Quick answer
The figure-8 stickhandling drill is one of the simplest ways to build soft hands on both sides. Set two markers about two feet apart, then move the puck around them in a continuous figure-8, cupping it on your forehand and backhand as you weave. Roll your top wrist to cup the puck, keep your bottom hand loose but firm, and reach the puck out to the side and forward instead of just wiggling it in front of your feet. Start slow and controlled, then add speed and width once the pattern is smooth. Do it around two pucks, two cones, or your own feet — the goal is the same: a relaxed, fluid handle that works to the forehand and backhand equally, eventually with your head up.
Key takeaways
- The figure-8 trains both sides of your handle in one continuous motion — no drill exposes a weak backhand faster.
- You only need two markers: two pucks, two cones, or your own two feet, set roughly two feet apart.
- Power the puck with a rolling top wrist and a loose bottom hand, not a tense, arm-driven push.
- Reach the puck wide and forward — the figure-8 is a reach builder, not a hands-in-tight drill.
- Progress by widening the markers, adding speed, and then lifting your eyes off the puck.
- Ten quiet minutes a day beats one long, sloppy session — this is a habit, not a workout.
What is the figure-8 stickhandling drill?
The figure-8 is exactly what it sounds like: you handle the puck in the shape of the number eight, looping it around two fixed points on the floor. As the puck travels around the outside of the near marker, it sits on your forehand; as it crosses the middle and loops the far marker, it rolls onto your backhand. One full eight touches both sides of your blade, over and over, in a smooth unbroken rhythm. That is what makes it such an honest drill. A straight side-to-side handle lets you hide a weak backhand. The figure-8 does not — every loop forces you to cup and control the puck on the side you would rather avoid.
In thirty years of coaching I have used this drill with six-year-olds on a garage floor and with grown players warming up before practice. It scales because the pattern never changes; only the speed, the width, and where your eyes go change. Keep the same hand and body position you use for basic stickhandling: knees bent, chest tall, top hand doing the work, bottom hand along for the ride.
Why the figure-8 builds reach and soft hands
Most young players stickhandle in a tiny box right in front of their skates. It feels safe, but in a game the puck lives out to the side and out in front of you, where you can protect it and still see the ice. Because the markers are set apart, the figure-8 forces you to extend the puck to the side and reach it forward to complete each loop. Do that a few thousand times and a wider, more confident handle stops feeling like a stretch and starts feeling like home.
The soft hands come from the rolling action. To keep the puck glued to your blade around a curve, you have to cup it — tilt the blade over the puck — and that means rolling your top wrist open on the forehand and closed on the backhand. Cue: "roll the wrist, don't push the arm." When players muscle the puck with a stiff arm, it skids off the toe and the pattern falls apart. When they let the top wrist do the rolling and keep the bottom hand relaxed, the puck stays quiet on the blade and the whole eight looks effortless. That relaxed control is what coaches mean by soft hands.
Coach Erik's tip: The first thing I check is the bottom hand. Nine times out of ten a choppy figure-8 comes from a player squeezing the shaft with the bottom hand and steering with the arm. Loosen that grip until the stick can pivot in your fingers, and let the top hand roll the blade over the puck. The handle should feel like the puck is on a string, not like you are shoveling it. If your forearm is burning after a minute, you are gripping too hard.
How to set it up and do it
You can run this drill on any smooth surface. A stickhandling training board gives the puck a slick, near-ice glide and gives you a fixed lane to work in, which keeps the pattern honest. Here is the sequence I teach:
- Set two markers about two feet apart. Two pucks work, two drill cones work, or use your own two feet. Cones stand up higher, so they force a slightly bigger, cleaner loop — good for beginners.
- Get in your athletic stance. Knees bent, back straight, weight balanced, hands out in front. Top hand near the end of the shaft, bottom hand a comfortable distance down.
- Start the eight, slowly. Bring the puck around the outside of the near marker on your forehand, cross it through the middle, and loop the far marker on your backhand. Then reverse back through the middle. That is one figure-8.
- Cup and roll. Feel the puck on the center of your blade the whole way. Roll the top wrist to cup it on each side. Cue: "center of the blade, every loop."
- Reach it out. Extend the puck to the side and forward as you round each marker. Do not let it collapse back toward your feet.
- Build the rhythm, then the speed. Once the pattern is smooth and quiet, gradually go faster. Speed is a reward for control, not a replacement for it.
Ten focused minutes a day is plenty. I would rather see a player do this well for ten minutes than sloppily for thirty. Watch for: the puck drifting to the toe of the blade — that is your signal the arm has taken over and the wrist has stopped rolling.
Figure-8 variations and progressions
The base drill is the same eight every time. What changes is the challenge you stack on top of it. Work down this table roughly in order; do not add a new layer until the one before it is clean.
| Variation | Marker gap | What it builds | Move on when… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Around two pucks | ~2 ft | Basic pattern, cupping both sides | Pattern is smooth and quiet, no toe skids |
| Around two cones | ~2 ft | Cleaner, taller loops | You clear both cones every loop for 60 seconds |
| Around your feet | Shoulder width | Tight, close control and body awareness | Puck never clips your skates for 60 seconds |
| Wide figure-8 | 3–4 ft | Reach and full extension | You can complete the eight without lunging off balance |
| Head-up figure-8 | Any | Feel over sight, game vision | You keep the pattern with eyes up for 30 seconds |
| Speed figure-8 | ~2 ft | Fast hands under control | You can double your pace without the puck flying off |
Two deserve a closer look. The wide figure-8 is where reach develops — spreading the markers to three or four feet forces you to fully extend the puck and pull it back, the exact range you use to protect the puck in a game. The head-up figure-8 separates driveway handlers from game players: the moment your eyes come off the puck, you learn whether your hands actually know the pattern.
Coach Erik's tip: To train head-up, stand where you can see a wall, a window, or a partner, and give yourself something real to read. I have players call out a number of fingers a partner holds up while they keep the eight going. The players who make it are the ones who trust their hands enough to look up — and this drill is one of the cheapest ways to build that trust. Start with two-second glances up, then five, then never look down at all.
Reps and a simple weekly plan
Stickhandling responds to frequency, not marathon sessions. Short and daily wins. Here is the plan I hand to players who want a real handle by the end of a season:
- Daily base: 10 minutes total — 3 minutes standard figure-8, 3 wide, 2 around the feet, 2 head-up.
- Time, not just reps: work in 60-second blocks with 15 seconds of rest. Count clean loops and beat that number next time.
- Two hard days a week: add the speed figure-8 and finish with a stickhandling ball.
- Vision every session: spend at least the last two minutes with your eyes up. Non-negotiable if you want it to transfer to games.
A pack of stickhandling balls is worth keeping in your bag — a ball forces lighter, quicker hands because it punishes a heavy touch, and going back to a puck afterward feels easy. When you want more pressure, a reactive lighted training ball keeps your eyes off your hands.
Common mistakes
- Death-gripping the bottom hand. Kills the roll and makes the handle choppy. Fix: loosen the bottom hand until the shaft can pivot in your fingers.
- Handling too close to the feet. Defeats the reach the drill is meant to build. Fix: consciously extend the puck to the side and forward around each marker.
- Puck sliding to the toe. Means the arm is pushing instead of the wrist rolling. Fix: feel for the center of the blade on every loop.
- Going fast before it's smooth. Speed with no control just grooves bad habits. Fix: earn your speed — the pattern must be clean first.
- Eyes glued to the puck. Builds a handle that falls apart the second a defender appears. Fix: add head-up reps every single session, even if the pattern gets messy at first.
- Only going one direction. Some players unconsciously favor their strong side. Fix: reverse the direction of the eight halfway through each block.
FAQ
What do I need for the figure-8 stickhandling drill?
Almost nothing. You need a stick, a puck or ball, and two markers set about two feet apart. Two pucks, two cones, or even your own two feet all work. A smooth surface or a stickhandling training board helps the puck glide like it does on ice, but it is not required to start.
How far apart should the markers be?
Start at about two feet apart, which is a natural, controllable width. As your hands get smoother, widen the gap to three or four feet to build reach, or narrow it to shoulder width and go around your own feet for tight, close control. Changing the width is one of the main ways you progress the drill.
How long should I practice the figure-8 each day?
About ten focused minutes a day is ideal. Stickhandling improves with frequency, not with long, tiring sessions, so short and daily beats one big weekly grind. Break the time into 60-second blocks with short rests and mix in the wide, head-up, and speed variations.
How do I keep my head up during the drill?
Build it in gradually. Start by glancing up for two seconds at a time while the pattern continues, then stretch to five seconds, then keep your eyes up the whole time. Giving yourself something real to read — a partner holding up fingers, or a target on the wall — trains you to trust your hands instead of watching them.
Does the figure-8 really improve my backhand?
Yes, and that is one of its biggest benefits. Because the puck loops around both markers, every full eight forces you to cup and control it on your backhand, not just your forehand. A straight side-to-side handle lets you hide a weak backhand, but the figure-8 exposes and fixes it.
Should I use a puck or a stickhandling ball?
Use both. Train the pattern with a puck first so the feel matches a game, then switch to a stickhandling ball for lighter, quicker hands. The ball is smaller and bouncier, so it punishes a heavy touch and sharpens your control, and going back to a puck afterward feels easy.
Summary
The figure-8 is a small drill with a big payoff. Two markers, a relaxed grip, a rolling top wrist, and ten honest minutes a day will give you a wider, softer, more balanced handle that works to both sides — and, once you lift your eyes, one that holds up in a game. Start slow and clean, widen the markers to build reach, mix in a ball for quick hands, and never skip your head-up reps. For more ways to build your handle, see our guides to stickhandling tips, stickhandling ball drills, and protecting the puck, and browse the full Hockey Stickhandling hub. Then put in the reps — a soft handle is built one quiet loop at a time.
