. For lots of reps in a small space, read stickhandling at home: quiet drills indoors.
How can you add scanning and game sense?
Stickhandling in a game is never about the ball only. You must look for team-mates, defenders and space. Add scanning to every drill in week three. A few easy ways:
- Call out the colour of a cone a partner points to.
- Look at a point on the wall every third touch.
- Play a small-sided game (1 vs 1 or 2 vs 2) on a small pitch where you must keep the ball for 10 seconds.
The earlier you train this, the more natural it feels. See heads-up stickhandling for more scanning games, and our passing guide to link stickhandling to passing.
What does a four-week plan look like?
| Week | Sessions | Focus | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Control: left-right, forward-backward | 15 min |
| 2 | 4 | Figure eight, trainer slalom, backhand | 18 min |
| 3 | 4 | Add head-up counting and speed change | 20 min |
| 4 | 4 | Pressure: timed rounds and 1 vs 1 | 20 min |
How do you measure your progress?
Skill grows quietly, so you need numbers to see it. Pick three simple tests and repeat them every Sunday, always on the same surface and at the same time of day. First, count how many clean left-right touches you make in 30 seconds. Second, time one figure-eight lap pair around two cones without losing the ball. Third, count how many times in a minute you can carry the ball through a set of gates with your head up while calling out a number. Write the results in a notebook or on your phone.
After four weeks, compare week one and week four. Most players I coach are surprised by the gap, because the improvement is hard to feel day to day. If a number does not improve, look at your habits: a tight grip, looking down, or only using the forehand side. Fix one habit at a time and test again the next Sunday. Progress that you can see keeps you practising on the days you do not feel like it.
Common mistakes
- Looking down at the ball. You miss the game. Fix: count fingers or look at a point every third touch.
- A tight grip. The ball bounces away. Fix: relax your hands and use the wrists.
- Going fast too early. Mistakes become habits. Fix: master each level at the slower speed first.
- Only the forehand. Defenders learn your side. Fix: give the backhand 30 percent of the time.
- Long, rare sessions. You forget between them. Fix: 15 minutes, 4 times a week.
- A stick above the waist. It is against the rules. Fix: keep the stick low and the ball close to the floor.
FAQ
How can I improve my floorball stickhandling quickly?
Practise 15–20 minutes, four times a week, on a smooth surface with a focus on soft hands, both sides of the blade and head-up touches. Add obstacles and speed changes in week two.
How many touches do I need?
Aim for 500 touches per session by using short, repeated drills in a small space. Count them to keep yourself honest.
What is the best surface for stickhandling practice?
A smooth, level surface where the ball glides, such as snap-together floorball tiles. Rough or bumpy floors make the ball jump and hide your mistakes.
Do I need a stickhandling trainer?
No, cones work well. A stickhandling trainer is practical because you can change its shape to practise many moves and dangles, and it folds for transport.
How do I keep my head up while stickhandling?
Give your eyes a job: count fingers, call out colours or look at a mark on the wall every third touch. Begin at walking pace and increase the speed.
How long until I see improvement?
Many players notice better control in two to four weeks of regular practice. Real game improvement follows as you add pressure and scanning.
Summary
To improve your floorball stickhandling, build soft hands, touch the ball often, use both sides of the blade and keep your head up. Practise in short sessions on a smooth surface, progress through control, speed and pressure, and track your results. Find more articles in the Stickhandling hub, and follow us on Instagram @better_floorball.
