What Are Dryland Hockey Tiles?

Dryland hockey tiles are probably one of the best ways to create a great hockey flooring solution in your home, garage, or basement. They are versatile enough so that you can turn virtually any flat surface into a training area. They are one foot by one foot in size, so it is easy to maneuver them and set up a flooring spot in a smaller space. You can turn part of a bedroom or living room into a great place to practice some stickhandling moves.

How to Install Hockey Tiles

Sniper’s Edge hockey tiles are known as slick tiles. They are dryland area hockey flooring tiles that can be laid out and snapped together kind of like legos. When you purchase a set they come in a box of 20 tiles. Each box is 20 square feet of flooring. You can measure out the area that you will be using to get an idea of how many boxes you will need. When you prepare the area to be covered with the tiles, make sure that it is a hard, flat area. You can lay down a plywood base if you want to. It is not recommended to install the tiles over the carpet or on the grass. Make sure that the area is flat and free of debris. Double-check to make sure that the area is straight and level. You can use a level tool to determine this. Once the area is ready for the tiles, install them strategically to where you will get the most out of your footage. Lay one tile down flat, then connect the next tile to it by putting the tabbed edges together and snapping them in place. Make sure that the edges are tight and don’t have any gaps or bulges.

Things You Can Do on Hockey Tiles

Dryland tiles are great for all kinds of practice exercises, and even games if your area is big enough. For practice, it is best to use a hockey shooting tarp if you have the room for it. Slick tiles act much like ice when the puck slides across it, so it is great to train for shots and for passing. You can do stickhandling and dangling drills; you can practice passing and shots with a puck rebounder. If you have enough space, you can practice with friends, or you can practice by yourself. You can skate with roller blades on dryland tiles, or wear shoes, but not ice skates. Slick tiles are slick in the way that the pucks and sticks glide over the surface much like ice, but the blades of ice skates are a little too much for them; they weren’t made for ice skating.

Small Area Practice Exercises

Even if you only have twenty square feet of space or less to work with, as long as you have enough room for a puck and your stick, you can practice stickhandling moves. If you stand in the center of the flooring space and have the puck in front of you on the ground, you can practice slapping the puck back and forth faster and faster until you master your stickhandling skills at close range.

Dryland Hockey Tiles are For Hockey Players

Whether you are practicing in a large area or only a small one, as long as you are staying in shape and being consistent, you are in the right direction. Slick tiles give hockey players a place to improve their skills in an ice-like area that is perfect for learning. There is a lot of competition out there on the ice; the more practice you have under your belt, the more of an advantage you have.