Coach JeremyI’ve done a lot of videos and articles on improving your shot, but once you get a decent shot the next problem is HITTING THE NET. I typed that in caps because you have to read that part in a coaches voice “HIT THE NET”.
While I’ve done a video on accuracy before, this one is a little different. First, it’s shot on a hockey rink on top of a skyscraper (thanks Molson Anything for Hockey), but more importantly I touch on a few crucial ways to see more net from a positional stand point. Enough talk, check the video out below
In This Video
- Move to center
- The closer you are to the center of the ice, the more net you have to shoot at. As we move more to the side, the face of the net gets smaller and smaller, giving us less to shoot at.
- Shooting from center can help continue offensive pressure (missed shots stay close to the net vs rimming around the boards) and if you’re moving from the side to center you will be forcing the goalie to move, which will give you more spots to shoot at
- Get closer to the net
- This is obvious, but we still see shots coming from 60 feet away when the player could have easily taken a few more strides in before releasing. The closer you get to the net, the easier it is to snipe.
The chart above shows all the goals scored by Tampa Bay in the 14/15 season. I chose them because they had more goals than any other team, and I couldn’t find an option to show goals by all teams combined. If you play with the sporting charts you’ll find the same pattern in all teams. If you want goals, go to the high percentage scoring zone.
- Roll the wrists, follow through low
- Follow through low and point the toe is a very common tip for accuracy. I like to emphasize rolling the wrists. I demonstrate in the video how to rip a hard shot with it not even coming off the ice.
- Closed, Open, Closed
- Follow this pattern with the blade to really fine tune your accuracy. Start by cupping the puck (closed blade) open it up slightly for lift off, then roll the wrists to close the blade again. This motion is the key to controlling height on your shot.
- Bonus Tips
- LOOK AT THE NET – You don’t need to stare at it, but at least take a look. You need to get a mental image of the net before you shoot to pick a spot. Starting at the puck on the blade of your stick wont give you any clues as to where to shoot 🙂
- Read the goalie
If you’re looking for more tips to improve your scoring you can follow me online with any of the links in the author box below.
