Association between grip strength and shooting accuracy in male professional ice hockey players: an exploratory prospective pilot study

Abstract Objectives To investigate whether grip strength is associated with shooting accuracy in professional ice hockey players and whether changes in grip strength are associated with changes in shooting accuracy following a supervised grip-strength training program. Methods Nineteen male professional ice hockey players from a Swedish Hockey League team underwent baseline assessment of dominant-hand grip strength using a Jamar dynamometer and shooting accuracy using a standardized on-ice shooting test. Players then completed a 12-week supervised grip-strength training program integrated into their regular strength and conditioning schedule. Seventeen players completed follow-up testing. Associations were analyzed using Pearson correlations, linear regression, and paired-samples t-tests. Results At baseline, grip strength showed a moderate positive correlation with shooting accuracy, which did not reach statistical significance ( r = 0.452, p = 0.052; R² = 0.204). Following the intervention, grip strength increased from 54.4 ± 7.3 kg to 59.1 ± 6.5 kg ( p < 0.001), while shooting accuracy improved from 23.9 ± 6.3% to 37.1 ± 7.2% ( p < 0.001). Improvements in grip strength were positively associated with improvements in shooting accuracy ( r = 0.599, p = 0.011; R²=0.359). In a linear regression analysis, changes in grip strength were positively associated with changes in shooting accuracy (regression coefficient = 1.335, p = 0.011). Conclusion At baseline, grip strength showed a moderate, non-significant positive association with shooting accuracy in this exploratory prospective pilot study of professional ice hockey players. Improvements in grip strength were associated with improvements in shooting accuracy over the 12-week study period. These findings suggest that grip strength may represent a modifiable factor related to hockey-specific shooting performance. However, the absence of a control group and the continuation of regular team training preclude attributing the observed improvements specifically to the grip-strength programme. Larger controlled studies are warranted. Trial registration The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07115160), with the first submission meeting quality-control criteria on 4 August 2025 and the record first posted on 11 August 2025, prior to participant enrollment.