| The most feared shot in a goals scorer's arsenal! | | | | should deliver most of the weight down of the stick. It |
| Whether you're playing ice, street or roller hockey, the | | | | is important to keep both arms stiff when starting your |
| mechanics of the slapshot are the same. In hockey, a | | | | backswing. |
| great slap shot can be very intimidating to the | | | | 2. The puck should be close to your feet, slightly |
| opposing defense and to the goalie. Bobby Hull | | | | forward from your center. If the puck is not close to |
| possessed the most feared slapshot of his day. And | | | | your feet, you will find yourself reaching out and |
| with his slap shot, and over his career, he played in | | | | subsequently losing power on the shot. If the puck is |
| 1063 NHL games, accumulating 610 goals, 560 assists, | | | | not close to your feet, you will be reaching out and |
| 1170 points, three Art Ross Trophies, two Hart | | | | losing power. Your stick and body weight will be |
| Memorial Trophies, a Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, and | | | | coming down on the puck so you need to keep the |
| a Stanley Cup Championship, and adding, 62 goals and | | | | puck close to your body. |
| 67 assists for 129 points in 119 playoff games. He | | | | 3. You should be in the ready position, feet should be a |
| played in 411 WHA games, scoring 303 goals, 335 | | | | little more than shoulder-width apart and your knees |
| assists and 638 points, adding 43 goals and 37 assists | | | | bent and leaning slightly forward. |
| in 60 playoff games. | | | | 4. Take a quick look at your target, and then look back |
| In 1983, Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. | | | | at the puck to line it up properly, then back up to |
| His #9 jersey has been retired both by the | | | | where you're going to shoot. |
| Blackhawks and the Jets (and is still honored by the | | | | 5. Weight transfer is from both legs, to your front leg, |
| Jets' successor team, the Phoenix Coyotes. | | | | to your back leg and then back to your front leg into |
| As the star of Roller Hockey Magazine's Instructional | | | | your follow-through. |
| DVD series, Bobby states, "Many of the tips and | | | | 6. Raise the stick back well above your head and |
| techniques shown in the Roller Hockey DVD series | | | | transfer your weight to your back leg. |
| are the same ones that I used when I started playing, | | | | 7. As you bring your stick forward, transfer your |
| and have helped me reach a high level of success in | | | | weight to your front leg and down on the puck. |
| the game of hockey." Here is the breakdown of the | | | | 8. When swinging the stick down towards the puck, |
| famous Slapshot: | | | | "slap" the ice slightly before the puck and use your |
| THE SLAP SHOT: | | | | weight to bend the stick, transferring the energy in it |
| A slapshot is a key shot for your arsenal, and there | | | | like a spring. It is the bending of the stick that gives the |
| are two variations of it: | | | | slapshot its amazing speed and power. The stick |
| The Full Slapshot - The traditional shot, but it is not | | | | should then meet the puck near the heel to center of |
| easy to control. And the Quick Release Slapshot - It's | | | | your blade, and the puck should roll off from heel to |
| a half slapshot. With the half slapshot, you only bring | | | | toe. When you make contact with the puck, roll your |
| the stick up about waist high. Use this variation when | | | | wrists so that the thumb on your lower hand turns |
| you're in closer to the goalie and this will surprise him. | | | | down towards the ice. This adds accuracy to your |
| This shot will have more precision but will not be as | | | | shot. |
| powerful as the full slap shot. | | | | 9. Follow through to your target. Once you have made |
| THE MECHANICS: | | | | contact with the puck, your hips and shoulders can |
| 1. Top hand grips the knob and the bottom hand is | | | | then twist as you follow through. If you want the puck |
| slightly below the center of the stick. The positioning of | | | | to go high, your will need to point the end of your stick |
| your hands is vital in delivering a great slapshot. Your | | | | high and if your want it to go low, point your stick low. |
| bottom hand should be gripped tightly while your top | | | | 10. And remember to Practice, Practice, and Practice. |
| hand grips a little less tight. The bottom hand is the | | | | Learn more on how to master your Slap Shot with the |
| main component in the execution of the shot and | | | | Bobby Hull Shooting DVD. |