Quick answer
Shoot low when the goalie is set and square, when you are in traffic, or when a teammate is near the net for a tip or rebound. A shot aimed just inside the post and a few inches off the ice is the highest-percentage shot in hockey: you can miss high over the crossbar, but you cannot miss under the ice, so a low shot finds the net far more often. Keep it down by getting your top hand ahead of the puck, closing the blade over it, and following through low with the toe pointed at the target. Save the high shot for when you have a clean look and a goalie who is dropping early.
Key takeaways
- Low shots score more because they create rebounds, invite tips and deflections, and are simply easier to keep on net.
- The whole net is only four feet tall — aim for the ice inside the post, not "the bottom corner" as an idea.
- Height is set by three things: hand position, blade angle, and follow-through. Fix those and the puck stays down.
- Shoot low against a set, standing goalie; shoot high when the goalie is dropping early or screened low.
- Shooting low does not mean shooting soft — a hard low shot is what produces the juicy rebound.
- The five-hole is a low shot too, and it opens up most when you are in tight and the goalie has to move.
Why do low shots beat high ones?
Young players fall in love with the top corner because it looks like the highlight reel. In thirty years I have never met a kid who dreamed about scoring along the ice. But watch where goals actually go in above novice level and most of them are low. There are four honest reasons, and none of them are opinion.
First, geometry. The net is four feet tall and six feet wide, and the bottom two corners are the hardest spots on the ice for a goalie to reach — they have to drop, seal, and cover the post all at once. Second, you can overshoot a high target but you can never undershoot the ice, so a low shot that misses its exact spot still tends to hit the net. Third, low shots that get stopped stay live: they kick out as rebounds instead of getting frozen in a glove. Fourth, a puck along the ice is a puck your teammates can tip, deflect, or bang home, while a high shot sails past everyone.
Coach Erik's tip: The players who score the ugly goals in March are the ones who shoot low in December. When I chart a scrimmage, roughly seven of every ten goals cross the line below the goalie's knees. Tell a player that number once and their target selection changes for good — the top shelf stops being the default and becomes the exception you earn.
When should you shoot low versus high?
Shooting low is the default, not the only option. The read is the goalie's body. If the goalie is standing tall, square, and set, the ice is where the room is — go low. If the goalie is already dropping into the butterfly, sagging deep in the net, or screened so they cannot see the puck at their feet, the room is up high, and that is your window for the top corner. The table below is the quick decision I teach my forwards to make in the half-second they have.
| Situation | Where to shoot | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Goalie standing, square, set | Low, inside the post | The bottom corners are the hardest spots to seal |
| Goalie dropping early / butterfly | High, over the pad or shoulder | They gave up the top to take away the bottom |
| Traffic or screen in front | Low, on net, hard | Creates rebounds and tips your teammates can finish |
| Odd-man rush, goalie deep | Low far side or five-hole | Long push across the crease leaves the ice open |
| In tight, goalie moving post to post | Five-hole or short side low | They cannot close the legs in time from close range |
| Clean breakaway, goalie backing up | Reader's choice — often high on the deke | Space and time let you pick the empty half |
The five-hole deserves a note because players misuse it. From the blue line it is a poor target — the goalie has all day to close the legs. In tight it is one of the best shots in the game. Force the goalie to move across the crease, and for a moment their pads open as they shuffle. A quick low shot between the legs beats a lot of goalies who are trained to chase the puck.
How do you keep a shot down?
Most players who "can't shoot low" are doing one of three things wrong, and all three are easy to feel once you know what to check. Height is not luck. It is set by your hands, your blade, and your finish, in that order.
Get your top hand ahead of the puck. The single biggest cause of shots that balloon over the net is a top hand that stays behind the puck at release. Drive that hand out toward the target so it finishes in front of where the puck was. Cue: "hands lead the puck." When the top hand leads, the blade naturally closes and the puck stays down.
Close the blade over the puck. An open blade acts like a ramp and lifts the puck. Roll your wrists so the blade tilts slightly forward and caps the top of the puck at contact. Watch for: the blade face pointing at the sky at release — that is a shot headed for the glass. A closed blade keeps the puck flat and low.
Follow through low and point the toe. The puck goes where your blade finishes. If your stick ends up around your shoulders, the puck went there too. Finish with the toe of the blade pointed at the exact spot inside the post, low and out toward the target. Cue: "toe at the target, low finish."
Coach Erik's tip: The mistake I correct most on low shots is players easing off the power to keep it down. Do not. A soft low shot is a gift — the goalie catches it, smothers it, and there is your rebound gone. Shoot the bottom corner as hard as you shoot the top one and let your hands and follow-through control the height. Hard and low is the shot that scores the second and third chance.
Drills to groove your low shot
You build a low shot the same way you build any shot: reps at a real target, on a smooth surface, with honest feedback. A shooting pad gives the puck near-ice glide and protects your blade, so every rep below works in a garage or driveway. Aim at something specific — hanging shooting targets in the low corners turns "shoot low" from a vague idea into a spot you can hit. Run these three times a week.
| Drill | What it trains | Reps | Move on when… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom-corner spot shots | Blade and follow-through control | 4×10 each side | 7 of 10 hit the low corner |
| Hard-and-low reps | Power without lifting the puck | 3×10 | Full-power shots stay under knee height |
| Five-hole snaps | Quick low release in tight | 3×10 | Release under 1 second, puck flat |
| Post-and-in | Beating a set goalie low | 3×8 each side | Puck clears the pad, hugs the post |
Two upgrades make these drills more honest. A shooter tutor stretched across the net gives you real holes to aim at — the low corners and the five-hole are cut right where a scoring shot belongs, so you shoot at a goalie's weak spots instead of open mesh. Doing all of this into a full-size steel goal keeps you aiming inside a regulation four-by-six frame, so the corner you groove at home is the corner you shoot for in a game. When it starts feeling easy, swap in the smaller windows of the pro shooting targets and hold the same hit rate.
Common mistakes
- Aiming at "low," not a spot. Vague targets give vague results. Fix: pick a physical target inside the post and hit it, every rep.
- Easing off to keep it down. Soft shots get smothered and killed. Fix: keep full power and control height with your hands and finish.
- Open blade at contact. The blade ramps the puck up over the net. Fix: roll the wrists so the blade closes over the top of the puck.
- Top hand trailing the puck. The classic cause of shots over the glass. Fix: drive the top hand out ahead of the puck toward the target.
- High follow-through. The puck follows the blade to your shoulders. Fix: finish low with the toe pointed at the corner.
- Shooting low into a butterfly. A dropped goalie has the ice sealed. Fix: read the goalie first — if they drop early, go up.
FAQ
Why should I shoot low in hockey?
Low shots are the highest-percentage shots because you can miss high over the net but never low under the ice, so more of them hit the target. They also create rebounds instead of being frozen, and they let teammates tip or deflect pucks at the ice. The bottom corners are the hardest spots for a goalie to seal.
When should I shoot high instead of low?
Shoot high when the goalie is already dropping into the butterfly, sagging deep in the net, or screened so low that they have the ice covered. If a goalie gives up the top of the net to take away the bottom, the top corner becomes the open room. Read the goalie's body before you decide.
How do I stop lifting the puck over the net?
Three fixes, in order: get your top hand ahead of the puck at release, close the blade so it tilts forward over the puck, and follow through low with the toe pointed at your target. A shot balloons high almost every time because the top hand trails the puck or the blade is open like a ramp.
Should a low shot be soft?
No. Shooting low does not mean shooting soft. A soft low shot is easy for the goalie to catch and smother, which kills the rebound. Shoot the bottom corners at full power and control the height with your hands and follow-through, not by easing off.
When is the five-hole a good target?
The five-hole is best in tight, when the goalie has to move post to post and cannot close their legs in time. From long range it is a poor choice because the goalie has all day to seal the gap. Force the goalie to move, then snap a quick low shot between the pads.
How do I practice shooting low at home?
Set targets in the low corners of a net on a smooth shooting pad and take focused reps, aiming at a specific spot every shot. A shooter tutor gives you real holes to hit, and a full-size goal keeps you aiming inside regulation dimensions. Work in sets, keep full power, and track how many shots find the corner.
Summary
Shooting low is the smart default, not a backup plan. Aim for the ice inside the post against a set goalie, keep the puck down with your hands ahead of it, the blade closed, and a low follow-through, and never trade power for height — a hard low shot is what produces rebounds and tips. Save the top corner for when the goalie hands it to you by dropping early. Groove it at real targets on a smooth surface, and the low corner you hit at home becomes the goal you score in a game. For more, see where to shoot to score goals, our shooting accuracy training plan, and in-tight scoring in the slot. Browse the full Hockey Shooting hub for more drills and equipment guides.
