Tips to Mastering the Wrist Shot
As the market leader in hockey shooting tarps for 20 years, naturally one of the questions we are commonly asked is: “How can my player shoot the puck better?” While there are many different shots required for mastering the game (slap shot, snap shot, or a backhand). the best all-purpose shot for players to master is the wrist shot, affectionately known as “the wrister”.
Just like with all aspects of training, the key to an effective wrister is master the basics and then practice incessantly! Here are the five basics to perfecting the wrister:
- With the puck on your stick, slide your body forward, leaving the puck at your back foot.
- Once in position, the most effective wrist shot is a pull motion. The idea is to pull the puck from your back foot toward the net.
- Puck position on your stick is critical. You want to position the puck out as far as possible towards the tow of the stick, with the heel of the stick off the ice just a bit.
- As you start pulling the puck, step forward towards the target while pushing down with your bottom hand to apply pressure to the toe of the stick.
- Finally, pull and follow through towards your target. Once you have completed the wrist shot, your blade should be straight up in the air.
The following video explains and demonstrates the same five basic elements:
Once you have the basic form down, the next steps are to practice, practice, and practice! The best way to do this is by using a hockey training tarp, also known as a shooting tarp. This tarp will not only allow you to practice the fundamental mechanics of a wrist shot but also start to make it a more accurate shot for you as well.
