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One of the most exciting aspects about
hockey is the slap shot. The slap shot is a violent collision between a
players stick and the puck. Although slap shots results in maximum
velocity it also is the most inaccurate. With an average contact time
of only .02 seconds and average force of 100 lbs slap shots can reach
over 100 mph, the fastest ever recorded was 105.4 mph. There are 3 main
steps to all slap shots
- The wind up
- Contact between stick and puck
- The follow-through
The
wind up- First the body winds up and starts accelerating the
rotation of the torso and stick while transferring weight from the rear
leg to the front.
Contact between stick and puck- Before the stick hits the puck it actually makes contact with the ice first which flexes the stick like the picture above. When the stick flexes it loads up with potential energy which gets transferred to kinetic energy and the puck's velocity.
Follow-Through- In the last step the puck accelerates and leaves the blade as the stick returns to it's normal shape. The player turns his hands to create a spin with the curve of his blade. The spin steady's the puck.
Contact between stick and puck- Before the stick hits the puck it actually makes contact with the ice first which flexes the stick like the picture above. When the stick flexes it loads up with potential energy which gets transferred to kinetic energy and the puck's velocity.
Follow-Through- In the last step the puck accelerates and leaves the blade as the stick returns to it's normal shape. The player turns his hands to create a spin with the curve of his blade. The spin steady's the puck.