How to Shoot in Hockey: Wrist, Snap, Slap and Backhand
To shoot in hockey, load the puck on your back foot, transfer your weight forward as you pull the puck across your body, and snap your bottom hand while rolling your wrists so the blade points where you want the puck to go. The four core shots are the wrist shot for accuracy, the snap shot for a quick release, the slap shot for power, and the backhand for close-range scoring. Master the wrist shot first, then add the others.
This guide breaks down each shot, when to use it, and the drills that build a release goalies hate. Use a coaching board to draw shooting lanes and one-timer plays so your players know where the puck should end up before they ever pull the trigger.
What Are the Four Types of Hockey Shots?
Every goal starts with one of four shots, and each has a job. Great scorers are not one trick players. They pick the right shot for the moment.
Best for accuracy and quick corner picking. The puck sweeps off the blade with topspin. Your go-to from the slot and off the rush.
A shortened wrist shot with a fast release. Ideal in traffic, on rebounds, and any time you have less than a second to shoot.
Maximum power for point shots and long clears. Slower to load, so save it for open ice or a hard one-timer.
Deadly in close and on deke moves. Underrated because few players practice it, which is exactly why it fools goalies.
How Do You Take a Wrist Shot?
The wrist shot is the most important shot in the game because it blends accuracy, deception, and a quick release. The power comes from weight transfer and stick flex, not arm strength.
How Do You Take a Snap Shot?
The snap shot is a wrist shot with the windup removed. Instead of a long sweep, you cock your wrists back a few inches and fire. It sacrifices a little power for a much quicker release, which is why it scores so many goals in the slot and off passes.
Where Does the One-Timer Fit In?
A one-timer is a snap or slap shot taken directly off a pass without stopping the puck. It beats the goalie because it moves faster than they can slide across. Open your hips to the passer and set your stick on the ice before the puck arrives.
Dashed line is the pass from the corner (P). Solid arrow is the one-timer from the far circle (S) toward the net.
How Do You Take a Slap Shot?
The slap shot is the hardest shot in hockey and the toughest to master. Power comes from hitting the ice an inch or two behind the puck so the stick flexes and whips it forward. It is slow to load, so use it from the point or when you have time and space.
Custom Pro Hockey Whiteboard -w Handle | 2 Sided
Draw shooting lanes, one-timer plays, and net-front battles right on the ice. Two sided with a full rink and a zone view so your shooting drills stay crystal clear.
How Do You Take a Backhand Shot?
The backhand is the most underrated shot in hockey. Because so few players practice it, goalies read it poorly, which makes it lethal in tight and on breakaways. The mechanics mirror the wrist shot, just off the back of the blade.
How Do You Shoot Harder and More Accurately?
Shooting harder is about technique before strength. Use stick flex, transfer your weight fully into the shot, and shoot off both legs so you are not one dimensional. Accuracy comes from thousands of reps at real targets, not blasting into an empty net.
Push your weight down through the shaft on every shot. A flexed stick launches the puck. A stiff arm push does not.
Practice releasing while skating. Standing still shots do not translate to games. Add a catch and shoot off the pass.
Hang targets in the corners and shoot at them, not at the whole net. Corners and low blocker are the highest percentage spots.
Hockey Shooting FAQ
The slap shot. It generates the most speed because the stick flexes off the ice, but it is the slowest to load and the hardest to keep accurate.
The wrist shot. The puck sweeps off the blade with control and topspin, so it is the easiest shot to place in a corner.
A snap shot is a wrist shot with the long sweep removed. You cock the wrists back a few inches and fire, trading a little power for a much faster release.
It is usually weight transfer and an open blade, not weakness. Shift onto your front foot and roll your top wrist over so the blade closes on the follow through.
Load the stick flex by pushing your weight down through the shaft, transfer from back foot to front, and rotate your hips through the puck.
A shot taken directly off a pass without stopping the puck. Open your hips to the passer and set your stick on the ice before the puck gets there.
Teach Every Shot on Your Own Custom Board
Shooting is a team skill when players understand lanes, screens, and one-timers. Draw the play, show the release point, and run it on the ice. The Custom Pro Hockey Whiteboard gives you a full rink and a zone view so your shooting drills are never a guessing game.
