Most young hockey players have one goal; to roof the puck. At 10 years old being able to shelf the puck is a big accomplishment and a great way to score a lot of goals. Most of the goaltenders are fairly small and could barely reach the top crossbar, so shooting high is the sure-fire way to score more goals.
The problem is a lot of players seem to get stuck in this mindset and never really grow out of it. The problem is the goaltenders continue to grow and get bigger and bigger, taking up more of the net and soon they can easily stop those high shots. Now players are faced with a dilemma, "where should I be shooting?"
Right above the pad
After asking a number of goalies what the hardest shot to stop was a majority of them said "right above the pad, near the post". This is like the blind spot in the net, the pad can't reach it, and it's not easy to reach with the glove or blocker.
The great thing about shooting just above the pad is if you miss high you still might score, and if your a bit too low the goalie might give up a juicy rebound. If you aim top right and miss high the puck ends up behind the net, and if you miss low the goalie will glove it.
5 Hole
This is my favourite spot to shoot when I get in close and the goalie still has it open. A quick and accurate snapshot for the 5-hole when you are in close is almost a guaranteed goal. When you are close to the goalie he will not have time to take the opening away.
The other advantage to this shot is if you miss high, low, or wide your shot will likely produce a rebound.
Shoot for the ears
There are some goalies who love to go into the butterfly for almost every save. These goalies also love to rob people with the glove. If you spot a goalie in the butterfly position who is still in the crease, try shooting for his ears. This is a tough spot for goaltenders to reach, and a basic human instinct is to move the head away from fast moving objects.
Shooting Targets and Tarps
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