Wednesday Drill of the Week: Ducks Shooting

April 24, 2013 Leave a comment

Ducks Shooting

This week is a continuous shooting drill. Ducks Shooting is a good drill for getting the legs and hands moving, working on passing, working on timing, and letting the goaltenders see some shots.

Players line up on the goal lines. One player starts on each blue line. The drill begins with a whistle where the X on the near blue curls up near the red and presents himself for a pass. He receives a puck from the corner and then immediately passes to the X on the far blue who has timed the start of his loop so that he can catch a pass in sync from the near blue. He then goes in and takes a shot on net. Meanwhile, the player who made the first pass skates up to the near blue, the player who made the second pass skates up to the far blue and then each goes on a similar timing loop, passing and receiving, going in to shoot. The drill moves continuously, and runs out of both ends. After you pass, you take the place and the pattern of the person you passed the puck to. This drill flows nicely and can create a good pace to start a practice.

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Wednesday Drill of the Week: Western Two Shot

April 3, 2013 Leave a comment

This week’s drill is a half ice shooting skills drill involving both forwards and defensemen.

Western 2 Shot

 

The drill begins with forwards in both corners and defensemen manning the points. The forward on the strong side passes to the D, who moves it D-D. The forward then rolls through the high slot for a pass and a shot. A forward comes to the net front from the opposite side. After this is executed, the forwards stay in front of the net while a second puck is passed to the strong point for a point shot. The drill then begins again from the other side of the ice.

Skills worked on in this drill for forwards should be catch and release, goalie screen, and shot tipping (both high and low). Defensemen should work on moving the puck with their eyes up, making hard accurate passes, and getting pucks to the net with traffic.

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Wednesday Drill of the Week: Carolina Flow

March 27, 2013 Leave a comment

This week’s drill is a simple warmup/shooting drill that incorporates a lot of flow, timing and precision.

UMass ShootingCarolina Flow begins with lines in all four corners. One player takes off from opposite lines and button hooks just inside the far blue line. They receive a hard pass from the opposite line. Meanwhile, a player skates out of the same side and skates into a support position. They then attack the far net in a 2v0. As soon as the player makes the hard cross ice pass, they take off and button hook inside the far blue line. The drill is continuous.

Players should focus on speed/pace of the drill, hard accurate passes, timing and support, driving the net, and shooting to score/shooting for rebounds.

 

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Wednesday Drill of the Week: Speed Pass/Shot

March 13, 2013 Leave a comment

Short and simple passing and shooting drill this week. Speed Pass/Shot focuses on specific skills and keeps the drill simple to enhance a players ability to dial in on a few specific things. The main skills? Listed in the drill title.

Speed Pass Shot

 

Place a player on each of the three neutral zone lines. Player 1 takes off with a puck, give and go exchange with each player, then accelerate into a shot on net. While the drill itself and the execution is simple, it is the skills worked on that are important. Players should focus on keeping their feet moving at a high tempo the entire time. They should focus on their ability to pass and receive, and transition from receiving to passing quickly (all while moving their feet). Finally, they should focus on the execution of attacking the net with speed and getting off a quick release with their feet moving. Players should complete this drill with their heads up and presenting extremely good targets for their teammates.

While it is a simple drill, when executed properly and at a high tempo it will improve a players ability to pass and receive, as well as shoot on the move.

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Wednesday Drill of the Week

November 7, 2012 Leave a comment

This weeks drill is a simple but easy one. It works on skills for both forwards, defensemen and goalies. The name of the drill is 3v0 Stretch/Drive.

 

The first forward skates towards the D with a puck, and passes it to him when he hits the Red Line. The other forward takes off in a stretch pattern across the far blue. The defenseman passes the puck to the stretching forward, while the first forward does a tight turn at the blue. The stretch forward then carries the puck wide into the zone and goes below the goal line. The other forward follows the play up and stops at the net, while the defenseman comes in dot wide and stops at the other dot. The forward with the puck now has multiple plays at the net front. The drill then starts again on a whistle, going the other direction.

Focus on good passes and attacking the net hard for the skaters. The forwards should make good heads up plays and drive hard. The goalies can work on their depth, as well as their adjustment from a low angle to a high angle.

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Wednesday Drill of the Week #2

May 16, 2012 Leave a comment

This week’s drill is a three shot drill that can then turn into a 2 on 1 (or any number of other options). It is a great flow/tempo drill that gets players skating, moving the puck, and playing a situation.

As you can see from the diagram, a defenseman starts the drill with a puck, skates forward and then pivots around the dot. They then skate backwards to the net, transition to forwards behind the net and then come out the other side to make a breakout pass to a forward. The forwards skate two patterns, one through the neutral zone in support (red) and one around the dot for the breakout pass (green). The puck gets moved from the D to the W, and then to the forward who came through the NZ in support, either directly or indirectly (off the boards). The Red F then goes and takes a shot on net, stopping at the net. The Green F picks up a pass from the line they left from, exchanges with the Red line and then goes and takes a shot on net, stopping at the net. The D follows the play up the ice, receiving a pass from the opposite D line, walking towards the middle and delivering a shot on net. This runs simultaneously on both sides of the ice.

After the three shots, there are options available. 1. The drill can stop after all three shots. 2. The two forwards can swing in support, get a pass from a coach, and go 2 on 0 down the other end. 3. The forwards can get a pass and go 2 on 1 on the defenseman.  4. The D can swing back to the other side they came from, join up with the other two forwards on a 3 on 0. Whatever you choose, the drill will be beneficial for your players.

Overall, this drill gets players skating, passing, moving, supporting the puck, attacking the net, screening the goalie, getting D involved in the rush, and playing a situational rush. It can be used with players of all ages, although I suggest the complexities (second part of the drill) wait until the basic patterns are established and known.

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Shot Release (+ Drills)

April 24, 2012 Leave a comment

As a former goalie, the hardest shot to stop was always the one that I didn’t know was coming. The ability to catch a goalie (and the defense) off guard is one that is highly underestimated by players and coaches alike.

Players that have a quick release, can shoot on the move and have the skill level necessary to shoot from any position are players that can score goals. Like any other skill, a quick release is something that must be practiced and developed in players. It requires physical and mental ability – you have to train your brain as much as your hands. I’ve put together some of my favorite shot release drills below in diagrams with brief explanations. Key aspects of a quick release include good weight transfer from the back to the front, strong wrist (esp bottom) and leg strength, keeping the head up, and a good follow through.

In all of the following drills, accuracy and quick release is of the utmost importance.

Drill A: Drag and Shoot: Player takes a puck and toe-drags it to a shooting position, using mostly legs to power the puck to the net. Player should focus on footwork, moving feet and shooting, using legs for power, quick snap to net. Both Sides.

Drill B: Catch and Shoot: Player stands near the dot and catches and releases passes from coach/teammate. Simple catch and release in a scoring area – player should focus on quick catch and quick release. Both Sides.

Drill A: Wide Drive & Shoot: Player comes hard down the wing and fires a quick shot on net at a point designated by a cone. The cone can be moved at every repetition to ensure a variance in the drill – high and low release points. Player should focus on fast acceleration, protecting the puck while driving down the wing and firing a quick release on net. Coaches/Teammates can pressure player down the wing to work on puck protection element. Both sides.

Drill B: Deke & Shoot: Place a cone or object just inside the blue line and two near the top of the circle. Player will drive the cone (d-man) and make a move towards the outside. Player will then drive to the cones (placed closely together) and release a shot in-between them. The set of cones forces a player to shoot when they may not be fully ready and simulates a quick release situation. Player should focus on making a strong outside move and releasing the puck on the move – skating and shooting is critical.

Improving your shot release and your ability to shoot on the move is a critical part of offensive hockey. I’ll make sure and have another post later with more quick release and skating and shooting drills.

Besides these drills on the ice, I firmly believe that the best way to improve your shot is to buy 50 pucks and shoot them in your driveway every day. One of the easiest and most straightforward ways to improve your game, yet many refuse to do it.

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