Ice Hockey Basics: Types of Shots

Learning a new sport can be difficult, even if you’re only watching it. Ice hockey is a particularly difficult sport for many new fans because of its speed and physical nature, which can make it hard to follow what’s happening. Unfamiliar terms used by announcers during televised games can present another hurdle for those just getting their feet wet–or frozen–with the game.

One set of terms often used during the course of a hockey game are those used to describe specific shots. In hockey, there is a variety of different ways players use their sticks to get the puck into the net.

Wrist shot. This is the basic, most common type of shot. It is a forehand shot that uses a flick of the wrist to direct and propel the puck.

Slap shot. Also a common shot type–popular and familiar enough to hockey fans that they named a movie after it. The slap shot is the fastest, most powerful and least controllable of all shots. But its speed often counteracts its lack of control to power it right by opponents or by the goalie.

The slap shot takes not only power but some preparation, as the stick blade strikes the eyes behind the puck before hits the puck itself. The resulting bend in the stick creates additional power that sends the puck flying at speeds often in excess of 100 miles per hour. Players who stop slap shots with their bodies are often escorted off the ice for repairs.

One-timer. In most cases, when a player addresses the puck, he takes a moment to position it for before propelling it forward. The most skilled players, however, can skip the positioning step and just propel the puck in the direction they wanted to go. This can be an excellent scoring strategy, since the goalie can’t immediately judge the puck’s trajectory.

Forehand and backhand. The definitions of these shots are the same as they are for shots in tennis. The forehand involves striking the pot with the stick on the dominant side of the body, whether this is the right or the left, and with the dominant hand providing the power to move the puck along the ice. A backhand is struck on the nondominant side, the nondominant hand providing the power.

These are the most common shots used in ice hockey, so next time you watch a game, listen for the announcers to mention a “slapper,” a forehand/backhand combo, or a one-timer as the teams work to put the puck in the net.

SOURCES: The Concise Encyclopedia of Hockey by M.R. Carroll


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *