Hockey Puck Title
Write the title first, aim it where attention is going, then fill in the content.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 3
- Confidence
- 85%
Named after Wayne Gretzky's line about skating to where the puck is going, the Hockey Puck Title inverts the usual order: figure out how to capture attention first, then attach the content as the 'tail end.' Okazaki researches which words rank and psychologically trigger the audience, then engineers titles that hit both the analytical and emotional brain — typically a big number paired with an emotional word, wrapped in context true to the creator. The test is whether the creator can riff on the title for five minutes to an hour. On platforms without titles, the same line becomes the opening statement or hook.
Origin
A childhood ice-hockey fan, Okazaki adapted Wayne Gretzky's famous quote about going to where the puck will be into a method for engineering attention-first titles.
Core principles
- 01Decide how to earn attention before deciding what to say.
- 02Engage both left brain and right brain — a big number plus an emotional word.
- 03Pick titles the creator can genuinely riff on for an hour.
- 04The title is the first information that hits the viewer, whatever the platform calls it.
How to run it
- 1
Research triggering words
Find the words that rank on the platform and psychologically engage your audience, without manipulative intent.
- 2
Pair a big number with an emotional word
Combine something big (even an absurdly large number) with an expressive, emotional word to hit both left and right brain.
Pro tip Superlatives, numbers, and personal relevance stack — the more you combine, the wider the net.
Watch out Keep it contextual to who you are; don't invent claims unrelated to you.
- 3
Pressure-test with the riff
Confirm the expert can talk to the title for five minutes to an hour; if so, it maps to real expertise.
Pro tip Build a list of titles first, then produce content against the ones the expert can genuinely fill.
In the wild
Asked to demo the number-plus-emotional-word formula on the spot, Okazaki combined the emotional statement 'I quit' with the big number 'ten billion' into 'my path from zero to ten billion dollars, I quit,' a title jarring enough to make the host laugh and want to click.
→ Demonstrated how a big number and an emotional word together create a clickable, curiosity-driving title.
Common mistakes
Making content first, title second
Creating content then hunting for viewers wastes effort; deciding how to earn attention first is what makes the content findable.
Inventing titles disconnected from you
A catchy title the creator can't authentically speak to breaks trust and fails the five-minute riff test.
Is it for you?
Best for
Creators planning video content who want titles engineered to capture attention.
Not ideal for
Situations demanding literal, understated titles where curiosity-driven framing would mislead.
From the transcript
“go to where the puck I don't go to where the puck is I go to where it's going to be and when it comes…”
“you want big numbers and for some reason even if it's you know zero with DOT 20 zeros that's that's a big number psychology... and…”
From the episode
Ken Okazaki: 7-Figure Video Funnels, How to Create Compelling Marketing Videos with Just Your Phone
Ken Okazaki