Goal Shooting: Preparation is the key!
Whatever level of hockey you play when it comes to goal scoring, preparation is the key!
In my coaching roles recently I’ve been concentrating a lot on goal shooting and the technique involved. To me, goal shooting is all having a rhythm: ensuring that each time you pull the trigger the ball, your body and the synchronisation between the 2 is consistently performing the same action so you ‘feel’ the shot rather than execute it.
Watching and over the years having done a fair bit of goal shooting practice, you get to a point where you can begin to tell before the ball has left the shooters stick, whether its going to be on target or not. The reason I can tell is that the player hasn’t prepared correctly to execute the shot.
I like to think hockey is a simple game, goal shooting should also be a simple skill to perform, which it is when the right steps are followed.Goal shooting can be broken down into 3 steps:
Ready
Aim
Fire
Step 1: READY
This step is all about getting the ball under control. A good starting position is for the receive to alway have their belly button pointing towards the net. This gives the best vision after making the trap so that the right decision can be made. If the receive has their belly button towards the net, when they make the trap the can see an advancing keeper, or a team mate on the post for a pass, or a defender on their way to tackle them.
When receiving the ball, ensure you stick and ball stay as close together as possible. Make sure you have a soft touch so when the ball hits your stick, its under your control straight away. A little trick when you are receiving the ball as it comes across your body left to right, is to ensure that the angle of your stick is at right angles when you make the trap. If you find the ball is running away from you on the trap, try and tuck your left hand between your right arm and hip/leg for the correct position.
Step 2: AIM!
So you’ve made the trap, now let’s get the ball going in the right direction! When shooting for goal the best shot is the low opposite corner of the goal. The reasoning is that if the goal keeper manages to get a kicker or pad onto the shot, the ball is more likely to spill in to the danger zone in front of the net and offer the team another opportunity to put the ball into the back of the net. So once you’ve made the trap and have the ball under control, take a sneaky look at the goals. Next, draw an imaginary line from the bottom opposite corner, about halfway along the side board, back to the ball. This is the line that we want to shoot the ball along. Begin to move the ball along that imaginary line towards the goal. Now we have all our momentum moving in the correct direction: towards the net.
Step 3: FIRE!!
The final step to putting the ball in the back of the net. All the hard work has been done, we’ve trapped the ball, got our bodies and the ball going in the right direction towards the net, all that’s left is to decide what sort of shot we use to get the ball to its destination. If you have time and space, a hit is the best solution, but if there’s heavy traffic and lots of defenders and pressure, you’re best to pull out a quick push or flick. A lot of people think its all about trying to score a goal with the most power, but at the end of the day, a well placed shot will have more success than a powerful one. Want proof? We’ll we’ve all seen someone having a shot on net, only to top the ball or hit it poorly, but ever so slowly the ball continues to make its way towards the net, passing out of the reach of the keeper and into the back of the net. Quick shots catch keepers off guard. Last little trick to remember is that shooting a goal is no different to passing to a team-mate, just visual them standing there on the post and pass the ball to their stick and you’ll find you’ve passed it into the back of the net.
So there’s a bit of help for your goal scoring. Remember it’s not all about power, it’s about accuracy and preparation. If all else fails, close your eyes and hope for the best!
Happy shooting!