Backhand slapshot

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A backhand slapshot is a type of shot used in the sport of ice hockey. Despite the similar name and execution, the result of the shot bears little resemblance to the traditional slapshot due to the awkwardness of the motion involved.

Ice hockey team sport played on ice using sticks, skates, and a puck

Ice hockey is a contact team sport played on ice, usually in a rink, in which two teams of skaters use their sticks to shoot a vulcanized rubber puck into their opponent's net to score points. The sport is known to be fast-paced and physical, with teams usually consisting of six players each: one goaltender, and five players who skate up and down the ice trying to take the puck and score a goal against the opposing team.

Slapshot

A slapshot in ice hockey is the hardest shot one can perform. It has four stages which are executed in one fluid motion to make the puck fly into the net:

  1. The player winds up his hockey stick to shoulder height or higher.
  2. Next the player violently "slaps" the ice slightly behind the puck and uses his weight to bend the stick, storing energy in it like a spring. This bending of the stick gives the slapshot its speed. Just like a bow and arrow, the stick's tendency to return to being straight is transferred to the puck, giving it much more speed than just hitting it alone could.
  3. When the face of the stick blade strikes the puck, the player rolls his wrists and shifts his weight so that the energy stored in the stick is released through the puck.
  4. Finally, the player follows through, ending up with the stick pointed towards the desired target.

To execute the shot:

  1. The player winds up their hockey stick to the side of their top hand (left hand for a right-hand shot). For a so-called backhand slapshot, the wind-up is awkward at best, requiring either a scissoring of the hands resulting in a golf-like “chip,” or rotation of the shoulders with the arms and wrists moving very little.
  2. Next the player violently "slaps" the ice slightly behind the puck. In a traditional slapshot the player uses body weight to bend the stick, storing energy in it like a spring. This bending of the stick gives the slapshot its amazing speed. On the backhand, less power can be generated because of the awkwardness of the motion and far less bend can be imparted to the stick.
  3. When the rear of the stick blade strikes the puck, the player rolls their wrists and shifts weight so that the energy stored in the stick is released through the puck. On the backhand (as opposed to a traditional slapshot from the forehand), energy transfer is less efficient through the wrists and forearms.
  4. Finally, the player follows through, ending up with the stick pointed towards the desired target.

If done properly this shot can take the goalie off guard.

The backhand slapshot is weaker than other shots, and because of the violent motion involved and the awkward nature of the swing somewhat less accurate. It also takes longer to execute if the player controls the puck; a player usually cannot take a backhand slapshot while under any significant pressure from an opposing player because the opponent could easily interfere during the windup. The backhand slapshot is most commonly used as a desperation move to shoot or clear a loose puck as a player approaches the puck and when he or she has no time to collect the puck.

The invention of the backhand slapshot is credited to no one in particular. A traditional backhand shot (backhand wrist shot) will be much quicker, far more accurate, and nearly always more powerful.

In ice hockey, a backhanded shot is a shot taken from the backside of the blade. This type of shot is often used on breakaways, penalty shots and in shootouts and is used for deking. Compared to a forehand shot, it is less accurate, less powerful, but more confusing to goaltenders. It is also used when a player can not pass the puck to someone who is facing the outside bend of the stick.

A wrist shot is a type of hockey shot that involves using arm muscles to propel a puck forward from the concave side of the blade of a hockey stick. Generally, when the puck is shot in a similar manner using the convex side of the blade, it is referred to as a backhand shot. The power of a wrist shot comes from lower body strength more than arm strength. The advantage of a wrist shot over a slap shot is the minimal amount of setup required, creating an element of surprise. Moreover, a wrist shot is far more accurate than a slap shot. Conversely, the reliance on wrist and forearm muscles to propel the puck causes the wrist shot to be less powerful than the slap shot, though this is not true for all players, even those with "big shots". Transfer of bodyweight and the flex of a hockey stick are also key factors for a wrist shot. Weight should shift from the back leg to the front leg for maximum power. The flex of a stick is also key for a powerful wrist shot. Applying energy and weight onto your stick gives a whip like motion and thus provides your shot with even more power. The lower the flex number on a hockey stick, the more bend the stick creates.

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