Aggies discuss the art of the slapshot

“Slapshots are a good tool to use in special cases,” said Utah State hockey’s center, Chris Videto.

They’re different than a regular snapshot or a wrist shot. Slapshots require a lot of force shooting the puck, generally a speed between 60 and 90 miles per hour following a windup.

“When you take a slapshot,” said Aggie forward Alex Herman. “You usually put all your power into it because it needs to beat the goalie based off of speed and power.”

Unfortunately, slapshots often lack accuracy. Videto said that even though you may get a harder shot off with a slapshot, it is less accurate and, due to the windup, takes longer to get a shoot off than a wrist shot or a snapshot would.

Captain Cooper Limb doesn’t take fondly to slapshots.

“I never use them,” Limb said. “They are hard to aim and they take a long time to get off your stick.”

Sometimes with a slapshot, a player will get lucky. Even with the amount of force that goes behind the shot, the distance from the goal and the time it takes to get the shot off as well as the limited ability to aim make the chances of scoring that way very minimal.

Videto, Herman and Limb are all in agreement that they want the quickest and most accurate shots.

A snapshot, which is most players’ preference, takes key components from both the wrist shot and slapshot. From the wrist shot it takes the accuracy and the quick delivery and the puck speed from the slapshot.

Herman said he usually uses a snapshot because it is his most accurate shot.

“I prefer taking snapshots,” Limb said. “They are more accurate, and they release a lot quicker.”

Videto said that he doesn’t use the slapshot as often as other people.

“Being a forward, I’m usually trying to get quick and accurate shots,” Videto said.

Slapshots tend to occur most often during power plays. They are also a shot choice for defensemen standing at the blue line in the attacking zone. In hockey, slapshots are more talked about and fill up highlight reels, but not the most commonly used shot in the game.They are part of hockey skills competitions for youth as well as Hardest-Shot competition during NHL’s All-Star weekend.

Still, most players do not prefer the use of slapshots. They are meant to startle the goalie with the amount of power behind them for the puck to possibly tip off a part of the goaltender and find its way in to the goal. It’s just chance.

The idea of the snapshot, though, is basic: Get rid of the puck fast and hard.

— kenna.cook@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @kennaacook