The Ice Hockey Slapshot: One of the most powerful shots in sports
In ice hockey, one of the deadliest shots that an offensive player can take is the slapshot. It is very powerful and is a very effective goal scoring shot in the game. Since first being developed in the 1950s, it has gone on to be widely used in the NHL
and other hockey leagues around the world. It is a great shot for scoring goals with and it is also very difficult to defend against because of the speed and power with which it is hit. This humble offensive shot has become one of the most effective and often
used shots in ice hockey today.
It was during the 1950s when a young ice hockey player named Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, surprised the world of ice hockey when he pioneered the use of the slapshot. The slapshot; which gave the player his nickname, due to the fact that his cracking shot
was heard all around the ice rink, slowly started to come into use after he used it to great effect. Coaches frowned upon its use in the early days for a few reasons. It is not a very accurate shot to play and if played wrongly can send the puck flying wildly
all over the place. Soon though, coaches started to see the shot’s worth and it started to become more popular in the league.
The slapshot is basically an offensive shot in ice hockey where a player lifts the stick to about waist height and then slaps the puck with a large amount of force. In the 1960s, a player named Bobby Hull was the first to use a curved stick to hit a slapshot
as previously it was only done with a straight stick. The curved stick helped deliver increased pace onto the puck and also made it dip slightly on the path towards the goal.
In the 80’s hockey stick technology had moved on to where research was being conducted to make them out of artificial materials instead of wood. The artificial material helped the proponents of the slapshot by giving the puck even more power and erratic
dip. The research into hockey sticks also showed that the energy that could be utilised by the stick was much larger when artificial materials were used as they helped to transfer energy better. This research also showed that a player who is in motion and
skating towards the puck when he hits it with a slapshot not only gives the puck power from the shot but also transfers the energy of the motion of skating towards it. Therefore, the slapshot is doubly powerful with the added energy of the player’s motion.
Over time, stick technology developed further and further and now a days sticks are made out of composite materials and the slapshot has become an integral part of the game. It is also used by players to push the puck up-rink to where another player can
retrieve it and score. The velocity of the shot can help in various regards as simply a shot or as a very powerful pass as well. There is also the downside of it being less accurate than other offensive shots in the game. The degree of inaccuracy in the shot
has given the shot a few opponents as well who say that it is a wasteful shot because a player expends too much energy and time in trying to hit a not so accurate shot. They feel other shots are much better and they should be used more.
There is another shot in the sport that a lot of opponents of the slapshot point to and say should be used more; the wrist shot. This powerful shot is done with a flick of the wrist and it is much more accurate and can be just as powerful as the slapshot.
But the slapshot remains; there is even a Hardest Shot Competition during All Star Weekends in the NHL and the winner is that person who can hit the puck the hardest. Players have been known to smack pucks at over 100 miles an hour.
From humble beginnings to becoming a powerful weapon in an offensive player’s arsenal, the slapshot looks likely to remain as popular as it is today. Over time maybe someone will invent a new shot that will replace the slapshot but for the moment, it is
king in terms of speed and power.
Tags: