Coach JeremyIn this article and video I am going to share a big tip that will help you score more goals. This is something that is very simple to implement, yet quite a few people don’t actually realize this until they have been playing hockey for a long time. This is something that continually helps me score more goals and be a better goal scorer. So what is this magic tip?
See the net how the puck see’s it
Once you know what the puck see’s you will be able to improve your accuracy, notice more scoring opportunities and score more goals. Many hockey players get into the habit of shooting for what they can see, however the puck is down on the ice and – when carried on the shooting side – about 3-4 feet away from the body. This means there is close to a 5 foot difference in the angle from your point of view and the pucks point of view.
Sometimes when you see some net to shoot at, the puck can not actually get to that spot, or when it looks like there is no open spot to shoot, the puck could actually go in. This is known as the shooters illusion as illustrated below
*For a right-handed shot
In the picture above you can see a very big difference in what I can see and what the puck can see. To me it looks like there is not much to shoot at, however the reality is I could easily score from my location. The other side of this effect is when it looks like you have a lot of net opposite your shooting side, but when you shoot for that area the goalie easily stops you. The closer you get to the net the more profound this effect becomes.
Once you get close to the goalie another illusion appears, this one makes it appear as though you have room to shoot up high, when you will really be putting it into the goalies glove.
The top right corner looks pretty juicy in the picture on the left, which is why I always shoot for it, the problem is it feels like I keep shooting the puck into the goalies glove. Well, that’s because I probably am shooting the puck right into his glove. In the image on the right you can see all the goalie needs to do is lift his glove a couple inches to completely cover the top right corner.
Shooters Illusion Video
Quick tips to see the net from the eye’s of the puck
- The closer you get to the net the more pronounced this effect becomes
- If you can see some net on your shooting side you KNOW the puck can see even more
- If it looks like there is a lot of mesh on the side opposite of your shooting side it is because the goalie is playing the puck, chances are you cant hit the mesh unless you change the angle or go to your backhand
- When you get in really close to the net the top of the net might look open, but the goalies pads, glove, or blocker may be in your way
Start seeing the net how the puck does and you will start scoring more goals!
