The Slap Shot

The Slap Shot

"The Slap Shot is usually the hardest shot in hockey when it comes to generating puck speed." (Turk). The average slap shot in the NHL is around 100mph. The fastest shot recorded was 108.8mph, held by the ex-Boston Bruin captain Zdeno Chara. While these speeds are nothing to be sneezed at, the physics behind a slap shot are equally impressive. The following is a breakdown of the 4 main stages of a slap shot.

Stage 1: "The Wind-Up" is when the blade of the stick is at its highest point. At this point, the weight of the skater is primarily on the back skate. This is when the potential energy is at its highest, the motion of the stick and the weight of the skater is transitioning at this point, preparing to transform the potential energy into kinetic energy.

Stage 1

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-death-of-the-slap-shot-in-the-nhl-1511547355

stage2

https://www.timturkhockey.com/the-slap-shot/

Stage 2: "Contact". Many people assume that the stick makes contact directly with the puck, however this is not true. The modern sticks have what is referred to as "flex" which allows the stick to bend, generating even more energy in the form of elasticity, which is transferred into the puck. In order to utilize the stick to its full potential, when taking a slap shot it is critical to make contact with the ice just before connecting with the puck to capitalize on the elasticity of the stick.

Stage 3: "The Release". As the stick comes in contact with the puck, the skater is transferring his weight from his back leg to his foreleg. In physics terms, her or she, is transferring the kinetic energy of the body mass/motion, through the stick and into the puck, shooting it with significant velocity.

stage3
https://bpk201.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/bpk-201-in-depth-analysis-of-the-hockey-slap-shot/

stage4

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2679131-ranking-the-10-hardest-slap-shots-in-nhl-history

Stage 4: "The Follow Through" is arguably the most important part of the shot as it dictates the accuracy. The power comes from stages 1-3, but without proper alignment, the puck would not find the back of the net. In order to aim, skaters must use the momentum of the stick and dexterity to point the blade of the stick at the location they want their shot to hit.

The Slap Shot
	"The Slap Shot is usually the hardest shot in hockey when it comes to generating puck speed." (Turk). The average slap shot in the NHL is around 100mph. The fastest shot recorded was 108.8mph, held by the ex-Boston Bruin captain Zdeno Chara. While these speeds are nothing to be sneezed at, the physics behind a slap shot are equally impressive. The following is a breakdown of the 4 main stages of a slap shot.
	Stage 1: "The Wind-Up" is when the blade of the stick is at its highest point. At this point, the weight of the skater is primarily on the back skate. This is when the potential energy is at its highest, the motion of the stick and the weight of the skater is transitioning at this point, preparing to transform the potential energy into kinetic energy.	https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-death-of-the-slap-shot-in-the-nhl-1511547355
https://www.timturkhockey.com/the-slap-shot/	Stage 2: "Contact". Many people assume that the stick makes contact directly with the puck, however this is not true. The modern sticks have what is referred to as "flex" which allows the stick to bend, generating even more energy in the form of elasticity, which is transferred into the puck. In order to utilize the stick to its full potential, when taking a slap shot it is critical to make contact with the ice just before connecting with the puck to capitalize on the elasticity of the stick.
	Stage 3: "The Release". As the stick comes in contact with the puck, the skater is transferring his weight from his back leg to his foreleg. In physics terms, her or she, is transferring the kinetic energy of the body mass/motion, through the stick and into the puck, shooting it with significant velocity.	https://bpk201.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/bpk-201-in-depth-analysis-of-the-hockey-slap-shot/
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2679131-ranking-the-10-hardest-slap-shots-in-nhl-history	Stage 4: "The Follow Through" is arguably the most important part of the shot as it dictates the accuracy. The power comes from stages 1-3, but without proper alignment, the puck would not find the back of the net. In order to aim, skaters must use the momentum of the stick and dexterity to point the blade of the stick at the location they want their shot to hit.