We’ve all seen and lived the following scene. Coach draws up an awesome hockey drill that ends up with a player taking a shot. Meanwhile, the other kids all watch the shooter while waiting in line for their turn because, for better or worse, having a good shot is a part of the social texture of a youth hockey team. The shooter knows all the eyeballs are on him/her, so do we expect the shooter to try something new and risk the embarrassment of mishandling the puck and/or whiffing, or do what they already know they can execute?
Most players will do the second option: a shot in their comfort zone. It could still be a high and hard shot, but likely to be high percentage for that player.
But if players only attempt shots at team practice that they already know how to perform, then when do you ever learn something new?
Some may sign up for shooting clinics, have appointments with a private coach, or have team practices dedicated to just raw shooting.
But for the vast majority of players, the venue to shoot more pucks and build shooting confidence is at home. Ask your parents to set up a shooting area in your basement, garage, backyard, or driveway, or in your street. Depending on the space available, players can set up a shooting tarp, outdoor hockey goal, or set up shooting targets. You’ll want to use a shooting pad or Hockey Wraparound to avoid getting your stick chewed up, and consider whether you
Then, focus on your repetitions. 10-15 minutes a day is enough for 100-150 pucks. With more repetitions comes improved accuracy, and wrist strength. Think about weight transfer and bottom hand pushing down to create that flex. And instead of just lining 10-15 feet from net with a pile of pucks, incorporate a mix of forehands and backhands, snaps, slaps and wristers, from multiple angles, and from in-tight and from high slot.
Next, learn how to incorporate game-like situations into your shots. Practice shooting on the move, on your off-foot, following stickhandling moves, and/or with quick releases.
The player that practices shooting at home and incorporates those shot varieties will be ready to try out their experiments. Consider using the first 2-3 minutes of practice (which is usually a skate-around while coaches set up) to demo the particular shot you’ve been practicing at home those last few days. Let’s say it’s an in-tight backhand to top shelf. Skate in tight, or even line up along the wall and flip up 5 backhands off the wall and glass before the team practice begins. Practice going BH to FH to BH and putting it high off the glass. Then when the team drills begin and you’re asked to finish with a shot, you’ll be ready to demo in real-time. Sure, your teammates will be watching and you might not perfectly execute the shot your first or second time, but after a few on-ice reps you’ll be dialed in. Repeat the exercise the following week by practicing at home the next shooting skill you'd like to learn.
Players who are committed to advancing their hockey abilities are constantly experimenting and pushing themselves to learn new skills. Regardless of age and level, getting into a habit of shooting at home will help your player develop confidence, which will translate into more personal success, team success, and they will have more fun with their hockey experience.
Edited in September 2024 from an original article written by Andy Blaylock. One of Minnesota's premier hockey trainers, Andy Blaylock is the General Manager of Competitive Edge Hockey in Orono, MN, where he focuses on both on-ice and off-ice training. In addition to running his own private clinics and camps, Andy has trained several organizations including Andover, Anoka, Edina, Hutchinson, STMA, Wayzata, and Orono. Andy can be reached via email at Andy@compedgehky.com
