Slap Shots vs Wrist Shots
The advice given by most coaches is that younger players should focus on developing their wrist shots before trying to master the slap shot and the statistics generated through analyzing the shots of students in our class would suggest that this is good advice.
As part of our hockey skills testing, each student took part in wrist and slap shot tests to measure their speed and accuracy. Many coaches often point out that there is very little difference in speed between a slap shot and wrist shot, and since the slap shot is very difficult to master at the younger ages, it's more beneficial to focus on developing a good wrist shot first.
The average slap shot speed for the students in our class was 48 MPH (fastest shot was 70 MPH) and the average wrist shot was 42 MPH. With such a minor difference in speed, it appears that the advice by most coaches of younger players to focus on wrist shots is definitely good advice.
The advice given by most coaches is that younger players should focus on developing their wrist shots before trying to master the slap shot and the statistics generated through analyzing the shots of students in our class would suggest that this is good advice.
As part of our hockey skills testing, each student took part in wrist and slap shot tests to measure their speed and accuracy. Many coaches often point out that there is very little difference in speed between a slap shot and wrist shot, and since the slap shot is very difficult to master at the younger ages, it's more beneficial to focus on developing a good wrist shot first.
The average slap shot speed for the students in our class was 48 MPH (fastest shot was 70 MPH) and the average wrist shot was 42 MPH. With such a minor difference in speed, it appears that the advice by most coaches of younger players to focus on wrist shots is definitely good advice.