A wrist shot is a type of
hockey
Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...
shot that involves using arm muscles (especially those in the
wrist
In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as (1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand; "The wrist contains eight bones, roughly aligned in two rows, known as the carp ...
and
forearm
The forearm is the region of the upper limb between the elbow and the wrist. The term forearm is used in anatomy to distinguish it from the arm, a word which is most often used to describe the entire appendage of the upper limb, but which in ...
) to propel a
puck forward from the
concave
Concave or concavity may refer to:
Science and technology
* Concave lens
* Concave mirror
Mathematics
* Concave function, the negative of a convex function
* Concave polygon, a polygon which is not convex
* Concave set
In geometry, a subset o ...
side of the blade of a
hockey stick
A hockey stick is a piece of sports equipment used by the players in all the forms of hockey to move the ball or puck (as appropriate to the type of hockey) either to push, pull, hit, strike, flick, steer, launch or stop the ball/ puck during pla ...
. Generally, when the puck is shot in a similar manner using the
convex
Convex or convexity may refer to:
Science and technology
* Convex lens, in optics
Mathematics
* Convex set, containing the whole line segment that joins points
** Convex polygon, a polygon which encloses a convex set of points
** Convex polytop ...
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
''Slap Shot'' is a 1977 American sports film directed by George Roy Hill, written by Nancy Dowd and starring Paul Newman and Michael Ontkean. It depicts a minor league ice hockey team that resorts to violent play to gain popularity in a decli ...
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.
The
snap shot is a cross between the wrist shot and the slap shot. The shooter uses a small wind up involving other muscles and the flex of the shaft of the hockey stick in order to propel the puck. The snap shot has a strength and accuracy somewhere between those of a wrist shot and a slap shot.
The wrist shot has several phases:
*The bottom hand slides down the shaft of the stick and brings the blade behind the back leg (the leg furthest away from the target).
*Weight is transferred to the front leg as the arms sweep forward.
*The puck is then rolled along the blade of the stick, ending with a flick of the wrist which accelerates the puck thanks to the curve in the stick.
*As the puck is released in the forward motion, the follow through of the stick determines the height and direction of the shot.
Among the NHL players who often score on wrist shots are Alexander Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, Evgeni Malkin, Patrick Kane and Joe Sakic.
References
{{reflist
External links
How to take a wrist shot
Ice hockey terminology
fr:Tir du poignet