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Shoulder fake and backhand exit

Show a believable forehand-side movement, then carry to the backhand side and accelerate away from a marker.

10U · 12UIntermediate7 minutes1–1 players
Original drill diagram
Shoulder fake and backhand exit: player positions and movement 1StartPressure
Example with forehand above and backhand below: 1 shows toward the upper side, then exits below the pressure cone through the gate. Mirror the layout for the other handedness. Original schematic; not to scale. Circles with numbers or letters mark players. Other markers and arrows are explained in the caption; some diagrams show puck or ball movement instead of skating. Red arrows show shots. Follow the written setup for spacing.

How to run it

Equipment: Skates, Hockey protective equipment, Cones, Stick, Pucks

  1. Set a pressure cone 15 feet ahead of Start and an exit gate 8 feet beyond it on the player’s backhand side. Use two cones for the 4-foot gate and one for Start. Begin with one puck.
  2. Approach slowly. About a stick length before the pressure cone, move the puck and shoulders slightly toward the forehand side as though choosing that route.
  3. Bring the puck across to the backhand, guide it around the other side of the cone, and take two forward strides toward the exit gate. Keep the puck on the backhand through the gate.
  4. Return outside the route and repeat five times, resting between attempts. Reset the station’s side for opposite-handed players; one player uses it at a time.
  5. Use seven minutes. Count attempts with a visible first fake, a separate opposite exit, and two strides after the move. A cone cannot react, so this measures sequence rather than whether an opponent was beaten.

Key teaching points

  • Cue: “Show one way, leave the other.” Avoid rushing both actions into a single sideways touch.
  • Start the fake before reaching the cone so there is space for the backhand exit.
  • Complete the escape with skating, rather than stopping to admire the move.

Common mistakes

  • Player goes straight to the backhand. Try: pause after showing the forehand side in a stationary rehearsal.
  • Puck strikes the cone. Try: begin the fake farther away.
  • Player completes the stick move but stops skating. Try: count two exit strides aloud.

Make it fit the player

  • Easier: walk the sequence on skates from a stationary start a stick length before the cone.
  • Harder: vary the approach speed between attempts while retaining the two visible stages.
Research context & source notes

Background sources for this drill’s skills and teaching principles.

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