| For a great, full, hard slapshot you have to follow | | | | where you'll have the right amount of flex for whip, |
| some simple steps and try, try, try until you develop it | | | | aim, height control, and force. |
| properly. Practice slapshots until you get an accurate, | | | | If you try to take a hard slapshot and stop your swing |
| fast, hard slap. Shot from your hockey stick while | | | | where or near where it meets the puck, you will lose |
| stationary or while skating, the slapper is an effective | | | | power and accuracy. Follow through with your arms |
| scoring weapon. | | | | and stick so that the forward swing propels your body |
| - Why can the hardest slapshots break the glass, but | | | | toward the target and the blade of your stick ends up |
| others ricochet off an ankle without pain? | | | | pointing at the target. If you take a slapshot while |
| - Why do some slapshots rip through the mesh of the | | | | leaning backward, standing straight up, or off balance |
| net, yet some hit the audience? | | | | you'll not throw your weight into the puck and therefor |
| - Why will some slapshots score stick-side top corner, | | | | sacrifice power. |
| when others fizzle along the ice? | | | | If you are standing still when you shoot, you'll have |
| Slapshot Fundamentals | | | | more time to aim, but will lack forward body |
| For a good slapshot, body position, speed of travel | | | | momentum to make your hardest slapshot. If your |
| with the puck, direction of body travel, hand positions, | | | | slapshot moves along the ice, the friction of the ice will |
| back-swing or wind-up, forward swing, follow through | | | | slow the puck down. Shoot up in the air for a harder, |
| of the stick and hands, follow through of the body, | | | | faster shot. |
| hand-eye coordination, and stick flex are all important. | | | | Body Position |
| No need to be performing a checklist of all of the | | | | The positioning of your lower hand on your hockey |
| slapshot fundamentals while you let a slapshot go. It will | | | | stick is a key to a hard slapshot so you should position |
| come quickly and naturally to you, with the right | | | | that hand more than half way down the shaft of your |
| amount of practice. | | | | hockey stick. Your top hand should stay at the very |
| Stick with it. It is a fun shot. Don't expect your slapshot | | | | top of your stick. |
| to have a lot of speed, accuracy, or force when you | | | | A puck will fly faster and with greater accuracy if the |
| start trying ice hockey's hardest shot, and don't expect | | | | body is slightly sideways to the target when you take |
| to be able to raise the puck initially. Just focus on the | | | | a slapshot. This is difficult in the moving shot because |
| hardness of the slap, shot mechanics, and repetition | | | | it's hard to move on ice sideways. So, it will be best to |
| first. | | | | skate up to the puck on an angle before releasing the |
| Speed of slapshot | | | | slapper. If it's a standing slapshot, this is not a problem, |
| Make both the decision, the backswing, and the | | | | you'll already be standing slightly sideways to the |
| forward swing of the slapper happen fast because | | | | target. If you are skating with the puck, and the puck is |
| speed of the swing can catch goalies unprepared, and | | | | beside and slightly ahead of your lower hand, without |
| also because the speed of a slapshot swing transfers | | | | stopping, execute your wind up while facing the target |
| into speed of the puck. Fast slapshot speed makes a | | | | realizing this will not be your hardest slapshot. |
| hard slapshot. | | | | Glance at the puck to line it up. Your torso will slightly |
| Powerful Slapshot | | | | twist at the hips, and your upper hand's shoulder will |
| The power of your shot will come from the distance | | | | slightly move forward and down toward the puck as |
| traveled by the swing of your hockey stick, the force | | | | you raise your lower hand up to make your stick |
| and forward motion leading up to it, the speed of your | | | | roughly parallel to the ice. At this point in the slapshot |
| swing, the connection of the hockey stick blade with | | | | motion, your eyes should be on the target. As you |
| the puck, and the location of the puck as the blade | | | | whip your stick down, transfer your weight onto the |
| strikes it. | | | | skate on the side of your upper hand (front foot |
| You don't want your arm or your stick to flex a lot on | | | | closest to the net or target), throwing your weight into |
| impact with the puck. Flex equals absorption which | | | | the shot toward the target. A slight flick of the wrists |
| means reduced force or power. For a hard slapshot, | | | | will raise the puck as the closed blade opens on the |
| you'll want to keep a stiff lower arm in the downswing | | | | puck and then closes again in the follow through. |
| because you're going to slap the ice an inch just in | | | | Slapshot Impact |
| front of the puck. This part of the shot puts a lot of | | | | While slightly crouched at the hips, and with your |
| stress on your arm and on your hockey stick. The | | | | weight on, and moving beyond your front skate, your |
| stress on the hockey stick will cause the hockey stick | | | | back foot will come up off the ice because your |
| shaft to flex a bit to spring load the puck. | | | | weight has thrusted forward violently. Prepare yourself |
| The farther your hockey stick travels (inside of the the | | | | for balance so you don't fall. |
| optimal distance) before you slap the puck, the more | | | | The blade of your hockey stick will slap the ice an inch |
| time you have for your swing to gather speed before | | | | or so before the puck and will slightly cup the puck in |
| impact. That's why a full swing is necessary. An | | | | its curve briefly before either a flat follow through that |
| over-swing (outside of the the optimal distance) can | | | | will keep the puck low, or a bit of a wrist flick that will |
| actually slow down your swing and adversely affect | | | | raise the puck. This cupping is made possible by your |
| your slapshots, as can a partial swing. You need a | | | | forward lean. A stiff lower arm enables you to push |
| good fast swing, so pull your stick back and up to | | | | through that slap on the ice, flexing the shaft of your |
| about shoulder height so you can swing from as far up | | | | hockey stick, whipping the puck in the desired direction. |
| as possible without overdoing it and throwing yourself | | | | Finish on your front skate, leaning over your front knee, |
| off balance. Your bottom hand should come up as high | | | | looking at the target with your hockey stick blade |
| as its shoulder. This is the wind up for a full slapshot. | | | | pointing at the target. If the blade of the hockey stick |
| If you're skating forward with the puck, or moving | | | | remains open (curve facing the sky) on impact, only |
| forward into a still or passed puck, you add forward | | | | the bottom line of the blade will impact the puck. The |
| motion (momentum) to the force behind your slapshot, | | | | chopping motion won't produce much of a hard |
| so moving into a slapshot should produce a harder | | | | slapshot because most of the forceful part of the |
| shot than standing still slapshots. Some parts of the | | | | blade will slip right under the puck rather than push it |
| blade of your stick will not send the puck to its | | | | with more force. |
| destination as fast and hard as possible. The tip of the | | | | The Puck |
| blade will flex a lot on impact, weakening the shot and | | | | If the puck is too far away, you'll not get as much |
| causing the puck to go in an undesired direction. The | | | | power on it because you'll have to reach for it and |
| heel of the blade will make a nice stiff connection with | | | | decrease your leverage. If the puck is too close to |
| the puck, but is not an ideal contact to raise the puck, | | | | you, you'll pull your stick in and the shot will come off of |
| or to direct it best toward your target. The middle of | | | | the toe and be weak. |
| the blade of your hockey stick is the sweet spot | | | | |