Do right-handed shooters play left wing?

[God]

You're right in thinking that. Angle your body more if you're just shooting into an empty net.

 

[Gunnar Stahl 30]

I wanted to bump this thread -- noticed something interesting at last night's pickup game.

I'm a left handed shooter who's recently been moved to the LW (from defense). In a recent game I missed an empty net goal by shooting wide from just inside the blue line. Since that time I've noticed I have a big accuracy problem in shooting from the left wing and that I have no such problem shooting from the right side. I understand about puck sight, that I have a bigger target when shooting from the off-wing, but I wonder if there's more to it than that.

If I'm skating along the boards I need to shoot at a diagonal across my body. Seems more complicated than skating down the center and shooting straight ahead. Also, I need to adjust the angle according to where I release the puck -- the closer to the goal line, the more severe the angle. Meanwhile, even if I skate at an angle from the boards to the net I have skate toward the right post so my (straight) shot clears the left post.

Or am I completely overthinking this?

well, the advatages of playing the off wing, as a shooter, is yea, that you get a better angle to shoot because the puck is more in the center of the ice. the disadvantage is that the puck is more in the center of the ice. in other words, it is less protected and you cant use your body as much to protect it as much as if you play the on wing.

a bad angle shot is a bad angle shot no matter what side of the ice you are on. if you are playing the on wing or off you still want to get the puck to the middle of the ice if you are shooting to score to have the best chance to score. its just if you play the off wing, you will get better chances. alot of pure goal scorers play the off wing

 

[EmptyNetter]

Thanks, guys. Hockey is hard. . .

 

[Burnaby_Joe*]

I shoot left and play on the right side. I can't stand playing LW.

 

[Huggy Bear*]

I find playing RW easier with my LH shot, because I can cut to the middle and put it on net with a better angle, and when I power to the outside I have better leverage using my body to protect the puck.

 

[Biggsy]

Yeah its alot better for your shot, but you'd have to learn how take a pass of the backhand or the boards

 

[nullterm]

I shoot right and most of my goals have come from the left side, unless I'm playing D. Great for rebounds or loose pucks in the slot.

 

[RangerFan10]

I feel more comfortable on the right wing and I'm a right handed shot - I always skated better right to left, so coming in on the forecheck I get more speed if I'm coming from the right side, I can cross over confidently right foot over left, and skating is everything for me when it comes to how comfortable I feel with every aspect of my game. If I'm having a good night skating usually everything else is clicking and coming more naturally

 

[vyktor]

Like anything in hockey a lot of it depends on you team adjusting and using the Offhand wing too. Let your center know you'll be able to take those one timers. If you have trouble taking a breakout pass on the backhand, tell guys to throw them off of the boards and practice how it feels to take the pass off of the boards. When you go to the boards in your own zone, you can send the puck around behind your own net pretty hard but you'd better let the D know before hand if you like to do that sort of thing.

 

[mk87]

i do

i shoot right and prefer LW, i just like the angles i get coming in left, i find it harder to hit the left side of the net if im coming in from the right with the puck also to my right the closer i get.

 

[duul]

I shoot right and play the left side now, and I'm starting to like it more. I'm playing u21 as a 17 year old so I didn't really get to choose where I got to play, as I've played the right side the past few years. I'm starting to like it more, but you really need to backcheck hard to get lower in your zone to take a pass on the off wing. I guess that's a good thing though. Backhands toedrags are also great skating up the off wing.

 

[Finnish your Czech]

If you're a smart enough player with good puck control, you can play both.

 

[Jimmy Carter]

I prefer center so I feel equally awkward playing either wing

I guess if I have to play the wing though I like the right side more. But I'm big and like to play physcial and control the boards, so that's a bit easier to do when you have your forehand against the boards.

I'll admit though, if you can puck handle and snipe pretty well, playing off wing might be better. I remember a few weeks/months ago Head Coach talking about how it was easier to hold the zone on your off wing because your body is naturally between the defender and the puck (feel free to help out, Head Coach), so if you're more about carrying it in for a shot, that might be the way to go

 

[gintonic]

all the time

 

[Blueland89]

I'm a right handed left winger.

I wouldn't recommend it if you are a beginner like you said...

I'm a right handed shot and I like playing the left side better and I've only been playing for about 6 months but have always liked that side the best. You more likely to have a better angle shot imo. It's easier to stickhandle and drive the net on the right side but i feel more comfortable shooting from the left. It all depoends on what kind of player you are

 

[Razzmatazz]

I've generally played center in the lower level league I'm in, and have found I do a lot of damage from the left corner during the cycle, because I'll be on my forehand circling up from the corner and can deliver a solid pass to every spot in the zone, or put a hard forehand shot on net.

In the higher league I play in, I was put on RW, and have found it's a much better side to make and receive passes from when you are near the wall, and you have a little more time to shoot, since you can protect the puck a little more with your body while driving the net...from the LW you can't always get around to the forehand to shoot.

If you haven't developed your forehand and backhand shot yet, I'd say it's probably better to learn to play RW first, it makes you a much better passer too.

 

[Whiplash27]

I normally play center, but if I have to choose, I like RW better. I like being in the position to make a pass easier on the right side. On the left, you either have to make a backhand pass or rotate your whole body to make a pass to the opposite wing. On the right side, that's not necessary. Of course it puts you at a slight disadvantage when you shoot, but I'm more of a passer anyway.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

I'm right handed and can play pretty much any position on the ice. I'm a natural left wing, though.

So, yes. I think it's easier because you get a better look at the net, and easier to find a good passing lane. But, it's harder to protect the puck on the opposite side.

 

[Blueland89]

Isn't Kovalchuk a right handed left winger

 

[sherwood sniper]

Just like with everything there are pros and cons of each way of thinking.

Left shot, left wing for me and here's why:

Almost every breakout play involves the off winger cutting across the ice for the pass.

-Therefor when I'm cutting up the middle for the breakout pass I am on my forehand.
-This also allows me to put the puck farther away from the "d' on my backhand to protect the puck.
-I end up on the off wing in the O zone for one timers.
- For quick rushes up ice I am on my forehand for easy tap ins.

But the most important part is that LW is where I'm most comfortable starting the breakout from in OUR ZONE. My forehand is open for receiving the first pass from the D and it is also facing the play, making the breakout easier.

I doesn't matter where you score your goals from if you struggle to clear your zone.

 

[mhkehoe]

Being an American, people playing stick side left are the minority. I just happened to play with a friend who was played stick side left, so when we joined a league, he liked RW so I took LW.

Even though I don't play with him any longer, I still love the shooting options playing LW as a right side shooter gives me. I am very comfortable with my backhand, so passes tend to not be a problem, and I usually have the option of putting the pass on either side of the defender.

About the only downside is playing the right defensive position, which leads to me having to chip the puck back into the zone on my backhand which can be a bit awkward, and I have had a fair share of pucks escape me because of this.

 

[Kurplunk]

I'm a right shot, and coach got me playing rw most the time, it's better for boardplay. whenever I've played lw I have more of a shooting angle, but im on my backhand. pp I sometimes play lw because of the space.

 

[Kreider Luvs Goalies]

Grave dig much ^

Anyway if you plan on carrying the puck more up the ice and taking shots the left wing is better since you have a better angle to shoot at. If you don't carry the puck much, the right wing is better to receive passes from the players that do.

To me it really doesn't matter much. When I'm in the offensive zone me and the other forwards "weave" around to try to trick/confuse the defender so you wind up on the opposite wing than what your playing on often.

 

[KickHisAssZegrass]

Off wing gives you better vision of the ice IMO. I am a Right Handed Left Winger and I feel I can open up and face the whole offensive zone with the puck.

 

[16Gamer]

I agree with Duck. I can see the ice much better on the off wing.