Scoring

Scoring goals requires

  1. Composure; focus on what you need to do to get on target
  2. Belief; be confident that you are going to score
  3. Deception; be unpredictable, don’t just do the obvious, change your angle, take a quick shot
  4.  Avoid perfection; get as many attempts as possible
  5. Always be ready; get into goal scoring positions, stay low and be ready for any passes or rebounds

Scoring – chip lob

The main difference with a normal reverse shot is that the ball has a lob movement and you are hitting the ball with the tip of the hook, not the reverse side. When you approach the ball, the important thing is to try and get under the ball with the tip of the stick. With the reverse shot you must get low to get power but with the chip lob power is not so important so you can be more upright and when you impact the ball the stick is 45 degrees. It will be easier if you use your right leg to step out because it is the easiest way to line up to where you want to go and you start by standing one and half metres from the ball.

Scoring – drag flicking with Larry McIntosh

Courtesy of Hockey Zone, Ryde Hockey Club High Performance Coach and former Olympic coach Larry McIntosh breaks down the technique required to be a master drag flicker and works with some of the club’s flickers to improve their power and accuracy. This segment appeared on the Hockey Zone TV show in August 2013.

Scoring – dragflick

With a dragflick the ball rolls of the stick.

A good way to practice is to get on one knee and try and get the roll off under control is by just practising the flick. Once you get the flick under control, add the drag.

Scoring – slap shot

The slap shot is a scoring technique you can use if you do not have a lot of time. You hold your hands far apart and the backswing is in the air (not like the sweep shot where the swing is along the ground). In a game, the aim is to surprise the goalkeeper with a quick slapshot.

Scoring – squeeze shot

This is a scoring technique when the defender is in your back, you are with your back to the goal and you do not want to go left or right. Leave the ball where it is, step around and hit the ball on the top.

Scoring – the half volley

To practice in training, get a person to stand behind the goals and throw balls over the net.

Scoring – the tip in or deflection

The tip can be done in several different ways with the ball going high or low. The main difference is where you tip the ball on your stick. If you want the ball to go low the contact is higher up the stick and for a high ball the contact is lower down with the tip of the stick. When the ball is coming with speed you will use the tip because contact with higher up the stick will cause the ball to shoot over the net. When tipping backhand, the face must be kept open, with either a low or high stance.