Quick answer
The backhand is the most undertrained shot in hockey — and one of the hardest for goalies to read. To shoot a good backhand, cup the puck on the heel of the blade, shift your weight to your back foot (opposite of a forehand), load the blade by pressing down on the shaft, then roll and snap through the puck as you shift weight forward. The finish is the key: roll your wrists and point the toe of the blade at the top corner. Most players stop at 50% effort; train the full follow-through and the shot becomes dangerous.
Key takeaways
- The backhand starts with weight on the back foot — opposite of every other shot.
- Puck position is heel of the blade, cupped slightly, not middle or toe.
- The wrist roll at release is what lifts the puck — skip it and the shot stays on the ice.
- Goalies struggle with backhands because the release point is later and lower than a forehand.
- The backhand sauce pass and backhand shot use the same mechanics — train one, improve both.
- 100 backhand reps per session on a smooth surface will produce noticeable improvement in 3–4 weeks.
Why the backhand is undertrained — and why that matters
Every player I train spends 80–90% of their shooting time on forehand shots. That makes sense for volume, but it means that when a backhand opportunity appears in a game — a wraparound, a scramble in front, a cross-ice pass that arrives on the wrong side — the player either passes up the shot or fires a weak, arm-only attempt that the goalie reads easily.
Goalies consistently rank the backhand as one of the hardest shots to stop, specifically because of the release angle. A forehand shot releases in front of the body, visible from the moment the puck touches the blade. A backhand releases later, lower, and closer to the body — by the time the goalie identifies the shot and the intended corner, the puck is already moving. Train the backhand seriously and you add a weapon your opponents won't expect.
Backhand shot mechanics: the 4 checkpoints
- Grip and blade cup. Place the puck on the heel of the blade and cup it lightly — the toe should be slightly open. Bottom hand drops lower than a stickhandling grip, about 45–50 cm (18–20 in) from the top. Grip pressure firm, not locked. Cue: "cradle, don't clamp."
- Load position. Weight on your back foot (the foot furthest from the target). Knees bent, chest leaning slightly toward the back foot. This is the opposite of a forehand — you're coiling back before exploding forward. Many players skip this step and shoot flat-footed, which is why their backhand has no power.
- Drive and press. Push off the back foot, drive weight toward the front foot, and press down on the shaft with your bottom hand to flex the stick. The flex is what gives a backhand its pop. Without the shaft press, you're just sweeping — no load, no spring.
- Wrist roll and follow-through. At release, roll both wrists — top hand rolls over the top, bottom hand rolls under — and snap the puck off the heel-to-middle of the blade. Follow through high: toe of the blade finishes pointing at your target. Cue: "roll and reach." Watch for: players who stop the stick at waist height. A cut-off follow-through drops the shot to the ice every time.
Coach Erik's tip: Film your backhand from the front, not the side. The wrist roll is invisible from the side — you need to see the blade face to confirm it's actually rotating over. If your puck is skidding along the ice instead of lifting, the roll is not happening. Five slow-motion backhands in front of your phone will show you exactly what's going wrong.
Why goalies fear the backhand
Three things make the backhand hard to stop:
- Late release point. The puck stays on the blade longer than a forehand, so the goalie has less time to react once the release begins.
- Lower release position. Most players release the backhand from around knee-to-waist height. Low shots require the goalie to drop quickly — and a backhand that rises from low to top corner is especially difficult because it changes trajectory in the goalie's field of view.
- Unexpected in tight spaces. Most players won't attempt a backhand from in tight. When you do — on a wraparound, a spin move, or a rebound — the goalie is rarely set for it. See also: shooting in tight spaces.
Backhand shot progression drills
All drills work on a shooting pad (120 × 60 cm, €49.76); the Pro Shooting Pad (150 × 75 cm, €74.66) gives you more room for the wraparound drill. Move to the next drill when you hit the standard listed.
| Drill | Reps | Focus | Standard to advance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Slow-motion mechanics | 3×10 | Wrist roll only, no power | Puck lifts off the pad every rep |
| 2. Stationary load shot | 3×15 | Full coil, weight transfer, full follow-through | Shot clears 45 cm (18 in) off the ground consistently |
| 3. Corner calls | 3×10 | Call the corner before each shot | 5 of 10 called shots hit the target |
| 4. Roof-it reps | 3×10 | Aim for the crossbar or top bar — high backhand only | 3 of 10 hit above the crossbar line |
| 5. Pull-and-shoot backhand | 3×10 | Pull puck across body onto backhand, shoot immediately | Release under 1.5 seconds from pull |
| 6. Wraparound simulation | 2×10 | Start from behind goal line (or a cone), wrap and shoot backhand | Shot on net, not into the post or wide |
Hang shooting targets (€33.16, Made in Europe) in the top corners for drills 3–5 — the backhand is wasted if you're only aiming at the middle of the net. If you want to measure your backhand speed separately from your forehand, a shot speed radar (€107.86) will show you the gap and help you track it closing over weeks.
Coach Erik's tip: Most players I train can "roof it" on a forehand from the top of the circle but have never successfully roofed a backhand in their life. Start close — 1.5 m (5 ft) from the net — and practise the roof-it motion until you can lift the puck to the top shelf reliably. Then take a step back. The shot mechanics are identical at every distance; if you can't roof it from 1.5 m, you're not using the correct wrist roll yet.
Backhand sauce: the same mechanics applied
The backhand sauce pass — a high-arcing flip pass along the ice or over a stick — uses the same wrist roll and follow-through as the backhand shot. The difference is angle: for sauce, you lead with the heel even more and point the follow-through lower so the puck flips rather than screams. If you train your backhand shot, your backhand sauce improves automatically. Practise them in the same session: 10 backhand shots, 5 backhand sauce attempts. For full sauce training, see our saucer pass guide. The sauce launch pad (60 × 40 cm, €33.16) is designed specifically for this type of pass training.
Common mistakes
- Puck on the toe of the blade. No control, no power. Fix: consciously place the puck at the heel before every rep.
- Weight never shifts to the front foot. The shot stays weak and low. Fix: exaggerate the back-foot coil then drive forward; your weight should be fully on the front foot at release.
- No wrist roll. The puck slides along the ice instead of lifting. Fix: slow down to half speed and consciously roll your wrists — top hand over, bottom hand under — on every rep until it's automatic.
- Follow-through stops at the waist. Kills height and accuracy. Fix: reach high after every shot; if a coach or parent is watching, ask them to confirm the blade ends above your shoulder.
- Shooting from the middle or toe of the blade. Weak contact. Fix: cup the puck at the heel and feel it roll forward through the shot.
- Only practising on the forehand side. The backhand stays weak because it gets 10% of reps. Fix: dedicate 1 full session per week to backhand only.
FAQ
Is the backhand shot worth practising?
Yes — it's one of the most underused weapons in the game, and goalies consistently rate it as harder to stop than a forehand from the same distance. Most players ignore it because it feels awkward at first. 3–4 weeks of dedicated reps removes that awkwardness and adds a genuinely dangerous option to your game.
What is the "roof it" backhand technique?
Roofing a backhand means releasing the puck upward toward the top shelf of the net. It requires an exaggerated wrist roll — the blade must flip fully over the puck at release, not just push it. Start from 1.5 m (5 ft) away from the net, practise the motion slowly until the puck reliably lifts, then move back. It's a learnable skill, not a talent.
Where should the puck be on the blade for a backhand?
On the heel of the blade, cupped so the toe is slightly open. Middle-blade contact produces weak shots. Toe contact gives you almost no control. The heel position is the only one that allows the full heel-to-middle roll during the shot.
Why does my backhand stay on the ice?
Almost always a missing wrist roll. The puck only lifts when you roll your wrists fully at release — top hand rolling over, bottom hand rolling under. Film yourself from the front (not the side) and check whether the blade face is actually rotating. Slow-motion reps will fix this in one session.
Can I practise the backhand off-ice?
Yes, and off-ice is the best place to learn it. A shooting pad gives the puck consistent glide so you can focus on the mechanics without chasing pucks all over the garden or garage. 50 backhand reps per session, 4–5 days a week, is enough to build real competency in one month.
How is the backhand different from the forehand in terms of weight transfer?
On a forehand, weight starts on your back foot and transfers to your front foot — both moving in the direction of the shot. On a backhand, you also start loaded on the back foot, but the "back" foot is your strong-side foot (the same foot as your top hand). The direction of weight transfer is the same as the forehand; only the coil position changes.
Summary
The backhand shot earns its place in every player's game because goalies are less practised at stopping it, it appears in situations where no other shot is available, and the mechanics — once learned — are durable. The four checkpoints are puck on the heel, back-foot load, shaft press through the shot, and a full wrist roll with a high follow-through. Add 50 backhand reps to your daily shooting routine, hang targets in the top corners, and commit 3–4 weeks to making the shot automatic. The Pro Shooting Targets (€41.46) were developed in collaboration with the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation, and Better Hockey as a whole is a Swedish brand: Swedish design, tested to the highest durability standards, and used by many well-known NHL players, including Swedish pros, as ambassadors.
Next steps: explore the full shooting training hub, learn quick-release mechanics at quick release training, or browse the complete range of shooting equipment. Follow us @betterhockeysweden on YouTube and Instagram for backhand clips and new drills every week.
