Putting flex into my wrist shot

[deadmanjolt 1]

I have been playing for about 8 months now. I am currently using a 77 flex stick, cut down about 1.5" with a 3" butt end.

I find that I cannot for the life of me generate any flex during a wrist shot. Roughly half the time, my shots flutter off the tip of my blade.

My question: How can I use the flex in my stick during wristshots and passing for more power? How will I know the stick is flexing and it's not just me using my body as a pivot (a la baseball swing)?

[Jake 0]

What's your height/weight?

[deadmanjolt 1]

5'9" 155-160 lbs in gym clothes.

[jbyun04 7]

lean into your shots more.. practice dragging the puck back a little bit and wind up your wrister from the heel

not sure what your doing

[Jake 0]

5'9" 155-160 lbs in gym clothes.

A 77 flex might be a little whippy for you.

I'm a little smaller than you (5'8" 150) and I use a 90 flex with 2+ inches cut off.

Make sure you are stepping into the shot, even if you're standing still take a couple steps towards the net before shooting.

[plaxcky1331 0]

maybe if the puck is fluttering your not shooting of the heal of your stick or not rolling your wrist

[blues_91 0]

maybe if the puck is fluttering your not shooting of the heal of your stick or not rolling your wrist

Agreed, rolling your wrist should add some consistency and velocity

[speedcraft 0]

Deadmanjolt,

I feel your pain! :(

I’ve got a similar problem. I’ve played for 5 months (well done a class actually). I’m 5’8 180lbs and have an 80 Flex stick (P66 curve). Per our instructor, I would bring the puck off the back foot, transfer weight forward, “load†the stick & snap my wrists. However I could NEVER get the puck more than a couple inches off the ice, and not much velocity either. That is, it felt like the “snap†was pointless because it didn’t feel like the puck was every REALLY on the blade.

While practicing on my own, I discovered I could get some height in my shot if I didn’t load the stick much. That is, I could sort-of scoop the put onto the blade, and then whip it off the tip of the blade with the wrist snap. I get good height and reasonable velocity, but looking at all the cool photos of massive stick flex from wristers, I’m sure I’m leaving a great deal of power on the ice by not flexing my stick.

Is this the normal frustrating learning process? Any tips on being able to both flex the stick AND lift the puck?

[BK 0]

Deadmanjolt,

I feel your pain! :(

I’ve got a similar problem. I’ve played for 5 months (well done a class actually). I’m 5’8 180lbs and have an 80 Flex stick (P66 curve). Per our instructor, I would bring the puck off the back foot, transfer weight forward, “load†the stick & snap my wrists. However I could NEVER get the puck more than a couple inches off the ice, and not much velocity either. That is, it felt like the “snap†was pointless because it didn’t feel like the puck was every REALLY on the blade.

While practicing on my own, I discovered I could get some height in my shot if I didn’t load the stick much. That is, I could sort-of scoop the put onto the blade, and then whip it off the tip of the blade with the wrist snap. I get good height and reasonable velocity, but looking at all the cool photos of massive stick flex from wristers, I’m sure I’m leaving a great deal of power on the ice by not flexing my stick.

Is this the normal frustrating learning process? Any tips on being able to both flex the stick AND lift the puck?

Sounds like you are not hitting the ice correctly either.

Experiment with where you hit the ice. When I was learning how, I would hit the ice about 1 inch before the puck.. as my shots got harder, I would move my stick back a little bit. Now, I hit the ice about 4-6 inches behind the puck.

A slapshot is hard to learn. It takes a LOT of balance and a very good form. This is the one shot that gets better as you learn to skate better. You NEED the balance to load your stick and you need to practice.

[Chadd 916]

Any tips on being able to both flex the stick AND lift the puck?

Trap the puck a bit. By that I mean, with the puck on your stick and near your back foot point the face of the blade down at the ice/puck a bit and press down a little as you start your shooting motion. Because a puck will slide as soon as you put any pressure on it, you need to have some downward pressure to load a stick. Too much of that pressure will break the stick though, be careful.

The P66 isn't a good curve for learning to shoot in my opinion, it's very shallow with a lot of loft. I would look at something with a more mild mid or mid-heel curve and graduate to something like the P66 only after you are comfortable shooting and never have to think about the mechanics.

[jjtt99 0]

Bend you knees.

Start the shot further back.

Push down on your stick to initiate the flex.

Roll your wrists.

(Do as I say and not as I do...but hey I can skate pretty good!)

[chk hrd 164]

Bend you knees.

Start the shot further back.

Push down on your stick to initiate the flex.

Roll your wrists.

(Do as I say and not as I do...but hey I can skate pretty good!)

tranfer weight to front leg

push out with bottom hand whlie pulling in with top hand

turn blade over

finish with blade pointing where you want the puck to go.

sounds like your shooting of of your back foot causing you to sweep the puck on the ice.

[speedcraft 0]

Thanks for all the input so far!

So, I “trap†the puck at my back foot, while pushing it down, bring it forward to my front foot while transferring my weight forward (with bent knees) push forward with my bottom hand pull back with my top and snap wrists over (with a Madono-ish blade?)… got it, piece of cake!

So where does “flex†start, reach max, and release? I ass-u-me it starts when you “trap†and start to bring the puck forward. Is max flex achieved somewhere near the front foot, just before the tension is released? How does the release of tension not just push the puck along the ice. That is, how does the blade lift the puck so you can snap over… does it have to do with the angle of the stick relative to the ice when the flex tension is released?

This stuff look a hell of a lot easier on TV!

[chk hrd 164]

Thanks for all the input so far!

So, I “trap†the puck at my back foot, while pushing it down, bring it forward to my front foot while transferring my weight forward (with bent knees) push forward with my bottom hand pull back with my top and snap wrists over (with a Madono-ish blade?)… got it, piece of cake!

So where does “flex†start, reach max, and release? I ass-u-me it starts when you “trap†and start to bring the puck forward. Is max flex achieved somewhere near the front foot, just before the tension is released? How does the release of tension not just push the puck along the ice. That is, how does the blade lift the puck so you can snap over… does it have to do with the angle of the stick relative to the ice when the flex tension is released?

This stuff look a hell of a lot easier on TV!

there is the problem...you're trying to think to much!!!

just let it happen. when you start trying to overthink everything and analyze the dynamics your body gets all tense and flustered and then nothing can happen.

Just relax and keep practicing, it will start to come around.

[xMenace 0]

Thanks for all the input so far!

So, I “trap†the puck at my back foot, while pushing it down, bring it forward to my front foot while transferring my weight forward (with bent knees) push forward with my bottom hand pull back with my top and snap wrists over (with a Madono-ish blade?)… got it, piece of cake!

So where does “flex†start, reach max, and release? I ass-u-me it starts when you “trap†and start to bring the puck forward. Is max flex achieved somewhere near the front foot, just before the tension is released? How does the release of tension not just push the puck along the ice. That is, how does the blade lift the puck so you can snap over… does it have to do with the angle of the stick relative to the ice when the flex tension is released?

This stuff look a hell of a lot easier on TV!

Think golf!

Guy above was right about fluttering. You need to grab the puck more towards the heel. Fluttering is a sure sign of toeing your shot. Most recommend the middle of the blade, not heel. Here's why: Shooting is always a tradeoff between power and quickness. If you do this whole process you will get a nice hard shot, but you may not get it off or you may get killed half way through. In most cases our wristers are abbreviated. Height/aiming is controlled with your follow-thru. Think throwing a baseball or frisbee.

Practice, practice, practice!

[Chadd 916]

Thanks for all the input so far!

So, I “trap†the puck at my back foot, while pushing it down, bring it forward to my front foot while transferring my weight forward (with bent knees) push forward with my bottom hand pull back with my top and snap wrists over (with a Madono-ish blade?)… got it, piece of cake!

So where does “flex†start, reach max, and release?  I ass-u-me it starts when you “trap†and start to bring the puck forward.  Is max flex achieved somewhere near the front foot, just before the tension is released?  How does the release of tension not just push the puck along the ice.  That is, how does the blade lift the puck so you can snap over… does it have to do with the angle of the stick relative to the ice when the flex tension is released?

This stuff look a hell of a lot easier on TV!

Think golf!

Guy above was right about fluttering. You need to grab the puck more towards the heel. Fluttering is a sure sign of toeing your shot. Most recommend the middle of the blade, not heel. Here's why: Shooting is always a tradeoff between power and quickness. If you do this whole process you will get a nice hard shot, but you may not get it off or you may get killed half way through. In most cases our wristers are abbreviated. Height/aiming is controlled with your follow-thru. Think throwing a baseball or frisbee.

Practice, practice, practice!

A fluttering puck means the puck isn't spinning enough. I use a heel to toe motion on every pass or shot and I get a ton of spin on the puck.

[BK 0]

Edited: wrong movie. Look 2 posts down to see the correct one.

[gokings55 0]

This has been posted a few times, but I thought it might be helpful.

http://www.exploratorium.edu/hockey/movies/slapshot.mov

The OP was asking about a WRIST shot, not Slap.

[BK 0]

This has been posted a few times, but I thought it might be helpful.

http://www.exploratorium.edu/hockey/movies/slapshot.mov

The OP was asking about a WRIST shot, not Slap.

http://www.exploratorium.edu/hockey/movies/wristshot.mov

HA! I posted the wrong one

lol. :D

[xMenace 0]

Thanks for all the input so far!

So, I “trap†the puck at my back foot, while pushing it down, bring it forward to my front foot while transferring my weight forward (with bent knees) push forward with my bottom hand pull back with my top and snap wrists over (with a Madono-ish blade?)… got it, piece of cake!

So where does “flex†start, reach max, and release?  I ass-u-me it starts when you “trap†and start to bring the puck forward.  Is max flex achieved somewhere near the front foot, just before the tension is released?  How does the release of tension not just push the puck along the ice.  That is, how does the blade lift the puck so you can snap over… does it have to do with the angle of the stick relative to the ice when the flex tension is released?

This stuff look a hell of a lot easier on TV!

Think golf!

Guy above was right about fluttering. You need to grab the puck more towards the heel. Fluttering is a sure sign of toeing your shot. Most recommend the middle of the blade, not heel. Here's why: Shooting is always a tradeoff between power and quickness. If you do this whole process you will get a nice hard shot, but you may not get it off or you may get killed half way through. In most cases our wristers are abbreviated. Height/aiming is controlled with your follow-thru. Think throwing a baseball or frisbee.

Practice, practice, practice!

A fluttering puck means the puck isn't spinning enough. I use a heel to toe motion on every pass or shot and I get a ton of spin on the puck.

It flutters because toe-first causes it to leave the stick too early and yes, you are not able to roll it.

[speedcraft 0]

badkitty, thanks for the awesome video link... the correct one I mean. :D

OK, I was thinking (and I know I think too much) that the flex built throughout the whole shot motion, but from looking at that video, I don't see any significant flex in the shaft until the puck is at the front toe; the whole beginning of the shot just looks like a sweeping / weight transferring motion.

In the video, from the position of the puck / stick / body, it looks like it's less the downward force on the ice, and more the push-pull of the arms on the stick, against the weight of the puck, that is flexing the stick. Am I crazy or seeing things?

Again I'm probably thinking too much, but what I just described is how it FEELS when I get a non-embarrassing wrister off, but I "thought" I should be flexing the stick on the ice as I bring it from my back foot to my front foot. I guess I'll just tell my left-brain to shut up and go practice till it feels right!

Thanks to all for your valuable advice!