One of my favorite hockey shooting drills. Simple to set up, but teaches some profound concepts.
This could be one of the most basic hockey shooting drills out there… but it is also one of the most effective because of the concepts that can be applied. Remember to have your players shoot in stride if they’re on their forehand, and to use their Inside Mohawk if they’re on their backhand. Here’s the diagram and explanation:
Snake Drill
Option 1:
1. players line up in corner
2. on whistle, first player in line skates up and around the top of the circle, attacking the “seam”
3. if on forehand, player shoots in stride, if on backhand, player executes a mohawk, and shoots from the forehand
4. after shot, players line up in opposite corner
Option 2:
1. Basic snake – add coaches for “token” resistance
2. Start by drive skating through the coaches, using puck protection
3. Then switch to an outward facing inside mohawk as the protection move at each coach
Option 3:
1. First player leaves without a puck
2. Next player in line passes out for a one-time shot
3. Use Mohawk if on backhand
Cheers!
USE THIS DRILL IN YOUR OWN PRACTICE PLAN:
John – I like that variation. Gives the players a chance to work on their one-timer too.
Jeremy, I like running this drill however instead of having the drill end in the corner I have my players continue and skate to the top of the second circle where they receive a pass from the opposite corner from a coach for a second shot on net. This forces the 5 defenders to react to the pressure in the seam coming from both sides on the same drill.
David – thanks for the comment. Glad you’re enjoying the blog!
Profound concepts, indeed. This drill especially points out the importance of players knowing WHY they’re performing a drill, beyond just doing it well. I stumbled across your web site a few weeks ago and just love it. Thanks so much for all the hard work and thought that goes into this blog. It’s an incredible resource.