So I was watching this hockey game last week, ya know? Saw this slick move where a dude scooped the puck on his stick blade and lifted it mid-air right past the goalie. Blew my mind. Turned out it’s called a hoist hockey shot. Had to try it myself at open skate that night.
My First Disaster Attempts
Grabbed a bucket of pucks and went to an empty corner. Tried flicking my wrists like I saw on TV. Complete fail. Either shoveled snow over the glass or dropped the puck like a hot potato. Got weird looks from the beer league guys – pretty sure one muttered “stick to basics, rookie.” Felt my face go tomato red.
Went home and binge-watched slow-mo tutorials till 2am. Realized three big things:
- Gotta dig my blade UNDER the puck like a shovel
- Knees gotta be spring-loaded like I’m jumping
- Flick comes from the wrists AND shoulders together
Parking Lot Practice Breakthrough
Next afternoon, tried it in my driveway with a tennis ball. Focused on that scoop-and-pop motion. Holy tacos – after 50 whiffs, finally got one airborne! Sent it sailing over my neighbor’s fence (sorry Mrs. Henderson). Key was starting with the puck near my back foot and exploding upwards like a rocket. Texted my beer league buddy Dave immediately – “Dude. I can fly now.”
The Perfect In-Game Moments
Tried it in real game scenarios during pick-up. Learned quick that hoisting works ONLY in specific spots:
- When you’re at the crease and the goalie’s already dropped like a pancake
- When defenders are scrambling sideways leaving a tiny roof gap
- When you’ve got zero room to wind up a regular shot
Timed it right during a chaotic rebound last Sunday. Saw goalie commit low, shoveled it top shelf. Felt like Gretzky for exactly 3.2 seconds – till Dave tripped me celebrating. Totally worth it.
Still botch it sometimes when I rush. But man, when that puck floats just right? Chefs kiss. Even the old-timers nod now. Just don’t tell Mrs. Henderson about her petunias.
