Quick answer
On a breakaway, pick one move before you cross the blue line, control your approach speed so you can actually execute it, and commit fully — the goalie doesn't beat you, hesitation does. The six moves that work at every level are the forehand deke, backhand shelf, fake backhand to forehand, forehand to backhand pull, high shot on the stick side, and a hard forehand drive to the post. Read the goalie's butterfly timing and glove-side positioning, and you'll score on the majority of your breakaways.
Key takeaways
- Decide your move before you pick up speed — changing your mind at the top of the crease kills every breakaway.
- Slowing down slightly 3–4.5 m out forces the goalie to commit first; a full-speed rush gives them time to set and read you.
- The goalie's butterfly timing, glove-side gap, and how far back they sit in the crease are the three cues that tell you which move to run.
- Forehand-to-backhand pull and the backhand shelf score more consistently than highlight-reel moves — master these two before anything else.
- Between-the-legs is a highlight move; commit to simpler, high-percentage moves first and leave the between-the-legs for shootout situations where you've already used your other moves.
- Off-ice reps on training tiles with a shooter tutor build the muscle memory that holds up under pressure.
The 6 breakaway moves: setup, execution, and when to use them
I've watched hundreds of breakaways at every level from U10 to junior. The players who score consistently are not the ones with the flashiest moves — they're the ones who know exactly what they're doing three strides before they hit the crease. The table below covers the six moves that hold up under game pressure. Learn them in the order listed.
| Move | Setup | Execution | Best When To Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Forehand deke | Approach slightly to the backhand side; puck on forehand | Sell a backhand fake with eyes and shoulders, then drive forehand to the short side | Goalie shades to the backhand; short-side post is open |
| 2. Backhand shelf | Approach centre or slightly backhand side; puck moves to backhand early | Tuck the puck to the backhand, get tight to the goalie, lift over the blocker pad into the top shelf | Goalie drops into butterfly early; top of the net is open; blocker side available |
| 3. Fake backhand to forehand | Approach on backhand side; puck on backhand as you enter zone | Pull puck to backhand, sell the backhand shot with weight shift, then snap back to forehand and shoot low glove side | Goalie cheats to blocker side expecting backhand; glove side opens up |
| 4. Forehand to backhand pull | Approach straight on or slightly forehand; puck on forehand | Drive wide on forehand, pull the puck to backhand at the last stride, and tuck it five-hole or lift it over the pad | Goalie stays square and tight; pulling wide creates an angle the goalie can't cover without moving |
| 5. High shot — stick side | Full-speed straight approach; puck in shooting position early | Load the shot at distance, release a hard wrist shot to the top stick-side corner before the goalie sets | Goalie backs into the crease and sits low; they're giving you the top of the net; take it |
| 6. Between the legs | High-speed approach; puck controlled on forehand; use only in shootout after other moves are used | Kick the puck through your skates to the backhand and release in one motion | Shootout only, when simpler moves have been stopped; do not attempt in a game breakaway until your go-to moves are automatic |
Cue: "decide at the blue line." The moment you collect the puck and cross centre, pick your move. Don't wait until you see the goalie. Players who decide late get caught between options — they half-execute a forehand deke and half-try a backhand, and the goalie reads it easily.
Speed control: why slowing down scores more goals
Most youth players approach a breakaway the same way they chase a loose puck — full speed, no adjustment. That is the wrong approach. At full speed you have almost no time to execute the puck move, and the goalie has time to set and track you the whole way. A controlled deceleration 3–4.5 m from the crease changes the dynamic entirely.
When you reduce speed, three things happen: the goalie is forced to move first, your hands have time to make a clean move, and your body position stays under control for a shot or deke. This is not skating slowly to the net — it is a deliberate speed check that shifts the pressure back to the goalie. Think of it as drawing a penalty: you are making the goalie act, not reacting to them.
Coach Erik's tip: I tell players to think "controlled decel at 3 metres." Approach hard, then one gear down as you enter the zone of execution. That half-second of speed reduction is where most breakaway goals are actually created. Practice this on a longer approach lane (20-pack tiles, €224.06, made in Europe) so you can build speed and then control it — not just start slow.
Watch for: players who keep their head down all the way into the crease. If you can't see the goalie, you can't read them. Eyes up by centre ice. Read the goalie while your hands are managing the puck.
Reading the goalie: three cues that tell you what to do
You don't need to read a goalie's mind. You need to read three things, and each one removes a move from your list until you're left with one obvious option.
- Butterfly timing. Is the goalie dropping early or staying up? A goalie who drops into the butterfly before you reach the hash marks is giving you the top shelf — take it with the backhand shelf or the high wrist shot. A goalie who stays standing forces you to go low.
- Glove versus blocker. Most goalies have a weaker glove side. Watch where the glove hand is positioned as you approach. If the glove is low or tucked, the glove-side high is open. If the glove is out wide and high, go blocker side or five-hole. The fake backhand to forehand specifically targets this — it pulls the goalie's glove toward the backhand, then you snap it back to the glove side low.
- Crease depth. A goalie backed up against the posts gives you more net but less reaction time to a deke. A goalie who challenges out past the crease takes away your angle — slow down, pull them, and go around. Never try a backhand shelf against a goalie who is out at the top of the crease — they are too close and too set.
Cue: "Read their hips, not their eyes." Goalies are taught to watch the puck, not show emotion. But their hip position and depth in the crease tell you everything you need to know. Read the body, not the mask.
Practising at home: training tiles and a shooter tutor
Breakaway moves are pure muscle memory. If you haven't done the forehand-to-backhand pull 300 times in practice, your hands will not execute it at game speed under pressure — they will default to whatever feels safe, which is usually a slow forehand deke directly into the goalie's chest. The fix is repetition, and you can get that repetition at home.
Set up training tiles (10-pack, €116.16, made in Europe) in your garage, cellar, garden or on the terrace. A Pro Goalie shooter tutor (€116.16) mounted in a full-size steel goal (€149.36) gives you a realistic target to aim at — the blocked sections simulate the body of a goalie in different positions, and the open corners are exactly where you need to be placing the puck. Pair this with the Pro Defender (€107.86) to simulate the pressure of a defender reading and reacting as you drive toward the net.
Run the approach on your tiles: start 5–6 m back, build speed, execute the controlled decel, and hit the target. The shooter tutor doesn't forgive arm shots or misplaced pucks — it punishes every mistake with a blocked attempt, which is exactly the feedback you need. Use a stickhandling ball (Swedish Stickhandling Balls 12-pack, €33.16) for hand-speed warm-up before you switch to pucks.
Watch the Pro Defender in action — it simulates the pressure you face coming down the wing on a breakaway:
The commit-to-the-move mindset
Hesitation kills more breakaways than wrong move choices. I've tracked this in practice: a player who commits fully to the wrong move scores approximately 20–25% of the time. A player who hesitates and half-executes the right move scores almost never. The goalie reads indecision before the puck even moves — the stick handle slows down, the body stiffens, and the goalie holds their position instead of committing to a side.
The mental practice is this: when you pick your move at the blue line, you are locked in. You are not reconsidering at the hash marks. If the goalie is doing something unexpected, your committed approach still has a higher success rate than a last-second change. Professional shootout specialists have talked about this — the move is decided in the dressing room, not at the crease.
Coach Erik's tip: I have my players verbalize their move before the rep in practice. "Backhand shelf" or "fake back to forehand" — said out loud before they go. It forces the decision early. After 6 weeks of this drill habit, I have never seen a player hesitate the same way again. The verbalization becomes an internal process under game pressure.
Use the stickhandling trainer (€41.46, made in Europe) to build confidence in your hand speed — players who trust their hands commit more cleanly because they know the execution is there.
Breakaway and shootout drills
- Controlled decel approach drill. Set up 6 pucks at the far blue line. Skate (or stride on tiles) at full speed, decel at the 3 m mark, and execute one designated move per rep into the shooter tutor. 6 reps, 3 sets, 2 minutes rest between sets. Track: how many hit the open corners of the shooter tutor versus hit the blocked sections.
- Three-move shootout rotation. Pick 3 moves from the table. Execute each 5 times in sequence — no repeating a move until you complete the full set of 3. 5 reps x 3 moves x 3 rounds = 45 total attempts. This simulates having a library of moves and forces you to commit to each one without falling back to your favorite.
- Speed-variation drill. Approach the net at 3 different speeds: 50%, 75%, and 100%. Use the same move each time. Notice how speed affects your ability to execute the deke and hit the target. Most players find 75% is their optimal breakaway speed — fast enough to prevent the goalie from challenging, slow enough to control the puck move.
- Pro Defender deke drill. Set up the Pro Defender between you and the net. Approach at game speed, read which side it's positioned on, select the matching move, and execute. 10 reps per side, 2 sets. Rest 90 seconds between sets. This trains the read-then-commit sequence that gets you through a 1-on-0 situation where a defender is recovering.
- Five-hole close drill. From 2.5 m out, practice the forehand-to-backhand pull finishing five-hole, 3 reps at slow speed, then 3 at game speed. This builds the hand control to place the puck low when you are tight to the goalie — the most common missed opportunity in youth breakaways.
Common mistakes
- Deciding the move too late. Picking a move at the hash marks gives you no time for proper setup. Fix: decide at the blue line, every time. Make it a habit in every practice rep.
- Approaching at full speed with no decel. The goalie has time to set and read you. Fix: build the controlled decel into every rep — one gear down at the 3 m mark.
- Looking at the net, not the goalie. You are trying to beat the goalie, not the net. Fix: eyes up, read the goalie's butterfly timing and crease depth before you reach the circles.
- Weak backhand shelf attempt. Pulling the puck to backhand but not having the wrist strength to lift it. Fix: use the stickhandling trainer for wrist-curl progressions — 3 sets of 15 backhand lift reps per session, 3 times per week.
- Half-committing to the between-the-legs move. Players attempt it in game breakaways before it's automatic, lose puck control, and give the goalie an easy freeze. Fix: keep this move to shootout practice only until you can execute it 9 of 10 times on tiles at full speed with no defender.
- Shooting when a deke was the right call. Goalies who challenge out remove the shooting lane — a shot attempt into a challenging goalie is a 95% block. Fix: read the crease depth cue. Goalie out at the top of the crease = use the forehand-to-backhand pull, not the shot.
FAQ
What is the most effective hockey breakaway move?
The forehand-to-backhand pull scores at the highest rate among non-elite players because it works against both butterfly and stand-up goalies. You drive wide on the forehand, pull the puck to backhand at the last stride, and either tuck it five-hole or lift it over the pad. The goalie has to move with you, and that movement creates the opening. Master this one before learning anything else.
How do you score on a breakaway in hockey?
Pick your move before you reach the blue line, approach at controlled speed (not full sprint), read the goalie's crease depth and butterfly timing, and execute your pre-selected move with full commitment. Do not change your mind in the crease — hesitation is the most common reason breakaways fail. The goalie reads indecision before you even touch the puck.
What are the best shootout moves in hockey?
In order of reliability: forehand deke, fake backhand to forehand, backhand shelf, and the forehand-to-backhand pull. Save the between-the-legs for later in a shootout when the goalie has already seen your other moves. Build a library of 3–4 reliable moves and cycle through them before attempting anything advanced.
How do you read a goalie on a breakaway?
Read three things in sequence: first, is the goalie dropping into butterfly early or staying up? Second, where is the glove positioned — high or low? Third, how far out of the crease are they challenging? Those three cues narrow your move selection down to one or two options before you reach the circles. Keep your head up from centre ice onward.
How can I practice breakaway moves without ice?
Set up training tiles with a full-size goal and a shooter tutor as your target. The shooter tutor blocks the sections a goalie's body covers and leaves the corners open — exactly the targets you need to aim for. Add a Pro Defender to simulate pressure from behind. Work through 3–5 reps of each move per session, 4–5 sessions per week. The hand mechanics and body movement transfer directly to ice.
Should I shoot or deke on a breakaway?
Read the goalie's positioning. A goalie backed into the crease sitting low is giving you the top shelf — take the high shot. A goalie who challenges out to the top of the crease takes away the shooting angle — use the forehand-to-backhand pull or the backhand shelf. The wrong choice is shooting into a challenging goalie when you had a deke option, or deking when the goalie sits back and the net is open.
Summary
Six moves cover every breakaway and shootout situation you'll face. Start with the forehand-to-backhand pull and the backhand shelf — those two account for the majority of breakaway goals at every level below the NHL. Add the fake backhand to forehand and the high shot as your secondary options. Read the goalie's butterfly timing, glove position, and crease depth to select the right move. Control your approach speed with a decel at 3 metres. And commit fully — wrong move executed with conviction beats the right move executed with hesitation every time.
Build these moves off-ice first. Set up your training tiles, mount a shooter tutor in your goal, and run the approach drill daily. The repetitions you put in at home are the ones that hold up when it counts. Better Hockey is a Swedish brand: Swedish design, tested to the highest durability standards, and used by many well-known NHL players who are our ambassadors, including Swedish pros. Follow us @betterhockeysweden on YouTube and Instagram for more breakaway and deke ideas.
Related reading: Hockey dekes every player should know, how to improve your stickhandling, how to improve your wrist shot, and hockey training at home. More stickhandling and skill resources at the Hockey Stickhandling hub and Hockey Training hub.
