It would be great if all your shots on net were from a straight on breakaway with a head of steam. The reality is, you are often dodging and deking around in your opponent’s end, the neutral zone and your own end of the ice. Should you find yourself looping around and ready to fire on the net, you have to be prepared to make a shot or maybe a few
- Follow these hockey drills in practice to get yourself set up with:
- Proper stick positioning to ensure you can control the puck, and protect it too
- Good leg positioning to make a good turn, and grab any rebounds the goalie lets fly
- Effective puck placement for the ideal shot
Setting up a couple of pylons near the hash marks or playoff circles can give you some good pivot points to work with for your power turns. Start off by holding the top end of your stick close to your hip, and the lower hand down the shaft so your forearm is fully extended. You’ll want the puck on your stick until you are ready to shoot.
Skate toward the pylon, and begin your pivot with your weight loaded on your inside leg, a slight knee bend will help bear the load. Your opposing leg should be fully extended, providing some protection to the puck on your stick. It also gives your turn a good arc for when you are ready to cross over towards the net.
As you are completing your turn, load some weight on your stick to get some flex for power. You want to have the puck beside your skate when you are ready to shoot. If it’s too far ahead, you might shoot wide. Too far behind, and you might ring the post or send the puck behind the net. Having the puck by your side during the turn will give you the best control and a powerful shot when you flex your stick and release its power.
When you do shoot, don’t start grandstanding for the crowd unless you’ve sniped the shot into the net. Head towards the net, and get ready to grab any rebounds you can.
