KEEPERS RESOURCES
Improve your stick and glove saves
This is one of my favourite drills to do as a goalkeeper. It is great to use in the preseason or just when you want to mix things up from your usual training in gear. I use it mainly to improve my hand speed and also my ability to save balls with my stick. It … Continue reading "Improve your stick and glove saves"
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Learning to dive
We have been over a few of the basics but now its time for the fun stuff and this time its Diving. This is not a difficult skill to learn but does require some guts and determination to practice as if you get it wrong, it can hurt a little! The key learning points are: … Continue reading "Learning to dive"
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When to Use Your Stick
There are certain situations in a game where it is both appropriate and inappropriate to use your stick. In this tips section I will be highlighting four major issues you need to consider in relation to stick use: Why use your stick? Why not to use your stick? When to use your stick How to … Continue reading "When to Use Your Stick"
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What Makes a Good Keeper?
There are many different goalkeepers playing all over the world. Some of them will hold at least one of these traits, if not all. The traits that I perceive to contribute to making a good goalkeeper may not be totally the same as what you would believe.
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Reflex Training
One of the most important aspects of goal keeping is using your reflexes. Many great match winning saves are made simply using your reflexes. There are many different ways that you can improve on your reflexes which are included below.
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Aerial Saves
For many goalkeepers saves with the hand or stick seem more satisfying than any others. Whether this is because the crowd likes it more, or just the simple fact that they seem more spectacular or harder to execute...who knows? In this tips section I will endeavour to give you some simple advice and suggestions of how to make those saves being simple or tremendously difficult.
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Training Drills
After numerous questions over the last month I have decided to do a section on training drills. Training a goalkeeper or being a goalkeeper can sometimes be challenging to think of new drills to do at training so I am going to try to assist you.
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Setting Your Defence
In each defending situation each player has a general role, depending on the coach or the team, they might have a specific role for a specific game. Defensive systems are set up as a guide only.
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Off Season Training
Please note that I am not a qualified expert in this area and all that I have written is on my own previous experiences. Many people play all year round both indoor and outdoor, but for some that don't play all year round there is a time out period generally called the off season.
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Goalies at Practice
As many of us know, training with the whole team can sometimes be a little tedious, especially when the coach does not include the goalkeeper in the sessions to the best of their ability. We have all been through sessions when all that is done is goal shooting. Don't get me wrong this is a good thing to do but it has a time and a place just like everything else.
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Big Game Preparation
Everyone at one stage in their hockey career has to prepare for a big game, whether it be Club Final, Olympic Final, Team Selection Trial... or just a game that is important to you and your team.
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Tackling and Interceptions
With hockey now being in a transition period with experimental rule changes, we as goalkeepers must also make the transition back to being very attacking in certain circumstances. As the years have passed and goalkeeping gear has dramatically improved, some goalkeepers have lent away from being attacking and preferred to stay back on their line to try and make the save.
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Penalty Corners
The defence of a Penalty Corner can never be taken too seriously. The focus that a Goal Keeper (and every defending player) must have during a Penalty Corner is extremely great.
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Penalty Strokes
When the umpires whistle blows and their arms go in different directions most goal keepers cringe with the thought of having to save a penalty stroke. Usually because we all know the umpire is wrong. But no matter how much we complain it is a fact of life that the umpire always thinks they are right and will not reverse their decision. "Bring on the third umpire" are thoughts that often go through my head.
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One on Ones
The skill of taking on an attacker one on one is not an easy skill to master. There are a number of things that a goalkeeper can do to make this easier for them to be successful in these contests.
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Attacking Clearances
Playing goalkeeper should not mean standing on the goal line and hoping to save the ball that is fired at you. I believe that you really have to go out and get the ball. The role of the goalkeeper is not only to save the ball, but to set up the play for your team in an attacking manner. With no offside you will find that loose balls into the circle occur more often in a game, thus giving the goalkeeper greater opportunities to be involved in the play.
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