Release and Accuracy Shooting Tips

Ask any hockey player to name the hardest skills to perfect, and he’s bound to name release and accuracy. These skills take time, practice, and patience to get right, but fortunately, by following a few simple tips, you can get better at them in no time at all!   

Tip #1: Use Your Legs

To begin with, always keep in mind that for a good, smooth release, you’ve got to be moving; there’s got to be some momentum going on!

The best way to build controllable momentum is to use your legs. Your legs are strong and can propel you forward while still providing a stable, strong foundation for the rest of your body.

Tip #2: Transfer Your Weight

When you’re following through on a shot, a lot of things need to happen in your body very quickly in order for all to go as planned.

One of the most important things that has to happen, however, is for you to transfer your weight quickly and smoothly from your back foot to your front foot. This will increase your power and accuracy, so practice this movement over and over again until it’s fluid and natural.

Tip #3: Change it Up

Most hockey players get into a kind of routine when it comes to how they shoot and release. They tend to always shoot off the same foot, for example, when they’re releasing.

Don’t allow yourself to get into these hardcore habits because, as you know, there’s not always time to get into your “perfect position” when you’re on the ice and in the heat of a game.

Therefore, practice shooting off both feet and from a variety of positions and stances. That way, you’ll be ready for anything!

Tip #4: Move the Puck In

We just got done telling you not to get into habits, but SOME habits can be good. One habit you should develop is to always move the puck close to your body as you prepare to shoot.

The closer in it is, the more accurate your release point will be and the more powerful the shot itself will be too.

Tip #5: Try Some Target Practice

Finally, to improve accuracy, make some targets for yourself. This could be a spot on the boards or, if you’re at home, it could be spots on your garage door or anywhere where you’re not going to break something.

The point is just to aim for certain spots and to be able to hit them. This will, hands down, help you to improve accuracy and will also serve to help you learn to handle the puck and get it to go where you want in a variety of situations and from many different angles and positions.

Perfecting release and accuracy isn’t easy, but with some practice and the help of these tips, you can do it!

Using Freestyle Practice Time Wisely

A lot of hockey coaches dedicate a portion of each practice to “freestyle practice,” a time in which the player can work on anything he or she wants. When you’re new to hockey, however, you may be unsure about how to spend this free time.

Hopefully, you know better than to use it as a chance to goof off and you understand that it should be spent doing something productive. While you could shoot pucks around or get in a little cardio, there are definitely more effective strategies for making the most of your freestyle practice time.  

Read on to learn about some of the best ways you can spend that free practice time; you’re sure to impress your coach (and yourself!) with these tips.

Try a New Move

If there’s a new move or trick that you want to nail, there’s no better time to get it down pat than during the freestyle part of practice. Even if you don’t have something specific to work on, you can try out some new things and, who knows, maybe even come up with a signature move.

Plus, if the coach hangs around during this part of practice, you can ask him for some feedback on the new stuff you’re trying out.

Make Your Shot Shine

Freestyle practice is also a great time to work on perfecting your shot. Try shooting off both feet and from different angles and positions. Or, just play a game of catch and shoot with another player.

You’ll find that, through trial and error and experimenting with your shot, you will learn how to alter it until it’s much better, stronger, and more precise than before.

Play with Your Teammates

While freestyle practice is the perfect time to learn more about yourself and how you play, it’s also a good time to learn more about how your teammates play...and about how you interact with specific types of players.

For this reason, don’t spend every freestyle practice alone. Try playing a one on one game or two on one keep-away. You’ll quickly learn more about how you work, and, in the process, you’ll also learn more about your teammates and improve puck protection skills, defensive tactics, passing skills, and more.

Skate Away

Finally, when needed, don’t hesitate to practice skating during your free time. This may seem basic or look like you’re “doing nothing,” but honestly, strong skating skills are essential, and they can take some time to build for new players. As such, don’t be afraid to just spend some time bettering your skating and your stability on the ice.

You can always ask one of your teammates or your coach for help too; seasoned skaters can easily spot what you’re doing wrong and give you helpful feedback.

In the end, though, no matter how you use your freestyle practice time, as long as you use it wisely and don’t waste it, it should prove helpful.

Tips for Safer Hockey Practice

Most people worry about young players getting injured on the ice. In truth, though, players can and often do get injured in hockey practice too. As such, it’s important for coaches to guard against practice injuries and to create a safe environment for their players. Coaches can’t control everything that happens in a real game, but they can get pretty close to controlling everything that happens during practice.

The first thing for coaches to remember is that a practice is just that, a practice. It’s not a real game, and though it should be treated seriously, there’s no reason for players to play as hard or as rough as they would during a game. Because practices happen daily for many young players, practicing too vigorously can drain energy and lead to muscle injuries and strain. And, allowing young players to get too rough during practices can lead to teammates hurting teammates, which is the last thing you want. Tell your players that it’s okay to “dial it down” a bit during practice. If you want, you can always step things up in the last one or two practices left before game day.

It’s also important, when running drills, for coaches to make sure that players are fairly evenly matched. When athletes are so young, there’s really no need to target their weaknesses by putting them up against much stronger players. Aim for pairs with complementary strengths and weaknesses but not for pairs where one player is much more skilled and/or aggressive than the other.

Coaches need to be aware of some of the more common injury-causing activities too. These include things like blocking and body checking. When players are practicing particularly risky maneuvers, coaches need to be even more watchful and attentive than usual. And, speaking of body checking, that’s not something that should be introduced too early on. Wait until players are physically strong enough to handle body checking before utilizing it in practice and, even then, use it sparingly.

Even when played correctly, hockey is a risky sport. Even the best coach may have some injuries occur on his or her watch, but those injuries are a lot less likely to occur if coaches follow these simple tips.

Related articles

• More Ontario kids being treated for concussions (globalnews.ca)

About Hockey Practice

Practice is important for every hockey player. Everyone, from the most seasoned professional all the way on down to the beginner just starting out, has to practice on a regular basis. There are ways that you can help your child to get more out of his or her practices and to be the very best.

First things first, there’s a tendency among kids (and even some parents) to treat practices as just boring, everyday events and then to treat games very seriously. In truth, though, practices are more important than games. They teach the skills and techniques needed for success at games. As such, instill in your child that practices are very important and encourage them to take them seriously.

There are tons of exercises and activities that can be done off the ice also.  Many shoot pucks in the driveway – Parents beware, a new garage door may be in your near future. Street or floor hockey skills transfer also, no ice is required. Hand – eye coordination as well as quicker feet skills can be picked up without ice.  Be creative!

Pick-up games serve as a good form of practice. It’s also smart to do some practicing without the puck to make sure your child is acing basic techniques and playing positions.

Just remember that old adage, “practice makes perfect” because it’s very true.

Related articles

• NHL 15: Producer Interview (insidehockey.com)