I have good accuracy, problem is...I look down at the puck when I shoot

[Green Blob*]

I do this passing also, ill look up to find a target then have this HORRIBLE habit of looking down at the puck when I shoot or pass instead of looking at my target.

Does anyone have any tips? I get my shot blocked a lot or I miss the net a lot because of this, and i have really powerful shot low shot from the point, but its being wasted.

edit - I should say, I have good accuracy when im looking up (like in warmups).

 

[Wilch]

I do this passing also, ill look up to find a target then have this HORRIBLE habit of looking down at the puck when I shoot or pass instead of looking at my target.

Does anyone have any tips? I get my shot blocked a lot or I miss the net a lot because of this, and i have really powerful shot low shot from the point, but its being wasted.

edit - I should say, I have good accuracy when im looking up (like in warmups).

Mental reminder to keep your head up when taking a shot.

If you can take accurate shots without looking down, it's more of a mental/habitual thing rather than a technical issue.

 

[TieClark]

Whatever you do don't play golf. I have this terrible habit of looking up when I golf.

 

[krax]

I feel that in order to be accurate, I have to look at the target.

Looking down briefly at the puck before shooting is ok.

Get/build a shooting pad and practice 100 shots per day, forcing you to look at the target. Get a buddy to pass you the puck, to simulate some game situations. Everytime you look down, make 20 push-ups. This should get you there in a couple of weeks. And you'll be in good shape ;-)

 

[Toonces]

You can break yourself of this habit, it'll just take a good bit of discipline.

Interestingly enough, most goal scorers I know don't really aim that specifically, they just try and get it on net, sometimes in a specific region, but not all that much. I'm not suggesting that you don't learn to aim well, as it is important, but hitting that specific spot is not the end all, be all of hockey.

 

[Jarick]

Whatever you do don't play golf. I have this terrible habit of looking up when I golf.

I just picked up golf last summer and have been practicing like crazy. This week I had a HUGE breakthrough in chipping because I stopped looking up right when I hit. It's funny, but if I think "swing without looking" and let my arms pass my body before turning, it's money. Otherwise I tend to be inconsistent with contact.


For the OP, I would work on stickhandling with a Smart Hockey ball and keep your head up, like watch TV or something. That helps working on using your peripheral vision and learning to feel the puck on your stick without looking. Then take that to shooting practice.

 

[BobGoblinn]

I just picked up golf last summer and have been practicing like crazy. This week I had a HUGE breakthrough in chipping because I stopped looking up right when I hit. It's funny, but if I think "swing without looking" and let my arms pass my body before turning, it's money. Otherwise I tend to be inconsistent with contact.


For the OP, I would work on stickhandling with a Smart Hockey ball and keep your head up, like watch TV or something. That helps working on using your peripheral vision and learning to feel the puck on your stick without looking. Then take that to shooting practice.

Jarick, i've just started playing golf more frequently and the first two things i had to change were not trying to hit the ball as hard as i could, and making sure i kept my head down. Night and day difference. It does make me feel a bunch better though that there are a bunch of other people (woo THP) in the same boat (trying to break 100 consistently)

As for the OP, really try to slow yourself down when shooting in the game. I used to be the same way with looking down. I used to get so excited to shoot in games that i would almost panic and look straight down to make sure i didn't lose the puck. I just had to practice trying to calm down when i had the puck in games.

 

[Green Blob*]

Jarick, i've just started playing golf more frequently and the first two things i had to change were not trying to hit the ball as hard as i could, and making sure i kept my head down. Night and day difference. It does make me feel a bunch better though that there are a bunch of other people (woo THP) in the same boat (trying to break 100 consistently)

As for the OP, really try to slow yourself down when shooting in the game. I used to be the same way with looking down. I used to get so excited to shoot in games that i would almost panic and look straight down to make sure i didn't lose the puck. I just had to practice trying to calm down when i had the puck in games.

You just described it perfectly what I go through

 

[Redskate98]

Just get a feel for the puck whether its stick handling a ball before games or shooting pucks outside. It's mostly a mental habit. Once you break it you will have no problem hitting the net more.