Quick Release Shooting: Flick or Wristshot  x5
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| Planet Field Hockey |
October 24, 1999 
Andrew Griffiths
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Drill Objective
- To release a quick wrist-shot or flick at goal to beat the goalkeeper.
To learn to look early to see where the goal and goalkeeper are.
Equipment
Goal. Two players. At least 10 balls. 3 cones. Goalkeeper/Goal targets.
Setup
The target player, or shooter, starts by a cone in the middle of the circle: the central cone. Close to the penalty spot is a good starting point.
The passer stands, with the balls, by a cone on one side of the circle (on left in diagram below) – about 10 yards from the shooter.
There is another cone, two or three yards away from the shooter, on the opposite side from the passer: The decoy cone (on right in diagram below).
Explanation
1. Movement and Preparation.
The shooter sets up on the central cone. He drifts slowly to the decoy cone, then cuts back towards the central cone (and towards the player with the ball). As he does this, he:
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2. The Reception.
As he receives the ball, he pushes it with the first touch into the space away from the defender. In the practice there is no defender there, but "away from the defender" usually means "away from the goal". As the ball moves into the space, the shooter moves his feet and body into position to flick the ball at goal.
3. The Release.
The shooter releases the shot. The primary target should be low in one corner of the goal if the goalkeeper is standing. But this may change if the shooter has seen that the goalkeeper is out of position, or on the ground.
4. Follow-up.
The shooter follows the shot towards the goal to pick up a rebound. If there is no rebound, he drifts again to the decoy cone, and begins the drill again.
The shooter should work in sets of 10. Recovery can consist of jogging to get the balls and setting them up with the passer again.
The second set should be from a different angle. If the first set of balls was passed in from square on the right side of the circle, pass the next set in from directly behind the shooter (top of the circle). The next set can be passed in from the left side.
The different angles allow the shooter to understand receiving and positioning the ball from different passes.
1. Movement and Preparation.
The shooter’s initial movement is designed to take a marking defender away from the play. The shooter should change speed as well as direction when he hits the decoy cone. The first two steps will lose the defender.
Looking up to see the goal is crucial at this stage. Get into this habit in practice. The shooter will see where the spaces are developing.
2. The Reception.
The key to receiving the ball well is cushioning and directing the ball. This is easier to do when the shooter is lower to the ground. Bent knees will act as shock absorbers, and help to cushion the ball. As you will see on the release, the shooter must be low to execute a powerful flick – if the shooter is already low on the reception, it will subsequently take less time to shoot.
As the shooter receives the pass, he directs the ball, moves his feet and turns his body at the same time in preparation to shoot.
3. The Release.
A quick release is essential. This has been made easy with a good reception, but no time can be wasted in tight situations in the circle. It is better to get a quick weak shot away than to leave the ball open for a tackle.
The shooter has already looked at the goal, and knows where the goalkeeper is moving. He shoots into the corner where the goalkeeper isn’t!
Low body position will allow the shooter to transfer power from his legs into the shot. A strong torso rotation will also supply power.
Follow through with the stick, arms and body towards the goal.
OTC tip If in doubt on where to shoot, aim low inside the far post. If the goalkeeper makes the save, it is likely that there will be a rebound.
4. Follow-up.
After the shooter releases the shot, he should continue with his momentum towards the goal. He will be first to the rebound in the game.
Progression
To advance this drill:
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Increase the number of shots in each set from 10 to 12, or more. And/or increase the number of sets.
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The passer feeds a bouncing ball to the shooter, to control and shoot.
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Add a passive defender, to shadow the shooter and ensure correct ball control.
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Add an active defender.
Permutations
The framework of this drill can be applied to hitting on goal (both the regular hit and choke hit).
Just increase the distances of the pass and shot (the hit on goal should be taken from near the edge of the circle).
Evaluation
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Set a target for number of goals the shooter can aim for on each set. Because the aim of the drill is to develop quick release skills, only count goals that are scored on a quick shot. If the first touch is not right, and the ball rolls away, the defender will get it in a game. If the shooter stops the ball and takes too long preparing to shoot, the defender will get the ball in a game. Practice should reflect the game, so No Quick Release, No Goal.
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Watch how early the shooter prepares for the shot. Encourage the shooter to move his feet into a shooting stance as early as possible. 
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