How to Lift & Shoot a Hockey Puck

Hockey is a game of skill and grit that features players skating up and down an ice rink at blazing speed. You have to react quickly once you have the puck or you'll be splattered against the glass or wake up face down on the ice. When a player sees the opportunity for a shot on goal, he needs to load up and release the puck within seconds or he loses his opportunity. An airborne shot often has more likelihood of reaching the back of the net than a low-level shot, so it's vital to know how to lift the puck. The following guidelines can have you shooting skillfully in no time.

Instructions

    • 1

      Spread your legs out about three feet. Stand with the puck between your legs, approximately two feet out in front of you. Pull the puck back with your stick to a spot slightly past your back skate.

    • 2

      Place the blade of your stick behind the puck in a fluid motion. Push down on the stick to create a bend. The stick should be at an angle of approximately 30 degrees to the ice.

    • 3

      Look towards the upper portion of the goal. Turn your body into the shot and bend your hips. Much of the power will come from your core muscles.

    • 4

      Slide the puck rapidly along the ice, allowing it to roll slightly forward from the middle-back of your blade to the middle-front. This generates movement that helps propel the puck into the air.

    • 5

      Lift the stick blade slightly when the blade and the puck are approximately even with your front foot. Your stick should be approximately level with your shoulders on your follow-through for a shot powerful enough to lift the puck into the air.