Post by Casey Ark on Jul 20, 2006 18:34:28 GMT -5
Blocker-Using The Blocker
First of all, hold the stick in your blocker properly. With the glove removed, you should use your pointing finger extended along the wide part of the shaft. This will give you greater control of the stick.
The blocker is frequently used to deflect pucks into the corner or other safe areas. Many young goalies fell that they have to "swing" or "punch" at the puck. This can create the very rebounds that you are trying to avoid. Goaltenders should simply change the angle of the blocker and let the speed of the puck take itself off the blocker and into a safe area. Softer shots can be trapped up against the blocker by bringing the catcher glove across the front of the body.
As with the catching glove, you should follow the puck with your eyes right to and off the blocker
Glove-
Using The Catching Glove
First of all, learn to break in a catch glove so the outer edges touch when closed, trapping the puck inside. This takes time with new gloves.
Second, glove saves involve more than just the glove. Your head, eyes and body weight all must shift toward the shot. Watch the puck right into your glove.
While it's fairly easy to catch shots directed to your catching glove side, what about shots directly at you? Slower shots can be trapped against the pads, chest or blocker. More likely, shots at the center of the body will be smothered with both hands coming together.
The catching glove is also used to cover loose pucks in and around the crease. Never leave your glove hand exposed to attacking forwards. After covering up the puck, protect your hand, either by covering it with your blocker or pulling the puck away from the attack.
Gloves As Part Of The Basic Stance
Proper glove use begins with proper glove position in the goalkeepers basic stance. Extreme in glove position can easily throw off a goalie stance and make it more difficult to react to a shot or a play. Allowing for personal style and varying heights and weights, here are common guidelines:
Gloves should be held slightly to the sides and ahead (but not directly in front) of the body.
Gloves should be held roughly at the same height.
As a test, look at the far goal. You should be able to see your gloves with peripheral vision. If you have to drop your head/eyes to see them, they are too close to your body.
The catching glove should be open with the palm facing out. (An open glove covers more of the net than a closed one.)
There is a second glove position that all goalies employ. When the puck is so close that a reaction to the puck is unlikely, the catching glove is brought down alongside the pad, is open to fill space. It will surprise you how often a shooting aiming for that lower corner, will fire the puck right into your glove
Stick-
Stick handling
All goalies need to learn to slide the blocker catcher glove down low. All goalies also need to work on sharp, one-handed passes as well.
Proper glove position will help with stick handling. Goalies who catch with his/her left hand must be able to slide the right hand (blocker) to the top of the stick and place the goalie stick in the pocket of the glove.
Some goalies who have played other positions might be right-handed shooters. Their first reaction will be to turn the hands around when asked to pass or shoot. Break this habit immediately. They have to learn to slide the blocker up, and the catching glove down low. All goalies also need to work on sharp, one-handed passes as well.
And coaches: Don't let goalies take gloves off to handle the puck. Younger goalies who struggle with stick handling may try to put the gloves on the top of the net and stick handle barehanded. Not only is this dangerous, it also delays their learning the proper technique they'll need.
Pads
In street hockey, I (T. Johnson) am very well known for letting up very few, if any, low shots on net. My secret, TIME. yes it may sound silly, but time is a goalies best friend, and it can be your worst enemy. Butterfly is a stance that helps goalies save precious time. Its all about falling to your knees. In your normal stance, the faster you can fall to your knees, the better. Of course you want to always be in a comfortable position, try to have your pads as low to the ground as possible, but while staying comfortable. and work on falling to the ground and getting up as quickly as possible. Another VERY helpful thing to remember on odd man rushes, breakaways, etc. is to cut down on the angle you give the shooter. So on a breakaway or penalty shot, stay within 6-7 feet of the attacker. In order to make big saves low, you need to be flexible. Not necessarily split flexible, but stretch very well before every time you play goalie, or player for that matter.
Tim Johnson
First of all, hold the stick in your blocker properly. With the glove removed, you should use your pointing finger extended along the wide part of the shaft. This will give you greater control of the stick.
The blocker is frequently used to deflect pucks into the corner or other safe areas. Many young goalies fell that they have to "swing" or "punch" at the puck. This can create the very rebounds that you are trying to avoid. Goaltenders should simply change the angle of the blocker and let the speed of the puck take itself off the blocker and into a safe area. Softer shots can be trapped up against the blocker by bringing the catcher glove across the front of the body.
As with the catching glove, you should follow the puck with your eyes right to and off the blocker
Glove-
Using The Catching Glove
First of all, learn to break in a catch glove so the outer edges touch when closed, trapping the puck inside. This takes time with new gloves.
Second, glove saves involve more than just the glove. Your head, eyes and body weight all must shift toward the shot. Watch the puck right into your glove.
While it's fairly easy to catch shots directed to your catching glove side, what about shots directly at you? Slower shots can be trapped against the pads, chest or blocker. More likely, shots at the center of the body will be smothered with both hands coming together.
The catching glove is also used to cover loose pucks in and around the crease. Never leave your glove hand exposed to attacking forwards. After covering up the puck, protect your hand, either by covering it with your blocker or pulling the puck away from the attack.
Gloves As Part Of The Basic Stance
Proper glove use begins with proper glove position in the goalkeepers basic stance. Extreme in glove position can easily throw off a goalie stance and make it more difficult to react to a shot or a play. Allowing for personal style and varying heights and weights, here are common guidelines:
Gloves should be held slightly to the sides and ahead (but not directly in front) of the body.
Gloves should be held roughly at the same height.
As a test, look at the far goal. You should be able to see your gloves with peripheral vision. If you have to drop your head/eyes to see them, they are too close to your body.
The catching glove should be open with the palm facing out. (An open glove covers more of the net than a closed one.)
There is a second glove position that all goalies employ. When the puck is so close that a reaction to the puck is unlikely, the catching glove is brought down alongside the pad, is open to fill space. It will surprise you how often a shooting aiming for that lower corner, will fire the puck right into your glove
Stick-
Stick handling
All goalies need to learn to slide the blocker catcher glove down low. All goalies also need to work on sharp, one-handed passes as well.
Proper glove position will help with stick handling. Goalies who catch with his/her left hand must be able to slide the right hand (blocker) to the top of the stick and place the goalie stick in the pocket of the glove.
Some goalies who have played other positions might be right-handed shooters. Their first reaction will be to turn the hands around when asked to pass or shoot. Break this habit immediately. They have to learn to slide the blocker up, and the catching glove down low. All goalies also need to work on sharp, one-handed passes as well.
And coaches: Don't let goalies take gloves off to handle the puck. Younger goalies who struggle with stick handling may try to put the gloves on the top of the net and stick handle barehanded. Not only is this dangerous, it also delays their learning the proper technique they'll need.
Pads
In street hockey, I (T. Johnson) am very well known for letting up very few, if any, low shots on net. My secret, TIME. yes it may sound silly, but time is a goalies best friend, and it can be your worst enemy. Butterfly is a stance that helps goalies save precious time. Its all about falling to your knees. In your normal stance, the faster you can fall to your knees, the better. Of course you want to always be in a comfortable position, try to have your pads as low to the ground as possible, but while staying comfortable. and work on falling to the ground and getting up as quickly as possible. Another VERY helpful thing to remember on odd man rushes, breakaways, etc. is to cut down on the angle you give the shooter. So on a breakaway or penalty shot, stay within 6-7 feet of the attacker. In order to make big saves low, you need to be flexible. Not necessarily split flexible, but stretch very well before every time you play goalie, or player for that matter.
Tim Johnson
.