The RinkFor the not so ready for prime-time players, coaches, referees, and the people that have to live with them. Discuss experiences in local leagues, coaching tips, equipment, and training.
How many of you right handed player shoot left handed?
--
“The top hand on a hockey stick has to be able to handle the torques of a stick while the bottom hand just has to handle the weight with no torques,” he wrote. He theorized that American children, who tend to take up hockey when they are older and bigger, can afford to put the stronger hand, generally the right, on the lower part of the shaft for more precision.
--
i agree with this. growing up, i played street hockey with about 15 immigrant kids, all of who have picked up the game at an older age, let's say over 12
everyone shot right except two naturally left handed guys and one kid's younger brother
so i do think if you begin playing hockey at a younger age, you're more likely to shoot left (or right if you're naturally left handed), because the stick is easier to control if your dominant hand is on top.
if you're older and able to control the stick with the left hand, you'd tend to focus more on trying to obtain more power from your lower hand, thus you'd shoot right.
I don't really buy into this entirely, as a right-handed Canadian who shoots right. But to add an extra layer of curiousity to it...does it not then, seem fairly unusual the plight of the upcoming Canadian Olympic hockey team? Having a surplus of RH shooting D-Men, with relatively scarce elite LH-side guys?
Their a ton of lefty hockey players, basically your top 10 players all are lefties lol. Yet isnt right the more dominant used hand in the world.
I think Canadians were taught to use dominant hand up high and shoot lefty for many of these guys. But i dont understand why, i dont do this but I cant knock it since it proves to work
But I would think your dominant hand down low, gives you more control for shooting and puck control. I feel the top hand is used for only positioning the stick for your bottom hands. For control of the puck or shooting u really only need your bottom hand while the top of the shaft can be positioned on ur body and things can still be done.
Top hand is used for puck control. Bottom hand can be used for power on shots but shouldn't be the main hand for controlling the puck. I.e. the old drill of stickhandling while gripping the toilet paper tube on your bottom hand so you focus on top hand power and control.
Now if you're right handed shooting right you probably have to use more of the right hand when controlling the puck. But it's not ideal. I mean, if you only have one hand on the stick, are you going to have the top hand or bottom hand?
Again, my kid was holding his hockey stick as a lefty since before he could walk and he's right handed. I was the same way.
But I would think your dominant hand down low, gives you more control for shooting and puck control. I feel the top hand is used for only positioning the stick for your bottom hands. For control of the puck or shooting u really only need your bottom hand while the top of the shaft can be positioned on ur body and things can still be done.
My understanding is that the top hand is supposed to most of work when stick handling, the lower hand is supposed to remain looser. This leads to "softer" hands. That's the idea behind slipping an empty toilet paper roll onto your stick for your bottom hand.
I've also been told a tighter bottom hand leads to very noisey stick handling.
My understanding is that the top hand is supposed to most of work when stick handling, the lower hand is supposed to remain looser. This leads to "softer" hands. That's the idea behind slipping an empty toilet paper roll onto your stick for your bottom hand.
I've also been told a tighter bottom hand leads to very noisey stick handling.
That's how I decided how to do it. Just imagining myself reach for a puck one-handed with my left hand was not pretty. So complete right-hander playing left here too.
I was the other way. Always the only left handed kid growing up even though I am right handed. Had no idea why and then as an adult the dominant hand thing came out and it makes sense.
I wonder though, why are so many left handed hockey players right handed golfers?
I was the other way. Always the only left handed kid growing up even though I am right handed. Had no idea why and then as an adult the dominant hand thing came out and it makes sense.
I wonder though, why are so many left handed hockey players right handed golfers?
I grew up in golf - simple answer is that your dominant hand is your handedness in golf in 99% of players. I personally know cases where that isn't the case, but it's incredibly rare.
The mechanics in a golf swing are somewhat similar to hockey, but the torque and power creating the speed in the club head largely come from the ability to unload your weight transfer into a generation of centrifugal force. For me, the power is mostly generated from the right leg, core, arm (right handed) and control is less a function of the body and more centered around technique. Perhaps in hockey, its easier to learn to shoot on the non-dominant side, than it is to learn control your stick with extreme precision.
I've been using a righty stick (I am right handed) as I've been learning. I've been doing alright, but I tried a friends lefty stick last night, and the shooting just felt immediately right. I'm swinging by the store tonight to pick up the cheapest lefty stick I can get just to practice a bit with it and see if I want to make the switch
