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Hi, my name is Brian Mullen. I spent my whole life around the game of hockey.
Beginning with my roller hockey days in New York through my 11 seasons in the
National Hockey League. During this time I found that learning the fundamentals
of the game is essential to succeeding in this sport. And I would like to pass
along my knowledge to you. So lace up your skates,
grab your stick and learn the game of hockey online with me.
Shooting
Hockey is unquestionably a game of goals. And during the next two sessions of "The Hockey Clinic with Brian Mullen," I
will offer 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. I am here to tell that 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.
For the next two weeks we will go over the proper techniques for the four main hockey
shots: the wrist, the backhand, the snap and the slap shots. As we move 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 we 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).
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).
You should not be flicking at the puck. You want to drive through the shot using your
entire body not just your arms.
Shooting Drills
The best way to improve your shooting is by...shooting. You can practice both on or off
the ice. The most important thing to be thinking about is hitting your target. On the ice,
you can aim for a part of the goal post or a spot on the boards. Off the ice, draw a
box with chalk on the wall of local playground and concentrate on hitting the square.
It does not matter. What does matter is that you wear your hockey gloves, use your
ice hockey stick and a regulation hockey puck when practicing. You want to get the
same feeling of the stick in your hands and the puck on your stick blade when practicing
that you will during a game.
Next Class
I hope you enjoyed this session of "The Hockey Clinic with Brian Mullen."
The next time
we get together we will discuss
snap and slap shots.
"The Hockey Clinic with Brian Mullen" Archive
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