Best Curve (up close)

[JSTAFF]

Ok...I would call my style being a dangler, I have alot of speed, have great hands, and RARELY take slap shots. My main problem is getting the puck up high when im in close to the net, one timers up close, etc. Granted I've played 8 years of outdoor roller with a ball, my technique with a puck might just not be there to get my shots up high. I'm used to just a flick of my wrist up close will put the ball in the top shelf. I've been playing with a puck now for 2 years and I still have problems up close getting my shot to go top shelf. Should I be using a different curve to help aid in my lack of technique? If so, what is my best option? Thanks

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[Mo Show]

The curve you are looking for would be the warrior Kovalev or the Easton Drury. I use both, you'll be sniping top ched everytime.

 

[Jarick]

Usually you want to scoop the puck and flick it up with the toe of the blade. A little toe drag or cupping beforehand helps. Then it's just forearm strength as you reverse your wrists to send it up.

Best way to practice is just to line a bunch of pucks up at the edge of the blue paint around the goal and shelf them all. Focus on getting under the puck rather than pushing it. Sometimes it helps to do a little snap shot and dig the toe of the blade into the ice slightly right before scooping it up.

For me the more curve a blade has at the toe, the easier it is to send it up in the air. But that's not really a priority for me as I like a standard mid curve to keep my shots on target.

 

[Omar Little]

I like the Lindros curve...the one that looks like a banana hook

 

[Hockeyfan68]

Best way to practice is just to line a bunch of pucks up at the edge of the blue paint around the goal and shelf them all. Focus on getting under the puck rather than pushing it. Sometimes it helps to do a little snap shot and dig the toe of the blade into the ice slightly right before scooping it up.

That is my after shinny routine when everyone has left. I shoot a bunch of pucks in tight under the crossbar from the edge of the crease all the way around in front.

The highschool coach had us do that often and it helped a lot.

As for roofing pucks don't get me started on that ... while an open face on the toe helps do it someone should be able to do it with any blade made. it is mechanics and followthrough that roof pucks and not the blade.

Your followthrough should finish generally in the area you are aiming at in front of you. The blade of your stick will be high if followthrough was high and the puck will go high. Curl the blade downward in the followthrough and the puck will go flat on the ice a bazillion miles an hour angering goalies with slow feet everywhere.

 

[bleedgreen]

easton sakic
warrior draper
bauer p92

all the same, more or less. big open toed curve, rockered - pretty good for dangling once you get used to it. all shots in tight are top shelf, though its tough to keep it lower from distance.

 

[Bammers]

I second the technique point. I have this blade on my stick (Probably the straightest blade out there) and I can still lift the puck with no trouble at all; even in close.

Edit: Actually, I'm pretty sure that they don't even make this blade anymore, I just checked the name on it and it's Fedyk(?) so it must have been a custom job or something.

 

[JayK47]

easton sakic
warrior draper
bauer p92

all the same, more or less. big open toed curve, rockered - pretty good for dangling once you get used to it. all shots in tight are top shelf, though its tough to keep it lower from distance.

you just listed all my favorite stick curve

 

[Hockeyfan68]

easton sakic
warrior draper
bauer p92

all the same, more or less. big open toed curve, rockered - pretty good for dangling once you get used to it. all shots in tight are top shelf, though its tough to keep it lower from distance.

It isn't tough to keep a puck down no matter what blade curve you use or raise it up when you want it to. Your followthrough dictates where the puck goes.

I see this same stuff posted in here over and over again .... it's okay it just means one hasn't learned yet but really it is simple to control where the puck goes and the blade someone uses doesn't matter much. You could have a straight blade literally like they did in the 1950s and roof or not roof a puck using your mechanics.

The puck will follow where your blade finishes after your followthrough.

If someone needs a blade curve to be a certain open faced wedge to get loft in a shot then one needs to learn how to shoot because it means that person is absolutely a poor shooter.

Now if one uses an open faced wedge to make shooting up high in tight EASIER that is one thing but using that because it is the only way they can shoot high is a sign of needing a lot more practice because this should be able to be done using literally any kind of blade or curve.

 

[TheBigZ]

Getzlaf on a Easton s17

 

[cptjeff]

You're a perfect candidate for the giant toe hook:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Pro-Stock-NEW-N...id=p4634.c0.m14.l1262&_trkparms=|293:1|294:30

Have fun.

 

[bleedgreen]

It isn't tough to keep a puck down no matter what blade curve you use or raise it up when you want it to. Your followthrough dictates where the puck goes.

I see this same stuff posted in here over and over again .... it's okay it just means one hasn't learned yet but really it is simple to control where the puck goes and the blade someone uses doesn't matter much. You could have a straight blade literally like they did in the 1950s and roof or not roof a puck using your mechanics.

The puck will follow where your blade finishes after your followthrough.

If someone needs a blade curve to be a certain open faced wedge to get loft in a shot then one needs to learn how to shoot because it means that person is absolutely a poor shooter.

Now if one uses an open faced wedge to make shooting up high in tight EASIER that is one thing but using that because it is the only way they can shoot high is a sign of needing a lot more practice because this should be able to be done using literally any kind of blade or curve.

ive been playing for over 20 years, i have no problems shooting or scoring. of course technique plays a huge role, but to say certain curves dont lend themselves to roof daddy's is ridiculous....and wrong. for sake of proper education.....learn to shoot. fine. to say someone is a poor shooter because they use a pattern that helps shoot high is as ignorant as saying technique doesnt matter. at the nhl level, players use the blade that plays to their game. crosby goes flat for passing and equal shooting backhand/forehand. malkin uses the big toe hook for dangling and sweet top shelf wristers. is he a poor shooter because of his "crutch"? lets not get on a high horse about this. the sakic/p92 goes top shelf in tight better than the modo. its harder to shoot low from a distance, because the puck sails off the blade a bit, for me to hit the lower corners with them, i aim in my head a foot below the ice surface. from 50 feet out, you really have to focus on your technique to keep it on lower half of the net. regardless of your follow through. thats the point of different patterns, to play to different aspects of shooting/passing/handling. would you hit a 100 ft chip with a 2 iron? no, you hit the wedge. because its made for that. of course you can teach yourself to play the whole round with a 7 iron, but after your there.....why? just use the right club for what you do.

 

[Bammers]

ive been playing for over 20 years, i have no problems shooting or scoring. of course technique plays a huge role, but to say certain curves dont lend themselves to roof daddy's is ridiculous....and wrong. for sake of proper education.....learn to shoot. fine. to say someone is a poor shooter because they use a pattern that helps shoot high is as ignorant as saying technique doesnt matter. at the nhl level, players use the blade that plays to their game. crosby goes flat for passing and equal shooting backhand/forehand. malkin uses the big toe hook for dangling and sweet top shelf wristers. is he a poor shooter because of his "crutch"? lets not get on a high horse about this. the sakic/p92 goes top shelf in tight better than the modo. its harder to shoot low from a distance, because the puck sails off the blade a bit, for me to hit the lower corners with them, i aim in my head a foot below the ice surface. from 50 feet out, you really have to focus on your technique to keep it on lower half of the net. regardless of your follow through. thats the point of different patterns, to play to different aspects of shooting/passing/handling. would you hit a 100 ft chip with a 2 iron? no, you hit the wedge. because its made for that. of course you can teach yourself to play the whole round with a 7 iron, but after your there.....why? just use the right club for what you do.

Well said, I couldn't agree more. There is a fine balance between technique and your blade. If you use a Lidstrom blade, good luck keeping your shot down from 50 feet, and the opposite goes for a straighter blade.
As with most things it boils down to your preference, and getting something that allows you do play the game you want to play.

 

[BadHammy*]

It isn't tough to keep a puck down no matter what blade curve you use or raise it up when you want it to. Your followthrough dictates where the puck goes.

I see this same stuff posted in here over and over again .... it's okay it just means one hasn't learned yet but really it is simple to control where the puck goes and the blade someone uses doesn't matter much. You could have a straight blade literally like they did in the 1950s and roof or not roof a puck using your mechanics.

The puck will follow where your blade finishes after your followthrough.

If someone needs a blade curve to be a certain open faced wedge to get loft in a shot then one needs to learn how to shoot because it means that person is absolutely a poor shooter.

Now if one uses an open faced wedge to make shooting up high in tight EASIER that is one thing but using that because it is the only way they can shoot high is a sign of needing a lot more practice because this should be able to be done using literally any kind of blade or curve.

True for the most part.

ive been playing for over 20 years, i have no problems shooting or scoring. of course technique plays a huge role, but to say certain curves dont lend themselves to roof daddy's is ridiculous....and wrong. for sake of proper education.....learn to shoot. fine. to say someone is a poor shooter because they use a pattern that helps shoot high is as ignorant as saying technique doesnt matter. at the nhl level, players use the blade that plays to their game. crosby goes flat for passing and equal shooting backhand/forehand. malkin uses the big toe hook for dangling and sweet top shelf wristers. is he a poor shooter because of his "crutch"? lets not get on a high horse about this. the sakic/p92 goes top shelf in tight better than the modo. its harder to shoot low from a distance, because the puck sails off the blade a bit, for me to hit the lower corners with them, i aim in my head a foot below the ice surface. from 50 feet out, you really have to focus on your technique to keep it on lower half of the net. regardless of your follow through. thats the point of different patterns, to play to different aspects of shooting/passing/handling. would you hit a 100 ft chip with a 2 iron? no, you hit the wedge. because its made for that. of course you can teach yourself to play the whole round with a 7 iron, but after your there.....why? just use the right club for what you do.

True, but there are other considerations. Most beginner players have trouble lifting the puck so for them to use a wide open curve is a crutch, a big mistake. As an intermediate player, I had real trouble keeping the puck down. Professional players generally can keep the puck down using even a very open curve, which is very hard to do sometimes. Keeping the puck down is an inherent contradiction on wrist and snap shots. It's usually much easier to go top shelf if you don't focus on shooting a hard shot, e.g. take a little something off. But beginners tell me the opposite is true, so who knows exactly.

 

[JSTAFF]

easton sakic
warrior draper
bauer p92

all the same, more or less. big open toed curve, rockered - pretty good for dangling once you get used to it. all shots in tight are top shelf, though its tough to keep it lower from distance.

thanks, I'll look into these three. I rarely take shots from far out so it should be okay.

 

[Jarick]

For sure certain curves make things easier or more difficult, that's why they exist.

I think the main point is that roofing a shot from in close is something that needs to be practiced rather than using a particular curve, because that curve will impact your other shots.

What I would do is examine your game and your shot and decide on a curve, then practice to round out the game. For me, I'm a wrist shot from the circles and out guy, so I like a Lindros style curve that puts a lot of spin on the puck, which helps me get more velocity on the shot and helps my accuracy. I tend to shoot wide with flatter blades so it helps my accuracy there as well, and I always tend to shoot high so the neutral pattern helps keep the shots low.

But that's my game. I play defense and rarely take back hand shots, never take draws, almost always pass on the forehand, am rarely close to the net, and like a bigger curve that helps me cup and shield the puck. And I have to practice my backhand shooting and passing because of the larger curve.

 

[bleedgreen]

True for the most part.



True, but there are other considerations. Most beginner players have trouble lifting the puck so for them to use a wide open curve is a crutch, a big mistake. As an intermediate player, I had real trouble keeping the puck down. Professional players generally can keep the puck down using even a very open curve, which is very hard to do sometimes. Keeping the puck down is an inherent contradiction on wrist and snap shots. It's usually much easier to go top shelf if you don't focus on shooting a hard shot, e.g. take a little something off. But beginners tell me the opposite is true, so who knows exactly.

i find that intermediates have trouble keeping it down because getting it up was the first thing they tried to do as beginners. everyone wants to shoot high so they obsessively practice it, teaching themselves that proper shooting motion involves leaving the blade open through the shot. when i taught people how to shoot, i tried to focus on good heel to toe snapping, sweeping the floor while focusing the power forward straight ahead. learn how to get a good snap out of it first before worrying about lifting. once you have power you can adjust how open your wrists are, and by extension your blade is. if your shooting high all the time, look at your blade when the shot is done. if the front of the blade is facing up toward the ceiling youre shooting "technically" wrong and thats why your shooting high all the time. the front face of the blade should be facing down pointing at your target. i say "wrong" in quotes because its hard to tell people things are wrong and right if what they are doing works. id say if you like the way you shoot but know its classically wrong learn the right way and have both shots in your pocket, using the appropriate one when it matters. there is no right and wrong if you like the way you do something,

in time people learn to shoot the way they like. i shoot off the toe a lot off a drag, i shoot low on slappers, i keep the blade really closed on them. with the invention of the composite stick, i feel i lost my best shot, the snapper. if i buy a flex low enough to get it going it breaks too soon, and the stiffer flexes really dont do it well.

 

[bleedgreen]

thanks, I'll look into these three. I rarely take shots from far out so it should be okay.

based on your description it seems like a good fit, i hope you like it. i used it for a long time, i never got the backhanders the way i like them cause its such an open curve, but i did fine with everything else. i play around the net a lot too, and also dont shoot from far away all that often - its a solid pattern and usually easy to find as all companies make a version of it.

 

[UserName]

i can roof a puck over the net inside the crease with a warrior kovalev, easton lidstrom, easton forberg, bauer naslund and warrior vanek.

if you consider yourself a sniper, it doesn't matter what curve you use, you can roof it with any pattern.

 

[noobman]

I can roof-daddy the puck from the goal line with an Easton Forsberg curve. The minute I start thinking about what my hands are doing and the technique involved I lose the ability to do it.

You really have to curl your hands and use a quick, powerful flick of the wrists. It's easier to do with certain curves, but it's not impossible. If you want proof of this, watch somebody do it on his or her backhand. I use a relatively flat blade (flat enough to occasionally get wedged in gaps between the boards... incredibly annoying) so it's a little more difficult for me to do on the forehand, but easier to do on the backhand.

 

[bleedgreen]

this always becomes about how everyone can roof it with the flattest blade, and becomes a "if you cant you cant shoot....well, not like me anyways". i can hit a top shelf no problem with a modo too. anyone can if they try hard enough. the sakic gets there easier than the modo. it just does. doesnt mean the shooter lacks the skill to use a modo in the same situation. a 9 iron goes higher than a 2. not to mention i dont like the low lie of the modo so its irrelevant to me personally.

not directed at you noobman.

 

[AIREAYE]

thanks, I'll look into these three. I rarely take shots from far out so it should be okay.

i have a P92, before it i couldn't get the puck high either, but i think the curve definately helps...ona side note, Draper isn't really of a sniper, more of a checker, yet he has a sniper's curve, why is that?

 

[The Kingslayer]

I like the Lindros curve...the one that looks like a banana hook

Lol if Lindros has a banana curve then the Warrior Smyth curve is a boomerang.

 

[McNasty]

The position of the puck on your stick makes a difference, if your stick has an open face a la the sakic then you can just shoot off the toe and should have no problems roofing it from in close. I find bringing the puck closer to my feet and getting under it a bit more helps as well, especially with one timers.

 

[Mo Show]

Lol if Lindros has a banana curve then the Warrior Smyth curve is a boomerang.

How can you possibly play with that? Nice twig though. I rock the Kovy