QuestionQUESTION: I play in an adult, semi-competitive league. I have gotten totally psyched out from hitting the post so much this last season. We play a 10-game season and then the playoffs, and we were just we eliminated last night. I felt pretty bad, because I hit the post on all 3 of my shot attempts in the game- all 1-timers on 2-on-1 rushes.
During my 10-game regular season, I only managed 32 SOG but hit the post 35 times. I ended with 10 regular season goals, but that was mostly stacked near the beginning. I had to transform my game to be useful at all at the end of the regular season and into the playoffs, screening in front of the net and just banging at rebounds. I am one of the smallest guys on the rink, so that isn't the most effective thing.
How can I get past hitting the post on >50% of my shot attempts? I have tried everything I can think of, to include just trying to aim for the middle of the net, but I still find a way to drill the post. In our second to last playoff game, I even hammered a post trying to just flicking in an empty netter from about 15' with no one near me. When I look at the net, all I see is posts. Any advice?
ANSWER: Hi there Phillip!
This is a quirky situation indeed! I don't think I have ever heard anyone hitting this many posts!!
Here are some ideas for you -- to maybe just improve your "shooting" in general... this may get you off that post! it is, after all, a game of inches - so you are VERY CLOSE!!!!
... Here are some thoughts you can "add" to your own thinking process that may get you to make natural adjustments as you work in self improvement.
i.e. A quickly released "quick" shot is probably one of the highest percentage scoring opportunities going. Done quickly (i.e. IN STRIDE), gets alot of goalies off guard; shot sharply and accurately will also NOT give goalies enough time to react. Also when taking this shot know that the lower corners are higher percentage shots.
*** Another thing is shoot from the eyes of the puck. i.e. Do this exercise. With puck on blade stand in front of goalie in net. First notice your "openings" from where your eyes are while standing.
Then go down on your belly and look from the "eyes" of the puck. Notice the openings you have now! ALOT MORE ROOM ON YOUR STICK SIDE now isn't there??
If you trust this shot I guarantee you will score more goals shooting just inside the post on YOUR stick's side... (i.e. if you shoot left - shoot to your left... and vice versa) -- the only thing a goalie can do to really stop this is to cheat by keeping his body centered on the puck... if he does that -- then that is your queue to go back hand deke!
Hope this helps - feel free to ask any follow up questions
Martial
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for the feedback. Seems very useful and I will put it to use once our new season starts in a week or so. Again, I was blown away by hitting the post so much this season. In one Power Play, I hit the post on 3 consecutive 1-timers from the left circle within about 15 seconds of each other- 1 on each post/crossbar too.
The only follow-up question to this is about where to aim. Normally, I really prefer to shoot top shelf. This is especially true in this league where we have a couple pretty weak goalies who just go down to their knees way early. Do you think that shooting lower would reduce the number of posts I hit? When I read your suggestion to shoot for the lower corners, I thought it through and I realized that I rarely if ever hit the post on a low shot. Do you think it would be worth me changing my preferred shot to 0-12" off the ice instead of top shelf?
Thanks again!
Answer
SHOOTSTATS
Hi again Philip!!
It may or may not help you get away from hitting posts... but statistically it will increase your "odds" of scoring... Stats do show that a higher percentage of goals are scored in the 0-12" range off the ice ice surface in both lower corners ... and for a left handed shot it's in the goalie's right hand corner and for the right handed shot it's in the goalie's left hand corner!!
Hope this helps!
Good luck with the puck!
M
PS - hopefully you can see the attached for some of the statistics that have been produced about this question!!
