SKILLS

Body shape and other key elements in every great shooter

Greg Revak Photo
Greg Revak
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Today, I want to introduce you to the idea of ‘body shape’ and break down what goes into a great hard, accurate shot. Let's start by looking at a great shooter, Steven Stamkos. Just look at this goal from the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Final Game 3.

We all know Stamkos has an elite shot, but what are the key elements in there that make him an elite shooter?

1. Body shape

Body shape is the position in which a player’s body contorts to when shooting a puck (Note: this also could apply to passing). Without a consistent quality body shape, players will struggle with accuracy and power. Within body shape, there are two axis -- vertical and horizontal. This can be simply thought of as:
  • Keeping chest/shoulders over toes
  • Staying balanced (not leaning over left or right)
Take a look at the tape:
  1. Stepping strong foot -- a player steps forward onto their inside leg. That step/compression drives downforce.
  2. Releasing knee -- a player releases their inside knee. That release allows immense downforce by the player falling onto their stick.

What not to do

Now that we’ve learned what to look for, let’s see an example of what not to do. Jamie Benn gave us a perfect example:
  • Open shoulders
  • Leaning back
  • Off-balance, leaning left -- Naturally this will drag the shot left. Mentally he would need to reprogram his brain to aim further right to have a chance at hitting the net.
  • Sweeping motion rather than driving downforce into the ice
Watch warm-ups of any youth or adult league game and you’ll see this poor form as players go around in ovals shooting pucks. Usually, they’re missing the net high and making that *dunk* noise against the glass… Congrats on your new pet peeve.

2. Downforce

The hallmark of Stamkos’ shot is in how he drives force into the ice and creates flex in the stick. Stamkos is great at transferring his weight into his shot. The torque generated creates his powerful shot. Here’s an example of Nathan MacKinnon dropping his body weight and pushing into his stick. There is very little sweeping motion like you’ll often see with youth/adult players.

3. Top hand

Great shooters position their top hand away from their body and pull back violently. This turns the stick into a lever to create power. The top hand creates the most important part of the lever, the farthest point from the load (the puck). For the science nerds out there: Work (total power) is the force times the distance, W = Fd.
Here are some great video examples. When you’re watching, really focus in on their top hand.
When teaching shooting to yourself or to others, body shape is a vital concept to understand. By starting with quality body shape (shoulders over toes) you’ll be in a great position to execute a consistent, hard, and accurate shot.




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