Shooters Illusion – See the Net Through the Eyes of the Puck

In this article and video I am going to share a big tip that will help you score more goals. This is something that is very simple to implement, yet quite a few people don’t actually realize this until they have been playing hockey for a long time. This is something that continually helps me score more goals and be a better goal scorer. So what is this magic tip?

See the net how the puck see’s it

Once you know what the puck see’s you will be able to improve your accuracy, notice more scoring opportunities and score more goals. Many hockey players get into the habit of shooting for what they can see, however the puck is down on the ice and – when carried on the shooting side – about 3-4 feet away from the body. This means there is close to a 5 foot difference in the angle from your point of view and the pucks point of view.

Sometimes when you see some net to shoot at, the puck can not actually get to that spot, or when it looks like there is no open spot to shoot, the puck could actually go in. This is known as the shooters illusion as illustrated below

*For a right-handed shot

In the picture above you can see a very big difference in what I can see and what the puck can see. To me it looks like there is not much to shoot at, however the reality is I could easily score from my location. The other side of this effect is when it looks like you have a lot of net opposite your shooting side, but when you shoot for that area the goalie easily stops you. The closer you get to the net the more profound this effect becomes.

Once you get close to the goalie another illusion appears, this one makes it appear as though you have room to shoot up high, when you will really be putting it into the goalies glove.

The top right corner looks pretty juicy in the picture on the left, which is why I always shoot for it, the problem is it feels like I keep shooting the puck into the goalies glove. Well, that’s because I probably am shooting the puck right into his glove. In the image on the right you can see all the goalie needs to do is lift his glove a couple inches to completely cover the top right corner.

Shooters Illusion Video

Quick tips to see the net from the eye’s of the puck

• The closer you get to the net the more pronounced this effect becomes
• If you can see some net on your shooting side you KNOW the puck can see even more
• If it looks like there is a lot of mesh on the side opposite of your shooting side it is because the goalie is playing the puck, chances are you cant hit the mesh unless you change the angle or go to your backhand
• When you get in really close to the net the top of the net might look open, but the goalies pads, glove, or blocker may be in your way

Start seeing the net how the puck does and you will start scoring more goals!

Video: Making a Pass

In working with younger players, there always seems to be the same common mistakes made when they are learning to pass.  In this video, I cover the steps to making a good pass.

1. Don’t try to make the pass from in front of your body
2. Don’t slap at the puck. Get it on your blade and push through the pass

Powerchalk Video Telestrator Website

I came across this site a few weeks back and it is awesome PowerChalk.com

Sometimes it’s just easier to have your players look at video to make them understand what went wrong on a play and many of us just don’t have the time to do chalk talk sessions every week or don’t have a facility where we can get our players together and watch video. The PowerChalk® website enables a coach to upload a video and record voice and screen graphics. You can then embed that video in your own website or send an email link to your players so they can not only watch the play but also listen to your analysis of the play. This allows you as a coach to know that your players can watch the video at home so when you get to the next practice you can talk about it. I know I’ve seen a difference with my team after beginning to use this service. I post the video to our team website and have my players watch my analysis of every goal we give up. I talk on the video about where the play broke down and how we should have played in each situation. You can go in slow motion and easily rewind back to specific spots on the video.

The cost is very reasonable. They have a free version that allows you to store ten videos and record your analysis for two minutes. A number of different upgrades are available to store more videos and record longer sessions. I use the 100 video storage and five minute recording features and it works great for me. If you have someone that videos your games then I think this is something you may want to take a look at.

WWW.POWERCHALK.COM

From their website:

PowerChalk® is the first and only web-based sports motion telestrator that lets you upload, markup, and voice-over videos without installing high-priced, hard to use (and harder to configure) software.  Already in use by Major League players and teams, PowerChalk® is changing the face of sports instruction.

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10 Soft Hands: 50 Ways to Score More Goals

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06 Work Behind the Net: 50 Ways to Score More Goals

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07 Develop Confidence: 50 Ways to Score More Goals

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09 Attend a School: 50 Ways to Score More Goals

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How to Improve the Power of Every Shot in Hockey

After coaching hockey for a number of years and working at a hockey camp I have noticed a number of common mistakes that hockey players make that are easy to fix and are robbing them of power. In fact I was making these same mistakes with 20+ years of hockey experience under my belt, and I only came to realizes these mistakes after training with the radar gun. In this article (and video) I will share a few ways that you can easily improve the power in every shot with just a slight change in your technique. I have also embedded a few videos that will give you workouts to do that will help improve your shot power even more.

Technique is everything

A common question I get is “what workouts can I do to improve my power”, my answer is “how good is your technique?”. Perfect your technique first. Once you have a fluid shot and you are getting all the power you can, then work on hitting the gym to get some more weight behind your shot. You should be shooting 100 pucks a day (or at least spend a few hours a week) to work on your technique. The great thing about shooting a lot of pucks is that it will give you a good workout and build all the muscles involved in shooting, so while improving your technique you will also build muscle. It’s like a 2 for 1 deal on shot power! ( I will include some workouts in this article though)

We already have covered technique in on and off-ice videos and articles for every shot. If you need help here’s a link for the slapshot, wristshot, snapshot and backhand. Here are a few questions you should be asking about your technique.

• Are your hands in the right spot for each shot?
• Would moving your bottom hand higher or lower increase or decrease your power?
• Are you transferring enough weight into your shot?
• Are you using all of your muscles to get power, or just your arms?
• Can your harness all your power while skating?
• Are you using your stick flex enough in your shot?

Many people think their shot is fine, but if you don’t have an absolute answer to every question there is a good chance your shot could use some work.

Rule # 1 – Use your Legs

This is the biggest problem I see with most hockey players, especially newer players. They simply aren’t using their legs enough to put more power into their shots.

Your legs are the most powerful muscles in your body, yet many hockey players don’t use them when they shoot. Even the ones that do use their legs can likely get more power by using them more! “How do you use your legs to get power in your shot?”, I’m glad you asked. Whenever you are practicing your shot make sure you are bending your knees. With your knees bent you should really push off with your back leg and transfer all that energy to the front leg. Think of it like jumping into the shot, you want to start your shot with an explosive burst of energy which starts from the legs.

Rule #2 – Free Your Top Hand

This is the 2nd biggest problem I see, and it’s not getting enough snap at the end of the shot. This happens with the wrist shot, slapshot and snapshot. A lot of beginner players develop their shot and are using just their bottom hand. A good fluid shot will be using both hands to pull the stick (and puck) towards the net, and end with a final snap (pulling back with the top hand and pushing forwards with the bottom hand). Get your top hand away from your hip and start using it in your shot!

On-Ice Explanation

Workouts to help improve Shot Power

Going to the gym and doing curls won’t help your shot power. In order to benefit from workouts done off the ice, you need to be doing sport-specific movements. If you want to improve your shot, (for the best results) you need to train the muscles used in the shot, in a similar manner they are being used on the ice. Hockey is all about explosive power, especially when shooting! You need to get as much power into that shot as quickly as you can, so slowly picking something up and slowly putting it down isn’t going to help you. I have included a good video I found on medicine ball throws. I like these workouts because they train your muscles in a similar motion as the motion used to shoot. You will be working on rotational power and explosiveness from the legs.

IHD January 2013 Newsletter

This month’s newsletter has been sent.  You can read the January 2013 Newsletter here.

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Product Review: Hockey Slide Board

Thanks to the team over at HockyTrain.com for sending us a great product for review.  The accompanying video shows a little about the it and how to use it.

I’m a big proponent of dryland training and this is one product I think really helps with that. The Hockey Slide Board allows the player to work on a skating stride while building their leg muscles.  I really like how portable this product is because it comes with a carrying bag and rolls up nice and small.  You can take it to practice and let the team work out off rink, or as you travel, you can use it pretty much anywhere you have a 8-10ft area.

It’s easy to set up and use. As you get good at working out on it, you can add other skills training like stickhandling to your work out.  Be sure to think about the player age as you go to purchase one of these.  For older player, I’d go with the 8ft board.  If you have a younger player, the 6ft is probably a better choice.

Be sure to check out this product and all the others they have to offer at HockeyTrain.com.