How do I take a better slap shot?

[ryanmonty 35]

If you drop your hand too much it will be below the flex point of the stick, that's not a good thing. You need to know where your stick flexes and how it loads and releases, you do not want to grip below the kick point.

You want to transfer energy, not lunge. You need to be in control of your body at all times, not throwing every bit of yourself into the shot.

You really should be able to take a slapshot while you are skating and not just stationary. Balance is important for that and, again, lunging is not conducive to good balance.

If you have to drive the stick down (through the ice) in order to load it, go with a lighter flex. Yes, you need some down force to load a stick, but you do not need to mash it into the ice.

While follow through is important, going as high as is pictured is not safe or necessary in the vast majority of cases. In fact, the average player is more likely to get a high sticking penalty with a form like that than they are to score a goal.

i need some help and i believe it has to do with adjusting to the flex point on my new stick. I used a TO and had a bomb. Just picked up a APX and feels like the bottom of my stick just folds in half and the puck flutters to the corner when i shoot. or if i do get a hold of it, it just goes along the ice. Can anyone provide some tips on how to adjust to the APX? not sure if it's hand positioning or what?

thanks guys

[Souldriver 64]

To be honest I've never had a good slapshot with composite sticks but with the apx I had the worst. Same situation as you and the "intelli-sense flex" really does nothing to help. Even with my dt1 I get a better shot. I would say practice with different bottom hand positions to see where the flex is for slappers and try hitting it off different parts of the blade as well. Just go slow and feel it out before going hot and heavy with it. You are going from a mid kick to a low kick stick breaking

I did this with the widow and now I have a decent slapshot if I do it right.

[TeamHonda401 54]

I disagree totally about the APX.

For me the key was not trying too hard. If I stayed smooth and used proper techique, the puck came off harder and faster than any other low kick stick I have used. If I tried to muscle it and power through the shot and not let the stick do the work, it would stay along the ice and have no velocity. A lot of players that are used to a mid kick stick try to over power the shot and with a low kick stick it has an adverse effect. It's all about knowing the tool you have, and playing to it's strengths.

[Souldriver 64]

well that could of been the problem with me, but for me the snapers and wristers gave you more the more you put into them so i did the same with slap shots.

[Chadd 916]

well that could of been the problem with me, but for me the snapers and wristers gave you more the more you put into them so i did the same with slap shots.

That doesn't work with the widow, I really don't put much effort into my slappers with the widow and keep the follow through short and low. As for the APX, I have no idea. Nothing that I have tried seems to work with them.

[Souldriver 64]

That doesn't work with the widow, I really don't put much effort into my slappers with the widow and keep the follow through short and low. As for the APX, I have no idea. Nothing that I have tried seems to work with them.

I couldnt agree more, the widow is such a low effort stick and it rewards you for keeping it easy. The apx, well it's not a bad stick at all, but at this point in my game it's not for me. As a matter of fact with the widow I can keep things lighter and after games my not so great anymore shoulders hardly feel like I've played.

[ryanmonty 35]

hey guys thanks for the tips. kinda figured it out in warm ups the other night .... letting the stick do the work is totally correct .... i didnt wind up as much and focused more on my follow through to the target ..... also had to bring my lower hand up slightly ...... velocity obvoiusly isn't as hard as with the total one but its not far behind ..... maybe i'll even be able to catch some goalies off guard with the qucker wind up but we shall see :P

[Levsauce 2]

hit the ice before the puck and other then that just practice whenever you can