Hockey Slap Shot
By Brandon Starkey and Tyler Kohmetscher
S
Equipment
S The hockey stick is usually between five and six feet long.
S Made of wood, aluminum, fiber glass, carbon fiber, kevlar,
and titanium.
S They weigh between a pound and a pound and a half
depending on material.
Phases of the Shot
S Preparation
S Windup
S Downswing
S Loading the stick
S Impact
S The follow through
Preparation Phase
S Line front foot up with puck
S This location optimizes energy to transferred to puck
S Lead shoulder pointed to the target
Wind Up Phase
S Draw stick back
S Further back=more
velocity, but also means
more time
Downswing
S Rotate hips, trunk, and shoulders
S Contact anywhere from 4-12 inches behind the puck
S Contacting behind the puck is essential for bend of the stick
Loading the Stick
S Apply pressure to the
Stick by putting
downward pressure on
the stick with the lower
hand
S The height of the lower
hand on the shaft is
critical.
too high=not enough
bend in stick
S too low=not as much
energy will be
transferred to the puck
S
Impact
S Point when the blade catches the puck
S Strike the heel of the blade (sweet spot)
S Further out= more torque, not as accurate
Follow Through
S Used to maintain balance
Keys to the Shot
S Blade orientation
S Hand Position
S Impulse Duration
S Stick Bending
S “The key to a good slap shot is the conversion of angular
momentum to linear momentum.”
Muscles Used
S Shoulder Adduction
S Pectoralis Major
S Latissimus Dorsi
S Teres Major
S Shoulder Flexion
S Anterior Deltoid
S Shoulder Internal Rotation
S Pectoralis Major
S Subscapularis
Muscles Used (cont)
S Trunk Rotation
S Internal/External obliques
S Hip Flexion
S Psoas
S Illiacus
S Pectineus
S Elbow Extension
S Triceps Brachii
Muscles Used (cont)
S Forearm Pronation
S Pronator Quadratus
S Wrist Flexion
S Flexor carpi radialis
S Ulnaris
Video
S http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js6_WAS-Ay4
Resources
S
Farber, M. (2011). GOODBYE TO THE SLAP SHOT. Sports Illustrated, 115(20),
60-63.
S
Laliberte, D. J. (2009). Biomechanics of Ice Hockey Slap Shots: Which Stick Is
Best?. Sport Journal, 12(1), 1.
S
Smith, R., & Rudy, M. (2002). Hot Shot. Golf Digest, 53(2), 99.
S
Villasenor, A., Turcotte, R., & Pearsall, D. (2006). Recoil Effect of the Ice Hockey
Stick During a Slap Shot. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 22, 202-211.