Beginners: Help! I Can't Get It Up!

[jorbjorb]

biggest part of it is looking at your target when you shoot. if you look down its going to stay down.

 

[Goonzilla]

E

I've just started experimenting on shooting Kessel style and am surprised how quick I can get away and how easy it is to load the stick up, I was really ripping them yesterday.

Nowhere near as accurate as my regular wrist shot, but a little more mustard on it. I'm not quite ready to try and unleash it in a game yet. Gonna keep working on it for a bit before I'm game to pull it out of the hat.

 

[Goonzilla]

I've just started experimenting on shooting Kessel style and am surprised how quick I can get it away and how easy it is to load the stick up, I was really ripping them yesterday.

Nowhere near as accurate as my regular wrist shot, but a little more mustard on it. I'm not quite ready to try and unleash it in a game yet. Gonna keep working on it for a bit before I'm game to pull it out of the hat.

..oops.

 

[cowboy82nd]

Try Viagra. Sorry, couldn't help myself.

 

[Nibbler]

Practice!

I wouldn't worry about trying to shoot like the pros, like some of these videos seem to be suggesting. You will never be able to!

Just practice your motion and technique in the driveway, get that muscle memory down. When you're on the ice, shoot often, especially while moving. It will come.

 

[Marotte Marauder]

If you're playing in a league where competition is similar to your shooting ability, 95% of the goals will be scored in the lower 12" of the net anyway.

Work on low and accurate shooting as much as your hoisters.

Good luck.

 

[Elias Pettersson]

Update

After some practicing, I'm finally able to start lifting the puck off the ice!
It's not great. I still can't do it consistently and I can't do it off a full wrist shot yet, but it's something.

It feels great when the puck cooperates and goes into the air!
The thing that really helped me was thinking of my stick as a lever to elevate the puck. I brought my hands farther away from my body and really pulled back with the top hand, while pushing forward with the bottom hand it got it to work.

I'm gonna keep practicing
Thanks for all your tips guys.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Update

After some practicing, I'm finally able to start lifting the puck off the ice!
It's not great. I still can't do it consistently and I can't do it off a full wrist shot yet, but it's something.

It feels great when the puck cooperates and goes into the air!
The thing that really helped me was thinking of my stick as a lever to elevate the puck. I brought my hands farther away from my body and really pulled back with the top hand, while pushing forward with the bottom hand it got it to work.

I'm gonna keep practicing
Thanks for all your tips guys.

How high can you lift it off the ice?
When I was learning how to shoot, I could only flip the puck without any power or do a wrist shot with the same elevation and power as a saucer pass.

Keep going!

 

[Elias Pettersson]

How high can you lift it off the ice?
When I was learning how to shoot, I could only flip the puck without any power or do a wrist shot with the same elevation and power as a saucer pass.

Keep going!

I'm very inconsistent right now. I used to flip the puck up even before I could lift it, but I knew that was cheating.
Now I sometimes still get the feeling that I'm flipping the puck, but sometimes I feel like I'm actually lifting it and the puck flies straight instead of all wobbly. Most of my shots I do get up are like 1 foot off the ice.
I have gone to the front of the net and roofed some from the crease.
And then there was a time where I really got under the puck and threw it above the glass and out of the rink.
And then some of my shots are still flush against the ice.
So yeah lol I'm super inconsistent but I expect that to get better with more practice.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I'm very inconsistent right now. I used to flip the puck up even before I could lift it, but I knew that was cheating.
Now I sometimes still get the feeling that I'm flipping the puck, but sometimes I feel like I'm actually lifting it and the puck flies straight instead of all wobbly. Most of my shots I do get up are like 1 foot off the ice.
I have gone to the front of the net and roofed some from the crease.
And then there was a time where I really got under the puck and threw it above the glass and out of the rink.
And then some of my shots are still flush against the ice.
So yeah lol I'm super inconsistent but I expect that to get better with more practice.

I went through that stage as well. You're pretty close. What made the difference for me is understanding the weight transfer and the wrist roll. Remember, technique is the most important part. Strength is secondary.

 

[Jarick]

I've got a lengthy article on shooting technique if you want to give that a read.

For a true beginner like yourself, I would focus first on learning to get the puck to spin. It needs to spin like a frisbee, otherwise it will flutter and drop out of the air.

You do this by starting the puck at the heel of the stick and rolling it toward the toe. At first, just practice this without shooting. Start the puck at the heel, then pull the stick in to the body to get the puck rotating.

When you get comfortable with that, start pushing the puck forward as you pull the stick in to the body. Your stick will travel diagonally, further away from your body at the beginning with the puck on the heel, then closer to (and in front of) your body with the puck at the toe near the end.

Eventually you will hit a point where you can get the puck to spin on shots, and at that point you can incorporate things like following through to the desired shot height, using the flex of your stick properly, pushing forward with the bottom hand and pulling back with the top hand, etc.

And after hundreds of hours of practice, this will start to come naturally and unconsciously. You won't have to use the entire blade to shoot from as a small amount will get sufficient spin. You'll eventually get to the point where you only think about it if someone asks you.

 

[Elias Pettersson]

I've got a lengthy article on shooting technique if you want to give that a read.

For a true beginner like yourself, I would focus first on learning to get the puck to spin. It needs to spin like a frisbee, otherwise it will flutter and drop out of the air.

You do this by starting the puck at the heel of the stick and rolling it toward the toe. At first, just practice this without shooting. Start the puck at the heel, then pull the stick in to the body to get the puck rotating.

When you get comfortable with that, start pushing the puck forward as you pull the stick in to the body. Your stick will travel diagonally, further away from your body at the beginning with the puck on the heel, then closer to (and in front of) your body with the puck at the toe near the end.

Eventually you will hit a point where you can get the puck to spin on shots, and at that point you can incorporate things like following through to the desired shot height, using the flex of your stick properly, pushing forward with the bottom hand and pulling back with the top hand, etc.

And after hundreds of hours of practice, this will start to come naturally and unconsciously. You won't have to use the entire blade to shoot from as a small amount will get sufficient spin. You'll eventually get to the point where you only think about it if someone asks you.

That was am excellent article. Thank you!