Doesn’t every hockey player wish they knew how to take a slapshot like Zdeno Chara or Shea Weber?!
If you’re looking to take your clapper from a rubber band gun to a howitzer, look no further as Quest Hockey coach Matt Schwartz is here with tips and drills for how to take a slapshot.
Slapshots are generally the hardest and fastest shot in any hockey player’s arsenal. But, they’re often slow to release and less accurate, compared to snapshots and wrist shots.
Elite players generate incredibly hard fast slapshots by utilizing the flex of their one-piece carbon fiber sticks by striking the ice behind the puck. As the player follows through, the carbon fiber stick snaps back to its original straight design, releasing all the stored energy of the flexed shaft into the blade and through the puck.
Tips on how to take a slapshot
The slapshot can be broken down into four stages: the wind up, slap the ice behind the puck, follow through, and finish pointing at the target.
Let’s examine the four stages of how to take a slapshot more closely…
Wind up: Players should pull their sticks back to roughly shoulder height — in a game, possibly a little higher or lower pending if you have more or less time available to wind up. Also, as you follow through, your bottom hand should slide should slide down your stick to a lower hand position.
Slap the ice behind the puck: Players should slap or strike the ice a few inches behind the puck with their bottom hand applying downward pressure into the ice or playing surface to flex their stick.
Follow through weight transfer: With the stick flexed, players should follow through the puck, tranferring their weight from their back to front foot (right to left foot for a right-handed shoot, left to right foot for a left-handed shooter) and snapping their wrist over and through the puck.
Point your stick at the target: As you follow through, it’s important to finish with your stick blade pointing at your target to imrp
Drills to improve your slapshot
- Pause at each stage of the slapshot without a puck: wind up, slap the ice, follow through weight transfer, and point your stick at your target.
- Pause at each stage of the slapshot with a puck: wind up, slap the ice, follow through weight transfer, and point your stick at your target.
- Rip some slapshots
- Take some slapshots down the line
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