Feature Story
Shooting to score – What are the odds?
By John Russo
Let’s Play
Hockey Columnist
Over the years, I have seen a
considerable number of videos and other aids and devices to help hockey players
shoot better and score more. Many video tapes, stick weights, weighted pucks,
wrist exercises and shooting schools exist.
One video, “The Shooters Edge” from several years ago, provided some of
the statistics and concepts that help learn where and how to shoot to optimize
scoring. Great shooters still spend hundreds of hours in the garage or basement
practicing against an empty net, however.
Some key concepts are as follows:
Statistics
• 71 percent of all goals are scored in
the bottom 12 inches of the net. There is more room down low.
• 58 percent of successful shots are
released within one second.
• 80 percent of goals are scored with
little or no windup.
• 27 percent of all goals are scored in
the five-hole – between the goalie’s legs.
• Only 20 percent of high goals are
scored over the goaltender’s blocker – 80 percent over the catcher.
• Only 6 percent of one-timers are scored
in the top 12 inches of the net.
• 47 percent of goals are scored from
within 10 feet of the net.
These statistics alone tell a big
story. They say: shoot low; shoot quick;
shoot at the five-hole when no obvious hole exists; if
shooting high, go over the catcher.
Concepts
• For goaltenders, it is easier to move
their hands than their feet, thus the advantage down low. Also, low shots only
have to gauge the left-right situation, not left-right and high-low. With 71
percent of goals low, who can argue?
• Release is the most important of the
three aspects (velocity, accuracy, release) of shooting. Higher velocity takes
time, allowing goaltenders to prepare and also for a defender to get a stick on
the shot. It is important to practice at full speed and get shots off
quickly with as much accuracy as possible. Accuracy will come if quick release
is properly practiced.
• Learn to shoot directly off of the
stick handle and off of both feet, not just the power foot.
• The snapshot is the most effective of
all shots. They have more power than wrist shots, they are quick and
accurate, and can be shot even without full control of the puck.
• Backhand shots are the least practiced
of all shots, but are the hardest shots to read by goaltenders.
• Always shoot low from the
outside; higher from the inside if goaltenders are down. For butterfly
goaltenders, the low shot is often 6 to 12 inches off the ice.
• Shooting on right- and left-handed
goaltenders:
a. Low blocker side is best for
left-handed shooters.
b. Low catcher side is best for
right-handed shooters.
c. Up over the blocker is the poorest
choice by all shooters.
d. Up over the catcher is the best high
option.
e. The five-hole is the best overall
option especially when the goaltender is moving.
• It is important to visualize openings
to shoot at from the puck’s viewpoint. The shooters’ eyes see a
considerably different situation than actually exists. The eyes see holes up
high that do no exist and miss low holes that do
exist. It is generally best to shoot low on the side that the shooter’s stick
is on (right side for right handers, etc.). This is
generally where the biggest hole is from the puck’s viewpoint.
Well, that outlines a few of the key
statistics and concepts. Now players have to remember to apply them – and keep
practicing!
John Russo, Ph.D., is founder and
director of the
Let’s Play Hockey
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