Customer Reviews

Hockey Tough

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wow, what a great book. I've played hockey all my life and now I coach my son's team and I only wish I had found this book sooner. It's full of info on how to be a better player and a better coach. It's very straightforward and easy to read and gets at the heart of what it takes to be a mentally strong player. The exercises deal with visualization, focus, breathing, relaxation, and setting goals. They're easy, quick, and you notice a difference right away.

If you're either a player or a coach you should definitely check this book out.

O.K., so everybody says sports (at a certain level) are 90% mental and 10% skill. It's so common it's a cliche. So...why doesn't anybody take getting mentally prepared for the game seriously? Good question. And that's the one Saul Miller tries to tackle in this book.

I'll admit, I was a little skeptical at first. I though "probably a little too touchy feely." But I gave the book a chance, and I'm glad I did. Miller lays out in plain language how simple mental preparation can really affect your gameplay. The funny thing is, after reading it, it just seems like common sense that you should prepare mentally. Everyone always complains about players who "just didn't show up today" or "have their heads in the clouds." These techniques offer simple ways to stay focused, in the game, and able to execute when needed.

These techniques are similar to any endeavor that requires lots of skill and precise execution. Military service, aviation, etc. are examples of professions where having the mental toughness to persevere and succeed are prerequisites for success. Miller translates these same techniques into the hockey vernacular.

The book covers pre-game preparation and visualization, handling of positive and negative emotions inherent in the game, and techniques for forwards, D and Goalies to use to keep them focused on the game at hand, not the shot they missed 2 shifts ago. It is an easy read, efficiently laid out and well written. The advice given is practical and easily put into use in your next game. I highly recommend it.

I bought this for my teenage son. The book focuses on keeping a positive state of mind, keeping your spirits up and expecting the best. It's a great message for life in general, not just hockey. My son says it really helped his game, and helps him deal with things when they don't always go his way. Highly recommended.

I've played ice hockey on and off my whole life, but it seemed like my game had hit a wall. I did not feel like I was improving any longer. Instead I felt I was doomed to be an average player forever. About 6 months ago I discovered Hockey Tough and it has changed the way I look at my game. Furthermore my game has improved because my confidence has improved. Now all of my teammates want to borrow it. If you buy this book do us all a favor and keep it a secret.

This book is wonderful! I am a hockey mom and refer back to it all the time to help my 11 year old AAA player.

I've only been playing ice hockey for about six months, but picked up this book because I wanted to know the mindset needed to become a great hockey player. This book delivered. Especially in the adult recreational leagues, there are many players and teams who believe you have to play hockey out of anger or total aggression. In contrast, Miller shows that hockey must be played from a balanced state of mind, one that can be achieved using practical techniques such as rhythmic breathing, visualization, and self-talk. Too-intense emotion is shown to be a bad thing for a hockey player. He does case-studies of the greatest players to play the game, and provides insight on how they became so good. This book has changed the way I approach my hockey games, and I have increased my enjoyment of playing hockey by using Miller's techniques. My only issue with the book is that it is repetitive at times, and probably could have been condensed by about 50 pages. Still, highly recommended.

I'm not a book reader, but I received this book as a gift and could not put it down. I'm a Tier I Jr. A goalie, with international experience as well. This book has been great in helping with my mental game both on and off the ice. My in-game play has become more consistant, and I have become mentally stonger. Every player goes through ups and downs, I feel like my downs don't last as long, and I'm not shaken if a questionable goal goes in. I would recomend this book to anyone who is serious about their game, because the information given in this book is solid. This book should be mandetory for all early teen players.

This book Hockey Tough I bought for my son who is playing competitive AAA Midget hockey. My older son read the book and thought it was great. He really likes the suggestions on hockey as a mental game. It gives advice on how to work through situations that you might be dealing with in the game of hockey. Good book for the hockey player!

My husband and I agree that in most sports, especially, hockey it is the mind strength and preparation that matters most. My husband recommended this for my son, who is physically prepared for hockey but we'd like to give him access to information to the mental advantage of the sport. This book is it.

It's often said the most important bit of space out on the ice is the five inches between your ears. For the most part, you can't argue against it.

The technical, tactical, physical stuff has to be taken care of, we all know that. But it's often the mind that's the organizer and driver of these things.

This clearly written and entertaining book is awash with insights, sound advice, anecdotes and rational strategies to get your mind (and ultimately actions) working for you.

An absolute gem of applied psychology.

Highly recommended.