Hockey stick technology has come a long way in the last couple of years, sticks are more advanced than ever before. All sticks have a flex # and are made to bend/flex when shooting. Stick flex helps with shot power, speed, and quicker releases(the more flex you can generate the harder/quicker your shot will be). In order to get the most out of our sticks, we need to know how to properly use the stick flex.
If you CAN NOT easily flex your stick, you're probably using too stiff of a flex. Experiment with your stick flex and find what is best for you. A good starting point is taking your body weight and cutting it in half (EX: 150lbs, 75 flex) That is not a 100% exact rule, but use it as a starting point when choosing your stick flex.
Stick flex is created by having your hands away from your body, the top hand on your stick being high, and your bottom hand on your stick driving into your stick and towards the net. The stick blade can also be flexed, to do this, you want to lift the heel of your stick slightly off the ice, then, using friction, dragging and snapping your blade flat onto the ice.
The first clips are the "old way" of shooting, the release is slow and long, and there is no stick flex. The next set of clips is NHL players showing how to properly generate stick flex while shooting.
Next, you will see a coach using a tire to show how to properly generate stick flex. Hands away from your body, high top hand, and bottom hand driving into the stick and towards the target.
It is also important to notice the bottom hand on the stick and the "pop" action it creates. It is a quick snap/pop onto the stick and towards the net/target. This will help with a quicker shot release.
All of the shooting you see in this video can be done on or off the ice. Focus on generating stick flex, keeping your hands away from your body, top hand high, and bottom hand "popping" into your stick and toward the target.