How To Improve Your Wrist Shot

Updated: January 1, 2024 by Bill Burniece

A hockey wrist shot offers speed of release and a high degree of accuracy.

That is unless you’re a beer league hack.

But even us hacks can improve our wrist shot with a little practice.

Having a good stick helps. But it’s more technique than hi-tech.

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Below are some cool video tutorials on how to improve your wrist shot no matter what your level is. Each one offers a detailed explanation of all of the mechanics involved with the most frequently used shot in hockey.

At the bottom of the page is a summary and checklist on how to improve the velocity and accuracy of your wrist shots.

Learning how to improve your hockey wrist shot is sure to elevate your game and get you more goals. Even in the beer leagues.

hockey wrist shot example

Wrist Shot Hockey Video Tutorials

Video 1: Wrist Shot Shooting Tips – Hips, Shoulders, Flex

This first video is excellent since it spends about five full minutes on the all-important wrist shot set-up.

You’ll learn the proper hand placement on your stick shaft and where your hands should be in relation to your body.

You’ll also discover the best placement for the puck while you’re setting up your shot.

It also covers how to determine your “playmaking area” to increase your accuracy.

Finally, you’ll see how to transfer your weight and rotate your hips to generate more torque in your wrist shot.

Video 2: iTrain Hockey Wrist Shot Training Intensive

This wrist shot training video is fairly long – weighing at over 13 minutes. But that allows Coach Sean to cover just about everything there is to discuss on wrist shots.

You’ll learn all the basic and advanced methods for shooting wrist shots that can beat the keeper.

The tutorial covers how to fire a wrist shot from both a stationary position and while in-motion.

Video 3: 3 Tips to Improve Wrist Shot Power

I like this video because it really focuses all of the attention on the mechanics that allow you to generate more power on your hockey wrist shots.

I see a lot of wrist shots in the beer leagues, and the majority of them are weak since most players don’t know how to use these mechanics to generate more power on their shots using body and stick leverage.

You learn how to use the ‘recoil effect’ that you can use by pushing down on your stick during your windup causing the flex of your stick to produce more energy as you release the puck.

Video 4: Connor McDavid Wrist Shot Analysis and Evaluation

This video features Connor McDavid who is one of the top players in the NHL.

You’ll see that Connor is always looking at his target throughout the entire motion of his wrist shot.

You will get a nice analysis of Connor’s leg position, weight transfer, and follow-through that allows him to generate power and accuracy on his shot.

Video 5: How To Execute A Wrist Snap Shot

Another great video from Coach Sean who will show you the super-powerful wrist snap shot combination. 

The wrist snap shot utilizes two parts: The sweep and the snap.

The sweep activates your stick, then the snap motion creates power and speed.

Video 6: Wrist Shot One Timers

Coach Sean demonstrates the deadly wrist shot one-timer that surprises goalies at all levels.

Hockey is such a fast game and goalies are more mobile and athletic as ever.

You can become a deadly goal scorer when you can receive passes and release your shots without deliberation.

Video 7: Auston Matthews Teaches You The Perfect Hockey Wrist Shot

The great Austin Matthews has a wicked wrist shot.

He’s really effective and changing the angle of his shot and catching goalies off balance.

Austin will show you his weight transfer technique that allows you to generate more power.

Wrist Shot Hockey Drills

  • Use Your Flex: Powerful wristers rely on using the leverage involved with the flex of your stick. When you practice your wrist shots, focus on the bend, flex, and release elements of your follow-throughs. Start without using a puck and focus only on your stick movement as you execute the motion. Then add a puck and begin to tie it all together.
  • Puck Position: Practice starting your wrist shots with the puck at the heel, not the toe, of the blade.
  • Weight Transfer: Believe it or not, the power for your wrist shot comes from your legs, not your arms and shoulders. Bend your knees, transfer your weight from back to front, then extend upon puck release.
  • Point At Your Target: Once you get the flex motion down, take some shots and make sure to point your stick at your target post-follow-through and hold it for a second or two.

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Hockey Wrist Shot Summary

The Wrister Set-Up:

  • Keep your feet shoulder-width apart with your knees slightly bent and loose
  • Your hands should also be shoulder-width apart on your stick shaft
  • Your hands should be in front of your body
  • The puck should be a few feet (but no more than that) away from your body

Wrist Shot Execution:

  • Shift your weight slightly to your back leg as you draw the puck back
  • Keep your eyes on your target, not the puck
  • As you start the forward motion of your shot, transfer your weight from your back leg to your front leg
  • Move both your stick and the puck closer to your body as you follow through allowing some of your weight to be forced onto your stick to generate flex and a whipping action
  • As you follow through, roll your front wrist over so it points at your target

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Among the NHL players who often score on wrist shots are Alexander Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, Evgeni Malkin, Patrick Kane and Joe Sakic.

Us beer leaguers players will obviously never equal their skill, but you can learn some additional tips by watching their techniques.

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