Advice: Shot Power

[do0glas]

So, I ran a search, but I came up with nothing...probably did it wrong.

If so, please merge this.

I have been thinking about shot power, technique, etc for a while. I understand a lot of power comes from shooting right but i also understand you need to hit the weights...which is what this thread is for.

So i was wondering where my focus should lie:

I understand the core is essential and i have a small list of exercizes to do:

Russian twist.

decline sit ups w/barbell (10-20 lb)

lower back raise ups w/barbell (10-20 lb)

Squats

As I think about the technique on a snap shot and really exploding through it, I started wondering which muscles are used the most on a proper shot. At stick an puck I start to feel the burn a lot in my top hand bicep, this feels wrong to me. In theory I feel like shoulder/delt/lat/oblique should be the major strength generators on a shot. am i "pulling" my shot too much (top hand pulling back) and should i focus on following through (bottom hand). in that case should i really start doing a lot of back/shoulder workouts in the gym too.

lat pull down 1/2-2/3 body weight
seated rows 1/2 body weight
deadlifts
shoulder shrugs
standing row

from there i know that if i have a good skating stride, i will get more power in my shot...in a game situation i would hope to be moving while shooting anyway. so then i think about leg workouts.

leg press
leg curl
hamstring curl
calf raises

so..quads or hammys which muscle generates more velocity?

so basicall the jist of this thread is to see where i should focus my gym time. I will continue to do arm/chest workouts but id rather make those the odd days and spend more time on my back/core. thoughts?

Click to read more...

 

[Jarick]

Seems to me that shooting is mostly core rotation and pulling back with the top hand (lats) while driving through with the bottom hand (maybe a bit of pecs?). Mostly it seems to be technique, timing, and equipment that complements your style (not too stiff or weak of flex).

There's a lot of different ideas about lifting, but it seems the common approach is to work on both pushing and pulling muscles.

Squats and Deadlifts
Bench Press and Rows
Military Pres and Lat Pull Downs

And then there's core strength and stability, like planks, crunches, chop and lift, etc.

 

[Stickchecked]

I would recommend ensuring that your glutes are strong. I suspect this is the hockey butt everyone talks about. I've had long recurring groin issues and finally found a good PT who pinpointed weak glutes as the cause.

My PT used single legged squats as the barometer of my glut strength/stability but the main exercise I did was "glute clam exercises" with therabands around my knees. A real simple exercise but man it isolates the glutes and you can generate a burn very easily. Do them slow and keep your pelvis motionless.

Inverted hamstrings is a good maintenance exercise you can do to improve balance and glute engagement.

Once I strengthened my glutes, my skating style changed for the better and I now put far less pressure on my groin muscles. I also noticed that crossing over on my weak side dramatically improved.

Legs feed the wolf.

 

[do0glas]

Thanks guys,

Ive been hitting the weights hard lately and doing a ton of back and core stuff, i guess the other question is should i be doing this with the goal of short bursts of explosive power or training to muscular endurance? or maybe i should just do both lol.

 

[Stickchecked]

No one can really answer that for you. (Unless they play with you.) What do you want to improve about your game?

Don't say everything, focus is the key.

 

[do0glas]

So i did a quick google search and this link has some interesting view points.

http://www.kevinneeld.com/2011/training-tips-for-improving-slapshot-power

to me, and to him this isnt an end all be all, but it highlights areas of the slap shot that i didnt even think about. like improving your rotational ability in the hips and core. when i would think power i would go for more strength which isnt always the case.

when i look at it from this angle, the strength is the foundation and you can really take your shot to the next level with these tips...they look like i can add them at the end of normal strength workouts too. ill try to keep up with it and let you know my progress.

really wish i had a radar gun xD

 

[Man Bear Pig]

So i did a quick google search and this link has some interesting view points.

http://www.kevinneeld.com/2011/training-tips-for-improving-slapshot-power

to me, and to him this isnt an end all be all, but it highlights areas of the slap shot that i didnt even think about. like improving your rotational ability in the hips and core. when i would think power i would go for more strength which isnt always the case.

when i look at it from this angle, the strength is the foundation and you can really take your shot to the next level with these tips...they look like i can add them at the end of normal strength workouts too. ill try to keep up with it and let you know my progress.

really wish i had a radar gun xD

Shooting is mostly based on weight transfer. Of course it helps to be stronger but weight transfer and rotation(core) is definitely the key. Look at a guy like Kessel for instance, not known for being in shape, not a big man by any stretch etc and he's got a bullet. Same thing with Semin. These guys can transfer their weight quicker than you can blink. I played junior and always had a hard shot but now that I'm in my 20's I'm realizing my focus on weight lifting and weight lifting alone wasn't necessarily the best option for me. Now, I put much more emphasis on forearm strength and weight transfer while moving. I think one mistake too many people make while fooling around in practice is shooting standing still. That's almost never going to happen in a game situation(as a forward anyways). I was actually a golf teacher/pro for 5 years and this is how it got me into this mindset of weight transfer, a huge part of a golf swing, obviously. But the same applies to hockey. I would teach people a rocking motion, like a rocking chair, in order to exaggerate and make them feel and understand how it physically feels. That's just my theory though, to each their own. I'd focus on core,forearms and weight transfer personally.