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Drive the Far Post: The Under-Taught Skill That Creates Chaos, Space, and Goals

  • Writer: Kevin Geist
    Kevin Geist
  • 7 days ago
  • 3 min read

In today’s game—where defenders are faster, goalies are sharper, and every inch of ice matters—one habit continues to separate dangerous offensive

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players from average ones: driving the net to the far post. It’s simple, it’s teachable, and it completely changes the geometry of the offensive zone. Players who commit to this habit not only create scoring chances for themselves, but they also create havoc for defenders and predictable options for linemates.


Here’s why the far-post drive is one of the most valuable skills in modern hockey.

1. It Forces Defenders to Make Hard Decisions


Defensemen HATE dealing with a far-post driver. When a forward cuts to the middle and attacks the opposite post, it forces the D-man to choose:

  • Stay with the puck carrier?

  • Switch and pick up the driver?

  • Try to block a potential pass lane?


Most D can’t do all three at once.


A committed far-post drive stretches the defensive box, pulls at least one defender away from their structure, and often leads to a blown coverage or delayed reaction. That moment of hesitation is all the puck carrier needs to slip in, cut back, or dish a pass into space.

2. It Opens Passing Lanes the Puck Carrier Can Use


The moment a forward drives wide and then cuts under toward the far post, the puck carrier is gifted:

  • A seam through the slot

  • A drop pass option if the D sags

  • A net-front rebound angle

  • A backdoor tap-in lane


Goalies have to respect the threat at the backdoor, which means they shift deeper into their crease or cheat laterally. Either scenario gives the puck carrier more options—and more time—than they would have had if everyone stayed on the same side of the ice.

3. It Creates Rebound Chaos


A far-post driver is a rebound machine.

Shots from the opposite side naturally kick across the crease. When no one is driving, those rebounds harmlessly slide into the corner. But when a forward attacks the far post with speed, they often arrive exactly when the rebound does.

Coaches always yell “Stop at the net!” for a reason. The far-post drive is the modern version of that habit—structured, fast, and timed perfectly for secondary chances.

4. It Forces the Goalie to Move Laterally


Goalies at every level—from youth to junior to the NHL—struggle most when they have to move east-west. A far-post drive does exactly that.

When the goaltender has to shuffle across the crease while also tracking a puck-carrier cutting downhill, their:

  • angle widens

  • stance opens

  • rebounds become bigger

  • ability to seal the far post decreases


Attacking the far post makes the goalie uncomfortable, and uncomfortable goalies give up goals.

5. It Makes Plays Predictable for the Offense


Hockey is chaotic by nature. The far-post drive brings structure to that chaos.

When a winger, center, or defenseman knows the weak-side forward is always driving the far post:

  • they can rip shots with purpose

  • they know where their outlet is

  • they can delay and let the seam open

  • they can attack the middle knowing support is arriving


Predictable routes create unpredictable scoring chances for the defense to deal with.

6. It Creates Habits That Win in Playoff-Style Hockey


Come playoff time, goals get uglier, tighter, and harder to earn. Far-post drivers produce:

  • tap-ins

  • loose-puck goals

  • net-front scrambles

  • drawn penalties

  • broken defensive coverage

  • extended offensive-zone time


It’s not a “skill player” thing. It’s an every-shift thing. Teams that drive the far post generate momentum, wear down defensemen physically, and build shift-after-shift pressure.

How to Practice It


If you’re coaching or training players, emphasize:


1. Timing:Start wide, then cut under the stick of the weak-side D as the puck enters the zone.

2. Stick on the ice:You can’t score a backdoor goal if you’re skating in with your stick in the air.

3. Speed through the post:Drive THROUGH the far post, not TO the far post.

4. Anticipation:Arrive at the same time the shot is released, not two seconds early—or late.

5. Rebound readiness:Expect every puck to hit the goalie and drop somewhere dangerous.

Final Thought


Driving the far post isn’t flashy. It won’t go viral on TikTok. But it is one of the most consistent, high-percentage offensive habits in modern hockey. It stretches the defense, stresses the goalie, and creates scoring chances in every zone entry, cycle, and rush.


Teach it. Practice it. Expect it.Your team will score more—and your opponents will hate playing against you.

 
 
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