Improve Your One-Timer

By: Dwayne Blais

Skills Coach Dwayne Blais dives into explaining how to improve your one-timer hockey shot. The one-timer has been around for a long time, but players are using it way more frequently because of its effectiveness and ability to surprise the goaltender. The one-timer can surprise goalies because it forces them to move (from where the pass originated from) and does not allow them the time to get perfectly set for the shot.

Tips To Improve Your One-Timer

1. Good Hand Position: drop hand a little lower than how you would have it in a snap-shot or a wrist shot.
2. Keep Hands Away From Body: you do not want your hands too far away or too close to your body as that will hurt your power.
3. Passing Placement: you want to try to time the pass to be in between your feet.
4. Transfer Weight: transfer your body weight from back foot to the front foot.
5. Follow-through: have your bottom shoulder follow through to the net.
6. Take Ice Before Shot: make sure to hit your stick 2-3 inches before you hit the puck so that your stick can flex properly and generate more power.
7. Blade Position: Keep blade closed to help with accuracy.
8. Push With Bottom Dand: this will help generate more power.

Inconsistencies To Be Aware Of:

Be mindful of these inconsistencies and practice so you can reduce the likelihood of these things happening:

• Wind Up With Arm Bent: this will create an inconsistency with a follow-through which makes it harder to generate power and accuracy.
• Blade Wide Open: make sure to keep your blade closed so that you do not slice or whiff on the shot.
• Hands Too Close Together: you want to make sure your hands are evenly apart
• Keep Legs Engaged: make sure knees are bent so you can shift weight and generate power.