Quick answer
To make a good backhand pass, cup the puck in the middle of the backside of your blade, keep your bottom hand relaxed, and sweep smoothly toward your target while your weight moves from your back foot to your front foot. Point your follow-through at your teammate's stick — the blade finishes where the puck goes. The backhand pass trades a little power for a lot of deception, so use it to move the puck quickly out of your feet, off the boards, or to a teammate on your backhand side without turning your body. Keep it flat and firm, and lead a moving teammate to open ice.
Key takeaways
- Cup the puck on the middle of the backhand blade so it doesn't slide off the heel or toe.
- Power comes from a smooth sweep and weight transfer, not from a hard flick of the wrist.
- Keep the pass flat and along the ice — a bouncing backhand pass is hard to receive.
- Lead a moving teammate: pass to where they are going, not where they are.
- The backhand pass is your fastest option when the puck is on your backhand side — no time wasted turning to your forehand.
- Follow through toward the target and hold the finish for a beat to keep the pass accurate.
Why the backhand pass matters
Most young players avoid the backhand pass and lose half a second turning every puck to their forehand. In a real game that half-second is the difference between a clean breakout and a turnover. A reliable backhand pass lets you move the puck the instant it's on your backhand side — out of the defensive zone, across to a teammate, or off the wall under pressure. It is not a trick shot; it is a basic tool that separates players who can keep a play alive from players who stall it.
In thirty years of coaching I have watched countless breakouts die because a defenseman had a clean backhand option and didn't trust it. The forehand is stronger, but the backhand is often faster and more deceptive because the goalie and defenders can't read it as easily.
Backhand pass technique step by step
- Puck position. Place the puck in the middle of the backside of your blade, cupped slightly so it stays put. Start it a little behind your body so you have room to sweep forward.
- Hands. Top hand steers, bottom hand relaxed and about halfway down the shaft. A tight bottom hand kills the smoothness and pops the puck off the ice.
- Weight transfer. As you sweep, shift your weight from your back foot toward your front foot in the direction of the pass. Cue: "sweep, don't flick."
- Sweep and release. Draw the blade smoothly toward the target and release with a gentle wrist roll to keep the puck flat. The longer the blade stays on the puck, the more accurate the pass.
- Follow-through. Point the toe of your blade at your teammate's stick and hold the finish. Watch for: cutting the follow-through short, which sends the puck wide.
Coach Erik's tip: The first thing I check on a weak backhand pass is the bottom hand. Players squeeze it and try to muscle the puck, and it either wobbles or lifts off the ice. Loosen the bottom hand, let the sweep do the work, and the pass smooths out immediately. A backhand pass has never needed strength — it needs a clean, unhurried sweep.
When to use the backhand pass
| Situation | Why the backhand works |
|---|---|
| Puck on your backhand side | Fastest option — no time lost turning to the forehand |
| Breakout under forecheck pressure | Quick, deceptive release before the forechecker arrives |
| Saucer over a stick in the passing lane | A backhand saucer clears a defender's stick to a teammate |
| Give-and-go on your backhand wing | Return the puck instantly without resetting your body |
| Behind-the-net feed | Slide a backhand pass to the slot without telegraphing it |
Backhand passing drills
Work these on a smooth surface. A rebounder lets you train alone by firing pucks back to your backhand, and a shooting pad gives the puck ice-like glide so your passes stay flat.
- Stationary sweeps. 3×20 flat backhand passes at a target 10 feet away. Standard: 17 of 20 arrive flat.
- Weight-transfer passes. 3×15, exaggerating the back-to-front push. Feel the front foot load.
- Wall or rebounder returns. 4×10 one-touch backhand passes off a return. Builds a quick, game-speed release.
- Backhand saucer. 3×10 over a stick lying flat, landing on a target. Puck should land flat, not on edge.
- Passing on the move. 3×10 while walking or gliding, leading an imaginary target ahead of you.
Practice with a partner when you can — a passer or a friend teaches you to lead a moving target, which a wall can't. For the full passing picture, see our guide to better passing and receiving a pass.
Coach Erik's tip: Once your stationary backhand is clean, stop practicing stationary. Every real backhand pass happens while you or your teammate is moving. Glide as you pass and force yourself to lead a spot three feet ahead of your target — that habit is what makes the pass useful in a game.
Common mistakes
- Puck on the heel. The pass slides off weak and wide. Fix: cup it in the middle of the blade.
- Squeezing the bottom hand. The puck wobbles or lifts. Fix: relax the bottom hand and sweep.
- Flicking instead of sweeping. Loses accuracy and flattens nothing. Fix: keep the blade on the puck longer.
- No weight transfer. An all-arms backhand has no pace. Fix: step toward the target as you pass.
- Passing to feet. A pass behind or into a teammate's feet stalls the play. Fix: lead them to open ice.
- Short follow-through. Cutting the finish sends the puck off target. Fix: point the blade at the target and hold it.
FAQ
Is a backhand pass weaker than a forehand pass?
It usually carries a little less power, but a good backhand pass is plenty firm for most plays and is often faster to release. The trade-off is worth it because you don't lose time turning the puck to your forehand, and the pass is harder for defenders to read.
How do I keep a backhand pass flat?
Cup the puck in the middle of the blade, keep your bottom hand relaxed, and sweep smoothly instead of flicking. A gentle wrist roll at release keeps the puck flat. Squeezing the bottom hand is the number-one cause of a bouncing backhand pass.
Where should the puck sit on my blade for a backhand pass?
In the middle of the backside of the blade, cupped slightly so it doesn't slide toward the heel or toe. Starting it a bit behind your body gives you room to build a smooth sweep.
Can I practice backhand passes alone?
Yes. A rebounder fires pucks back to your backhand for one-touch reps, and a wall works too. Pair it with a shooting pad so the puck glides like it does on ice. Just remember to add movement once your stationary pass is clean.
How do I make a backhand saucer pass?
Use the same cupped-blade sweep, but roll the puck off the toe of your blade so it lifts, spins flat, and lands flat past a defender's stick. Practice landing it on a target so it settles quickly for your teammate.
Why does my backhand pass keep missing the target?
Almost always a short or misaimed follow-through. Point the toe of your blade exactly at your teammate's stick and hold the finish for a beat. If the puck also wobbles, your bottom hand is too tight.
Summary
The backhand pass is a basic tool, not a trick: cup the puck, relax the bottom hand, transfer your weight, and sweep smoothly toward a target you lead. Train it flat and firm, add movement early, and it becomes the pass that keeps breakouts and plays alive when the puck is on your backhand side. For more, work through our passing guide and the Hockey Passing hub, then put in the reps — a reliable backhand is built one clean sweep at a time.
