Associate Professor of Biochemistry
Phone: (502)852-5752; Fax: (502)852-6222
Having (a)mused on the topic before, and having played many yrs of hockey...
It is probably clear that there is no correct answer for young hockey players.
IMO, the most important thing is for the kids to feel comfortable with the
stick while they are learning skills which require much time and effort.
 
There may be opposing benefits from each choice: A right-hander who chooses to
shoot left = RH on top of stick, gains stick control, can usually stick handle
*one-handed*, can go around D-men on R side of ice with one hand and often get
into position for forehanded shot on goalie. Such *unnatural*left-handers have
been know to elicit the call-of-the-coach: *Joe if you don't keep 2 hands on
the #$@!& stick, I'm going to tape your other hand to the stick*. (I've known
the taping to actually happen - the old-fashioned humiliation/make-an-example
style of coaching.) I think that the RH with RH on top is a better
stick-handler, but pretty subjective and may reflect personal bias of author.
Because of the latter, I tried to gently shape my son's approach a few yrs ago
(when he could skate, but hadn't really picked up a stick yet). You guessed
it, *Dad, it doesn't feel right* and he is a RH who shoots right and shoots
pretty good, but doesn't stickhandle well (thereby supporting personal bias of
parental unit).
 
I used to think that RH who shot RH = LH on top of stick had harder shots.
This may be true up to some level of competition, e.g., high school. Since the
vast majority of players never get any higher than this, it would certainly be
worth a biomechanics study (maybe the Russians already did it?). However,
increasing levels of shooting abilty require coordination of several hockey
skills and gets into the inherent natural ability part of the sport. A lot of
limitations imposed by natural ability can be overcome by sheer effort,
desire, motivation, weight training, even coaching can help. But not everyone
can hit home runs or throw a baseball 90+ MPH and relatively few players ever
end up with the whole package of skills in hockey. Regardless, based on my
hockey experiences, I still favor the natural RH person shooting Left, but
would love to know of real data and/or what others including coaches think.
 
The next question along these lines is what is the advantage of playing the
off-wing (LH shot on RW)??
 
If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. Derek Bok
Poverty has many roots, but the tap root is ignorance. Lyndon
B. Johnson  The trouble with the world is that the stupid are
cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. Bert. Russell.
 
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