Don Cherry, THE Coach

The Rules
Equipment
Skating
Stick Handling
Passing
Shooting
Face-offs
Defense
Checking
Goaltending
Fitness
Hockey Dictionary

Shooting

Hockey is unquestionably a game of goals here are some tips to help you place that one inch thick by three inches rubber disk into the four-foot high by six-foot home of the goaltenders. Many first-time players, feel that the harder the shot the better.

On the contrary, the quicker and more accurate the shot, the more goals you will score. Ask any goaltender and he/she will tell you that the most difficult shots to stop are those they don't expect.

This pages goes over the proper techniques for the four main hockey shots:

• The wrist shot
• The backhand shot
• The snap shot
• The slap shot

As it moves from the wrist shot to the slap shot you will find that the shots become increasingly more difficult to master. Also, you will find that the wrist shot is not as strong of a shot as the slap shot but it is much more accurate. So as you go through each technique, concentrate on hitting your target. Don't worry about how fast the puck is traveling, that will come later.

Wrist Shot

The wrist shot is a quick, accurate shot and depending on your upper body strength, can be a very powerful shot. The key to the wrist shot is getting the shot off before the defender can block or deflect the puck and/or before the goaltender knows it is coming. The element of surprise is an important aspect of hockey. The wrist shot is basically a pass with the difference being the target for the wrist shot is the net instead of the stick of one of your teammates. So if you missed the section on passing or would like to review it, please do so before you read on.

• Keep your eyes on the target - feel the puck on your stick blade.
• Your body should be at a 45-degree angle from the net.
• Cup the puck with the center part of your stick blade.
• When you see an opening, bring the puck and your weight to your back leg (see Fig. 1 ).
• Slide your bottom hand down the shaft of the stick to give yourself more power.
• "Sweep" your hands forward with your bottom hand "pushing" on the stick and your top hand "pulling" (see Fig. 2 ).
• As the stick crosses in front of your body, begin to transfer the weight from your back leg to your front leg.
• At the same time, rotate your upper body in the direction of your target - with both shoulders squared to the net.
• As the puck is about to leave your stick blade, "snap" your wrists from an open to a closed grip. The "snap" with the bottom hand is a quick, sharp roll, away from your body creating a small arch with your stick blade. The "snap" with your top hand is in close to your body.
• The follow through of your stick will determine the height of the puck. A high follow through will make the puck rise for shots to the top corners of the net and a low follow through will force the puck to travel along the ice (see Fig. 3 ).

Fig. 1 Slide your bottom hand down the shaft of the stick and bring the blade behind your back leg.

Fig. 2 Transfer your weight to the front leg as you arms "sweep" forward.

Fig. 3 Your follow through will determine the height the puck will travel.

Remember to always look at your target. You can't hit what you can't see. Also, the best way to increase the power of this shot is by practicing. The muscles in your arms, shoulders and wrists will become stronger with use. You don't necessarily need to lift weights to build strength and power for your wrist shot.

Backhand Shot

Now that you have mastered the wrist shot, follow the same steps for the backhand shot except use the back half of your stick blade.

• Keep your eyes on the target.
• Turn your body in a 45-degree angle from the net.
• Slide your bottom hand down the shaft of the stick.
• Cup the puck with the center-half of the stick blade (see Fig. 4 ).
• Bring the puck behind the back leg.
• Transfer the weight the your back leg.
• Dip your front shoulder to get the stick blade flat on the ice (see Fig. 5 ).
• As you move your arms across your body, begin to shift your weight to the front leg.
• The shifting of the weight will get your entire body into the shot.
• Rotate your upper body by squaring your shoulders to the target.
• "Snap" your wrist - the bottom hand away from the body and the top hand in close to the body.
• The follow through will determine the height of the puck. High follow through will make the puck rise while the opposite will happen with a low follow through (see Fig. 6 ).

Fig. 4 The puck should rest in the center of the stick blade .

Fig. 5 Dip your front shoulder so the blade cups the puck.

Fig. 6 A high follow through will make the puck rise.

You should not be flicking at the puck. You want to drive through the shot using your entire body not just your arms.

Snap Shot

The snap and slap shots are more power shots than are the first two we have already discussed. But keep in mind that accuracy is still the most important aspect of shooting. The most difficult shots for a goalie to stop are those they don't expect. There is a saying around hockey that quickness beats power. And the quickest shot in a player's offensive arsenal is the snap shot. The snap shot combines the quickness of a wrist shot with the power of the slap shot. You may hear other players or coaches referred to this shot as a "one-third slap shot." No matter what people call it, a snap shot is a great weapon to have when battling those masked marauders known as goaltenders. Even though the shot is called a "snap shot," it is not a snap to learn. Mastering the shot will take a lot of practice on your part, but you will find that it will be worth the effort. The benefit is the ability to get off a shot with little wind-up, little warning to defenders and goalies, and a lot of power.

• The puck should be about two feet out in front and three feet off to the side of your body.
• Slide your lower hand down the shaft of the stick for more power.
• Roll the wrist of your lower hand so that the blade of the stick is parallel with the ice.
• With your lower hand bring the stick back about two to three feet off the ice (see Fig. 1 ).
• At this point transfer the weight to your back leg.
• Once the stick reaches the two to three feet height, sweep your body forward, exerting force down towards the puck (see Fig. 2 ).
• As your upper body moves forward, begin to transfer your weight to your front leg.
• Your stick should make contact with the ice about one to two inches before the puck.
• With the snap shot there is very little follow through. Bring your stick off the ice about one to two feet.
• The "snap" happens after the puck leaves your stick. Roll the wrists inward similar to the wrist shot except faster and with greater force (see Fig. 3 ).
• The momentum from your motion will propel the puck towards the target.

Fig. 1 Raise your stick a few feet off the ice.

Fig. 2 As your arms sweep forward exert force downward towards the puck.

Fig. 3 "Snap" your wrists on the follow through by rolling them inward.

You want the puck to travel only about one to two inches off the ice with a snap shot. There are two reasons for this. First, a goaltender will have a more difficult time stopping a puck traveling at that height and second, it will give your teammates the opportunity to deflect that puck into the net for a goal. And as I have been saying since the very start, if you find that your shots or passes are not that strong, do not worry. The more you practice these skills, the stronger your muscles will become.

Slap Shot

Everyone likes to shoot a slap shot. We like to hear the smack of the stick against the puck as well as the sound the puck makes when it hits the boards. More often than not, that is what the puck ends up hitting with a slap shot, the boards. The slap shot is the least accurate shot in hockey but it is also the most powerful. When practicing any of the shots, first develop accuracy than power. This will make you a better hockey player. A strong slap shot can overpower a goaltender but for the most part the shot is most effective when the goaltender is screened from seeing the shot or when it is deflected in by one of your teammates or even a defender. Most goaltenders are skilled enough that if they are given a clear view of the puck, they will be able to stop it. Here are the techniques I have learned for the slap shot.

• Keep the puck in between your two skates. If positioned near your front foot, the puck will rise decreasing your chance of scoring(see Fig. 4 ).
• Slide your bottom hand down the shaft of the stick to generate more power.
• Grip the stick firmly.
• Look at the puck not the net - unlike the the wrist and backhand shot (see Fig. 5 ).
• Draw your stick back to shoulder level as your weight is shifted to your back leg (see Fig. 6 ).
• Begin to bring the stick down towards the puck with your top hand pulling and your bottom hand pushing the puck in the direction of the target (see Fig. 7 ).
• Transfer the weight from your back foot to your front foot.
• Lean into the shot by using your entire body.
• Your stick should strike the ice just before hitting the puck (see Fig. 8 ).
• Snap your wrists when your stick strikes the puck.
• You should bring your stick three to four feet off the ice on the follow through with your stick blade pointing at the target (see Fig. 9 ).

Fig. 4 The puck should be placed in between your two skates.

Fig. 5 For the slap shot, keep your eye on the puck not the net.

Fig. 6 Draw your stick to shoulder level or above as your weight shifts to your back leg.

Fig. 7 Swing the stick in the direction of the puck by pulling with the top hand and pushing with the bottom hand.

Fig. 8 Your stick should hit the ice one to two inches before the puck.

Fig. 9 Your stick should raise three to four feet off the ice on the follow through.

As you can tell from the description above, the slap shot has many steps and takes a long time to perform. That is why few offensive players use the slap shot when in traffic. A defender can easily poke the puck away from an attacker using the slap shot because of the time it takes to execute. However, the slap shot is a great tool for defensemen parked at the point. The reason blue-liners get a number of assists throughout the season is because many of their slap shots from the point are deflected in by offensive teammates near the net. This is not to say only defensemen should learn the slap shot. All good hockey players know every skill not just those needed for their position. Although you will find offensive player using a slap shot through the course of a game, they are more likely to use a wrist shot or a snap shot when being closely defended.

Click here to go back to the top of the page