Play Goalie in Hockey


These are the physical and mental keys to success in goal tending. Master them and it will be nearly impossible to score on you while you're between the pipes.

Steps

  1. Put on leg pads, chest protector, girdle (your choice), a catching glove, blocker, cup, mask, and use a goalie stick.
  2. Watch the puck at all times, not the players (beginners). For more advanced goaltenders, watching the play is essential This is how you can predict what might happen next. For example, if a player is coming down the left wing on you, and there is a player at the right corner of your crease, you should play a bit further back in your net in case the player decides to pass the puck. By just watching the puck, you lose a lot of what is going on. As you develop, you should always be looking around you to see what a players options are. Your job is not to guess what will happen, but to know how many options the player with the puck has, and as you develop you will have a sense for what options the player will most likely take. That being said, you should never lose sight of the puck, and you should always be prepared for a shot.
  3. On low shots, do not just fall to the ground. Fall on your knees with your feet spread out and knees together.You are supposed to create a wall of pads preventing the puck or ball from getting through or bouncing up over. Work with a coach because this butterfly position is very dangerous. Also have your paddle down or stick up.
  4. Always try to smother the puck, to keep yourself from giving up a rebound. Many goals in hockey are scored on rebounds.
  5. Get up again -- get ready to stop another shot. Do it fast though because rebounds will most likely come out.
  6. For high shots follow the puck through the air with your eyes and get a hand on it.
  7. Remember that there is never a shot that you can't stop. Never give up. Always believe you can win.
  8. Remember that making a name for yourself is not important. If you win, popularity comes naturally.

It's not as easy as it looks it takes endurance strength it takes practice to be a good goalie

Equipment

PADS Pads should be done up loose so that the pad easily turns out (and not down)

  1. There are two types of pads you can get.
  2. One type has a "leg cradle" and will make the goaltender feel like their pads are "glued" to their legs. An example would be Vaughn pads.
  3. The other type has no "leg cradle" and the pads fit very loose on their legs, however this can create "pad slop" (when the goalie moves to the right, the pad seems to want to move left). An example would be Reebok, Brians and Bauer.
  4. The feel of the pad totally depends on what the goaltender feels comfortable with.

The Stance

  1. When you're deep in the net, your legs should be further than shoulder-width apart with the stick in between (to cover the 5-hole better) The further you step out of the net the less we need to spread the legs apart.
  2. Point your toes inwards - this will allow your Butterfly to be more spread-out when you move into it. Don't worry about leaving too much 5-hole open (the space between pads), because with the toes pointed inwards and legs wide, a goaltender can quickly shut that hole down.
  3. Gloves should be forward (to the sides of your pads) and should extend beyond your pads
  4. Stay comfortable in the net. Don't be too tense or to loose.

The Butterfly

  1. If you have a proper stance (legs wide, toes pointed in), push your legs down to stop the puck.
  2. Glove and blocker should be to the side of the body and in front of your pads. They should also be right above your pads (ie: just above the pad level, forming a wall). Elbows and upper arms should be tight to the body. The aim is to cover as much of the bottom of the net as possible, with as few holes as possible.
  3. Your goal stick should be {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} in front of you depending on your height. This will allow shots to be deflected on an upwards angle away from the net (and will be more difficult for players to get the rebound). This also allows the goaltender to poke the puck quicker than if the stick is tight to pads.
  4. Pads should lock together at the front with very little, if any space between them.
  5. If a shot is from further out, the goaltender can move her/his gloves above and in front of the pads because it is easier for players to hit the top half of the net from further out.

Rebounds

  1. Always try to deflect rebounds to the corner/side of the rink, this is done by angling the stick in front of you to direct rebounds upwards, or by angling your pad or blocker towards the corner by using a kicking motion (pads) or angling motion (blocker). You can "punch" with your blocker if the shot is weaker, but it is usually wise not to.
  2. If the goalie is in a butterfly position and the puck is deflected to the left of the goaltender, the goaltender should always get up on their "powerleg" (in this case the right leg). The reason why is that the goalie will be able to move to the next shot with greater speed than if they get up on their weak leg (in this case it would be the left leg). When this technique is mastered, rebounds become much easier, because the goaltender will automatically always get up on their power leg. This allows a goalie two options to get to the rebound: do a "power slide" or shuffle/t=push standing up.

The Mental Game

Once your techniques are down, the hardest part of the game becomes your mental attitude. The most difficult part of goaltending is dealing with upset, defeat, and sometimes embarrassment. You have the only position where when you make a mistake, everyone sees it, a red light goes on, a crowd cheers, and the play is stopped.

Every goalie will find their own way to go into a game, and to turn a game around. Here are some tips:

  1. Decide what you are going to remember/do on the ice BEFORE you get to the rink, or at least before you step on the ice
  2. Instead of judging why a goal went in during the game, wait until after the game. The goal is something you cannot change, and your focus should be on the moment, not in the past.
  3. Try to use positive thinking. ( ie: "Don't drop into a butterfly so early" can be changed to "I will try my best to wait longer before I drop")
  4. Ignore people who try to tell you how to play or what to do unless you trust them. You do not have to fight or argue with them, but rather nod your head and say "ya ya ya" and then just go back to being you.
  5. If you begin to "overthink" what will happen on the ice or in the game, simplify your game. Your job is to try your best to stop the puck, all else is secondary.
  6. Have fun, it's why you liked the position in the first place.

Tips

  • Control rebounds. Make sure you don't leave the puck near the wide open part of the net after a save.
  • Practice makes perfect! Practice soft, and you will play soft. Practice hard, and you will play hard.
  • If butterfly technique doesn't work for you at all, stick with being a stand-up style goaltender. When you save low shots, kneel down instead of trying to get into a split.
  • Attend a goalie school in your area
  • Keep your eye on the puck at all times.
  • Try to minimize openings by, "playing the angle". This means you want to stay on top of the crease and engaged with a potential shooter.
  • If the puck slips into the five hole, remember to close the back of your legs as quickly as possible to keep the puck from slipping through and in the net.
  • If you can always try to put your whole body into the save.

Warnings

  • Always play with a mask on. No one wants to get a broken jaw or a concussion.
  • Always stay "square to the puck" (try to always point your belly-button at the puck). Your equipment is designed to stop the puck when you are square, not when you are turned.

Things You'll Need

  • goalie stick
  • catching glove
  • mask
  • leg pads
  • blocker
  • cup
  • upper body
  • goalie pants
  • skates
  • neck guard

Confidence!!

Related Articles

Related Articles

  • Prepare for a Hockey Game As a Goalie

You may like

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Play_Goalie_in_Hockey&oldid=267999"