Teaching a six year-old how to raise the puck

[DannyGallivan]

My son is six (almost seven) and is either the best or second best on his team in hockey in terms of skating and puck handling. However, it seems that there are one or two kids on each team who can raise the puck and therefore score a lot of goals. He has a nice shot along the ice, but there's no way he can get it airborne. He really wants to, but it just isn't clicking with him.

I tell him that there is certainly no rush, and that his skating skills are more important at this time. I also go over the mantra of "work hard and just have fun". He's very competitive, though, and tends to compare himself to other kids. I've tried my best to teach him (for me, it was just an epiphany moment when I was a kid... nobody ever taught me how to raise the puck, it just happened). Any suggestions?

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[Yukon Joe]

My son is six (almost seven) and is either the best or second best on his team in hockey in terms of skating and puck handling. However, it seems that there are one or two kids on each team who can raise the puck and therefore score a lot of goals. He has a nice shot along the ice, but there's no way he can get it airborne. He really wants to, but it just isn't clicking with him.

I tell him that there is certainly no rush, and that his skating skills are more important at this time. I also go over the mantra of "work hard and just have fun". He's very competitive, though, and tends to compare himself to other kids. I've tried my best to teach him (for me, it was just an epiphany moment when I was a kid... nobody ever taught me how to raise the puck, it just happened). Any suggestions?

The answer to "how do I get better" is rarely in the equipment, but maybe it is here. If your kid is using a stiff stick (or even a wooden stick), a stick with some nice flex will make it much easier to raise the puck.

But honestly, at that age, that can almost be a detriment. The kids who "raise" the puck aren't really shooting it - they're just kind of flipping it up. And yes at that age that will get you a lot of goals because the goalies really don't know how to use a blocked and glove, but soon enough they will.

 

[rick powers]

As with the above. don't worry about lifting the puck that will come in time worry more about fostering the love of the game.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Show him how to roll the wrists.

Start with a light ball -tennis ball. Have him shoot at a wall and observe the results.

If he is lifting, try a heavier ball.

If lifting, try a puck on its edge working the flat and rounded sides.

Finally the puck flat on the ice.

 

[DannyGallivan]

As with the above. don't worry about lifting the puck that will come in time worry more about fostering the love of the game.

Fortunately, this part is not an issue.

 

[puckpilot]

The answer to "how do I get better" is rarely in the equipment, but maybe it is here. If your kid is using a stiff stick (or even a wooden stick), a stick with some nice flex will make it much easier to raise the puck.

I was thinking along the same lines as this.

If they can't flex the stick, they're going to have to use a sweeping wrist shot, or as others have mentioned scoop it.

When my nephew was that age, my brother drilled the simple sweeping, heel to toe, wrist shot into him. He's been building his shooting off of that, and from that time forward, has had one of the best, if not the best, shot on all the rep teams he's played on.

 

[Golden Puppers]

If he's a good stick handler and can cradle a puck, he should be able to elevate the puck. Maybe try a curve pattern that has a more open face, that will make it easier to elevate the puck.

Like Canadiens said, practice against the garage or a wall with a shooting pad.

 

[Polk High]

At 6 years old, raising the puck or trying to do so will almost always cause issues with his/her shooting mechanics. Most kids that raise the puck at that age are scooping the puck which in turn will cause them to lean backwards while releasing the shot.

I guarantee that most of these kids will be missing high and wide once they get a bit stronger.

Try and covince your little one to shoot heel to toe along the ice or just above for the next few months. Put something along the bottom of the net that makes noise and see how "loud" they can get the shot.

Once you see a nice long powerful sweep with the little one keeping their shoulders down and above the shot you can get them to slowly get the shot higher. Do this with a bit of a higher follow through. As they get stronger and the puck rides the blade, the shot will get higher with where they are aiming.

Also, make sure they are using their legs. The initial movement of the puck moving towards the net should come from the legs moving his body forward. Then the arms will come into play.

I know it's not a quick fix but learning the right way will serve him better down the road.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

for me shooting on the driveway helped- more friction made it easier, and once I got the mechanics down I figured out how to speed it up for ice. Obviously I wasn't thinking that deeply at the time- it was more like "hey this is easier!" Enough practice and I started managing it in games. I also played roller hockey, so maybe playing with a ball helps a bit.

More flex might be a good idea.

I'd also check where he's starting his shot from and whether he's accelerating through the shot. Some kids start the shot too far forward and a lot just kinda keep it at one speed which makes it tough to lift.

As long as he loves the game he'll get there. Sounds like he's the one eager to learn so props to you for helping.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Just to add that there are underweight pucks out there (blue in colour IIRC) and heavier orange, all which can be used at different stages and intermixed.
It might also be OK to teach him to scoop the puck. It's such a very different technique that it shouldn't effect his proper wrist shot or sweep shot technique, and get him past the frustration of not being able to lift it.
6 is pretty young for most to lift it even with proper technique. Even after flexing and loading the stick, a certain amount of power and movement is required to get even barely enough under the puck, just enough that a proper follow through works.

 

[TGWL]

There's no point in spending all your time practicing this at 6/7. Best thing it to focus on accuracy, even if it's slow and low. Have your child stare at where he's shooting and focus on hitting that area, if he lifts it great, if not it really means nothing right now. Learning to skate better at a young age has a lot more value to it right now.

I agree with lets not blame the equipment, but if he's using a closed blade, that's also going to give him a struggle at age 6/7 when it comes to lifting the puck.

 

[tarheelhockey]

There's no point in spending all your time practicing this at 6/7. Best thing it to focus on accuracy, even if it's slow and low. Have your child stare at where he's shooting and focus on hitting that area, if he lifts it great, if not it really means nothing right now. Learning to skate better at a young age has a lot more value to it right now.

I agree with lets not blame the equipment, but if he's using a closed blade, that's also going to give him a struggle at age 6/7 when it comes to lifting the puck.

This is a good post. Unless your kid is an early bloomer, 7 is too early to really integrate high shots in a way that would be productive. To the extent that a kid that age can lift a shot, it's not going to be with proper technique so he'll just be ingraining bad habits.

If he's really taken with the idea of doing it, C58's advice above gives him something to work on, but he's better off at this age learning how to score without lifing his shots. This is the age to develop the patience/confidence to hold the puck and skate around the goalie, keep his head up to recognize a side of the net gaping open, just take a low hard shot and see what bounces might happen, etc. Those skills keep translating as he ages, and lead to being a good natural goal scorer. And in a couple of years, he'll be tall and strong enough to put some torque on a longer and more flexible stick, at which point it's time to start working on roofing shots.

 

[WolfgangPuck]

I started with tennis ball then plastic puck on the driveway. Then on ice. Then using a puck. At six years old I think he needs to develop strength and timing first I sure he be able to do it by ten.

 

[LeifUK]

Using a lighter blue puck might help.

 

[rh71]

What most everyone here said is true about not stressing it yet. However there's something you can do at home even in the living room/den carpet - go on 1 knee stationary and while as tall as possible, shoot a ball (plastic puck if you have it) at a net. This should stress to him the upper body mechanics of carrying the puck longer and learning release points. Also having the hands away from the body performing the motion which benefits more than just elevating the puck. Start the puck near the heel, never the toe. And at the very least, it'll be something fun and challenging to do at home.

One thing kids need to realize is the puck is shaped the way it is for good reason much like a frisbee. It is more efficient when you make it spin [flat], which is why you want them to start the release closer to the heel and end before the toe. Trouble is many kids aren't quite strong enough to follow all the way through. For what it's worth, here's a couple clips showing lifting the puck for kids. https://photos.app.goo.gl/j2McPCi8JgS5wjtG9

 

[DannyGallivan]

What most everyone here said is true about not stressing it yet. However there's something you can do at home even in the living room/den carpet - go on 1 knee stationary and while as tall as possible, shoot a ball (plastic puck if you have it) at a net. This should stress to him the upper body mechanics of carrying the puck longer and learning release points. Also having the hands away from the body performing the motion which benefits more than just elevating the puck. Start the puck near the heel, never the toe. And at the very least, it'll be something fun and challenging to do at home.

One thing kids need to realize is the puck is shaped the way it is for good reason much like a frisbee. It is more efficient when you make it spin [flat], which is why you want them to start the release closer to the heel and end before the toe. Trouble is many kids aren't quite strong enough to follow all the way through. For what it's worth, here's a couple clips showing lifting the puck for kids. https://photos.app.goo.gl/j2McPCi8JgS5wjtG9

Thanks.

It's summer time, so he's golfing, riding his bike and hitting baseballs mostly. But we do have the goal net in the back yard with a sheet of that plastic "ice" on the grass for him to practice his shot when he feels like it. I've been using it more than him (it's quite meditative to shoot a puck across the back yard, particularly in the summer), but he does take a few shots now and then. It's all "heel to toe" and no "flicks". If anything, his shot is much harder now, even if it is never "bar down". He is getting it to go about six inches off the surface every now and then... and it's more like a straight, hard trajectory than a little "flick", which is good.

It's one of those things where he'll get a "eureka" moment and it'll come easy.

 

[NewDef]

I see a lot saying 7 year old is still young to push raising the puck but I see 6 year old doing it all the time around here, granted they're some of the best of their group but it's not an age thing nor a size thing cause some of them are tinny nuggets.

He who loves the game and put time in will get it done, good or bad stick. Same with the backhand. However, it is not expected for all 7 year old to be able early on. I coach Novice C (7-8 old, tier 3) and a lot can't.

My 8 year old son has a heck of a backhand and can lift it on both wrist shot and backhand fine from a 4 foot distance or so (in good weather, he might spend 3-4h per week at the net in summer) he also mess around with flipping it a lot although I tell him to do it right... just like 'I can do proper wrist shots but don't want to, flipping it is fun eh dad?'... Yeah... Now flip it and smack it down (eh, if he's stubborn on doing it, might as well make it a skill development activity... ) They do have a mind of their own these little wolves... Find a way to make it fun, challenges, fun targets etc.

Also, do make sure you demonstrate the mechanic, some learn by seeing, other by explanations. Proper weight transfer, point (and raise) the stick on the movement toward the target and put strength in the flick (has to be a hard flick so the puck sticks to the stick, otherwise he'll have to scoop and it becomes a flip).

Thanks for taking time to be with your son and help him out. Good parenting goes a looong way.

 

[DannyGallivan]

I see a lot saying 7 year old is still young to push raising the puck but I see 6 year old doing it all the time around here, granted they're some of the best of their group but it's not an age thing nor a size thing cause some of them are tinny nuggets.

He who loves the game and put time in will get it done, good or bad stick. Same with the backhand. However, it is not expected for all 7 year old to be able early on. I coach Novice C (7-8 old, tier 3) and a lot can't.

My 8 year old son has a heck of a backhand and can lift it on both wrist shot and backhand fine from a 4 foot distance or so (in good weather, he might spend 3-4h per week at the net in summer) he also mess around with flipping it a lot although I tell him to do it right... just like 'I can do proper wrist shots but don't want to, flipping it is fun eh dad?'... Yeah... Now flip it and smack it down (eh, if he's stubborn on doing it, might as well make it a skill development activity... ) They do have a mind of their own these little wolves... Find a way to make it fun, challenges, fun targets etc.

Also, do make sure you demonstrate the mechanic, some learn by seeing, other by explanations. Proper weight transfer, point (and raise) the stick on the movement toward the target and put strength in the flick (has to be a hard flick so the puck sticks to the stick, otherwise he'll have to scoop and it becomes a flip).

Thanks for taking time to be with your son and help him out. Good parenting goes a looong way.

...and thanks to you and all the coaches out there. I have never missed a game or practice, but I don't coach. I have a lot of respect for those who volunteer their time.

 

[Slats432]

This is not perfect but it's not bad.

 

[Claudi27]

I'd say the most important skill here is to give the puck spin.

This is helpful for making smooth passes and eventually shots, as by giving the puck spin you prevent it from wobbling mid flight and keeping it flat.

Once you can spin it, lifting it is the immediate next natural step and shouldn't take that much effort to master as both mostly involve the wrists to make it work.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

I'd challenge him to have the hardest on-the-ice-shot of his teammates.

He'll score more goals and develop better technique.

 

[Nico the Draft Riser]

Flex should never be an excuse not to lift a puck in the learning stages

Its all technique and fundamentals of blade placement

 

[Sempiternal]

Have him grow a mullet, get him to ask for #94 and call him Smitty.

 

[LeifUK]

Another video:



Jeremy breaks it down nicely into simple steps and demonstrates the twist that raises the puck.

 

[LeifUK]

I’m currently doing some shooting classes, to learn to shoot properly, so this thread is of interest to me. It seems the most basic shot is the ‘lob’ where you angle the blade so as to scoop the puck and lob it into the net. A lot of casual players I know use the lob shot probably because it’s easy to learn.

I’m learning to do the wrist shot, while facing forwards, or sideways. I’ve been struggling with it. What I discovered today, which really surprised me, is that you start the shot with the puck at the heel, and the sweep as you pull the stick forwards propels the puck along the blade towards the toe, and imparts to it a spin. You then flick it by pulling the top hand back, to give it whoomph. This is for me a hard shot to learn, although at the risk of tempting fate I seem to be cracking it, albeit with help from a coach.

As regards the original question, I’m amazed that someone so young is learning to lift the puck, but I guess hockey is a big sport in North America, unlike in my country.