Improve Your Backhand Shot

By: Dwayne Blais

Professional Hockey Skills Coach Dwayne Blais explains how to improve your backhand wrist-shot and backhand snap-shot. The backhand shot is often neglected and not practiced often enough. Once you dial in the fundamentals it can be an extremely deceptive shot that goalies struggle to track.

Tips to Improve Your Backhand Shot

1. Good Hand Position: Make sure that your hands are not too tight together and not too far apart. Keeping your hands hip-width apart is a good distance for a wrist shot. 
2. Keep Puck Close To Body: This will allow you to generate power on your backhand. Keep your puck in the shooting box, which is usually about a blade length away from your skates.
3. Keep Hands Away From Body: Keeping your hands away from body will allow you to take a shot with greater force. If your hands are close to your body it is hard to push and pull with your top and bottom hands.
4. Blade Is Cupped: As you are taking a backhand shot, it is helpful to cup your blade to be able to control the puck.
5. Pull With Bottom Hand (Power Hand): On the backhand shot you will need to pull hard with your bottom hand to generate force, stick flex and power with your shot. 
6. Follow Through With Shot: Follow through to where you want to aim your shot.
7. Puck Travels From Heel Of Blade To Middle Of Blade: On your backhand shot, it is helpful to have the puck roll from the heel of the blade to the middle of the blade. This will help with power and accuracy.
8. Generate Power With Legs: Transfering power with your legs will help with both your backhand shots and forehand shots. 

Tips For Shooting At Home:

• It is better to shoot 1,000 pucks the right way than 10,000 pucks the wrong way. When shooting at home, bring your pucks in tight and follow the backhand shooting tips from Dwayne Blais above.