DIY Hockey Shooting Drills for Better Accuracy & Power

Whether you’re a beginner looking to improve your shot or an experienced player fine-tuning your accuracy and power, practicing off-ice is key. The good news? A low cost home training setup will help you develop a harder, more accurate shot. There are countless do-it-yourself drills so you can work on your shot in a driveway, garage, or backyard. All it takes are hockey shooting targets or, even better, Snipe Lights interactive hockey shooting targets, and a little creativity.

Change It Up

Always keep a weighted puck or two in your bag and introduce them into your DIY shooting drills. This develops shot strength and keeps you on your toes, helping avoid any repetitive shooting boredom.

Just don’t shoot those weighted biscuits at any goalies!

Quick Release Drill

Sometimes getting a shot off quickly is more important than the speed of the shot itself. When a goalie doesn’t have time to square up for your shot, you’ve got more net to shoot at. Plus, it doesn’t give defenders a chance for a poke check or a block.

Spend a good 10 minutes focusing on getting the puck off your stick as fast as possible. This is a great drill for developing a killer snap shot.

One-Timer Rebound Drill

The ability to turn rebounds into goals is an important part of any goal scorer’s arsenal. But good luck finding a goalie who’s going to let you practice just rebounds on them for an hour. You might be able to convince a teammate or friend to feed you simulated rebounds once in a while, but thanks to some easy DIY solutions, you can practice shooting rebounds when you’re alone without having to spend a few hundred dollars on a fancy rebound board.

Here are a few hacks for simulating rebounds:

Attach a couple of wide rubber straps around the bottom of a chair or stool and pass the puck to yourself off it.
Got an old mini trampoline collecting dust in the garage? Turn that sucker on its side and create bouncing rebounds for yourself that will mimic so many of the ones you see in games.
Find an old, used goalie pad and tie it horizontally between the bottom of the goal posts to practice lifting the puck over the pad after bouncing the puck off it.

Be sure to move the freestanding rebounders around and practice this from different angles.

Backhand Only Drill

The backhand is one of the most deceptive shots in hockey. Not only is it hard for goalies to pick it up coming off the stick, but let’s face it: most players just don’t work on their backhanders much in practice. This translates to no one, including the shooter, knowing exactly where it’s going to end up most of the time.

If you can become one of the rare players with a wickedly fast backhand shot that’s also accurate, you will score more goals, guaranteed.

Dedicate an entire 30-minute shooting training session to only your backhand, and you’ll reap the benefits in your scoring stats.

Moving Shot Drill

Many players tend to practice shooting mostly from a stationary position. While this is good for shot mechanics and strength training, it leaves out the chance to practice surprising goalies with unpredictable shots on the move as your angles change. Delays are also effective in throwing goalies off their timing.

Stickhandle around a cone or two before shooting or move horizontally across the goal during your shot. You can also practice shooting on the move while looking away from the goal to catch netminders completely off guard.

Get Crazy!

Because in-game action is so volatile, there isn’t much chaos you can introduce into your own training that won’t help you adapt on the fly when the game is on the line. The best goal scorers in the world are capable of some amazing improvisation, but you better believe they have played around with some of the crazy-looking shots you’ve seen during those unstructured moments in practice or at home.

Here are a few less-than-sane ideas for adding some variety to your DIY training:

Take 20 shots with one foot propped on a chair behind your body.
Shoot 10 pucks with one knee on the ground or ice.
Shoot 5 pucks off only one leg.
Take one hand off the stick for a few shots.
Have your brother or sister yell at you for a few minutes while shooting to train you to stay focused (you can get revenge on them later).
Get a friend to stand off to the side and hold up between one and five fingers before every shot and make you call it out before your release to discourage tunnel vision.
Play games on Snipe Lights that require keeping your head up.

Final Tips for DIY Shooting Success

Be consistent. Aim for at least 3-5 sessions per week.
Use video analysis. Record your shots and analyze their mechanics so you can make adjustments.
Track your progress. Set goals for shot speed, accuracy, and technique.

By incorporating these DIY hockey shooting drills into your routine, you’ll develop a quicker, more powerful and accurate shot, making you a bigger threat on the ice. Keep practicing, stay disciplined, and watch your shot improve!

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