3 Core Dills for a Hockey Tarp

One of the best ways to practice the almost impossible shots is to spend time shooting pucks at a hockey tarpSince these remarkable training aids are designed with the hockey player in mind there are strategic target points on each tarp that can help a shooter to learn how to hone in on each targethit it every time they slap the puck towards itIf you are serious about strengthening your game, here are a few core drills that have the potential to bring your game up to the highest notch yet.

Getting Situated

Although you can set up your tarp virtually anywhere, itis best if you have some sort of surface that is a lot like ice to shoot your pucks fromShooting from the ground can cause problems, such as ruining the blade on your stick,chewing up your pucksYou can simply use a shooting pad, or install synthetic ice or even dryland hockey flooring to practiceWhatever your needslimitations are will decide which one is best for youJust remember that you can’t use ice skates on dryland flooring,you cant rollerblade on synthetic iceHowever, both of these surfaces are great to practice shooting onJust make sure that you have one of these to practice with for the best results.

First Drill: Shoulder Shot

In this drill, it is important to have a good-sized stockpile of hockey pucks to shoot at your disposalIn many cases, the best way to tone your shooting skills is to practice a hard shot overover again until you hit it every timeFor this exercise simply stand in your best shooting stancepick one of the upper targets of your goalie guy on the shooting tarpWhichever one you choose, stick with it,fire your shotsOne slap right after the other in quick succession until your pucks are all goneMake a mental note of how many shots you make so that the next time you do the drill, you strive to make more.

Second Drill: Backhand Finesse

If you are using a shooting pad, you can still do this one, although you may have to get creativeThe key is that you continue to focusstrengthen your backhand as much as you can because you never know when it will come in handywin a game for youThe point of this exercise is to strengthen the backhand shot while operating under the condition of graceIn other words, shoot backhand shots with finesseStart out with the puck on either side of you in the front of you with the shooting tarp in front of you as wellSlide the puck to your other side in front of you backforth a few times to get a rhythma feel goingWhen you are ready, pass the puck from the outside of you to the back of your backshot sideslap a backhand shot into one of the targets on the tarpThis may take a few tries to get the hang of it, but you will eventually be able to hit whatever target you choose every time.

Third Drill: MacaroniCheese

Most people love macaronicheeseHowever, when you dial in this shot, your opposing team will hate you for sureThis exercise calls for a little help, the macaroni; also known in this exercise as the puck rebounderThe puck rebounder will help you sharpen your receiving skillspush your shooting skills to the next levelIt is pretty simple.  You place the puck rebounder a few feet to the right or left of youdo a few rebound practice shots until you get the hang of itWhen you get the idea, pass the puck firmly to the passerallow it to come back to youPick a shot on the hockey tarp that you want to aim forThe instant that the puck comes back to you, switch your stance,mix in the cheeseSlap that puck as quickly as you can into the target that you pickedWhen you hit that shot, it will be macaronicheese all day longThe key is to pass to the rebounder, get it back, then slam it into the goal in a quick, fluid motionThe greatest deke ever.