February 15th 2008 - by Gary Nelson
It’s the last minute of the game, you’re tied 3 to 3, and you’ve positioned yourself in the slot right where your coach told you to be when your center passes the puck to your forehand from behind the net. The goalie’s moving from his right post to block your open shot; the opposing defenseman is moving towards you; you have a split second to get the shot off. You feel the puck on your stick and fire a rapid wrist shot to the goalie’s far side and it’s in the net. Your team has won, you feel great, and it’s time to celebrate. Later, your friend in the stands asks you how you did that and you simply say, “Practice, lots of practice.”
However, it takes more than practice to develop a good shot. First, you need to know the proper shooting mechanics. You’ll make faster progress if you get some instruction on how to make a wrist shot, snap shot, slap shot and backhand shot. Second, you need to develop your upper body, arm, and wrist strength to be able to accelerate the puck to high speed. Third, you need to develop control so you can put the puck where you want it. Control comes from putting together good form, improved strength, and practice. Develop a practice routine that includes the following elements: Have a target! Don’t just shoot at the net. Four feet by six feet is a big area and the goalie is going to cover most of that area. Place a pop can in the lower right or left corner or hang a pop can with string in the upper left or right corner, or the low middle to represent the five-hole. Now concentrate on shooting at one of those targets for ten shots. Rest for a minute or two so your muscles can recover, then, shoot ten more shots at one of the other targets and continue to follow this pattern. When you can hit the target five or more times out of ten then move to a new shooting position further away and/or at a different angle.
Focus your initial efforts on the wrist shot. You’ll get most of your shots and goals from a wrist shot. Also work on your backhand. How many times have you been in front of the net and the puck rebounds to your backhand? That’s a shot you need to make. Then practice the snap and slap shots. Defensemen should definitely develop a good slap shot from the blue line. Perfect practice requires giving your arms a rest between every set of 10 or 15 shots. If your muscles start to fatigue you will be practicing bad form and not develop the control you want and need.
New Technology- To make faster progress developing your shot, you now have the opportunity to sign up for Acceleration Indiana’s shooting program using our patented hockey shooting cords. Our hockey trainers are all experienced hockey players and will teach you the proper shooting form while using the hockey shooting cords to develop your upper body and arm power for a faster shot and more control. The shooting cords are based on solid scientific research in how to train the body’s muscles and muscle firing patterns to achieve higher shooting velocities and increased control. Hundreds of players from youth to professional have benefited from this science based training with outstanding results. Typical results are 4mph to 8mph improvement in wrist shot shooting velocities and 5mph to 11mph improvement in slap shots. Stop by Acceleration Indiana to learn how you can “Light a Lamp.”
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