Domi Leafs got me wondering...

[LoXish 0]

I stopped playing hockey about 5 years ago and picked it back up 3 months ago or so, since then I've started working on my shot a lot more and, seeing Domi Leafs' video and all the feedback he got, I was wondering about my own.

If this gets too tried, let me know, I'll delete it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwckiIWXFBI

Excuse my girlfriend at the end. Thanks in advance, and again, let me know if this becomes too annoying, everyone asking for tips and whatnot.

[Meathead 0]

Well, it's not on ice so it's hard to determine but it looks like you need to work on balance on your follow through. It'd be really easy to knock you down.

[Meathead 0]

Also, while you are using your legs and you are using your upper body, the two aren't in rythem. Turn your hips and have your abdominals kind of whip your upper body.

[LoXish 0]

I'll keep that in mind. Let things flow a little better, you mean?

[Meathead 0]

I'll keep that in mind. Let things flow a little better, you mean?

It's hard to explain on here but look at some baseball videos (Barry Bonds) and slow down his swing, you'll see that his hips are completley turned towards the pitcher before his upper body even budges. Hockey players do it too but it's hard to see it under all the equipment.

[Edge 0]

I'll keep that in mind. Let things flow a little better, you mean?

exactly...just try to slow things down a bit and work on the small aspects to perfect it. Use your legs more because that is where the power is coming from. Try to use your core too to follow through on the shot. Basically what I'm saying is use your entire body, not just the arms and some legs. Seems like it's coming naturally to you though, good shot. You don't seem to be winding up huge or anything, and you have a good follow through.

[LoXish 0]

I see what your saying, let my upper body follow my waist which is powered by my legs. Not so much "arm" a little more "fling"... more or less. I have a game tomorrow, just playing in a weekly house league at the moment. It's been rough getting back into the sport, as you can see I'm far from tip top shape, but it's a lot of fun and I'm really glad I've gotten back into it. Like I said, only playing roller at the moment, but come winter, after I move to Chicago, I plan on getting back into ice, that's going to be a sight, lol.

[Meathead 0]

I'll keep that in mind. Let things flow a little better, you mean?

exactly...just try to slow things down a bit and work on the small things. Use your legs more because that is where the power is coming from. Seems like it's coming naturally to you though, good shot.

Yeah. Baseball or Football require perfect mechanics to throw or hit a baseball. Hockey is a little different, unorhadox styles are common in hockey. Whatever works for you personally. Look at how Ryan Smyth skates, is he effective? Hell yeah.

[LoXish 0]

I'll keep that in mind. Let things flow a little better, you mean?

exactly...just try to slow things down a bit and work on the small things. Use your legs more because that is where the power is coming from. Seems like it's coming naturally to you though, good shot.

Yeah. Baseball or Football require perfect mechanics to throw or hit a baseball. Hockey is a little different, unorhadox styles are common in hockey. Whatever works for you personally. Look at how Ryan Smyth skates, is he effective? Hell yeah.

Haha, good point. I guess whatever comes naturally and is effective. I don't get much a chance to practice in a playing environment, as I play once a week and the few forwards on our team aren't too keen on tossing the puck back to the D when they can hot-shot it through the bull-headed idiots we play against. Oh well, whatever I can get.

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

Where did you got a that much big surface to shoot on?

[LoXish 0]

Don't be fooled, it's just two rubber mats stacked one on top the other. It does just enough to keep my stick from being harmed, but otherwise doesn't really provide any sort of "flat surface" -- I still have to deal with the bumps and stuff of my driveway.

[LkptTiger 1]

Any baseball players here ever stand with your belly-button at bat's-length away from a fence or wall and swing full-speed? You have to make sure you get your hips open and your hands through before the head of the bat...as my HS batting coach has said for the past few years "squash the bug."

Try moving the puck back further in your stance. It's a bitch at first. but this should force you to activate your hips (legs, too) a little more, and it will add some "oomph" to your shot, too, as it will keep your blade closed and ridged through the shot (if your stick doesn't break, that is). It will also get you to stay lower longer - on a couple shots it looked to me like you might have a tendancy to stand-up...but I could be wrong.

Give it a shot - if it doesn't help, scrap it. Hope this helps, bro.

[LoXish 0]

Yeah, thanks a lot. I'll try pulling it further back, I've gotta start shooting on skates, I got out and played today and we all know game situations are way different than shooting in my driveway. I just need to pick up the pace a bit.

[lostprophetRJX 0]

bend your legs too. thats part of the reason youll lose your balance. if you keep them bent, youll be ready to push off into the shot. this comes with correct skating position anyway so youll be more ready on the ice, but practice off ice with it too. and just like the other guys were saying, use you legs first and whip around your torso (this is why you gotta make sure you strech your torso well because you can really hurt youself if you do it correctly, but arent stretched). also, you dont have to wind up so much. the highest i would go is shoulder height (where your bottom hand ends up). and as for the follow through, dont lift both your hands up. theres no snap in your wrists which where some of the power comes from and what ultimately guides the puck. if you lift your hands up like you were doing, youll lose power and end up sending the puck into the stands lol. so remember to snap your wrists as you strike the puck. itll keep your follow through low and where your blade ends up pointing is where the puck will go.

[domileafs28 0]

you should turn more with your hips first like they said. it seems like you are just hacking at the puck. try it with an ice puck and it should be easier to practice. is that a street puck or a 10oz puck in the vid??

thanks for encouraging my wrister by the way.

[Chadd 916]

It looks like you aren't getting much drive from your legs, especially your right leg. A little more bend in the knees and a little more upright in the back would add a little power as well.

[BK 0]

It looks like you aren't getting much drive from your legs, especially your right leg. A little more bend in the knees and a little more upright in the back would add a little power as well.

Yea, its seems like you are quick to get on one foot. Remember that when you lift a leg, it should be JUST for weight transfer. Your power needs to come from that. With my slapshot my power transfers from leg to leg and actually kind of "transistions" up my body.. example:

Here is what I do..

1) Spread my legs a little (not too much, just enough to give me a little more balance)

2) Start by backswing with most my weight on my left foot (I shoot right). By the end of my backswing my stick should be paralell with my waist. The blade of my stick is about eye level if I look back. Not because I am trying to raise the stick above my head but because I am now leaning forward. The stick is still paralell with my waist, you can almost draw a line from the stick, continuing down my waist.

3) Right now, my back is twisted and torqued. My shoulder muscles are tense and ready to release their energy with my downswing. My back is twised (only slightly).

4) as I start with my downswing, I start transfering my weight from my left foot to my right foot. I also use as much of my back and shoulders as I can to get more power into the shot. By the end of the downswing, my left foot has very little weight on it and the my weight is transfered to about 60% on my left foot, 40% on my stick and my right leg (the one that had the weight on it on the backswing) has no weight on it. I usually start lifting it off the ground at this point to get more balance and more power.

5) When my blade hits the ice, I like to put it face down about 2 inches behind the puck. I really improved the power on my shot by doing this. Most people leave their face open, I almost "scoop" the puck when I hit it. I try to get my blade face as paralell to the ice as I can.

6) when the blade makes contact with the puck, I really put as much weight on it as possible to get the hardest shot I can. When this happens, my left leg is in the air (like you do) and about 50% of my weight is on my stick and the other on my right foot.

7) As soon as my blade hits the ice, I look up to see where I want to put it. This takes practice but after a while, you will see an improvement in your shot. I aways get my stick down on the ice again as soon as I get the shot off. A slapshot is pretty, but no use in showboating your shot after its off. Plus you look like a dumbass when your slapper goes off the leg pad and slides right back to where your blade is supposed to be, if you weren't weren't swining around like a dumbshit (domileaf's video comes to mind ;) )

Just my 2 cents.

Take it slow and really look at each part of your shot. Also keep in mind that my shot may not be good for you.. If it doesn't feel right, then don't keep doing it :)

[LoXish 0]

Yeah, thanks, I'll pay a bit more attention to my weight transfer. You seem to have your shot down to a pretty exact science.

[BK 0]

Yeah, thanks, I'll pay a bit more attention to my weight transfer. You seem to have your shot down to a pretty exact science.

Nah.. I just really tried to disect my shot when I wasn't getting the power I thought I could pull out of my shots.. back my highschool my wristers where harder than my slapshots and I wanted to know why. Just take some time and really look at what you are doing with your slap shot. Look at where your legs are, look at where you wrists are and just take your time.

[Edge 0]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-o_rgYCCfU

I took a quick vid of some of mine today...crappy quality and had to take it sideways but you can still see okay.

[Patrick67 1]

bend your legs more, that's the only obvious thing I could concur from the video.

check some videos of Pro's shooting slapshots (in slowmotion if possible) & try to emulate that. They have the proper form, so it will help your understanding of how to postioning your body better.

[pantherfan 0]

Yeh i'd say try doing the perfect motion slowly then gradually build up speed and you should keep good form.

[Quintin 16]

Your girlfriend looks like VERY familiar to me.

But I second Pantherfan's suggestion. Start slow to work on form and then build up tempo. Also, I'd say bend your knees a little bit more. I really can't see your follow through closely but remember to close the face of the blade and have the stick point to where you're aiming.

[LoXish 0]

Haha, Quintin, well, where are you from?

And yeah, I'll do that, it's just a bit harder as I shoot into a net on the top of a hill, if I tweak too much and start throwing my shot off, it goes into the neighbors yard, who has professional show dogs and she gets pissed because she thinks I'm going to kill one...

Or something.

[Quintin 16]

I live in Edinburgh, Scotland so I highly doubt it's actually her haha.

Yeah, I can understand the difficulty of practising shots without disturbing people. I used to practise in the car park in the basement of the flats but MANY people complained that I've hit their car or broken their bike and break the doors but I always aim at a brick wall at the corner of the car park. I had to write apology letters to everyone in the flat block. Curse them and their hatred to hockey!