Wrist shot/ Snap Shot Release

[Maccas]

Hey guys,
I've recently had a few weeks away from hockey due to work commitments and for some reason my shot has totally disappeared.
I didn't have much of a shot beforehand but I was able to get alright power into my wrist shot and used to at least get it up to about glove height, since my return though I can only seem to get the power if I am shooting low (a few inches off the ice) and when I try and go top corners the puck just flutters and doesn't really get above about knee --> Hip height.
I've tried looking at everything I can think of that I might be doing wrong and have been watching other people/ tuition videos and I just can't seem to work it out.
I know its a fairly common problem for beginners but how did you guys get around it/ get past it?

 

[ponder]

I'll describe the more traditional type of wrist/snap shot, where you start with your weight on your inside foot, and finish with your weight on your outside foot (for example, if you shoot right, you're starting with your weight on your right foot, and ending with your weight on your left foot).

Stand roughly perpendicular to your target (i.e., if you're shooting at the net, have your toes pointing mostly towards the side boards, but somewhat towards the net). I'll assume you're a right handed shooter here, if you shoot left just reverse everything. Draw the puck back, have your weight on your right/back foot, then transfer your weight to your left/front foot through the shot. Before the shot you want to close your blade, and cup the puck. During the shot you want to lean into your stick, to get some pressure down into the ice, this will help you get some flex on your stick. You start with the puck cupped and the blade closed, during the shot you very briefly open it up, then close the blade again on the follow through, this is the wrist flick motion. Many beginners overly open their blade, and use the stick like a sand wedge. Don't do this, you should tend towards too closed over too open. When you're shooting properly, you don't have to TRY to raise it, the puck raises all by itself with the flex of the stick and motion of the shot, if anything it'll become harder to keep your shots down. Once you start shooting properly standing still, you can try the same things while moving, but get it down standing still first.

For a wrist shot you keep the puck on your blade the whole time, and the whole thing is one big smooth motion. For a snap shot you let the puck get a bit ahead of your blade early in the shot, and then really load up the shaft before making contact with the puck again. It's a subtle difference, focus on the wrist shot first, then progress towards then progress towards the snap shot.

 

[Jarick]

We've had a couple good threads, read through these and see if they help at all. If not, pop back in and we'll bounce some ideas.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=890250

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=752717

 

[HowToHockey]

Hey Maccas, saw this thread and figured I would mention this video I just uploaded. I am basically shooting every day for the next month and keeping track of what helps improve my shot.

I am using a radar gun to tweak my technique and trying to squeeze out every last MPH from my shot. Anyways, just figured I would give you a heads up, I will try to update my progress every week or so, going to try to get it up over 60 MPH consistently

 

[qmechanic]

I'm still working on my wrist/snap shot, and I've lost my wrist shot many times. In my opinion, the wrist shot consists of two parts, 1) the sweeping motion and weight transfer and then 2) the wrist snap and follow-through. When my wrist shot seems to be sucking more than usual, I eliminate part 1 and just work on part 2. I start with the puck near my front foot rather than my back foot. I try to get a few abbreviated (snap-shot style) wrist shots off to check my mechanics and boost my confidence. Then I go back to doing the full wrist shot with the sweeping motion.

Not sure if I addressed your question correctly. Hope this helps and keep working at it!

 

[izzy3]

when I try and go top corners the puck just flutters and doesn't really get above about knee --> Hip height.

It sounds that you're not doing the wrist flip, or not properly. Opening up the blade will have the puck rolling towards the toe, giving the puck that nice spin, and as you snap your blade close it will add some velocity and you can send it to where you want.

 

[Individual 1]

HowToHockey your stick is pretty long

 

[Jarick]

I'm guessing it's because he's not on skates.

 

[RAYClovis]

I also get the puck fluttering issue in game, it's always hard to remember to keep the blade closed on the flex and give it a flick on the release. :\ Is there a way to remember it outside of pure muscle memory and would it be alright to practice that off-ice? I never really know what's the difference between an off-ice shot and an on-ice shot other than balance.

 

[qmechanic]

Is there a way to remember it outside of pure muscle memory and would it be alright to practice that off-ice? I never really know what's the difference between an off-ice shot and an on-ice shot other than balance.

Lots of people practice their shot off-ice by shooting from a board. It definitely helps. Mechanics for off-ice and on-ice shooting are pretty much the same but the timing is different. There's a lot more friction on dryland than on ice, which means that puck will stay on your blade for a significantly longer time. Your wrist snap and release will have to be much quicker when you shoot on the ice. It's harder to flex the stick on the ice, compared to dryland (someone who knows more about this, feel free to chime in). For a traditional wrist shot, you might have to adjust how far back you start with the puck (in relation to your back foot) since the puck rolls from heel to toe faster on ice.

In general, everything is slower when shooting dryland, and I find it easier to shoot off a board than on the ice.

 

[Maccas]

Cheers guys!
Got a fair bit of reading to do!
I was struggling a bit on the ice again this evening, got off a couple of fairly good shots while moving in warm-up (One hit the post and one went right into the glove) but apart from these two I was still fluttering most of them. At least I had a good defensive game!

@HowtoHockey I am already a subscriber and avid follower so I shall pay great attention to how you do, I really wish I had the space to shoot properly at home, too many panes of glass nearby!

@Izzy3- Do you want a slow flick or a fast one? We have a couple of very good American lads who play for the same team who seem to have effortless wrist shots but they don't really seem to flick their wrists it seems to be more of a slow roll. I was thinking that I was fluttering it as I am flicking the wrists over too quick/early

 

[izzy3]

Do you want a slow flick or a fast one? We have a couple of very good American lads who play for the same team who seem to have effortless wrist shots but they don't really seem to flick their wrists it seems to be more of a slow roll. I was thinking that I was fluttering it as I am flicking the wrists over too quick/early

The flick is not necessarily visible, if you watch somebody to shoot real time. Most players do it very fast just before the release. It will also depend on your curve. With an open blade you do not really need a big flick opening up, but you sure need to snap it close very quickly on the release, this is the opposite with a closed blade. I can imagine a slow flick works on a shooting pad, but on the ice you need a quick one (see post from qmechanic), this will also help with your snap shots.

At the end you do not really have time to think about it, so you need to shoot a lot of pucks, so it can become second nature (like for the american boys on your team). I shot thousands of pucks off ice, and slowly became one of the best shooters in my division. Still shooting though, as there's a division above I can see play myself in.

 

[Jarick]

Fluttering puck = not enough snap on the release in most cases. The main snapping motion comes from the push-pull of the forearms, and there's a minor snapping motion from turning over the wrists.

This video was a huge help:

 

[jorbjorb]

All these vids off skates won't help.

Gotta learn on skates.

if you want that quick release you gotta shoot on the off foot and use the stick to load and release the shot. Use the flex for power and quick release.

If your right handed.

You want to skate then shoot off your right foot with the left foot in the air to balance your body.

Can't really explain any more. just look at some nhl vids hahaha n practice.

 

[BaconStrips]

Man, this is crazy. I learnt how to shoot when I was 4 or 5 and played hockey until I was 16. After that, lots of ball hockey and occasional ice time. After high school, just ball hockey every so often. I shoot in earnest now every couple of years. I still have a decent shot without thinking about it. I have never thought to break it down. HOWEVER, these videos remind of whatever happens when I try to learn a new skill as an adult. From throwing a Frisbee to learning how to snatch, I watch videos and constantly break things down and am never satisfied. Everything seems to come so slowly to me; yet, shooting is natural. I had always made the correlation in the back of my mind (between age of motor skill and ease of learning), but never put two and two together.

I guess it goes to show you the importance of reinforcing motor patterns when young. Also, when you are a kid, you have hours to "practice." I know I would spend all afternoon outside shooting around because it was fun and I didn't have to worry about cooking food, making money, looking after kids, and so forth.

Sorry to derail the thread, I just thought it was interesting.

 

[Jarick]

My kid's the same way. Just turned three last week and he's had a stick in his hands since literally before he could walk.

When I watch him shoot, aside from his follow through being super high, he has natural weight transfer, he rolls his wrists, mechanics are smooth, everything is natural.

I had a class in college talking about the "Alexander Technique", which basically is re-learning how to move. Over time, we suffer injuries and laziness and no longer function in a natural way. Like slouching when we sit, or bending over instead of crouching to pick things up, or walking stiff.

A lot of the people in that class made some improvements in pain and performance (it was a music class for some reason) with only changes in posture. It was literally a 1-credit class where we learned posture and did some minor spine alignments.

Anyways, that's what I always think of.

 

[opivy]

I coach our local learn to play group of adults and I find the biggest issue with shooting any shot and using the stick properly is too actually get ON the stick. Most people tend to lean a little back and get on their feet, and try to somewhat lever the stick just flick the puck. I forced them to start getting on the stick and get the top half of their body forward over the top in the weight transfer - exaggerate it a bit and really get onto it and it seemed to have a huge improvement.

I also brought some of the higher end players along, local junior players to demonstrate a few methods - true foot shooting, slap shots and jumping snappers that really illustrate using the stick and loading the shot.

My last portion that I always teach (I was a college pitcher and pitching coach before I moved to Montana and took up hockey.) is that when you shoot you aim your stick at your target, looking down to the end of your blade. Low for low, high for high etc - it's not "perfect" but it forces your body to follow through to the destination which increases accuracy dramatically. Once you get the feel you can customize it yourself but it's a really good practice to get all the parts moving properly without psychoanalyzing each and every joint of your body.

 

[Jarick]

What you said plus people using sticks that are too long and stiff is what I see a lot. They end up swiping at pucks instead of firing them.