Sports Illustrated for Kids article
February 2006
by Nicholas J Cotsonika

Center Steve Yzerman has taken 4,532 shots (through December 1) during his 22-season NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings. Of those, 681 were goals, the second-highest total among active players. We asked Yzerman to share some tips for taking wrist shots and slap shots.

Wrist Shot

Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and your weight on your back leg. Your hands should be a little more than body-width apart, “where you can get leverage,” says Yzerman. The puck should be at the center of your stick blade and in line with your back foot.

As you begin to sweep the puck forward, shift your weight toward your front leg. Keep your eyes locked on the target. “With a wrist shot, for the most part, you’re never looking down at the puck,” says Yzerman.

Once the puck is between your legs, quickly snap your wrists to release the shot. Follow through by “pointing the stick where you want the puck to go,” says Yzerman. “If you want to shoot it high, follow through high.”

Slap Shot

Hold the stick the same way you would for a wrist shot. The puck should be between your legs, two feet away from your body. Start the shot by bringing your stick back so the blade is in line with your back shoulder. Your eyes should be looking down at the puck, and your weight should be on your back leg.

As you bring your stick forward, shift your weight towards your front leg. Your stick blade should make contact with the ice approximately three inches behind the puck.

After you make contact with the puck, snap your wrists. Follow through with your stick pointing towards the target.

NUTRITION

Three Meals with Stevie Y

During his 22 seasons in the NHL, Yzerman has learned the importance of eating healthy. “I try to have a balanced diet,” he says. “I try not to eat too much of anything.” Here is a sample of what Yzerman eats to stay in game shape.

* Breakfast: “I generally have a small breakfast and a good-sized lunch. For breakfast, I just have yogurt and a glass of juice.”

* Lunch: “I’m trying to get away from eating hamburgers and whatnot. I’ll usually eat a salad with some chicken on it and maybe a little pasta.”

* Dinner: “Steak, chicken, or fish with some vegetable - maybe a sweet potato. I try to eat less red meat and more fish.”

GET FIT

Hockey is a game that requires quick bursts of speed. Interval training (short bursts of activity followed by long periods of rest) is a great way to become a better sprinter. Here is a dry-land drill that will make you faster on the ice.

A stopwatch Mark off a starting point and a finishing point that are in a straight line, approximately 50 yards apart.

Jog towards the start line. When you get to the line, start your stopwatch or have a friend do it for you. Sprint at 70 percent of your maximum speed for the first 10 yards.

After the first 10 yards, accelerate to your top speed. Maintain that pace until you reach the finish line. When you cross the line, stop your stopwatch and walk slowly.

Multiply the time it took you to complete the sprint by three to determine how long to rest. For example, if you finish in 10 seconds, walk slowly for 30 seconds before your next sprint.

Try to complete a total of six sprints. Use the formula in Step 3 to compute your rest time after each sprint.