Backhand shooting techniques

When a backhand shot is mentioned, it is suggested that most commonly there are on-ly the “normal” two foot backhand shot. One of this videos main goals was to raise the awareness that different kind of backhand shooting techniques do exist, and that they are being used everywhere to score goals all the time. These other techniques on video are not too much different from the normal two-foot backhand shot however, and this video aims to show the little differences not for the first time ever, but to raise the awareness to junior players.

5.1.1 Normal backhand shot

First backhand shooting technique in the video is normal two – foot backhand shot.

Kärki (IIHCE) lists key things when performing a normal backhand shot [Translated from the Finnish]:

 Puck should be between the heel and the middle part of your blade (on back-hand side) where the puck then rolls towards the toe of your backback-hand.

 Backhand shot starts by transferring the weight from the grip hands side leg to the power hands side leg (back skate to front skate).

 Rotating the upper body and shoulders, giving the puck “wipe” like push.

 Power hand’s pull turns to push when puck becomes aligned to the body’s middle section.

 Turning the wrists gives more power and accuracy to backhand shot.

5.1.2 Backhand snapshot

Second backhand shooting technique in the video is a backhand snapshot. Same prin-ciples, weight transfer from back skate, getting power from wrists and clean follow-through are important elements in the backhand snap shot. Difference to normal backhand shot is that in backhand snapshot the normal backhand shot’s dragging, sweeping motion is eliminated. When in the normal backhand shot shooters power hand’s pull turns to push when puck becomes aligned to the body’s middle section, in backhand snapshot the motion is more violent and quicker, and the puck leaves the blade latest before it reaches vertical line with shooters front skate.

If a player is able to shoot the puck from backhand it makes him/her more complete player. If a player can release it with quick snapshot from the backhand it will be even more deceptive for the goalie to stop. The snap shot should be launched quickly, al-most as soon as the puck is on your stick. The idea is basic: get rid of the puck fast and hard. Although the shot can be executed on a skate-in, close-range attempt, the feel of the shot is very much like the traditional one-timer. (Cunningham 2002.)

5.1.3 One – foot backhand snapshot

Sometimes there is time to only release the puck quickly from backhand in an uncom-fortable and unstable position. Usually this situation occurs when puck is bouncing puck in good scoring situations near the opponents net.

Saarinen & Nackel (2007) state in their presentation about typical elements of effective shots, taken from close range to the net when purpose is to score [translated from the Finnish]:

 Quick shots

 One timing or two timing the shots

 Wrist shot

 Shooting from the uncomfortable or bad positions

 Shooting from where the puck is in bad position

Third shot in the video is a one-foot backhand snapshot. In this shot the shooter should be feeling uncomfortable and being in bad position, having only one skate on ice. Puck is being moved from front skate to back skate and back, purpose being that shots would be taken also where the puck is in bad position. This is done to demon-strate the surprising situations that happen fast in hockey, often in best scoring areas in front of the net where the traffic is.

Key things in a one-foot snapshot is that the shooter’s weight is on the supporting skate and more power to shot should be created through his/hers core as much as possible, as well as from the hand grip strenght from wrists. Good and clean follow-through is also important.

5.1.4 Backhand one-timer

Fourth backhand shooting technique in the video is shooting one-timers from lateral and diagonal passes. Like other backhand shooting techniques, the purpose is to re-lease the puck quickly from the backhand, assuming there is no time or space to turn it on the forehand. One timer has the quickest release from the backhand shots present-ed in this video.

Timing for the one-timer should be accurately gauged by the shooter, because there is only a fraction of a second opportunity for the shooter’s stick to contact the puck and put it into the net. Practice is the only way to improve the timing, whether we are talk-ing about forehand or backhand shot. The shot of choice on a forehand for the one-timer is usually the slap shot; however players should begin practicing this play using the snapshot. The snap shot will allow the shooter a little more margin for error due to the shortened backswing (as compared to the slap shot). On the backhand, the slap

Video does not present backhand slap shot because it is not truly recognized shot.

5.2 Backhand shooting drills

Second section in the video consists of backhand scoring drills. Three of the four drills have passers in them, so that the shots could be taken by one timing them from the backhand.

The one-timer combines three main elements: quickness, accuracy, and timing. The quickness and accuracy come from the passer; as this player must setup the shooter with a crisp and accurate pass, moving the puck toward the shooter’s front skate. Gen-erally, a pass across the slot or from deep in the offensive zone to the point works best because as the goaltender attempts to follow the puck, it is moved from the initial loca-tion toward the net before the goaltender has a chance to prepare him for the shot.

Also notable is that the passer, if possible, should give the passes from the backhand to maximize the benefits of passing play. (Stiller.)

5.3 Backhand puckhandling drills

Third chapter in the video presents different puck handling drills on the backhand.

Practising the puck handling only on the backhand is a good way to not only develop the backhand puck handling skills, but as it also develops the forehand puck handling skills. After handling the puck only on the backhand it makes going back to the fore-hand more natural and comfortable.

How can you develop a good backhand? First off, a solid backhand often goes hand-in-hand with excellent puck handling skills. You need to get the puck on your stick in a position to shoot, and working on your stickhandling will help you do that. When han-dling the puck on the backhand through the drills, the most challenging task for the player is to keep eyes up and away from the puck, readiness to turn hands in front of the body in turns and pivots, and generally not allow any touches to the puck with a forehand side of the blade. (Cunningham 2002.)