Equipment Needed
- Pucks
- Soft or foam pucks for early reps
Soft pucks make this safer to learn
A set of soft or foam practice pucks takes the fear out of early shot-blocking reps.
Shop Practice Pucks on Amazon As an Amazon Associate, FreeCoachingDrills.com earns from qualifying purchases.Setup
- A shooter at the top of a marked circle, a defender learning to close the lane.
Instructions
- The shooter takes a controlled, low-speed shot toward the net.
- The defender slides into the shooting lane, dropping to one knee with the stick blade on the ice covering the bottom of the net.
- Reset after each attempt; progress shot speed gradually as technique holds up.
- Rotate shooters and defenders so everyone reps both roles.
Coaching Points
- Get square to the puck before dropping down - never slide in sideways.
- Keep the stick blade flat on the ice to cover the low, most common scoring area.
- Protect the head and face with the glove; never turn your back to the shot.
Variation
Progress to game-speed one-timers only once the technique is fully safe and consistent.