what is a wrist shot?

[raygunpk 0]

How is a wrist shot classified and how is it different than a snap shot?

People say Joe Sakic has one of the best wrist shots ever, but watching some of his highlight videos it seems like a snap shot to me. He skates in stride and then forces the stick on the ice to flex it and snap it towards the net, in one fluid motion. Like Messier use to do on the off wing shooting off the wrong foot, or Iginla.

Isn't a wrist shot like a side sweeping motion, like Markus Naslund does?

[Aussie Joe 0]

I know my wrister has evolved into a bastardised Wrist/Snap shot. More power and accuracy is achieved when you combine the two.

[Chadd 916]

Nobody has the time to do a full windup traditional wrist shot at the NHL level. Nearly all NHL wrist shots are snap shots.

[Law Goalie 147]

Shrug... I'd say a 'wrist shot' is any forehand shot that involves rolling the wrists significantly. That's certainly how the term originated. Sure, you could use a big, long sweeping motion through and across the puck that finishes through the wrists, but that's not necessary by any means.

I'd say 'snap shot' is the harder one to define... most people use it to mean, 'a shot released quickly,' but it might be definable as a forehand shot that doesn't roll the wrists in a big way, ie. one that disguises its release somewhat.

[raygunpk 0]

But doesn't every shot involve a rolling wrist follow through? I guess shots are like Aussie said, a mix of the two.

[Law Goalie 147]

Sure, but a backhand shot is defined *primarily* by the orientation of the stick blade, just as a slapshot is defined by the wind-up. Both involve the wrists, sure, but both are 'overdefined' by another attribute. I'm getting into annoying lexicography, here, but it's a bit like classifying public schools. All public schools are filled with students under the age of majority, but you can further classify them into 'high schools' and 'elementary schools', both of which fit the broader definition, but you'd call a school that had both age groups a 'public school'.

Rigidly classifying shots is both illogical and pointless, since you can find all kinds of exceptions, like somebody who takes a full wind-up backhand whack and scores - backhand or slapshot? When Pavel Bure used to take a huge sweeping motion with the puck, within rolling his wrists, and just whisk the puck into the net from several feet out, what do we call that? It's not a deke... I guess what I'm saying is that if there's no overriding condition, a shot is *generally* a wrist-shot; demanding quickness of release might require compromises in technique (as Aussie suggested) that make a sub-class of wrist-shot called the 'snap shot'; but there may still be oddities that don't fit.

[Jarick 5]

I define it as a shot where you are able to bring the puck across your body, load the shaft a bit, roll the puck down the blade, and snap your wrists down to shoot the puck. There's a long period of contact between the blade and the puck.

This is opposed to the slap shot which has a lot of wind-up and loading and very brief contact between the blade and puck and the snap shot which has very little wind-up but retains the snapping motion of the wrists.

So I'd say it's really the sweeping motion and heel-to-toe puck rolling that defines the wrist shot. Sakic seems to take more snap shots than wrist shots (as do most NHL players I see). Robbie Schremp I know had the highlight video full of wrist shots. Other than him, it seems rare because it gives up so much time to both the defenders and the goalie.

Personally, it took a long time before I figured out the mechanics of the wrist shot, but when I did all my shots improved immensely. Plus figuring out how different curves react when you're rolling the puck and when you snap your wrists, etc.

[peck12 1]

I have always though that a wrist shot, whether the load up is short or long, is defined by the puck rolling off the blade. Whereas a snap shot is when the puck doesn't start on the blade like on a wrist shot, but you more or less hit the puck like a slap shot, but obviously in a much shorter and quicker motion. Even if you're skating down the ice and the puck is only an inch or so in front of the blade you just quickly hit it instead of getting it on your blade and rolling it. Not sure if it's right, but it's what I've always thought.

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

Nobody has the time to do a full windup traditional wrist shot at the NHL level. Nearly all NHL wrist shots are snap shots.

Nedved was probably the last recent example of a true wrister.

[chippa13 1844]

I might put Kariya in that category.

[JR97 2]

Nobody has the time to do a full windup traditional wrist shot at the NHL level. Nearly all NHL wrist shots are snap shots.

Nedved was probably the last recent example of a true wrister.

Concur. One of the purest wrist shots you'd ever see. Too bad he wasn't more of a competitor.

[Patrick67 1]

I'd say Kovalchuk does (IMO) the true wrist shot alot.

[raygunpk 0]

Yeah I've seen Kovalchuk do it when he cuts across left to the center and just rips one. Naslund as well, I don't think he even do anything close a snap shot.

[Kachun 1]

Bringing back this subject cause i've been seeing alot of people outdoors shooting like this too and i'm trying to learn how to shoot like that as well and the speed they get off are amazing, they wind up like a reg. wrister and right before they let go, it sounds like a 'mini' snap shot sound i guess you could say. a good example is the nhl accuracy shooting video:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=kAMz6PxcJcw

if you listen in closely to most of the players shot, you can hear contact with the puck again before it's released and sounds like a mini snap shot...am i going crazy? I have a full follow through wrister where the puck is always on my blade till release, what are they doing before they release the puck?

[tamtamg 12]

Bringing back this subject cause i've been seeing alot of people outdoors shooting like this too and i'm trying to learn how to shoot like that as well and the speed they get off are amazing, they wind up like a reg. wrister and right before they let go, it sounds like a 'mini' snap shot sound i guess you could say. a good example is the nhl accuracy shooting video:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=kAMz6PxcJcw

if you listen in closely to most of the players shot, you can hear contact with the puck again before it's released and sounds like a mini snap shot...am i going crazy? I have a full follow through wrister where the puck is always on my blade till release, what are they doing before they release the puck?

the click you hear right before the puck is release is due to the flex they are putting on their sticks. When you learned your wrist shot, you probably remember your coach telling you to "load your stick" by pushing down with your bottom hand and pulling back with your top hand. Doing so causes you stick to bow/flex. The flexing causes you blade bend away from the puck causing a very small gap between the two. As the stick begins to unload it catches up to the puck creating the slap sound you hear.

[raygunpk 0]

That actually makes sense. When I shoot though I go heel and roll off the toe, would there still be the gap? I never hear a snap sound, its almost silent.

[Chadd 916]

Bringing back this subject cause i've been seeing alot of people outdoors shooting like this too and i'm trying to learn how to shoot like that as well and the speed they get off are amazing, they wind up like a reg. wrister and right before they let go, it sounds like a 'mini' snap shot sound i guess you could say. a good example is the nhl accuracy shooting video:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=kAMz6PxcJcw

if you listen in closely to most of the players shot, you can hear contact with the puck again before it's released and sounds like a mini snap shot...am i going crazy? I have a full follow through wrister where the puck is always on my blade till release, what are they doing before they release the puck?

the click you hear right before the puck is release is due to the flex they are putting on their sticks. When you learned your wrist shot, you probably remember your coach telling you to "load your stick" by pushing down with your bottom hand and pulling back with your top hand. Doing so causes you stick to bow/flex. The flexing causes you blade bend away from the puck causing a very small gap between the two. As the stick begins to unload it catches up to the puck creating the slap sound you hear.

That is not what is causing the click.

First there is the crack when they catch the puck, followed by an echo as the sound bounces back off the glass. Malkin was leaving the toe over the puck and the sound was from the impact of the middle of the blade as it accelerated and made contact with the puck. Kovalchuk, on the other hand, was stickhandling forehand to backhand and then shooting. That was leaving a gap between his stick and puck that had nothing to do with attempting to load the stick.

If you have to put much down force into your shot, you aren't doing it very efficiently. It should be all about hand speed. Relying on down force to create your velocity will result in an inconsistent and inaccurate shot.

[raygunpk 0]

Saw this video of Ovechkin, about half way in he does the old school sweep wrist shots.

Couldn't really hear it over the music, but it did on at least one shot have that click feeling right before the puck released.

[Jarick 5]

Here's an interesting take on the wrist shot:

http://rvewong.wordpress.com/about/hockey-...the-wrist-shot/

The key in getting off a good shot is to make the puck roll down your blade as you move the puck forward. There are two ways to make the puck roll down your blade. Both methods may be used at the same time or just one by itself.

The first is called The Pull and it’s the easiest most effective method but only works if you have the puck well loaded (In the right position). To execute the pull, as you move your stick forward pull your stick toward your body thus forcing the puck to move down your blade to the tip and if you have good friction tape on your stick the puck will begin to roll and will not hop over your blade. As you do the pull you will rotate the blade forward using your wrists as hard as you can. You are now doing three things all at the same time, moving the stick forward, pulling the stick to your body and rotating the blade. The trick is to get the timing right so you get maximum velocity as the puck gets to the tip of your blade. Remember you are not always starting from the same load position so there is no such thing as constant timing.

The second technique for getting the puck to roll down your blade is called the Open Close. As you move the stick forward rotate the blade backward, this will cause the puck to start moving from the heel to the toe of your blade and if you have good tape the puck will start to roll. As the puck reaches about mid way from its’ load position to the tip of the blade start rotating the blade forward as hard as you can. Like the pull your timing is critical and not a constant thing because your load position and strength of shot are not constant.

I'll say when I do "the pull" on a wrist shot, velocity is much, much higher. I don't think I do the "open close" as I'm not quite sure what he's talking about. But I'm trying to get that extra spin on the puck for my wrist shots.

[Aussie Joe 0]

I've been working on my wrister recently. Trying to perfect the timing using both inline and ice pucks as I play both. The hardest thing I am finding is getting more flex into the shot on the ice. I have watched the Kovalev vid a couple of times and still feel I'm using too much arms. Is there a way you can best draw more power from the stick's flex?

[Chadd 916]

I've been working on my wrister recently. Trying to perfect the timing using both inline and ice pucks as I play both. The hardest thing I am finding is getting more flex into the shot on the ice. I have watched the Kovalev vid a couple of times and still feel I'm using too much arms. Is there a way you can best draw more power from the stick's flex?

use a softer flex

[Aussie Joe 0]

Thats difficult, it means when I pass/receive, one time etc. I loose allot of power/accuracy. Perhaps its time I push it and make a transition.

Although my original question was more about technique. As I'm not sure I'm performing the right actions to get the most out of my stick flex.

[westcoastsniper 0]

I'm currently re-working my wrist shot as well. I have been doing the traditional sweep since I started playing, and while you get a good shot off, you don't usually have enough time to pull it way back, then all the way through.

Usually I have the puck directly on the blade, now when I have the puck on the forehand I bring the blade back about two inches from the puck, not a lot of space. (the puck is also situated in the middle of the blade)

With my lower hand (in my case left hand) I 'push' the shaft down and through (not into the ice but more of a diagonal from the axis of the ice). At this time my lower hand is oriented with my palm facing the target. I push as hard I can and try and get my body over the stick as much as possible (the leaning forward tip from Kovalev is actually really helpful, what he means is lean forward over the stick, but still oriented towards the target so you aren't on your toes but are fairly neutral with your feet.

With the top hand, because it's no longer the sweeping motion the wrist does not turn over, I think that's a huge point because if you roll your hand over you just get a weak floppy shot or it will just skid along the ice (all things I've been doing for far too long)

I can't stress it enough, you have to really lean on the shaft and push with your hand! Once you do that, take about three hundred shots a day for a few years, then you'll be happy with the results.

[raygunpk 0]

Does your top hand pull? Or is it all bottom hand doing the work by pushing?

[Aussie Joe 0]

Thanks WestCoast, your post was a great help. Hit the ice tonight and I will start looking at my wrister in the way you mentioned.