Quick answer
Heads-up stickhandling means keeping control of the ball while your eyes are on the game instead of on your blade. You learn it by building feel first (slow, simple touches), then adding visual tasks such as calling out numbers, colours or a teammate's position. Aim to look up on at least every third touch, and extend that to every other touch as your control improves.
Key takeaways
- Looking up is a skill, not a habit you can switch on. It needs its own practice time.
- Feel comes first. If you cannot do a drill with 20 clean reps looking down, do not add a visual task yet.
- Scanning (checking your surroundings before you receive and during carrying) is what makes heads-up play useful.
- Use constraints: a number to call, a colour to name, a partner to point at.
- Short bursts of 30–45 seconds with full focus beat long, tired sets.
- Track one number: how many touches you make between glances.
Why does heads-up stickhandling matter?
A player with perfect ball control who stares at the blade is easy to defend. They do not see the open teammate, the gap along the boards or the defender closing in. The best players in the sport look up early and often, and the touches become automatic. In my sessions I see the same pattern again and again: players improve their dribbling in drills, but when a game-like task appears, their head drops. The fix is to train the head and the hands together.
Scanning means taking short looks around you before the ball arrives and while you carry it, so that when you choose to pass, shoot or dribble, you already know what is around you. It is the same idea as checking your mirrors when driving.
How do you build the skill step by step?
Think of heads-up stickhandling as a ladder. Do not skip steps. Each stage should feel almost easy before you move to the next one.
| Stage | Task | Target |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Feel | Side-to-side touches looking at the ball | 30 touches without losing the ball |
| 2. Glance | Look up every 3rd touch, look back down | 3 sets of 30 seconds |
| 3. Read | Call out a number or colour shown by a partner | 8 of 10 correct |
| 4. Move | Carry the ball around markers while reading | 2 laps without losing the ball |
| 5. Decide | Read a partner's signal, then pass left or right | 9 of 10 correct passes |
| 6. Compete | 1v1 or 2v2 small-sided game with a scoring rule | Play to 3 goals |
Which drills train the head and the hands?
- Finger count (4 minutes). A partner stands 2–3 m in front of you and holds up 1–5 fingers at random. You stickhandle on the spot and call each number. 4 rounds of 45 seconds with 15 seconds rest. Cue: raise only your eyes, not your whole body. Watch for: the ball slowing down when you look up.
- Colour calls (4 minutes). Place four coloured markers (or sheets of paper) around you. Partner calls a colour, you look at it and keep the ball moving. 4 rounds of 45 seconds.
- Markers and a pass (6 minutes). Dribble through three markers, then look up and pass to the partner who has raised one hand. Pass left if their left hand is up, right if their right. 10 reps, then swap.
- Two-ball switch (5 minutes, optional). Two players stand 3 m apart with one ball each. On a call, you both pass to one another and receive in a single smooth motion. Keep it light and slow.
- Keep-away 1v1 (6 minutes). In a 4 x 4 m square, one player protects the ball and the other tries to touch it with their blade. 30 seconds per round, 6 rounds. Score a point for each round you keep the ball. For the complete guide, see protecting the ball under pressure.
Coach Erik's tip: Count your "touches between glances". Start at 3. When it feels easy, go for 4, then 5. A player who can make 5 clean touches while keeping eyes on the game will always have more options than someone who is glued to the ball.
What equipment helps with heads-up practice?
You do not need much, but a few things make the training cleaner. A smooth floor surface keeps the ball predictable, so you can trust your feel: the Extreme Floorball Tiles 8-Pack (€79) is a good starter. For solo work, the Extreme Floorball Stickhandling Trainer (€69) acts as an obstacle you must read and go around, which pushes you to look ahead. Both are Made in Europe, and everything from Better Floorball, a Swedish brand, is designed in Sweden and tested for maximum durability.
How do you bring heads-up play into games?
Use small-sided games to put the skill under pressure. Play 3v3 or 4v4 on a half court with a simple rule: before you shoot, you must have glanced at the goalkeeper and at a teammate. In another variation, any player who touches the ball more than three times without looking up gives away a point. For more game ideas, see small-sided games for floorball, and for passing under scanning, read passing and scanning.
How do you check that you are really looking up?
Ask a partner to stand in front of you and hold up a number of fingers while you stickhandle. Call out the number without stopping the ball. Do ten rounds and count the correct answers. Start with a score of 5 out of 10 and aim for 8. If you have no partner, put a coloured card on the wall and call out its colour. Repeat the test once a week and write down your score.
Common mistakes
- Adding visual tasks too soon. If the ball is lost, the drill is too hard. Fix: go back one stage until 20 reps are clean.
- Looking up with the whole head. It slows you down. Fix: practise raising only your eyes, with a slight chin lift.
- Stopping the ball when you look. Fix: keep a simple rhythm (touch-touch-look) so the ball never rests.
- Only training alone. Real play has moving targets. Fix: add a partner at least once a week.
- Quitting too early. The skill takes weeks. Fix: track touches between glances and aim to add one each week.
FAQ
What is heads-up stickhandling in floorball?
It is controlling the ball with your blade while your eyes are on the game instead of the ball. You practise it by combining simple stickhandling touches with a visual task such as calling out numbers or colours.
How do I stop looking at the ball when I stickhandle?
Start by looking up on every third touch and build from there. Add a partner who shows fingers or colours so you have a reason to look up. Move on to the next stage only when you can make 20 clean reps.
How often should I look up while carrying the ball?
A good starting target is every third touch. As your feel improves, try to look up every other touch. In games, glance before receiving and again as you carry.
What is scanning in floorball?
Scanning means taking quick looks around you to see teammates, defenders and space before and while you have the ball. It allows you to choose the best option without needing a long look when the ball arrives.
Can I practise heads-up stickhandling alone?
Yes, but you need a visual cue. Use markers of different colours, a partner on a video call, or a stickhandling trainer to go around while you watch a spot ahead. Count touches between glances to track progress.
How long until heads-up stickhandling feels natural?
Most players notice a clear improvement after 3–4 weeks of 10 minutes, four times a week. Games often take longer because pressure makes you look down again. Keep adding small-sided games with scanning rules.
Summary
Heads-up stickhandling is built in stages: feel, glance, read, move, decide and compete. Practise it for 10 minutes several times a week, add a partner for visual tasks and track the number of touches between glances. Keep exploring the Stickhandling hub for more drills.
