Puck flies too high

[blueliner27 12]

Okay, I went stick & puck today. As I told before, my wrist shot is week, so I practiced a lot. Maybe I took over around 100 shots today. Then, I see some improvements and I was happy.

Here is my problem. I took couple of slapshots after having 5 mins of break but the puck flied too high!! Shot powers were decresed and, of course, I found out that the puck quickly rised but soon dropped down before it reached to the net. (two shots went almost over the glass) What happened to me? Is it me going crazy? (I use Drury curve but less open; should I change my curve?)

[Bazan110584 0]

Yeah, I'd say borrow someone's stick, maybe with a more closed face, and try that for a couple shots. If that doesn't work....yeah, I got nothin' if that doesn't work. Sorry.

[blueliner27 12]

I don't think it's a curve problem. I see "puck quickly rised but soon dropped down before it reached to the net".

I guess the matter is when the blade hits the puck. I can't figure out what's going on though!

[thejackal 46]

swing a bit slower. sounds like you're not making good contact. relax, and feel the swing.

[Chadd 916]

Without seeing it, my first guess is that you have bad form. Sounds like you're coming up too high, too fast on your follow-through.

[blueliner27 12]

swing a bit slower. sounds like you're not making good contact. relax, and feel the swing.

Alright, that explains me why the puck went sooo high.

But can you explain me why the puck goes up-and-down, not going straight up high? Plus, It's super slow. Anybody?

Without seeing it, my first guess is that you have bad form. Sounds like you're coming up too high, too fast on your follow-through.

Humm.. that's possible.

I believed when I swing the stick, I have to raise the stick highest I can. That's because I see my shots increase its velocity. But today's case was somewhat really strange. I haven't noticed that my shot goes that ridiculous!

[TBLfan 25]

focus more on keeping it lower and hitting a spot in the net instead of getting it as fast as possible.

[lee92 2]

sounds to me like you're slicing the puck, much like a pitching wedge. hit the ice a little farther back from the puck, and close the face of your blade more.

[Buzz_LightBeer 972]

how long is your (hockey) stick? i use a drury cut to my eyebrows, ive found it forces more rotation in a slapshot, which will promote lower shots

[pat19 0]

roll your wrist down when you follow through.

[DamnLocust 0]

are you experiencing this with those pro stock xxxlites you got? If so, it could be the curve or possibly the lie. When you strike the puck, is the blade flat on the ice?

what part of the blade are you striking the puck with?

[thejackal 46]

how long is your (hockey) stick? i use a drury cut to my eyebrows, ive found it forces more rotation in a slapshot, which will promote lower shots

eyebrows? that's a pretty long stick.

[Buzz_LightBeer 972]

i like the wrist shot you can get with it, and it only a small adjustment

[KYHockey3 0]

how long is your (hockey) stick? i use a drury cut to my eyebrows, ive found it forces more rotation in a slapshot, which will promote lower shots

eyebrows? that's a pretty long stick.

stick length is all pp. i use a stick up to my eyebrows. i just cant shoot very well with a shorter stick.

[Chadd 916]

Without seeing it, my first guess is that you have bad form. Sounds like you're coming up too high, too fast on your follow-through.

Humm.. that's possible.

I believed when I swing the stick, I have to raise the stick highest I can. That's because I see my shots increase its velocity. But today's case was somewhat really strange. I haven't noticed that my shot goes that ridiculous!

BINGO we've found a major source of the problem. Find a good instructor and pay him/her to spend half an hour with you on your technique.

sounds to me like you're slicing the puck, much like a pitching wedge. hit the ice a little farther back from the puck, and close the face of your blade more.

And break a lot more sticks in the process.

[Patrick67 1]

I use a drury and avoid closing the blade while shooting slappers, if I close the blade too much it will wobble ala your over the glass shots.

[blueliner27 12]

how long is your (hockey) stick? i use a drury cut to my eyebrows, ive found it forces more rotation in a slapshot, which will promote lower shots

I haven't measured it yet but it goes between my nose and upper lip.

are you experiencing this with those pro stock xxxlites you got? If so, it could be the curve or possibly the lie. When you strike the puck, is the blade flat on the ice?

what part of the blade are you striking the puck with?

Humm... I don't know. I used to use Synergy ST (prostock; lacavalier clone) and it seemed having same lie. When I used that, the problem isn't that big issue. Only 2 shots out of 15 had trouble, not that much. After I use xxxlite, everything turns out really weird. If I remember correctly, I found out that the puck goes crazy, like: puck flips.... grr. it's hard to explain. Okay, I'll make it clear.

Normally when people shoot, a puck goes steadly straight, not shaking or flipping around. What I see when I shoot is going either not rising or flipping like the knucle puck in the mighty ducks movie. :P

Heck, If any of you think I'd better get personal trainer, How should I get a trainer? Just by phone call?

[Patrick67 1]

Blueliner it's your shootingform, you close the blade way to much.

I tried this while adjusting to the drury.

Force yourself to open your blade more while shooting and the problem will cease.

[blueliner27 12]

I gotta have more practice. I'll see how it goes tonight.

[gp3r 0]

Looks to me like your swinging only with your arms, which will cause your shot to lack power. Remember, this is not a quick snap-shot. You have to make sure you transfer your weight properly through the puck. When your at the end of your follow through, most of your weight, just like in golf, should be on your leg closest to the target. A good way to do that is to use your opposite leg and push with it while your hitting the puck. As far as the height on your shot, you should be able to control it with your follow through (much like in golf). Also put it this way, when you're doing a slapshot, you're not trying to hit the puck, you're trying to hit the ice as strongly as you can, in order to create flex in your stick, which is what's give you power.

Regarding the blade, shooting with your blade open won't help you at all,nor will it help you shooting with it closed, just make sure it's squared to your target.

Practice the basics, then you can start messing around with your slapshot and do one-timers and stuff like that.

[blueliner27 12]

Okay, I went stick and puck yesterday. It went okay, but I don't satisfy much on the result. I kinda fixed the puck going too high; yet, the knucle puck thing was often shown. The puck seemed carrying more power than before, but I'm still struggling with the knucle puck. :(

in fact, I'm happy with my wrist shot though. :D

[FlyChicaga 21]

I used to have a problem very similar to this. I would take slappers from the blue line and the puck would fly up over the crossbar or ding the goalie in the face. Not really what I was looking for...

I had a Gaborik curve Easton Synergy ST Grip that I was using to take these shots. I purchased a Weight curve Warrior stick due to its weight and the more conservative curve. My shots improved slightly, but they would either so sliding across the ice slowly or be fast and ricochet off the crossbar.

A lot of the problem was with my form. I would put the puck too far from my body, and I'd open the face of my stick as I followed through. I was "chipping" it so to speak. I found after consulting a goalie coach at shinny (he sees lots of shots) that I needed to follow through with my shots by turning over my wrist.

If you take your shot, when you follow through look where you are "pointing" the stick. If you are pointing the toe of your blade towards the arena lights, then you do not have proper form. Instead, as you pass through your shot and make contact with the puck, "roll" your low-hand wrist over towards where you want the shot to go. Then, take your high-hand, and pull it in front of your body. By the end of the shot, your high-hand should be under your tricep of your low-hand, and the low-hand should have the wrist "twisted" over the stick with the toe pointing towards the place you were aiming.

It is also important to shift weight in your body. Don't just flail your arms... use your body. Don't worry about POWER so much, but more CONTACT. The shot speed comes from your stick flex and weight shifting, not from the power in your arms so much. Some of it does... but not as much as you'd think.

So in summary:

Puck in closer to body

Shift weight in body to help with puck contact

Focus on hitting puck properly, not hard

Roll wrist through the shot, turning wrist over, pointing toe towards goal

Bring butt end of stick under your low-arm, not into the armpit of your high-arm

Try this out, let us know. Good luck!

[blueliner27 12]

Thanks for replying such detailed.

Just Quick Question. We've been thought that one must look the puck when you shoot the puck. But I've seen many NHL players do not look down but shoot well. Is it just because they are "Pro"?

[mack 44]

When you're comfortable enough with yourself and your shots you can figure out where you're shooting without looking.

[thejackal 46]

Keep it in your field of vision, but dont stare at it too much. do you play any other sports? i guess its a bit similar to batting or playing tennis.