Coach Jeremy
Latest posts by Coach Jeremy (see all)
- Try These Shooting Drills with The Extreme Passing Kit - April 24, 2014
- Stickhandling Drills with the Dangler - March 5, 2014
- 5 Shooting Drills With the Extreme Passer Pro - January 26, 2014
Practicing your stickhandling can sometimes be a bit boring, if you already have pretty good hands then you will quickly get tired of just playing with a puck or stickhandling ball. After perfecting the basic movements any hockey player will want some obstacles to practice stickhandling around, pylons and pucks are usually the first obstacles that players go for, but there is another option…. the X-Deviator!
Purpose – The purpose of the X-deviator is to provide hockey players with an obstacle to stickhandle over, under or around. Having obstacles is a great way to challenge the player to think of new moves and be more creative. Using an obstacle like the X-Deviator is a good way to train the muscles to perform certain actions like putting a puck under the stick, wide movements, avoiding obstacles, and toe-dragging around obstacles.
Price – The X-Deviator sells for $129.95 on HockeyShot.com
Design – The design of the X-Deviator is different then the Sweethands. The Sweethands is a similar product, but uses only solid pieces so you can only set the device up in a straight line. The X-Deviator is all attached, and folds up like a map. To use the product all you have to do is unfold it into any shape or design you want and start practicing.
Taking the X-Deviator to the Streets
Set-up – The product is super-easy to set up, all I had to do was unfold each piece and I started practicing. I think it is easier to setup and pack up then the SweetHands. There are a number of different configurations I could have used so I played around a bit with different set-ups and enjoyed using
Testing out the X-Deviator – I used the product on my hockey shooting pad. If you fully extend each section it will stretch out longer than the length of the roll-up shooting pad (8 feet). I decided to straighten up most of the sections and make a diamond at the end for a bit more of a challenge. I also made an L shape and a half square shape. I think I liked the half square shape the best (see video for details)
The X-Deviator worked great, there is enough room for a puck or a ball to go underneath and the device easily unfolds and folds up. The material also appears to be good quality, I think they use the same material that is used on the boards at the arenas.
Overall Thoughts
If I had to buy the SweetHands or the X-Deviator I would definitely go for the X-Deviator. It’s not a “must-have” training aid for me, but now that I have one I will be using it during my training.
Penalty Box
There isn’t anything that is really wrong with the X-Deviator, the price of $129.95 might scare a few people but that is normal for hockey training aids.
Scoresheet
- Easy to set up and pack up
- Quality material and construction
- Fun to change the shape around and come up with a new obstacle course each time
- Can be used on or off the ice
- Will help players develop quicker hands and improve their ability to move the puck around objects
X-Deviator Video Review
Where to buy the X-Deviator
You can get the X-Deviator and many other cool hockey training aids at HockeyShot.com
Where to buy the X-Deviator
You can get the X-Deviator and many other cool hockey training aids at HockeyShot.com
RYAN
April 10, 2011 at 1:01 am
Very cool product and review. Sick stick handling!