Backhand Shot Reps
Ages 9 and up · A shooting pad, pucks or street balls, a net or tarp target; smooth floor or driveway
The backhand is hockey's forgotten weapon: rarely practiced (it is awkward and un-glamorous), which is exactly why goalies fear it (it is hard to read) and coaches love players who own one. In tight, off rebounds, and on breakaway finishes, the backhand scores goals the forehand cannot reach, and it builds beautifully in a driveway where nobody is watching the awkward early reps.
The mechanics are the forehand's mirror with one extra challenge: elevation. The cupped drag, the weight transfer, and the wrist roll-through all apply, and the ball or puck climbing off the backhand's curve-less side is the skill's badge, earned through deliberate lift reps.
How to run it
- Backhand stance and cradle: puck on the backhand side, blade's back face cupped over it (the top wrist rolled), body sideways-ish to the target.
- The sweep shot: drag the puck from behind the back foot through to the front, weight transferring, wrists rolling THROUGH toward the target, low follow-through. Ten reps, along-the-ground shots at a target.
- Elevation reps: the same sweep with the blade opening slightly through release and the follow-through rising (the lift comes from the roll-and-rise, not a scoop). Aim at a raised target (a taped square at glove height). Ten reps.
- In-tight backhands: short-range quick backhands off a single pull (the rebound-finish shot). Ten reps.
- Finish with forehand-backhand pairs: pull across into a forehand shot, then a set pulling back into a backhand, alternating (the game's real rhythm). Log raised-target hits weekly.
What to say
Common faults and fixes
Scooping at the puck to lift it (shovel shots fluttering weakly).
The roll-and-rise sequence at slow speed: lift comes from the wrist roll through release and the rising follow-through, with the sweep's full length intact. Shorten the target distance until real lift appears.
No weight transfer (arms-only backhands with nothing on them).
The same step-through engine as the forehand, exaggerated: back-to-front pressure through the sweep. Grade the legs for a set; the puck speed doubles.
Avoiding the drill entirely (the awkwardness tax).
Pair it permanently with forehand work (the alternating sets) so the backhand rides the fun shot's coattails, and log its progress separately so the improvement is visible. Awkward skills need scoreboards most.
Make it easier, make it harder
Street balls, along-the-ground targets only, short sweeps, five-rep sets.
Raised targets at increasing height; quick-release backhands off feeds; backhand-in-tight games (five rebounds finished backhand); the backhand saucer (see saucer passing) as the graduate class.
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