Teaching The Modern Snap Shot

jorbjorb

hello.
Dec 28, 2010
1,056
191
a snap shot can be done 1000 different ways depending which way you're shooting on net and where the puck is next to your body when you need to take the shot.
 

Malarowski

Registered User
Jul 25, 2012
389
0
Quick question in regards to this, and shots in general.

The 'push & pull', how is that supposed to be, just that snapping the blade forward, or is the push of the bottom hand more down and toward the ice, and the pull snaps the blade through the flexion and toward the net?
 

Coachtdoig

Registered User
Nov 14, 2013
49
1
London, Ontario
I agree with Canadiens1958 and TK.

Since we are talking about teaching the basics of a snap shot. Dumping out a bag of pucks, having your blade and inch or two away from the puck and working on snapping your wrists violently with a good follow through is where to start.

Their is many progressions you can go to from that but when teaching the basics I would start with learning to master that initial movement to get the technique down and build up your velocity.
 

Malarowski

Registered User
Jul 25, 2012
389
0
Push the bottom hand towards the target, pull the top hand back to the body. Check the video I linked on the last page.

That's what I thought initially, cool. How does one then achieve the 'loading' of the blade, is that done by body positioning and leaning primarily? That's what I am struggling with currently. Either one by itself works (push&pull, loading the stick) but I can't figure out how to do it at the same time.
 

Jarick

Doing Nothing
Again, I'd check the video I posted where I explain it, but you don't really load the blade so much as the shaft of the stick. You primarily use the weight of the puck as resistance as well as a little bit of pressure on the ice.
 

Puckstop40

Registered User
Aug 23, 2009
8,742
6,557
Las Vegas, NV
Another thing to remember is that shooting on the ice is much different than shooting on pavement in your garage/street/etc. Your body positioning is different when you are in stride.
 

CarpeNoctem

Chilling w The Chief
Oct 29, 2013
7,203
1
In The Night
I think Jarick's post above is a good one. You lean in and load the stick with your inside shoulder and by heavily bending your inside leg/knee. Also, sit down as much as you can (get your ass into it). That will create a LOT of shaft loading and a nasty shot velocity wise. It does however require you to glide a little bit before releasing.
 

CarpeNoctem

Chilling w The Chief
Oct 29, 2013
7,203
1
In The Night
Even though the hands, wrists and weight factors are huge, make sure you lean into it. That extra power of your trunk snapping will turn a somewhat weak snap shot into a powerful snap shot.
 

Fanned On It

Registered User
Dec 20, 2011
2,032
18
New York
Yeah IMO really kicking off that back leg into your shooting-side leg is integral to getting a high velocity snap-shot (as there should be barely any drag before the shot). Jarick's "shooting in stride" video has a million good examples of a proper deceitful snap-shot... and those shots aren't even being taken by a super-skilled NHL player. Check out this video for a prime example of an ideal quick-release snap-shot:



Check out how quick/hard/accurate that shot is. Notice how he kicks off his back leg and leans on his shooting-side leg while taking the shot. It's a beauty. That is a perfect snap-shot IMO. Obviously he has the time to execute because it's in a shoot-out but you see it happen in regulation all of the time as well.
 

HIFE

Registered User
May 10, 2011
3,219
250
Detroit, MI
OP interesting point you make in calling it the "modern" snap shot.

In the 80's this type of in stride, off-balance, front foot, whatever you want to call it shot was extremely rare. They had the slap and a the good old huge windup wrister.

Watching a CHL team warm up before a game, I'd say 95% of their shots are this snapper. Set it up, lean onto the front leg, load the stick and what looks like a wrister has that snap off closer to the toe, just like the Easton video. There is usually a short pause in the process but that gets less the more comfortable a player is with the motion. It's so fluid it can be difficult for a novice to understand the complex micro movements involved.

For an older player it is very tough to adapt and work it into your toolbox. It takes a ton of practice to break the habit of simply pulling back and letting the big wrister go. As you said it is part wrist shot but the loading and snap is revolutionary to the game and can create an unbelievably wicked shot.
 

Jarick

Doing Nothing
One thing to consider with this shot too is that it really came about because of how light sticks are now and the amount of whip and recoil they have. If you try this with a 700 gram 5030, it's not going to be a great shot unless you are extremely strong. But grab any 400-450 gram stick off the rack with the right flex, and you can move that puck incredibly quick.
 

jazzykat

Registered User
Mar 10, 2013
450
0
Reading this thread is stoking my anticipation for my new 20K 70 flex stick to arrive. I always have had sticks that had too high a flex, I am looking forward to something that is easy to load way up and send a shot sizzling.
 

Sensinitis

Registered User
Aug 5, 2012
15,934
5,526
I don't know how tall you are/how much you weigh, but your slapper will probably be terrible with that stick.
 

jazzykat

Registered User
Mar 10, 2013
450
0
I don't know how tall you are/how much you weigh, but your slapper will probably be terrible with that stick.

I'm only 5'9" and a significantly overweight 200lbs (I should be 180 max). Given my height, I have to cut it 2-3" anyway. Actually though, my slapper is suffering because my 85(now 95 after cutting 5" off)flex stick isn't bending enough. Maybe 70 flex is too low but standard flex sticks cut down are too high for my current skill level.

The worst thing that happens is my wristers and snapshots get harder and my slapshot is not all it can be.
 

Jarick

Doing Nothing
I don't know how tall you are/how much you weigh, but your slapper will probably be terrible with that stick.

The proper flex will improve slapshot power and accuracy, and for some people intermediate sticks are the proper flex.

For instance, I tend to like 70 flex stick for slapshots and about 60-65 flex for wrist shots. I'm using a 55 flex intermediate now and, yes the slappers lose power anc accuracy, but my goalie couldn't believe I was getting my wrist/snap shot out of that flex. It's all in the kick points and technique though.

Brett Hull used 62 flex Eastons and was 5'10 and 200 pounds.
I use 55-65 flex sticks and am 5'7 and 195 pounds.

I've got his shooting DVD and I cut mine down to the exact same height (just below the bottom lip).

Proportionally, I'm using a stiffer stick than he did, even if the stick seems extremely whippy to others.
 

Jarick

Doing Nothing
I'm only 5'9" and a significantly overweight 200lbs (I should be 180 max). Given my height, I have to cut it 2-3" anyway. Actually though, my slapper is suffering because my 85(now 95 after cutting 5" off)flex stick isn't bending enough. Maybe 70 flex is too low but standard flex sticks cut down are too high for my current skill level.

The worst thing that happens is my wristers and snapshots get harder and my slapshot is not all it can be.

Jazzy, Reebok's tend to feel fairly stiff for their rating, although the newest models did feel whippier. I think the 20k intermediate should still be fairly stiff as far as intermediates go. I had an old 10k that was listed as 65 flex but it felt closer to 85-90 flex to me.
 

khovardova

Registered User
Nov 18, 2013
1
0
Providence, RI
I've been working on these lately and I realized I need to jump into the shot by really jumping onto my off leg and basically using the stick as another support. This jumping and the faith that you will be fine takes some getting used to but it has made my shot so much better especially on the rush.
 

CarpeNoctem

Chilling w The Chief
Oct 29, 2013
7,203
1
In The Night
The proper flex will improve slapshot power and accuracy, and for some people intermediate sticks are the proper flex.

For instance, I tend to like 70 flex stick for slapshots and about 60-65 flex for wrist shots. I'm using a 55 flex intermediate now and, yes the slappers lose power anc accuracy, but my goalie couldn't believe I was getting my wrist/snap shot out of that flex. It's all in the kick points and technique though.

Brett Hull used 62 flex Eastons and was 5'10 and 200 pounds.
I use 55-65 flex sticks and am 5'7 and 195 pounds.

I've got his shooting DVD and I cut mine down to the exact same height (just below the bottom lip).

Proportionally, I'm using a stiffer stick than he did, even if the stick seems extremely whippy to others.

I know he said 62 or 65 at one point, but I think it was only for a brief while. I'm probably not as strong as he is and I LOSE a lot of velocity with 75s, because the sticks tend to go wild when I load up heavy. Maybe he had some beta testing sticks:)
 
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Jarick

Doing Nothing
He just had really, really good technique. I think it's akin to golf, where if you try and swing out of your shoes to drive the ball further, often you shoot a lot worse than if you just take an easy swing.

In his video, he never said that you need to use the proper flex for your height/weight, but that the whippier the stick you use, the more power you can get on your shot.

That said, Hull wasn't very tall. So his using say a 60 flex stick would be similar to a 6' tall person using a 70 flex stick or someone like Ovechkin who's 6'3 when he used a 77 flex stick.
 

King Karlsson

Gersei Chongar
Sep 30, 2011
1,478
28
No way.. I have a 67-70 flex intermediate that I tried using at the ODR last year, couldn't even take a slapper because the stick just flexed too much. I'm only 5'10 ish and 165, I typically use an 85 flex Warrior Widow which I find is perfect for snap and slappers. Cannot even imagine using a 60 flex.
 

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