The one-timer can be a fun and exciting shot in hockey. Meeting a player’s immediate pass with a slap shot without trying to control the puck, takes a lot of skill and practice.
In order for one-timers to work, both the passer and the shooter need to have precise timing on when to pass and when to shoot. Given that with one-timers, you only have one time to connect with the puck, it is important that you must time it perfectly and come at the pass with the right angle.
However, it takes a lot of practice to perfect and execute correctly. Basically, the one-timer is a quick release shot, where your teammate passes you the puck and instead of receiving the pass, you position yourself to execute a slap-shot, without stopping or cradling the puck for control. Essentially, you are receiving and shooting the puck all in one fluid motion.
To make it easier, you must know how to execute a slapshot before you attempt a one timer, as a one-timer is essentially a slapshot combined with proper body positioning and right timing. The one-timer can prove to be a quick and effective shot, leaving little time for a goaltender to set-up and position him/herself to make the save.
First and foremost, it requires a great deal of skill to complete a one-timer. However, with a lot of practice and determination, you can turn a lot of heads by blasting that game-winning goal past the goalie. The key to a good one-timer is, you need to have a good slap-shot as foundation.
Once your slap-shot is established, it’s important that you can consistently execute the slap-shot and have good timing. One thing to keep in mind when taking a one-timer, is that you need to have a short wind-up. If your wind-up is too big, chances are you will not have enough time to catch up to the puck, having the puck slip right past you. That being said, your wind-up should be short, where your stick stays below your waist. As you become more comfortable with one-timers, you will be able to time passes better, leading you to have bigger wind-ups, leading to quicker and harder shots.
Another thing to consider when practicing one-timers, is to practice receiving passes from different angles. Not all passes are going to result in you winding up to take a slap-shot. Some passes will come across your body and will force you to quickly cradle the puck and fire off a wrist-shot, all in one motion.
Although it is important to start practicing one-timers in a still position, we must also consider the numerous ways a one-timer can be performed. This includes standing still, skating forwards and skating backwards. Be sure to receive passes as you are skating into the zone and practice shooting one-timers while moving. This will assist in real game scenarios where you will not always be standing still when receiving a pass for a one-timer.
Remember: it’s imperative that you are aware of the direction of your target, and that you lead your skate in the direction that you want to shoot. By having a strong push-off with your back foot, this will lead to a quicker and harder shot, moving your body’s force and energy into that shot. And as always, practice makes perfect. HockeyShot provides a lot of off-ice training aids that will help improve your game.
Tip: To improve on your one-timers, consider training aids like HockeyShot Passing Kits or All-Star Dryland Flooring Tiles. Both products will give you a smooth surface and can help you time your passes.
