Now that it’s September, I wanted to share 1 little on-ice secret
that is going to help you have a great start to your season.

::: SHOOTING – Making The Goalie Adjust :::


Elite players all keep their feet moving, with the puck on their
forehand side (not straight out in front of them), when going in for
a shot on net, but they also made a quick lateral movement right
before they release the shot.

I’m not just talking about a tiny little toe drag here…
… these shooters made a sharp 90 degree cut, with the puck,
their feet, or both, right before the release of their shot.

This is NOT just about forwards – defense need to do the same thing.
A quick little puck drag or taking a few quick lateral steps before the shot
is enough to get the goalie to adjust, which opens up space in the net.

If you just come at the goalie straight on, they have time to square up
to you and set before you release the shot.  However, when you make
a quick sharp cut (or two) before you shoot, the goalie has to adjust
accordingly.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to pull the puck laterally in towards
your feet with a quick forehand toe drag. In this case, you don’t need to
change the position of your feet much, but you still force the goalie to
adjust right before you release the puck.

An even more effective way of executing this sharp cut is most easily
done when coming down your off-wing (the left side if you are a right
handed shot and the right side if you are a left handed shot).  While you
can execute this sharp cut towards the net with the puck on either your
forehand or backhand side, it is much easier to do with the puck on your
forehand.

Drive hard down your off wing carrying the puck on your forehand, and right
before you shoot, push the puck out slightly on your forehand side, make a
sharp cut towards the middle of the ice with your feet, and then release the shot.
When done effectively, this quick move forces the goalie to move across their
crease slightly, which opens up both the five-hole as they slide across and
the side of the net they just came from. A quick shot to the five hole or across
the net back in the direction you came from will be most effective with this move.

If you want to get really fancy, you can combine the lateral toe drag into your
feet on the forehand side with the quick push-out to the forehand side and
sharp cut to the middle – that forces the goalie to adjust twice and will open
up even more space in the net.  We might have to save that one for the
shooting and stick-handling video series though.

Try it out at your next practice and see how it forces the goalie to adjust
and opens up more holes to shoot at in the net.

Good luck with the start of your season and keep
Working Hard, Dreaming BIG & Taking Action.

Feel free to pass this message along to anyone who you think might
enjoy the information.

Your friend and coach,

~ Kim

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
Director & Founder, Total Female Hockey
www.Totalfemalehockey.com