10 Shooting Drills to Score More Goals

From: Brandon Rubeo of the Hockey Players Club and Quest Hockey.

Why Develop These Shooting Skills:

Because nothing is more fun than filling the net! 🚨

Plus, scoring opportunities can appear — or vanish — in an instant.

To become a consistent goal-scorer, you need to master shooting in various ways and situations, building comfort and confidence no matter the circumstances.

With practice, our progressive 10 Shooting Drills to Score More Goals will help you change shot angles and release quick, lethal shots off a pass with precision and speed.

*Full drill description, tips, and optional add-ons below the video.

VIDEO: 10 Shooting Drills to Score More Goals

10 Shooting Drills to Score More Goals

1. ‘MacKinnon Front Stickhandle Pull’ to Shooting Position

Why:

Oftentimes we carry the puck out in front of us, which is great if we’re about to deke or pass the puck, particularly to our weak side, but not if want to shoot.

This simple drill works on transitioning the puck from out in front of you to your strong side and in a good shooting position.

How:

Begin with your toes facing the net while stickhandling the puck out in front of you.

Use your backhand to pull the puck over and slightly back to your strong side shooting position and quickly snap the puck at the net.

Drill Tips:

• Once you pull the puck to your strong side, avoid taking an extra stickhandle as it provides the goaltender (and potential defenders) more time to prepare for and anticipate the shot.

• Keep your top hand up and in front of your body so your bottom hand can properly engage the flex of your stick.

• Initiate the flex of your stick with the toe of your blade.

• Challenge yourself to perform this drill with your head up the entire time.

• As you gain confidence, challenge yourself to increase the speed at which you can perform the drill.

2. ‘Ovechkin Snapshot’ with Strong Side-Foot Down and Weak-Side Foot Elevated on a Chair

Why:

Oftentimes we don’t have time to turn our hips in order to shift our weight from back-to-front, or more specifically our strong-side to weak-side foot.

Instead, we need to load up our strong-side foot and bottom hand to quickly release a lethal snapshot to the back of the net.

How:

Line up with your chest and toes facing the net and pucks off to your strong-side.

Elevate and place your weak-side foot on a chair, toes pointed down.

While keeping your weak-side foot elevated, shoot one puck at a time.

Drill Tips:

• Avoid your core rotating away from the net — instead, keep your chest square to net and shift your weight into and through your bottom hand and strong-side foot.

• Keep your top hand up and in front of your body so your bottom hand can properly engage the flex of your stick.

• Initiate the flex of your stick with the toe of your blade.

• Challenge yourself to perform this drill with your head up the entire time.

3. ‘Laine Weight Shift’ Catch and Release

Why:

It’s common to receive passes across our body (i.e. from our weak-side) in situations where it’s advantageous to release the puck as quickly as possible — whether a quick release gives us a brief advantage over the netminder and/or time and space don’t exist to hold onto the puck any longer.

How:

Ideally, perform this drill with a teammate, or a passer/rebounder, who can pass you pucks.

Begin with your chest and toes facing the net.

While catching a pass from your weak-side, or imitating catching a pass from your weak-side (as demonstrated in the video above), slightly rotate your toes and hips to your strong-side and shift your weight to your strong-side foot.

Once the puck is loaded in a powerful shooting position on your strong-side, aggressively snap the puck on net, synchronizing the weight shift from your strong to weak-side foot with the downward flex and wrist snap follow through of your hands.

Drill Tips:

• Avoid taking an extra stickhandle once the puck is on your strong-side.

• Keep your top hand up and in front of your body so your bottom hand can properly engage the flex of your stick.

• Initiate the flex of your stick with the toe of your blade.

• Challenge yourself to release the puck with increasing speed and accuracy.

• Challenge yourself to perform this drill with your head up the entire time.

Optional Changes or Add Ons:

• Perform this shooting drill while skating towards the net.

4. ‘Kessel Switch Feet’ Shoot in Stride

Why:

Today's goaltenders are highly skilled, making it harder than ever to find the back of the net.

To increase our chances of scoring, it's crucial to minimize any telltale signs that we’re about to shoot.

One common giveaway is pausing or slowing down to load up a shot, which gives the goalie a clear signal to prepare to make a save.

By ‘masking’ our shot release within a skating stride, we disguise our intentions, providing the goalie less time to react and make a save.

How:

Line up with your chest and toes facing the net and pucks off to your strong-side.

Grab a puck and elevate your strong-side foot.

Synchronize stepping from your weak-side foot onto your strong-side foot while snapping the puck on net.

Drill Tips:

• Use the step from your weak to strong-side foot to engage more flex, i.e. downward pressure, into your stick for added power.

• Keep your top hand up and in front of your body so your bottom hand can properly engage the flex of your stick.

• Initiate the flex of your stick with the toe of your blade.

• Challenge yourself to perform this drill with your head up the entire time.

Optional Changes or Add Ons:

• Perform this shooting drill while skating in a straight line at the net.

• Perform this shooting drill while crossing-over, such as around one of the offensive zone faceoff circles.

5. ‘Matthews Change the Angle’ Toe Drag Shot Release

Why:

Today's defenders are more effective than ever at blocking shots.

Meanwhile, goaltenders are highly adept at stopping shots when they're set and square to the puck.

Using an effective toe drag release helps us elude shot-blocking defenders and change our release point, catching the goalie off-angle and creating a momentary advantage.

How:

Set up an obstacle between you and the net to represent a defender — a bucket, puck bag, cone, or just about anything will do.

Load up for a normal snapshot — leaving the defender and netminder convinced you’re going to shoot — that if released would be blocked by your obstacle.

Via a toe drag, begin pulling the puck in towards your feet in order to release the puck on net, without the obstacle blocking your shot.

Drill Tips:

• In order to maximize the likeliness of scoring, sell your initial release point, i.e. really make it look like you’re going to shoot before performing your toe-drag release — oftentimes this hard fake gets the defender and netminder prepared for a normal shot release, leaving the unexpected toe drag release all the more lethal.

• As you perform your toe drag, make sure your top hand ends up out in front of and off your body so your bottom hand can properly engage the flex of your stick.

  • Far too often, players end up pulling their top hand into their body and up towards their chin, leaving them in a very awkward position to shoot the puck.

• Initiate the flex of your stick with the toe of your blade.

• Challenge yourself to perform this drill with your head up the entire time.

Optional Change or Add On:

• Perform this shooting drill while skating towards the net.