Shooting

[JohnHockey1798]

I write right handed and shot right handed. I know that I ma supposed to shot left handed, I was never told that is there any way that I could still follow that rule even though I learned the wrong way. THe main reason I am asking is because I have no slapshot and when i paly defense I poke check wit hy stick in my right hand.

John

[ClarkAddison]

I need a clarification. If you poke check with your right hand does that mean it is on the knob?
When you shoot right handed does that mean your switching hands back to putting your left hand on the knob? Sorry, I'm a bit confused by what you wrote.



http://www.eteamz.com/ChillDawgz/images/NPMikeShot.jpg

[-venom-]

funny....... I'm right handed in everything, and I also shoot right handed.

Yet alot of guys I know a righty-lefty.... bah I wish I was left handed in hockey... haha

Either way, I do alot of swithcing hands and what not on my stick. One-handed, I'm better with my right hand, but two-handed, there's no way I could play lefty, unless I purposely tried to learn it all over again.



http://www.phatwhippincrx.20m.com/images/dumbass.jpg

[JohnHockey1798]

When i poke check I have my right hand on the knob then when I pass or shoot I put my left hand on the knob.

John

[ClarkAddison]

I would stick with the right handed shooting. I'd assume your stronger that way. For your poke checking, I would suggest trying to keep the stick in your left hand. As far as your slap shot, check out the sting labeled "question" in the products review originally posted by Richard.

In the end, you can only learn to play the game so much by others suggestions or books and videos. Eventually, you do what feels the most comfortable to you. If everyone played exactly the same way the game would be boring.



http://www.eteamz.com/ChillDawgz/images/NPMikeShot.jpg

[missionhockey21]

Same here, I am a lefty and there is no way that I could learn to play right-handed. I couldnt handle a puck right-handed to save my life. lol

[columbus_RHstar]

I'm a left-righty and most people who are taught by there house coaches who never played before play as a righty righty or a lefty righty becuase thats how the coahc learned to shoot the night before with some instruction video form the library.

[DannyG]

Those of us who learned to play with the straight-bladed sticks of the sixties didn't worry about handed-ness; just got the stick & went out & played...most kids who started in the nineties got their stick from an unknowing parent who bought it based on their kid's handed-ness in other sports.

The main advantage to playing "opposite handed" is your "more dexterious" hand is on top, and can manipulate the stick (like, in poke checking). Either way, however, there are logistics problems that you have to overcome to play all parts of the game.

For example, if you play opposite handed, playing hockey left-handed, and your right foot is your better stopping foot, then you will have a heckuva time getting to pucks on the boards on your forehand. You will have to work real hard on improving your left foot stopping ability...either handed, you have a variety of stuff to work on.

"Studies have shown" that you can learn to do anything in any manner that is at least physically possible with the human body to do. I have mentioned one of our local premier players, Skylier, here in these posts before. He's the 19 year old who can hit a puck 96 pmh. Skylier is righty-righty, ever since he was a little kid, he simply did everything -both power and manipulation- with his bottom (right) hand on the stick. We note that at the USAHIL youth regionals and nationals over the years, game officials would always comment (to me as his coach) "that kid has really tremendous hands," in appreciation of Skylier's stickhandling ability. Apparently, Skylier loses neither power nor dexterity by using the single hand/arm to be responsible for both.

Skylier, of course, was never conscious of developing himself this way, it was just the way he learned to do it. He just practiced a whole bunch and got very good at it all.

Handed-ness really only dictates which set of practice drills you need to do to improve any aspect of your game (like, poke checking). Bottom line is, everybody can do anything.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by DannyG on 01/08/03 08:44 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

[bonesy21]

men,

when i write, i write with my right hand; however, i was an exceptional learner in the land of hockey. my hero when i was young, was doogie howser, the doctor who was like 18 years old and a quick learner. what i was taught was to shoot with both sides of the stick. now since ive gotten sooooooo good at shooting. i am now ambidexterose which means i can shoot with both sides, lefty and righty. so what i did was got a flat stick blade from easton using a synergy, and since the blade is flat, i can now take slap-shots from both sides of the stick. pretty cool eh? yeah im lying, but it would be cool huh?

lol...
bones

[MDE3]

well there may just be a coincidence that as a "learned to play in the 50's and 60's player" we always had a hard time finding enough right hand shooters. It really is true that people have different degrees of relative coordination between right and left hands - some being almost ambidextrous and others totally one sided in their abilities. But learning to shoot with the control hand on the top of the stick as your most coordinated hand has great benefits early on in a players learning carreer improving the speed at which the player will become adept. as far as being stronger stopping right or left - practice more - do not accept that one side will always be weaker.
And it may not be the coaches fault as to which handed a player starts out - more likely the parents who assume that righty/righty is the natural way to go and thus buy the first stick - and head down that path. Coaches would be wise to inform parednts of beginning players about the righrty/lefty benefits before sticks are purchased, or have parents buy straight sticks - actually easier to learn with

[missionhockey21]

doogie howser, lol, I thought this whole post was a joke once i read that.

[missionhockey21]

Both me and my brother were brought up on flat bladed sticks, and both are left-righty w/ our control hand at the top of the stick.

[ClarkAddison]

I am amphibious. Which means I can shoot on land as well as water.



http://www.eteamz.com/ChillDawgz/images/NPMikeShot.jpg

[missionhockey21]

Really, I am going to a clinic this summer to learn that, I hear a lot of great hockey players wouldnt be the same player if they werent amphibious. lol

[morrisville75]

if i was a little younger knowing what i know i would like to shot both hands
i just donlt have the time to figure it all out now

[RichardGraham]

Hi JohnHockey1798,

I am right handed, and shoot lefty, but I golf and bat righty! Anyone else like this, or am I completely "unique" and special? lol

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[missionhockey21]

I write right handed, bat right handed, play hockey left handed, and the little bit of golf I do play (driving ranges:)) I hit both left and right handed. I guess I am "special" too. lol

[columbus_RHstar]

W O W, I am right handed, play hockey lefty, golf lefty, bat righty, write righty, and throw righty. Aren't we all just soooo special?

[missionhockey21]

I throw right handed too.

[missionhockey21]

I think we need to make our own "special" club. lol

[socalhckyplyr93]

i'm confused. is there some advantage with your control hand at the top?

[DannyG]

Since you asked,

the above posts do highlight several game situations where, if your more dextrous hand is the top hand, you will be able to perform in the game at a higher level...

The point was also made, correctly, that a player can indeed learn and develop the high level of physical skill even with the "poor" hand, with enough practice...

Hope that gives you the info your looking for...

[socalhckyplyr93]

yeah...thanks....now i'm gonna try switching hands and if it doesnt work...i'll go back

[missionhockey21]

I use my more dextrous hand at the top of my stick, and I think because of it I get moch better poke checks and control.

[MDE3]

Another major benefit is that your control hand or "power hand" is usually the strongest, and means you have more control on a one handed sweep, and more power for a one handed shot when circumstances dictate.

[missionhockey21]

I use the one handed sweep technique a lot, and if I had to do it with my weaker hand (left) I be in some trouble because it is a lot less powerful than my right.

[socalhckyplyr93]

so the only diffenrece is a one handed sweep would be more powerful...or am i still missing something...does playing for example righty-lefty make you shoot harder or control the puck better?

[missionhockey21]

I am lefty-righty, I have my more dexterous hand (right) at the top of my stick. This gives me a more powerful sweep, better control, I dont know about strength of my shot though. It could limit my strenght in that area, but hey I've been playing like this since I was 4 and it would be hard to change, so I am stuck with it like that.

[socalhckyplyr93]

i am going to try to play righty-lefty or lefty-righty(i dont really know which one i am) in a couple of my rec games and see how that works out

[missionhockey21]

Good luck, its a tough task to switch handness, my little brother did it and has about equal ability in both shooting left handed and right handed. I would recommend practicing and not doing it in a game, just while you're playing around, because when I try to shoot right handed it really does look sad, my friend said it looked like I never even seen a hockey stick before, lol. If you have a great shot already you might just want to stick with the hand you are using now, because that is hard to develop once you are "set in your ways."

[socalhckyplyr93]

well my rec league is basically practice for me so i'll probably try it there and in my practices

[missionhockey21]

Oh ok, but my right handed shot is so bad I would probably embarass myself in rec league. I would rather hold a right handed stick like a left-hander and hope for the best rather than shoot with my right-hand, lol.

[socalhckyplyr93]

yeah i was just trying shooting im my garage with this cheap left handed stick and it feels like i've never played the game before...lol

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by socalhckyplyr93 on 02/11/03 06:14 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

[MDE3]

remember that the advantages discussed were particularily intended to teach a novice player who had equally limited skills either way. The benefits from this will not be seen short term. There are a lot of other times you will use a single handed play - just think about it for a while.

Another anomoly also happens a fair amount. Due to peer pressure in preschool and kindergarten as well as from teachers - some natural left handers become righties for writing and other basic skills. But their natural dominant hand will remain left. You really want to use your strongest hand/arm at the top of the stick. My son is one of those. He writes right and uses his knife in his right hand - but will only arm wrestle left handed. When he was a baby we couldn't be sure which hand was dominant because he switched a lot(not his hockey stick lol). But he ended up playing right handed - which feels more comfortable for him - but as it happens his left hand is the strong one - even though most would consider him right handed.

[socalhckyplyr93]

now that i think about it...i think my hands are equal...my right hand is more cordinated, like i can't write with my left, but they are almost equally strong