Playing Tips – Page 2

Turning with the face of the glove

With the glove offering a large surface area to block shots and turn away the ball on either side, it’s important to recognise that you should be facing them towards the play, so that you are already in a position. Like ice hockey goalies and footie goalies do anyway, with the analogy of already being in the right place for the right time (if that makes sense!). Pro-active and active hands are also better than lazy hands! Up and out is potentially how you want to have your gloves and normally the way to go, especially seen in Australia for example (potentially!), but you do see the same across Europe. And by having them faced, you can move with the glove, rather than trying to push out and swat upwards and at the ball.

Facing with the glove

Everyone plays differently (we’re all unique!) and how goalkeepers are taught varies according to coach and country (such as European and the styles within that, versus East Asian and so on), but one thing remains the same in the elite goalkeepers’ stances: they gloves are up and ready. Having the gloves forward is pretty universal at the elite levels, with the gloves out in front (although obviously held low can help with corners when diving, balance in kicking etc.). In Australia they seem to be more pro-active with an attacking, extended out ready stance, without making an overt generalisation! The ‘X stance’ has the gloves up and facing (with the legs also spread out to help react against wide shots and also able to close legs quickly for shots in that gap!). Regardless, it is recognised that raised hands are useful; especially important against quick released fast shots at glove height (where you don’t have much time to react, especially against internationals)!

Moving to face

Moving with the face of the glove conjoins with the concept of attacking the ball. With your gloves already in front of you, it is easier to move out to attack the ball; you are already attacking the shot by being in front of it in the first place. Whether this is pushing out from a more inward , or turning and down from a raised and faced glove, you are still turning in and moving to face the shot, to get the most coverage with the surface area of the blocking glove. Or more simply, if they are in an attacking position (i.e. forward and out, already nearer to the ball and cutting the angle), like a baseball catcher would, moving and tracking with the glove, to stop, as the coach in the last clip by Australian hockey talks about and demonstrates.

A sort of premeditated, precursory set-up with your gloves, where you are in a better position to react because you don’t have to bring your gloves up before making the save. By turning with the glove, than by reacting from a lowered position, you can effectively bring them into block more quickly and more efficiently. Instead of ‘waving’ or swatting with your gloves, and trying to push up for the save, you are in a better position. Obviously this is quite a technical case in point, and I can’t speak with reasoning on the depth of technical understanding for now, but this is still acknowledged as , and explained in the clip shown at the end. Facing and turning with the glove is quite revolutionary in some ways, I guess, because we have always been taught to do things differently and react. It’s one way of thinking and not everyone will agree, but you can see the evidence for yourself to consider it. Either way, turning the glove out and open for the save sees you in a position where you have to do less work because you are letting the gloves do the work. I think on shots wide of the body, it is a more grounded argument, than for attacking actively against those shouts closer to the body.

Follow the footage of the following clip (ignore the training without arm pads if you prefer not to!) and notice how when the goalkeeper moves with the glove in a facing position, he is more successful with turning the gloves. This goalkeeper is practising this via working with a BOLA machine so everything is about repetition of shot stopping (to practise muscle memory if nothing else), he is on the same angle, in the same position, facing the same height of shot, but sometimes moves with the gloves properly, other times not. On the shots outside of the body, further away, I feel it’s because he is pushing out in an attack rather than turning out in a clockwise motion with the glove like a baseball catcher’s. This is what the Australian coach explains in a more detailed way how and why the approach works. Notice also, at the end, how he moves like this with his glove and is more successful (at about 1:18).

Some more terrible illustrations (oops!), but showing things might help with visualisation. Here you can see the way gloves move and of turning in a clockwise motion with the glove already facing out, which should help to explain things. As opposed to pushing out in an attacking way, which is obviously different and better for shots nearer your gloves and body.

As gloves move out facing in a clockwise motion, they are already in a place to block; the glove is doing more of the work as you just move round in that clockwise motion.

Attacking gloves see the glove pushed out explosively as you look to attack at shot nearer you, finding it difficult reaching out wide of the body.

Engaging with the hips

By making saves from a standing position, you need to be opening up with your body properly, in order for fluid movements for the saving motions. You can’t just expect to be rigid and upright in your stance if you need to move out with your hands to block. So you need to engage with your hips as you turn and push out. Whilst words can explain things to some extent (normally the lesser for some people; with the different styles of learning!) and we all learn in different ways, so getting things across visually will do more to explain things, as you can see it for yourself! And as this is the case, so this clip should do the explaining, with greater analysis by one of Australia’s well known GK coaches. As you watch the differences and analysis, there is a better job of explanation than I can manage right now!

So I recommend you watch this video produced by Hockey Australia which explains it much better than I could! The guys taking (facing, for some reason ‘taking shots’ is more so heard in American lexicon!) shots are Australia U21s as much as I’m aware (definitely happy to be corrected if wrong, usually am!), so at this level, the coaches will be wanting to interpret and improve their technical aspects to an intense level. Notice the in-depth analysis picking apart how the hips need to be engaged properly:

Face!

Ultimately, whether or not you want to turn with the glove all the time, it is definitely important to face with them. The more you face the ball with your gloves and the more you are active with them, obviously the better you are going to be with your shot stopping against glove high and wider shots! Rather than swiping at the ball, you are moving with the blocking face already covering to block, as you go. Think of how you show the glove to the shooter; turning it away shows less coverage and gives them more room to shoot into (visually and literally), but with your glove out and facing, this is not the case as you cover more.

However, this is a write-up based on looking into the technique, rather than endorsing it totally (all I do agree with it!!). Purely to proffer some goalie education, to allow for thought and contemplation on technique, rather than arguing which is the most optimum way of doing things, especially if you haven’t seen the video yet!

Lunging

Lunging, as the technique has become known as (or is referred to as, because it is, after all, a lunging motion!), has become a new and useful addition to the saving repertoire offered to us hockey goalkeepers. An option a lot like making splits saves, the difference being related to the ability to drive with the head and maintain balance and thus keep rebounds down and controlled (versus bouncing up and away!). Rather than pushing out low and dropping, the goalkeeper stays upright and extends out with the leg, pushing from an upright position to extend out with the leg to reach the ball, as opposed to diving and hitting the deck and the complications of recoveries and consequential save making.

With a more controlled rebound and an easier push in to the motion, potentially, from a wider leg stance within what is often referred to as the ‘X stance’, it gives the goalkeeper a more technical approach to splitting across to save. Stereotypically speaking (over generalising is a bad idea, in any regard!), it seems to be a trend that has developed in Australia (Stephen Mowlam seems to have been a driving force, or at least played a part in its recognition, using a wide stance that incorporated this aspect of saving with the legs, whilst still being able to ‘shut the barn doors’ quickly and efficiently!) and from there, along with others making it popular, it seems to have been absorbed into styles across the globe. Kathleen Partridge, the former Australian international, who has produced the goalkeeping guide “Goalkeeping Skills and Drills” (a recommended read), wrote about the lunge as one of the technical aspects she covered in her book.

The ‘lunge’

Whilst it sounds a little unorthodox or a scrambling save, it’s not specifically a desperation save attempt. Instead, you are essentially just going a bit further than you can reach simply stopping shots with your pad or kicker from a standing position. Say you can reach so far by simply reacting from within your stance, but, with a lunge, you are going that extra distance with your push out with your leg. Obviously this requires a little bit of extra flexibility, which stretching and Yoga and that kind of thing can aid and help out with, but if you don’t have massive amounts of natural flexibility, you may prefer to stick to diving for those saves you cannot reach from your angle and positioning, with your stance, but it’s always worth giving it a go and trying out new things to see if they work for you (as mentioned in the ‘playing it your way’ article).

Like the definition of lunge suggests, it’s a saving motion that involves a position where one leg is positioned forward with the knee bent and flat foot of that driven lunged leg, with the other leg positioned behind it. And also happens to be used with regards to fitness exercise and cross-training! It’s an explosive push to attack the ball and cut the angle wide of you. Unlike a more reactive, passive save where you simply respond to shots and turn your leg/foot to make the save from your ready stance, you are more so ‘aggressively’ pushing in to stop the ball. So, combined with the ’30 degrees’ and ‘attacking the ball’ saves, gives a greater option to push out and really attack shots that you are not otherwise able to reach from that reactive approach and stance; exploding out from the stance from the save.

This is sort of what a lunge save looks like, with a better illustration from an action photo:

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/scotland-goalkeeper-abigail-walker-blocks-a-shot-while-news-photo/104789820?Language=en-GB

You can kind of see it, the lunge and its momentum in, this clip, although it’s mainly out of shot in this clip at 0:14:25

And this clip demonstrates it all quite well. So, the goalie is young and teeny and tiny, but you get the idea from the way he is reacting to the shots! Essentially, you’re not moving with footwork to get behind and save, instead, you’re ‘staying put’ and planting and pushing out with the leg to get behind the ball to cover the angle and save.

Making the save

You should still be able to turn the kicker, as you normally would, during the save to help control the redirect and turn away the rebound to a safe area (where there are no attackers to poach it back, hopefully!). Balance remains the same, with you doing what you would in any standing save to keep the rebound down and controlled (I need to write a more in-depth explanation of this at some point!). Driving through and being explosive is important to getting distance on the rebound. Both feet plant as you push into the momentum, to help with staying upright. The back leg will also mirror the front to help in this regards.

This is probably the worst sketch I could do (I’ll come back and change it when I have more time!), but you get the rough idea of things (I think, or at least, hope!). Left leg is a better illustration of technique than the right!!

Pushing out

When you lunge, you are driving out with your leg in extension in order to reach the ball with the increased surface area coverage of the kicker/pad versus rhp/stick or lhp with a dive. You are pushing out explosively to reach the ball as it comes at you (especially if facing elite level, fast paced shots for instance). It helps if you have good reflexes! You want to be explosive and forceful, driving with power and precision and speed to make the save. But, more technically, when you push, you need to drive at it, keep your head up and over and then drive through, as you would with an attacking clearance say (keeping the foot down though!).

The following clip is about the closest I’ve got to finding a useful video example. At 0:34, watch how the goalkeeper pushes out further than his stance already covers, lunging out to stop and also attacking as discussed while doing so. Of course, he is using a wider spaced ‘X stance’ with his legs, but he is still pushing out wide in extension (obviously has less space to cover and less of a push to make, given the space his legs already cover!):

Pictures may also help illustrate and display things as well. The lunge should be looking like this, as you push out:

https://picasaweb.google.com/Kelburne/Mens3rdXIReservePlateFinal2012#5739527404743362994

To this:

https://picasaweb.google.com/Kelburne/Mens3rdXIReservePlateFinal2012#5739527511966229842

Head over the ball

Whereas a split, might see you drop awkwardly (going down with your upper half as you drop into the split leg position etc.) or lose balance slightly, theoretically a lunge, if done properly, should actually aid in balance and therefore provide a more controlled rebound and save. This is the added benefit of the way the lunge works and can be used. A lunge cannot go as far as a split (because you not positioning the leg out i.e. it’s not being pushed down and flat, out; it’s the foot that’s being pushed out) in full extension, but has the beneficial edge regards balancing. In any case, you want to have your head over, for the save, to ensure balance goes down through your body positioning, for a controlled save and rebound.

‘Planting’

When you push out and make the save, you ‘plant’ so that you get in the right position and help stay rooted and therefore balanced. This way, you can limit any issues with balancing. So, when ‘lunging’ to make a save, you also want to ‘plant’. Can’t go too far into this technically, as haven’t yet worked out the absolute specifics, but ‘planting’ is common with any leg/foot save from a standing position. You want to ‘plant’ as you explode and push out. In essence, the foot is the lead, and you are looking to stretch it out and then plant it down as you extend, to get behind the ball on the angle and make the save. But, it’s also important to ‘plant’ with the other stance to mirror weight and balance out.

A planted back foot helps to strengthen your rootedness so you don’t tilt over either side as you drive out. Turning the foot in the direction of the lead leg should help retain balance as you don’t turn your other leg away from that angle. If you do, you’re half turned in the way you want and half not! So you are leaning wrong and turning your body away from the shot. But with both feet angled on that angle, you are ensuring you don’t turn away, even in the slightest, getting all of your body in positioning behind the shot. Driving with the hips, this is(another topic I want to cover at some point!).

At 3:11 , notice how the goalkeeper slips, loses balance and falls back, thus taking them out of the ‘play’ and getting beaten. Instead, reinforcing balance with your back foot in a parallel with the angle of the driving foot, should help with balancing and ultimately making the save.

This is the kind of parallel and mirroring you theoretically should/would see within a lunge:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=458227380915163&set=pb.215515558519681.-2207520000.1364056381&type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Ffbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net%2Fhphotos-ak-ash4%2F388520_458227380915163_1438802130_n.jpg&size=716%2C960

Saving option

The ‘lunge’ as a save is another ‘tool’ in the ‘toolkit’, a way of thinking espoused by a lot of ice hockey goalie coaches. In this sense, it gives you another option for your approach to save making and chance to play to your own personal strengths. But, it furthers the abilities of balancing within a splits style save. If you prefer to stand up on your feet and play a patient, responsive, upright game, it offers the chance to do so by extending out with the kicker for the save.

Whereas a dive close to the body takes you out of the game, at least for a little while as you rush to get back up, a ‘lunge’ sort of cuts corners in getting back in the game for a consecutive save. Unlike a split, it is theoretically easier to recover from and also has the added benefit of a more controlled rebound, with your head over and rebound thus kept down and not bouncing up and away! On shots that are outside your angle and cannot be reached just by using your position, and angle, and reacting within your stance, you should be able to reach them lunging and attacking the ball in forceful extension. If you are comfortable with the eye-co-ordination with your feet and have strong footwork and flexibility, you may prefer this over diving nearer to the body, where you are still up on your foot, with an easier process of getting to the next shot, immediately ready for the next stop you face.

The number one

So. You want to be the number one, right? You want to be the first choice, the one your team turns to, to play for them and get the wins? The one with the honour, the prestige and all the glory; the go-to-guy, the hero, the saviour of your team, the highlight reel shot stopper. You want to be considered the best around, maybe even the best of the best. Well, good for you. But do you know what cost it’ll come at; the blood, sweat and tears that it will take you to achieve this dream? Because, let’s face it, it’s in no way easy and takes a lot of personal sacrifice and effort. It’s going to be a hard fought, tough ride. You may even end up earning it after a battle with an incumbent (i.e. the current starter who is well respected by the team/club and been in the starting spot for a while now), but you might lose it to someone else looking to do what you’re intent to achieve.

And with that being the same case for anyone that comes after you, you’ll always have someone nipping at your heels trying to take that very same spot you had to compete for in the first place. But that should be motivation to keep onto it and beat them out from overcoming you and your spot, not to slip into lack of effort because you get down about things! Are you prepared to go the distance and go that extra mile, and always be giving all you’ve got no matter what? It’s no easy task, but someone’s got to do it; well, you’ve got to, if you want to get there! Life isn’t (always) a bed of roses, if it is, you can’t see the thorns (well, that’s not to say life isn’t enjoyable or isn’t a gift, that’s just admitting that sometimes it will be hard and hard work!). And, if you don’t have to work hard for something, especially in sport, you’re not going to be pushed to play your absolute best because you’ll always be at cruising speed (or level!). So, in a way, it’s important you have competition and really fight for your chances.

Not all goalkeepers wear the number 1 shirt, but still stake their claim on the starting position for their team or nation nonetheless.

Work ethic

How hard you apply yourself to something (whatever that may be, in life) has a big impact on things and the way people see you. Take training sessions: are you prepared to put in, even if you don’t much out of it as a goalkeeper; focusing on the basics like stance, angles and attacking shots? You get out what you put in, as they, in any aspect of life! A lot of people (maybe it’s just youngsters with the wrong attitude, or an assumption that talent means you don’t have to work that hard!), seem to think you will get by on natural talent without the need to work hard at things. Let’s just think about it for a moment. A goalkeeper with not all of the attributes of an elite goalkeeper can outdo one that does, purely based on work ethic, constantly pushing themselves to improve, and hard work. Essentially, because they are working hard, they should perform better (something I’ll try and cover more in depth later). Compare this to a naturally talented goalkeeper who is capable of really dominating, but not doing so, because they aren’t pushing themselves, in comparison to the goalkeeper edging them out because they are!

Talent doesn’t necessarily give you a one way ticket (not sure that’s the best phrase) to success. Similarly pure athleticism which hasn’t been harnessed or concreted through technical understanding (take Tim Howard in his early days) can see a goalkeeper still making the saves and getting the job done, even if it isn’t always pretty! But, coaching is helpful for refining and harnessing these attributes, so seeking out coaching help or going to summer camps should help you learn to improve and make these habits routine in the regular season. Either way, you still have to work for it! First, you need the talent, and then you need to push yourself as much as possible to keep developing and evolving up the scale of elite standard goalkeeper.

You have to work hard and you have to earn it! It doesn’t come for free! You don’t just rock up to a goalkeeper genie and say hi, I’d like to make my wish of being the world’s best hockey goalkeeper a reality. A dream come true. Humour aside, it’s a big effort and you need to graft and put in the hours to out graft and then outshine people who want that elite level starting spot just as much as you do (maybe they want it more, even!). Some people dream and some people go out and make those dreams real!! Also dieting (eating well, not slimming down!), not wasting time on things that could get in the way of sporting commitments outside of hockey, in order to be in optimum shape for games, is important. Also, staying in good athletic shape is important because you are retaining fitness levels and staying sharp.

Fighting it out

There is only one starting spot, it’s not like you’re a rolling sub for an outfield position. With one spot, you have to fight for it unlike anything else another player might have to go through in a club or team! And with the 1^stXI spot, this is even more so. Sometimes, the only way in is to force yourself into the position and beat the other goalkeeper out of theirs. They may see it as a reason to ‘up’ own game, or even unfair (as they worked hard to get way they are; especially unfair if you do take hold of the spot), but you have a challenge on your hands regardless! Your attitude is everything, especially if you want to be the first choice, of a national league level club, for example! And even if you do manage to wrestle the starting spot off a team mate, the coach still has the right/chance to yank you out of a game or switch things up and drop you (back down the pile). Take Szcesny and Fabianski (who is the one actually getting the starts right now, in spite of the doubters, whilst Maonnone deputised for a string of games) at Arsenal.

If you have been the only goalkeeper around in teams/club as a youngster developing, then you may not be used to a stringent level of competition and get used to not fighting for your place. But once you climb the ladder and get to the highest rungs, you will soon realise how much of a fight you will have for the starting spot, or spots at the top levels within your club! Once you get to the elite tiers, you really are fighting for your spot.

If you have the wrong attitude and don’t want to fight for it, then you’re not going to get anyway or develop as a goalkeeper with the right skill set and right mind set! Once in the elite level, you’ll quickly realise how much you have to want that opportunity to get where you want! Otherwise you will be outworked, outrun, outgunned (in terms of save making!) even and perhaps go back down the ladder because a situation has arisen that will change circumstances for you, such as another goalkeeper joining the club who has played at a higher level previously or has more experience than you do, thus affecting your positioning in the club tiers and chance for high level games.

Fighting for your place

Without going back and saying exactly what I said, through rephrasing or just rewriting it (and rewriting the “fighter” article from a while ago), I want to allude to how good you are versus how good people think you are or rate you as. What you don’t want to do is end up “blowing your own trumpet” and thinking you’re the best around when you still haven’t proven that’s the case. And getting overly confident and full of yourself to the point it’s damaging to your game because you don’t bring your ‘A game’ because you don’t think you will have to work and be tested (not the same as being confident constructively and having buckets of self belief!). It’s easy to play well for a few games (versus a season), and end up “over rated” simply because you have played some ‘blinders’, but if you can’t play to this level consistently, that is the difference maker. In the sense that if you ended up hitting a bad patch and unable to bounce back, you may not be playing as you will get dropped for another goalkeeper that may be able to consistently play well versus ‘streaky’ wins and losses, because you’re not used to fighting for a win, or struggle to bounce back after a bad game.

Playing without an ego

This may sound odd considering what I’ve discussed when needing to be ‘cocky’ and confident. But it is still important to remember yourself and your role within the team as a goalkeeper. The goalkeeper carries their team, not the other way round, but that doesn’t mean they should get too ‘big for their boots’! The “egoless approach”, which is something ice hockey goalie analyst Justin Goldman has written about, is important very much so and equates to getting on with playing well and showing how good you are without needing commendations lauded on you. Actions speak louder than words! So show how good you are without saying so!! Something I might have missed in the ‘cocky’ goalkeeper article, but . A selfish attitude doesn’t get you far and will annoy team mates. Also blaming others if . Team mates prefer it if you are open and take responsibility on board (takes the blame off their shoulders!) and .

Always improving

Another important thing when it comes down pushing for the first team place, is how you need to be constantly evolving versus staying as is and getting complacent, which you can read about in the write-up I did previously. Joe Hart will always say that he’s “always looking to improve”. He is never stopping in the way he wants to push himself and reach new heights and always get better. Rather than being happy with how things are. So, he might not be at the top of his game right now (neither is Reina), but his attitude speaks for itself. He is always looking to get better. He is not sitting around and saying ‘I’m so great, look at me, blah blah blah’ or listening to people saying he’s the, or one of, the world’s best, he’s going out there and working hard to make it happen. Versus not and being complacent, lazy and expecting such comments to just be given to you! Don’t be lazy, be like Hart, have the heart to improve!!

Self analytical

Being analytical of your own game means being able to analyse your weakness and look to improve them, and even to work on refining your strengths. To step outside of yourself and critically consider how well you play. To be able to identify key areas and look to improve them. You can’t improve if you don’t think you don’t have anything to work on! You can’t reach perfection if you think you’re perfect already. When you’re not! At first you may not feel comfortable to think about yourself in this way, but you need to be assured and confident enough to do so. By looking at yourself in the mirror and considering how well you play or are playing during a season, you can improve greatly as you pinpoint things that need working on. It’s not a case of being your own worst enemy, but a cool headed analytical means. This is case of personal reflection, a desire to improve and be the best player (and goalkeeper!) you can be. A positive rather than negative attitude or viewpoint. Sometimes, the only person who can analyse your performances (other than a coach or team mate or fellow goalkeeper at your club even), is yourself, especially if you don’t have a goalkeeping coach to work with. So you need to be able to do so and improve your game and your level of analysis as you do so.

Be the number one!

Ultimately, not everyone wants to be the best in the world or the best at their club, just the best player (goalkeeper!) they can be. There’s nothing wrong with that, at all, in fact, it’s better to want to be the best at everything you can be rather than for anything else. If you are talented inherently, then pushing yourself to be the best you can is going to be make you one of the best around! Even if you don’t think you can, you can still have the same mindset of that of an elite goalkeeper. Like people say and I stated, it’s your work ethic and if you work hard, then coaches will notice it and you may also outwork other goalkeepers and rise up the ranks. Want to be the first option for team selection, want to outdo everyone else and want to make that spot yours and no-one else’s! Don’t just be happy with second best. A goalkeeper who expects to win games or train or play well, without putting in the effort is not getting to get too far! So, work hard, analyse, look to improve, and you should make the number one spot yours (eventually?!)!!

The need for speed

Not the video game I used to enjoy playing as a youngster, but making use of a title with the phrase with an allusion to the same premise, when it comes to getting involved with the game and being able to instantly sprint out when called upon, rather than looking like you’re not interested in winning! Arguably, whilst a goalkeeper may not be ‘on the move’ all the time as their team mates go up and down the pitch, the goalkeeper needs to able to react explosively and be able to run as quickly as possible within their kit to charge down an attacker or rebound opportunity say. And when it comes to your role and play within the overall game as a goalkeeper, you have to be ‘quick off the mark’ and a ‘speed demon’ (well, maybe not, that’s more like ‘Need for Speed’ but the metaphor’s there!) in relation to sprinting out for loose balls or interceptions; same for foot work and getting across goal.

Tom Millington of Wimbledon rushes out to beat an attacker to get to the loose ball.

Excuse the blurry photo: goalies moving at the speed of light (shutter speeds wrong!)!

Quicksilver

You might know ‘Quicksilver’ from the surf/skate/snow brand if you’re into ‘alternative’ sports, or as its synonym for mercury, but I think the terminology can be applied when reflecting on how we play as goalkeepers. Maybe it’s a poor definition as it is referred to as something that changes quickly and is difficult to contain. Goalkeepers are difficult to contain (like ‘Animal’ maybe!) but I’m not sure we’re shape shifters! Without rambling as my brain does work, I still think it is a useful way into contemplating and thinking the way a goalkeeper needs to be quick on their feet and able to quickly respond to passes into the D from aerials or breakaways and so on. A goalkeeper has to be able to rush out, whether it be off their line to slide tackle, or to get to a loose ball to ‘kick out of the park’ and get rid of that great scoring opportunity (i.e. if a player is coming in to close and latch onto it!). Fitness wise goalkeepers are expected to put up good times on beep tests and the like at the elite levels, just like the other players (don’t see why goalkeepers shouldn’t push themselves to show that goalies rule!), but sprinting is a little different; different technique and different impact on the body.. Long distance running or stamina based (need to check the sports science, my understanding isn’t so great, didn’t study it!) running is not the same as explosive sprints.

I am naturally fast (theoretically, I’m no Usain Bolt!), maybe, so perhaps this natural aspect can have an effect on us goalkeepers in the way things happen as we use our natural speed to impact the game? But that’s not to see it’s not impossible to improve or push yourself to play intensely and sprint out when required! You can work on technique and your attitude to sprinting with explosiveness itself. I was still involved with sprint teams as a youngster and ranked high when competing in school competitions for the 100 meters. So I guess this is pretty useful for a goalkeeper who needs to react instantaneously and as fast as possible when game changes occur which you need to shut down. In my opinion, the quicker you naturally are, the better you are to get there quicker than the next guy (or goalkeeper if you’re competing for a spot!). But this doesn’t mean you can’t work on sprint technique or being explosive. You can practise speed time and work on your ability to run in kit, which is no easy task!

Goalkeepers need to be able to speedily rush out to have an effect on the game when things occur that the goalkeeper in question needs to respond to. If they don’t, they can concede by not getting to a breakaway with the required speed, or not getting to a rebound or secondary or consecutive scoring chance quickly enough say! Goalkeepers need to be like a coiled spring, ready to spring out with momentum. Explosive and agile, whether that be in shot stopping and instantaneous recoveries to get back into the play and behind a consecutive scoring chance, or when rushing across to make a save on the other side of goal, goalkeepers should look like they want to make the save or play, versus not responding intensely and therefore not looking like they want to win! You could say some may be attracted to the position (at first sight and then grow into the position!) because they think it will mean they won’t have to run around as much, but that’s definitely not the case! Whereas we all know that your kit needs to be like a second skin and you have to be as fast as physically possible. You need the agility of a fast track sprinter if you want to be able to chase down loose balls and make timely interceptions and these needs, need to be incorporated into our game as goalkeepers!

Times when you need to be able to ‘get out the blocks as soon as possible include situations as follows:

Sprinting out off the line to challenge
Rushing out to cut off a breakaway
Racing to get to a loose ball or behind it to cover
Getting across to the other side of goal to block or cover
Running out to make a decisive interception

The following video illustrates this ‘need for speed’, with the university men’s goalkeeper (wearing the helmet/cage combo) rushing out off his line to challenge an attack, as well as sprinting across to deal with a second chance opportunity:

Explosive!

Whereas outfielders are constantly back and forth across the pitch, a goalkeeper has a more contained approach to running around. Potentially! Yes, they do move around a lot in their stance and have footwork to see them readjust to each post or angle as the ball is moved around the pitch, but when running out to meet opportunities, things are a little different. They are more explosive in small amounts i.e. there should be few times when you really need to rush out to attack an opportunity. Unless there’s something going wrong, you’re not facing lots of breakaways, constantly running out to challenge, during a game, one after another! If a goalkeeper is playing behind a strong defensive unit during the game, then they aren’t going to have come off their ‘line’ to challenge all that often. BUT when it happens they’re going to have to and have to quickly! So aside from moving around laterally around the D, explosive sprinting is where you’re going to have to move instantly with speed.

Quick recoveries

Whilst they may not be considered specifically related to moving quickly in kit to attack scoring chances, quick recoveries are still an important aspect of playing actively. You have to react just as quickly and intensely as you need to be when sprinting out. And anyway, the two connect together, especially when getting back onto your feet as quickly as possible in order to rush across to the other side of goal, say! With great speed and intensity in order to make the save. Don’t wait, don’t expect to be able to just make the save where you are; get back on your feet as quickly as you can and get involved in the action rather than ‘sitting out’ the play as a backseat driver or observer!

Breakaways

When faced with a breakaway opportunity for the opposition, as they get through the defence, the goalkeeper needs to be quick off their line to come out and stop it in its tracks. Obviously, you are going to have move with speed. Although, obviously timing comes into this as you don’t want to get there too early and not be able to tackle, but time it precisely so that you make the intercept bang on time (and get there exactly when you mean to, like Gandalf!). Either way, you still need to move quickly in your kit to get there in time.

Chasing down loose balls

This is a very important aspect of being able to move around your D and pitch (although we can only go as far as the 25, need to get in umpiring to work on remembering things!). If we are faced with a free-for-all free ball that has come loose, we need to get there before an opposition player does, as they could obviously score from it. A powerful rebound may be redirected on the save and latched onto by a player, even if we do make a controlled save with the rebound (power of shots at elite levels make this possible), and if so, the goalkeeper needs to do something to try and disrupt a second chance.

Similarly, any loose ball that has come from the result of a pass or similar needs to be dealt with. You need to rush out to close the ball done, or better yet, kick it with power clear and at distance away from another chance on goal. You may be safe enough to watch it off the pitch, but you still need to get across to cover just in case! This ability to read the game and clear, or watch it off, is decisive; you need to be able to stop another attack from occurring. And a loose ball is anyone’s so you need to claim it and stop the team scoring most importantly!

Bromley’s goalkeeper sprints to cover a loose ball, which thankfully goes over the line (after the photo was taken!).

And most importantly you really need to be fast enough to beat the attacker to the ball! Which means you’ve got to be faster than a quick attacker, whilst sprinting in kit! This also comes down to ‘attacking clearances’ when rushing out to kick and then drive through.

Interceptions

Again, like a breakaway is a form of interception, intercepting passes to stop a goal being scored off the pass and redirect or space opened up by exposing your far side, you need to be quick on your feet to get there and meet the ball as it’s passed across. You’re not going to be able to get on the end of the ball or reach it to intercept the pass and block it from reaching its intended recipient, unless it’s near to you! So, again, speed and awareness is needed.

Lateral plays

Some goalkeepers prefer to react to the pass as it is played across. Either to get across to stop or to move with and attack the pass. Instead of just looking to cut off the ball carrier or challenge them. In this case, either way, you are still moving across with speed and strong footwork as you move across in your stance in order to get across to attempt the save. Less sprinting and more quicksilver shuffling!

Post to post

Moving post to post other than for coverage as the play moves, you may also find yourself out of position thanks to having to go out and meet an attacker, only for the play to change! You may leave your post to challenge, sliding off to deal with a baseline attack. You may stop it; the ball gets loose, free to another opposition player and then have to go all the way across to the other side of goal to deal with this new, changed threat! If you don’t then you’re not going to have any chance of making the crucial save! This requires determination and all the attributes of agility and strong footwork to get across in time. You really need to be fast as quicksilver at a time like this!

The following clip shows an amazing save by Hampstead and Westminster and England A goalkeeper Ian Scanlon. He goes to challenge to his left as the ball carrier comes in, only for the ball holder to release the ball and pass to another attacker who has arrived, running into the D. Out of position, he has to readjust and rush across to the other side of goal to deal with the consequential shot. This is the exactly the kind of save discussed in the ‘Never say never’ article about never giving up on the play. He doesn’t give up on the play or get negative; instead, he rushes across, has great foot speed and then dives to make a save that keeps the score level. Amazing save! Without that his team aren’t in it! It shows solid fundamentals of foot work, agility, drive and passion when it comes to the save, something to learn from! Save is at about 0:25 playing time.

Working on your speed

Like I reckon, speed is something natural but that doesn’t mean you can’t improve your running. You can use leg weights and resistance training theoretically (I’m sure a sports scientist can correct me and explain it better!) to build up the speed you run at and explosively push through when sprinting. Along with footwork drills for quicker footwork! Working on basic sprint technique is going to improve sprinting speeds anyway as you’ll move faster than you did before! There’s a chance to improve even if you are not naturally the fastest around. But working on short controlled bursts of sprinting routinely over time should help you get quicker bit by bit. You can work on sprinting out of kit and then bring this into training sessions if you have time spare or before shots to get some practise in.

Like this sort of thing, sort of (should be easy to search for other examples and drills!)!

Have quick feet!

Ultimately, as a goalkeeper you need to be able to respond to the game as a defensive breakdown occurs, but you also need to be able to get involved in the play, by rushing out with your quick speed to close down attackers or loose balls and so on, as mentioned. You need to be quick and instantaneous, as fast as possible to get there as quickly as you can otherwise you’re already consigned to defeat! This is the same for recoveries to get back into the play and with saves, playing with intensity and athleticism, as written about before. Without this desire to win and stop goals by stopping opportunities with speed to close them down, you cannot really expect to win or dominant games as a goalkeeper. You need to play with an unbridled intensity that reflects your desire to win and be prepared to sprint out to stop shots occurring versus shot stopping! Food for thought! And whilst this write-up follows the more obvious implications of sprinting out, quick shuffles in your stance are just as important!!

Thermals

Along with baselayers, which are great for wicking away sweat as I’ve written about some time back, thermals can be pretty useful when playing in the winter months (whichever side of the globe you’re on, the earth spins on an axis after all!). In fact, there are some thermals that do that as well, so you can get rid of built up sweat (as you play well and build up a sweat, as they say in ice hockey, “working up a sweat out on the ice”!) and stay warm at the same time. Pretty useful, “killing two birds with one stone as the phrase goes”, goalkeeping wise! I currently have a pair of thermals that I also wear when skiing or maybe, eventually, snowboarding (if and when I get the rare opportunity to do some snow sports!) that are a pretty quality set that also wick away sweat, for warming the legs! Personally, I’m not a fan of British weather. I know it’s not the coldest place in the world (I’ve seen some awesome pictures of Canadian hockey goalies – I think they were – warming up outside in the snow!) but it can never make its mind up, so those dreary, cold and wet days when you’re playing in the damp that can get through your kit and the chill that gets to your bones, it’s handy to have something to keep you warm!

Theoretically (need to prove it somehow!), what thermals do is essentially ensure your muscles keep warm so that when you stretch out you don’t tweak something or risk injury; turning or twisting unexpectedly etc. Where you may go long periods of time during a match with inactivity, you may be called upon to make an unexpected save as the play finally comes into your half and then D. Keeping your muscles warm actually means that when you do go to make a save, say lunging and extending with a split, you’re not endangering yourself injury wise. As opposed to making such a save as reflex when you are cold, where theoretically speaking (need to check the sport science!), it could cause you to tense up more and then pull something (I think, that’s how it works!). So ultimately, it does offer an option of keeping you and your muscles warm, without having to stretch continuously to keep warm, although I’d do that regardless just to make sure!

So, thermals are something you may want to consider. You get the usual thermals or the wicking baselayer thermals depending on your preference. You can get them on online sites or even Ebay (I did and can recommend them!) and potentially in stores that sell snow sports gear and such. Cold gear compression baselayers are what they call them, something like that, or search for snow sport baselayers!

And for evidence of a goalkeeper, here’s Hamish Coates just before a game with HWHC against East Grinstead, coming over from Australia and getting used to the somewhat rubbish climate in England (although admittedly he wasn’t wearing them in a game against Beeston, maybe because of him benching at the EG game?)!

http://lsp.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/2013-02-24-East-Grinstead-v-Hampstead-Westminster/G0000GKY9WmayJEk/I00008mdh4.pDTmo/C00007yz.QmldEgQ

FIH own goal rule. Our thoughts so far.

For those not aware the FIH has introduced a new rule where own goals can now be scored if any player from either team touches the ball in the circle and the ball enters the goal.

Sounds like a good idea or is it?

What we have seen so far is that goalkeepers have become more involved in the play as you have to protect the net from both teams now. So many more balls that would have previously been let go into the goal and played as a long corner are now having to be kept in play.

The down side is we have seen teams pounding the ball into the circle from all parts of the field hoping that maybe someone will touch the ball or the goalkeeper will make a mistake. The new rule seems to fly in the face of the current free hit within the 25 rule where the ball can’t be smashed directly into the circle.

Will be interesting to see where this goes in the future.

How has everyone found the change so far? Have you had many own goals scored?

KeepaCoach

PS: We have a new website at www.KeepaCoach.com .

Decision making

Decision making is an essential part of goalkeeping in the wider role of influencing the game and eliminating scoring opportunities to reduce the number of shots you face during a game. Shot stopping is obviously down to technique and fundamentals (positioning, angles), but decision making is a skill that is so fundamental and essential, yet difficult to learn and arguably something not totally taught by goalkeeper coaches, in the sense that if you are working purely and simply on technique. You may be able to do well in training focusing on shot stopping and foot work and so on, but if drills are not representative of in-game action or skills, then maybe it is possible to argue that.

Reading the play and making decisions

You have to ‘read’ the play (something I’ll try and discussion in more depth in another article), think things through and analyse the attacking dangers and factor in various potentialities, to be able to make the right choice and apt decision. And getting involved in the play by coming out to block, tackle, or disrupt a pass, is how these decisions come into play. But whilst it often boils down to in-game scenarios like breakthroughs into the D and through your defence, it also relates to things like short corner defences where you decide on the routine to use and the way in which to structure your defence to make the save and shutdown consecutive corner opportunities.

Training sessions and games

For me, the main form of decision making is responding to game changes rather than shot stopping. Stopping is down to angles; being in the right position at the right time, arguably, whereas tackling is getting there at the right time. The decision to come out and tackle and eliminate a breakaway or the decision to intercept a pass is the kind of decisions that impact a game. Too late and leave yourself exposed for a goal, too early and theoretically miss the tackle. Mistiming and not reading cues properly is going to have a knock-on effect on things.

But you don’t really get to experiment and learn timing or interceptions in training, unless you’re doing practise matches on a half pitch say. A lot of club work on drills outside shooting which aid the goalkeeper, but not always. Obviously, you can work on save technique and decisions that affect making the save. And in club training, you may get the chance to work on set piece scenarios within the session, but unless you training sessions are orientated to replicating game experience we’re not getting the most out of it. But without this types of drills (you get it in other sports, why not hockey?!), you cannot really, truly, work on this important skill. Which is where game experience comes in; games are where you get the chance to find out how and when to intercept a breakaway or pass, and game experience is what you build off when you are learning the things you cannot during a training session. Which is why game experience is so crucial. You can be taught it, but in games, that is where you are learning how to apply it properly.

To some degree, the randomness or unexpected turn of events aren’t procured in a rigid, organised drill. It’s not exactly like you learn how to deal with a breakaway or intercept passes so easily in training sessions. You do; you learn the technique, but unless you’re practising something like it with proper intensity (making sure no-one gets hurt though in the process!), then you’re not replicating a true form of what is going to happen a game. Especially if you’re doing club training and all that’s being focused on is shooting practise for the outfield players! Or training without proper direction. There are going to be cases like this, however small, but it depends on the club, coach and whoever runs and organises the drills, perhaps?!

But how it affects us as goalkeepers means we may have to lean on game experience more. This imbalance in training versus games is something football goalkeeping analyst and writer Justin Bryant has written about in regards to football, where he argues that drills need to be altered to accommodate our approach to games, obviously in respect of that goalkeeping style:

http://www.gkicon.com/LatestNews/LatestNewsDetail/tabid/216/ArticleId/158/Difficulty-of-training-decision-making.aspx

Either, training has to change to accommodate situations that help us goalkeepers, or we have to accept that we need to use games as a place to learn ‘off the cuff’, especially early on as we get into the position of goalkeeper.

Decisions and saves

Whilst I would consider tackling and interceptions as the main form of decision making, there is also the obvious choice of how to make a save relative to what you are facing. Say when to leave your feet to dive high or low against a corner’s drag flick, or when to save from a standing position and remain upright. Or when to use a barrier on a short corner etc. The video below shows an interesting example. At 3:32 you can see the goalkeeper is confused whether to stay up to save or push out for a mid-height dive. Over thinking and caught in two minds, they end up not making the save because of this confusion and indecisiveness.

As the goalkeeper goes down, they end up bringing the glove down with them, turning it away from the ball as it comes in from the drag flick and missing it as a result, to end up conceding. He could have stayed up and moved the glove down and across, or gone for the dive to extend and save and push away. But by getting confused and blurring the options and trying to do two things at once, this, the goal, happened. This is national premier league level, so pedantic possibly, but also goes to show the level of acute analysis that is required for performance analysis and such.

Decisions and game involvement

For me, the main featuring of analysis and making choices for decisions is ‘going with the flow’. To analyse and read the play well enough to know how to respond and act accordingly with the decisions you make. When you are playing, you need to be able to have an impact on the game with challenges and the like. You need to be more than just a shot stopper and a ‘keeper’ of you goal (as I will write about at some point!). Something I tried to point to when discussing the ‘sweeper keeper’ because this is the pushed extreme of acting like another defender and taking charge of your D to reduce scoring chances. When playing, you need to be getting involved and doing ‘your bit’. Decision making in this regard relates to being aware of gaps in your defence, timing and a consciousness of what is going on around you and how things will pan out, enough to be able to come out and tackle and so on. You are in the game and you should be a part of it rather than a shot stopping bystander!

Making the ‘right’ decision?

Making the right decision obviously equates to working out the right choice from reading the game and then responding appropriately. A case of making the right selection of save or tackling actions. But even if a goal is scored, have we made the ‘right’ choice? Say sliding out to tackle and only to have the ball lifted over you, like Tindall’s goal against South Africa in the Bejing Olympics where Hibbert made the decision to slide out to meet the GB player, only for Tindall to get the lightest and skilful of touches to get it over his prone body shape coming his way. What more can you do? As demonstrated here:

Even if you allow a goal, for me and me personally (I can’t speak for someone else, if it’s my opinion, which may not be right admittedly!), it’s more important that you commit to the right decision, even if it doesn’t go to plan. Maybe the simplest way of thinking things through is what is the best option is: that you select the best thing to do and do it, then you cannot be at fault, or are at less fault than staying rooted and not committing! Like coming off your line to tackle when it is important you do. Say you decide to leave your post, but you come off your line too late. You get rounded and they score. Well, they were probably going to score if you stayed rooted to the spot on your goal line and didn’t come out to challenge, with the greater amount of exposed space to exploit and smash the ball into, giving them a free shot/’free pass’/goal scoring opportunity without them having to earn it.

For example, see how this sequence of a goalkeeper rushing out off their post pans out. It’s an international game, so (who better else to learn from than the best!), but also a better example and I struggle to find club footage! At 2:05, the goalkeeper decides the course of action is to come off the post and go in for the tackle. They slide in, arguably making the right choice, but still concede. Perhaps they needed to be a little quicker or go for a stick tackle, to take away the ball, as the player carrying the ball managed to lift it over them, but all the same, for what it’s worth, they left their post and didn’t stay passive:

And . This is obviously the game at the highest levels (for club standard arguably! It’s not an international game, but a match in the Hoofdklasse), so criticism is to the minute levels and . At 1:50 the goalkeeper (Cortes for Den Bosch in white) potentially could have gone for the pass and dived out to intercept it and therefore shut down the scoring chance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BD6o0PdrHs

As a goalkeeper you should know whether or not to do certain things, or at least, know when to from experience! If say you leave your post to make a tackle along the baseline or dive off the post to stop a pass along the face of goal. Rather than leaving it, you have committed yourself. Showing that you have made the commit to arguably what the right choice is, what you should be doing, I can’t see how staying deep and reacting was going to help, as there are multiple options for the ball carrier to pass to and then to shoot at goal from said pass! At one level, it is the ability to make right choice, and above that, is the ability to do it properly and make the save or stop a goal being scored by taking away the pass from its intended recipient. So should coaches ‘score’ goalkeepers on making the ‘right’ choice rather than not making it at all?

Learning to make decisions

For me, it’s game situations that allow for you to learn how to make decisions and properly. You get the chance to put things into action in a game and the more you experience high level, pressure games, the more you will learn. Soon enough you’ll get to know what works and what doesn’t! Obviously, goalkeeper coaching and coaching from coaches, or advice from older goalkeepers etc. will help things, but at the end of the day, it’s you who has to do the learning. You learn from your mistakes. That’s how things tend to work. Mistakes are life lessons; you prove it, by not letting it happen again! So, hopefully, you can learn from the way you concede goals and learn from it to play in a way where you don’t!

Over thinking

Over thinking is corrosive to the psychology of decision making. Like self doubt when it comes to your shot stopping, if you start to question yourself or think too much, you won’t be able to do your ‘job’ properly. It’s a lot like when de Gea was settling into playing at Man Utd: he wasn’t letting in goals because of other affects on his ‘mental game’, he was afraid of all potential options rather than reacting to what happened in front of him. If you allow this to happen, then you aren’t helping yourself. Analysing is dreadfully important, but over analysing to the point where you can’t make a decision because there are so many potentials running through your mind, isn’t going to help either! You have to see what is happening in terms of attackers getting through your defence and take it from there. The more you over think things, the harder it becomes to make the right choice, as the clip earlier demonstrates. If things get too much, maybe tone it down a lot and just react more to what’s going on in front of you?!

Decisiveness

Whilst making the right choice is the most important thing, you have to be decisive enough to make the choice and stick with it. Like anything in life really. You have to stick to a decision and follow it through. If things don’t go to plan, then afterwards you’re going to have to evaluate what was the right course of action. But if you doubt or question yourself too much, you’re never going to make a decision on what to do in the first place! And it’s not like anyone can do it for you!

Committing means more often than not you are taking yourself out of the play. Especially if you are going down against the run of play, for a slide tackle or dive to intercept etc. because you are taking yourself out of the game, by ‘hitting the pitch’ as you will have trouble getting up immediately after (you’re going to have to be quick with recoveries and quick like you should!), but the point is there. When you commit, that is it: you are not standing up and able to react anymore, you are potentially ‘down and out’, especially with a slide out.

To use an oft used clichéd metaphorical analogy, you come across a juncture or crossroads and you have to make a choice, but you can only take one of the paths, because you can’t go down both! So, what is it going to be?! In decision making, you have to be decisive with your gutsy attacking play and able to know what is right for the outcome. You make a decision and it leads to a goal, but if you hadn’t made that decision, would they still have scored regardless? Maybe you could go so far as weighing up percentages to compare, but it’s not always that simple. So when it comes to decision making as a goalkeeper, it’s all about making a choice and ‘sticking to your guns’. Whatever happens afterwards can be analysed and absorbed after the game, but for now, you need to focus on the present of your game and the next scoring opportunity! Go with what works and ask questions later!

Be decisive!

Make the decision! Or make sure you make the right one! I couldn’t decide on a final sub-title to go with the rest of the write-up. That’s it really: at the end of the time, you need to make the right one and do it properly not to concede, ultimately, because otherwise they’re scoring on you! Once you get the hang of analysing and reading the game and then how to react, decision making should make more sense. But of course, you need to have the confidence to do so in the first place!

The cocky goalkeeper

The idea of self confidence is important for goalkeepers when thinking about how to play at their best, game in game out. And one way of thinking about it, is to consider a goalkeeper as cocky or evaluate their cockiness. As I’ve tried to write about recently, it is important to play confidently, ensuring that you are confident to come out and make tackles or interceptions and to get to lose balls that attackers may latch on. If you don’t/didn’t feel happy doing this, then you’re going to struggle to decrease the amount of scoring opportunities you will face in a game. And if you did not feel confident enough going up against the top of the table team or playing in an important and decisive game that could affect your playing ‘career’ (I say, I’m not sure !), then you’ve got to be confident.

Being ‘cocky’

Some people struggle with confidence with the way they play and even though they are good, their self esteem and way their self belief comes across, presenting itself through nervous tension and the like, holds them back from truly dominating. Ironically a lot of extremely talented people throughout history have struggled with low self esteem and yet they are unquestionably some of the world’s greatest minds, ever. Weird, huh! Quiet confidence, quietly confident, is good enough for me! But, there is also sense to the conceptualisation of cockiness. As discussed previously, body language and a goalkeeper that looks happy to be there is going to come across as a goalkeeper that is harder to beat. Make the opposition believe it!

A defence has to be confident in their goalkeeper and a goalkeeper in their defence. If the defence start to lose confidence in their goalkeeper (and fear every time an attacker gets close because they’ll probably score ‘off the bat’ or start shot blocking and getting in front of thing, unnecessarily and causing unneeded redirects etc. own goal anyone?!), then the goalkeeper loses confidence in themselves. And if the goalkeeper starts to lose confidence in their defence, then everything goes bad and will falter. And you don’t want that! So, in some ways, the goalkeeper has to show their confidence (even when they’re not, fake it!) and thus play confidently.

But cockiness is something that goes beyond just a bit of self confidence; it sets the bar for it! Goalkeepers that no matter the ‘weather’ or score line, they still looked assured and in control. Even when things aren’t going right and falling apart around them! They dominate with their presence, absolutely ‘rocking the place’ using band analogies (?!). I think this kind of thing is what can terrify a shooter, other than denying them about four times in a row or something (at which point they concede that you’re going to make it tough for them to score and force them to earn a goal!).

There are some characters in the ‘Goalies Union’ that come across obviously exuberant and commanding (Schmeichel lambasting his defenders for letting a shot through, anyone?!), and it is what we should aspire to be like. Brimming with the love of being under the microscope, loving the stresses of being in a pressure zone, oozing buckets of self esteem. This level of extreme confidence that can spread out and inspire team mates. But pride which comes before a fall, as the saying goes (maybe there’s something in that?!), so it is a fine balancing act of propping ourselves up psychological and putting in performances that match this self professed state of mind.

How

Being cocky is obviously having bags of self confidence and believing you’re the best around. Of course, to some it comes naturally, but in a sense it’s just a case of self assurance and ‘bigging yourself up’. Be sure of yourself. Tell and remind yourself how good you really are. That you ARE going to play amazingly. I AM going to get to this loose ball, I AM unstoppable, I AM going to make this save. That sort of thing, if you get the obvious drift! I’m here because I can do the job and am a better option than the other goalkeepers in the team or club (especially if you’re first choice!).

This is the article that inspired this post and puts up some useful pointers:

http://blog.goalkeepertalk.com/coaching-tips/cocky-goalkeeper-great-keeper/

If not, then what?

It’s easy to think of what will happen if not. Think what would happen if you weren’t cocky or self confident. You wouldn’t be prepared to get into the ‘thick of things’, shut down scoring chances or make an important influence and impact on the game. You wouldn’t make those cracking, unbelievable saves either. So what’s worse, being confident and playing well as a result, or be a nervous, quivering shell of the goalkeeper you once were? I think it’s self explanatory at least.

When it goes pear shaped

Another non-hockey related analogy (as usual!), but the case study of Joe Hart shows the interaction between cockiness, self confidence, and the potential for things to go wrong. All this came after attempting what would have been an audacious header outside his area in true ‘sweeper keeper’ style (Ter Stegen has achieved this at some distance, and Casillas sometimes does this), in the belief that he would have got rid of a scoring chance. Obviously it didn’t go right and Ibrahimovic scored a wonder goal that will go down in the history books almost unsighted of where the goal was for placing the shot.

The situation was a trifle complex from a goalkeeper’s point of view. He decided to go forward, potentially wrongly. The bounce meant he would have had to back track to hit it on the volley and get caught out of place. And so on. As a goalkeeper, you either want to come out and attack the player (like he did, but more extremely!), complicated by the two defenders shadowing Zlatan as he goes forward, or stay back. But having committed (a lot like analysis for the decision making article!), he has to stick with the decision he made. And yet, this decision caused a huge uproar (well, not that much, but still enough!) among the press as they clamoured to have a go at Hart (as the British has a great history of building stars up and then trying to knock them down to the bottom again!).

This video brings up some of the topics for and against cockiness in discussion about Hart’s current form. Roy Keane pointing out that it can be negative, whilst Gary Neville defends the other side of the argument.

http://www.itv.com/sport/football/article/2012-10-16/keane-hart-guilty-of-cockiness/

And for another angle, from a coach’s point of view, this is Mancini’s take on things:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/oct/19/joe-hart-cocky-manchester-city

As you can see (well, read!), a coach can often want their goalkeeper to imbue their own self confidence, so that they take charge of their defence and command the play. To be a goalkeeper that dominates, you will often need to be tremendously confident. If you have confidence issues, then this mindset is going to make the difference in the way you play and interact with your defenders, and having your defence believe in you, is crucial as mentioned early on. Although maybe the elite goalkeepers already have this elite attitude!

But aside from all this trivia waffle, it offers a chance to reflect on things. There are times when you need to be confident to over ride a slump in form, to help you get back on track. A goalkeeper has one bad game and it can literally ruin a goalkeeper’s career. All the fans care about is that one mistake; it doesn’t matter in their eyes, they go on past performances (even more so if it was during a game of more importance) and you have to really work your socks off as a pro goalkeeper I guess to get out of the consequential dog house. And maybe coaches are like that too. Whereas a player can make a slip-up that results in us conceding (!), if we slip up, our head ‘can be on the block’ so to metaphorically speak. We can get dropped from the 1stXI and begin a demise if we don’t get things back under control and grow back our damaged confidence and ego, perhaps. And they say goalkeepers have a hard life!

Cockiness and self confidence

So, as you can tell and may already be aware of, the story of Joe Hart’s woes (which are coming in to his club form as well arguably), reflect the fine balance between confidence and reality. But as Keane actually points out well, it is when you relax and think every match is easy and you’re going to dominate without making any effort or having to because of the opposition team not pushing you to show your true colours of quality. When you get comfortable things start to peter out and your form will drop, as you get complacent. When you think you deserve praise without earning it, when you feel like you don’t have to try that is when it gets imbalanced. That is the crux. A goalkeeper needs to be pushed and if there is little competition to match, the only person who can push you is yourself. To stay on form, without getting overly confident to the point of thinking you don’t have to bother, you have to give it 100% (or maybe 110?!) in training and games, week in week out.

Cocky but not arrogant

For me, it’s great to be cocky and confident and ‘boss’ your defence and team, but if it is not grounded and rooted, it makes no sense! Arrogance is not cool; you just disassociate people with your big headedness that is not grounded in a professional attitude towards things. You don’t want to alienate your team mates and a backlash can be a humbling experience! Imagine the dressing room experience with Kevin Pietersen recently or similar. Egos in the dressing and a self centric approach where you are the worst case, is not exactly akin to a selfless game where you carry your team and do your best for them because you’re letting your self image get in the way! To be cocky, you also have to show it in the quality of your goalkeeping performances, otherwise being too cocky and not playing to match won’t look so great!

Be ‘cocky’!

So, cockiness is a great tool of the ‘mental game’, but it has its obvious pitfalls and is a fine balancing act. Ultimately, there is a difference between arrogance and ‘cockiness’, but a goalkeeper that retains the qualities of imbuing confidence and commanding their team is important as it is in making match winning saves. There’s a lot to think about. I, for one, would endorse the concept of cockiness, especially if it helps with your confidence and ability to play aggressively and dominant in a way that you may not otherwise do, but if goalkeepers cannot play with a display that matches this idea, then they cannot stay cocky!

Playing it ‘your way’

When it comes to sport in general and goalkeeping, we are all different and unique and approach things differently. Like opinions maybe, we’ve all got our own opinion on things! Take runners, it’s a poor analogy, but Mo Farah isn’t exactly going to switch to doing sprints and Usain Bolt isn’t going to do marathons! With lightning speed versus endurance in that example. Everyone has their own strengths and qualities (in life as in goalkeeping!) and it should be realised and acknowledged, that you need to play in the way that suits you. You cannot play like someone else, unless of course of course you play in a similar way and find it useful to ‘shadow’ the way they play from game footage, highlights etc. And when it comes to being aware of kit and how affects the way you play, is a good idea to look at your own set-up and find foam and protection that suits your goalkeeping style.

Playing style

Your playing style is unique to you. As you start to develop as a goalkeeper and get used to the position, play up higher levels and grow into the world of goalkeeping, you will get experience of things and start to work out how you do things and approach the game. Analysing this and paying attention to what works for you and what doesn’t, is going to going to help you evolve and reach your best in the long run.

And, as you develop and move forward in your goalkeeping, you will start to recognise what works for you as your ‘style’. Rather than get comfortable and not go on, as you improve, it is important not to get locked into a certain style of play, to some degree. Take the example of David Kettle changing his kit set-up to use a more blocking rhp than the tube style, same for Leon Hayward and Nathan Burgers. Like I have written about before, you should always be looking to improve rather than just see yourself as good enough already, good just doesn’t cut it if you want to be great! So, playing style is no different really. For example, developing your athleticism as you start to face better placed drag flicks on short corners etc.

How you play is up to your strengths. As you learn and get game experience, you will start to do things routinely thanks to muscle memory. But it is still important to ‘upgrade’ your game if you are going up the levels. It is not impossible to change styles, not impossible to adapt and change. As a goalkeeper, you should be constantly looking to improve and evolve (otherwise you’re not trying or working hard enough or pushing yourself to the heights of your abilities!), so perhaps consider things in relation to whether you go down and need a glove for that, or stay up more, say. I went from a tube style glove (which I could never get on with) to an rhp with a bigger blocking surface, which suited my approach to staying up more and blocking upright, for example.

Coaching and learning

Experimenting and trying out new things is the only way to find out if another skill will work for you. The training ground is the best place to do things; you can’t really cost your team in a game! Reading up on things (there are guides around, I’ve no idea if my tips are of any use!), or getting access to a GK specific coach who can provide advice on things is going to be of great use. And when it comes to taking on board new skills, you need to be conscious of your options. Don’t dismiss things and be open-minded. See if it works; if it does great and work it in, if not, don’t! Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t. Like match preparation, fail to try and you will!

Working it out

Work out what works for you is all relative. How you work out your ‘style’ relates to how you approach situations and how you like to play the scenario. For example, are you patient and wait to commit, or go early? Are you comfortable being aggressive and coming ‘off your line’? Do you prefer to attack the play and get involved in tackles or interceptions, or do you prefer to try and make the save? Do you bring your lhp (left hand protector/glove) across to make saves on your right, or do you prefer to use your rhp (right hand protector)? Do you like to use your feet in the splits to stop shots, or do you prefer to dive, on corners, say?

So on and so on. These are all things you need to take into account. When questioning how you play, you really to think about all parts of the game. Essentially your goalkeeping coach (if you’re lucky enough to have one!) should be able to analyse your style and strengths to a sufficient degree to tell you what works for you and what doesn’t. Otherwise it’s a case of self analysis or asking other goalkeepers at your club for their thoughts (if they’re happy to/know what they’re talking about!).

Style and save making

Ultimately, there will be times when the right save selection trumps ‘style’. When jumping and leaving your feet for the save is going to be better than trying to stop a flick from a standing position. When logging for a straight strike is going to be useful. When you should have committed to eliminating a pass and so on. These kinds of things will become more obvious, especially so if you get the proper coaching!

Obviously unique styles?

They are a few goalkeepers around that do play styles that are pretty much unique and hard to copy. Andrew Isaacs plays his ‘sweeper keeper’ style and gets involved in distribution. Simon Mason plays a style that is incredibly difficult to emulate, unless you’re very tall, athletic and very experienced! Essentially, they both play uniquely; they play their way and theirs only. And Oriol Fabregas (think he’s been involved in the Spanish national set-up) at RC Barcelona is supposed to play a throwback style of goalkeeping that seems to represent or be influenced by the 80s school of indoor goalkeeping; coming out to challenge, playing… etc. A lot of national league goalkeepers will play fundamentally in similar ways, but ultimately differ slightly in the way they stop shots or get involved in eliminating scoring chances. We are all different: as human beings and as goalkeepers!

Proper coaching?

Take on board what coaches have to say and work their advice into the way you play as a goalkeeper. They should be able to analyse your game and see how your strengths work for you. But I think goalkeeping coaches should be wary of moulding a goalkeeper into a fit that doesn’t fit their qualities, strengths and attributes. Arguably one of the dangers of regular coaching is that you don’t play to a goalie’s natural traits. Such as cutting down their athleticism too much or attacking play and turning them into a ‘blocker’ of shots, say. The danger is that a goalkeeping coach (I honestly don’t think this happens much in hockey, but can and does in other sports i.e. Jonas Gustavsson and Francois Allaire in the NHL perhaps!) moulds the goalkeeper to play a certain style, rather than appreciating the attributes of the goalkeeper they are working with. And on the other side, there are a lot of goalkeepers who will never get elite coaching let alone goalkeeper coaching, so it is for them more case in point to work out how the best play and work to their strengths; learning from others and games as they go along.

What kit works for you?

Similarly, you should take a look at what kit works for you. Another thing you should analyse when considering kit: it relates to your playing style and it has a direct influence on the way you play and make saves. Because different pads offer different properties and styles of play, you should be aware of pads that better suit an upright style and offer more stopping surface and so on. Or gloves that offer better rebound etc. Goalkeeping kit is expensive and if you don’t have a job you need some good sponsors (not sure if parents are always up for that, giving the speed youngsters grow at)! Even if your club provides your kit, you may not be in a position to do this kind of thing, so is obviously a little complicated.

Goalkeepers mixing brands in the EHL

I don’t want to tread on anyone’s toes or annoy certain goalkeepers’ sponsors, but it’s a little obvious to us goalie geeks and kit obsessed analysts when a goalkeeper is wearing a mix of brands. It might not be obvious, but it’s totally obvious to us goalie geek types (obsessed with kit)! It is possible to get options within a brand (say tube versus blocking rhp or style of pad), but mixing brands if you are aware of their features gives further opportunities to maximise kit for your playing style.

In the England hockey league, there are a few examples of goalkeepers who mix brands for certain qualities. Tom Millington went from full Obo to a Mercian lhp (Obo gloves are made to drop the ball, whereas a ‘square’/flat face will push away the rebound with more ping *theoretically*!), but is now obviously in full Mercian and interestingly switched to a tube style rhp, for example. Chris Hibbert has switched to Mercian foam, but still uses his Obo hi rebound rhp (not sure if he struggled to get used to the Mercian rhp design) and customised Obo chest pad with added bicep protection and Obo PE helmet. Chris Rea uses an Obo hi control rhp and the rest TK foam. Maddie Hinch in the women’s league, wears a Mercian Extreme chest pad (I think!), Rob Turner at Bowdon does too (at least he has the shoulders of a Mercian chest pad!). James Bailey too wears ice hockey shoulder caps for extra protection. David Kettle uses all Obo except a TK rhp (including chest and helmet!); some goalkeepers finding the smaller profile easier for ground work (diving, tackles, where the ball is on the ground, to clear etc.) which he has cut away the wrist padding, for more wrist movement/rotation flexibility.

In the Hoofdklasse, Pirmin Blaak uses a total mix; Brabo lhp, Obo hi rebound rhp, TK Soft pads and . Jenniskens uses Brabo pads, lhp and Obo hi rebound rhp. Same for Mark Jenniskens. I haven’t really seen much of this in the AHL as much as my awareness of that league goes, although the Obo chest pad seems pretty popular with some of their notable goalkeepers and it’s notable that Bazeley is still using Mazon elbow pads.

Play it your way!

Ultimately, you need to do things your way! You are you, you can’t be anyone else (in life and goalkeeping for that matter!), and so you need to work out your strengths, work on your weaknesses and develop into a way that plays to these qualities. Sure, there are times when you need to make a certain save selection, but playing to your strengths, like a patient and reflex based yet athletic/acrobatic style is going to be useful on corners and such. For kit too, try and look at options if you can (financing goalie kit is a little tricky sometimes!), just to give yourself the best options for maximising kit to suit the way you play.

Keeping emotions in check

One thing that isn’t always considered when delving into the complexities of the psychological impact of our ‘mental game’ on the way we play, is how we balance the emotions that we feel; the ups and downs, especially within a game where the ability to do so is pretty important and essential to our chances of a comeback say and ‘keeping our team in it’. But these things can and will impact our game if we let them, and it’s important to recognise this when playing in between the posts. Whereas our team mates might feel the highs of a goal scored or the lows and disgruntlement of a goal being allowed, our position and the way we deal with the stresses and pressure of the role is a hard task, with ‘our backs up against the wall’ and ‘up against it’ as they say. Our temperament needs to be more lucid and calm, able to withstand the hardships of a goalkeeper and the things that ‘do our head in’, enough to play to our best. In order to perform to our optimum best, we goalies need to focus on keeping our emotions in check, sufficiently capable of managing things internally to get through the game with our sanity intact!

Emotions

Emotions. Emotions, they are something tricky and befuddling to deal with. Apparently according to some people, we are spiritual beings living out human lives, or is it the other way round?! Yes, those things labelled emotions, that we experience every second, hour and day of our lives! And as goalkeepers we are going to experience them just as much! They are varied and confusing and yet can have a derisive impact on our game if we fail to interact with them properly and get over them.

Forms of emotions are myriad, but the ones that affect us most as goalkeepers that I can think of are below:

Frustration
Anger
Nerves
Lack of confidence
Too much confidence
Self doubt
I think you can really only feel elated after a tough, fought out win!

Adrenaline rushes

Although not particularly impactful towards our game, adrenaline does present something interesting; if we get a rush, then however small, it can bring in a boost of confidence or get us feeling a little hyper or overactive when it isn’t needed. An adrenaline rush can often boost our confidence a little, as we face the dangers of those outfielders and their powerful shots. Where we slide out to block after a rebound, or go in for a tackle and there’s a danger of being hit (especially if you’re ‘padding down’, however reduced!) or make an acrobatic save, which you realise is top drawer and a highlight reel one, then you may end up a little ‘geed up’ as a result! Our blood gets pumping and we feel invincible, or at least start to. Obviously you want to not get too caught up in the rush, especially if you give up a goal and it significantly dampens your spirits! Really, it’s a case of riding things and not getting too caught up in the moment, although it does seem to be useful to motivate us to charge down rebounds, attack a clearance, intercept a crucial pass etc.!

Anger

Competitiveness can blur into frustration occasionally, if we are competing in an especially important game for table positioning or playing against a top of the league team or maybe even one that is regarded as playing aggressively and chirpy themselves or perhaps a little cheating! It’s easy to get frustrated as a goalkeeper, especially if you’re arguably playing a blinder and being the man of the match for your team and yet they’re not doing their part by not scoring or helping you out! Or you have a potential reason to be getting annoyed and having emotions build up negatively, like somebody purposefully trying to injure you maybe, or standing in front of you to block your vision and saying things to ‘get under your skin’ etc.

You need to ignore it, I guess and just focus on playing your game in between the posts. No, it’s in no way easy, but if you let them get to you and beat you, then they’ve won. Like the school bullies in some weird analogy. And we have to be ‘the bigger man’ (or woman) and bigger goalkeeper. Otherwise this sort of thing can happen! We can lash out on goal, ourselves (maybe, I’ve heard of outfield players that don’t wear shin pads and smack their stick on them after an error, ouch!) or maybe others.

http://www.eastleighnews.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/goalie.jpg

And for a hockey related outburst, you can always take the example of ‘post bangers’. Here’s Chris Bristow (with Surbiton) obviously a little annoyed at having conceded against Southgate. There are a few goalkeepers around the leagues that will bang their post in frustration to vent (poor goal!)! It’s not a significantly big deal and shows our passion for winning, although I do worry for paint chipping/stick damage, I’m just trying to make light of things and sound engaging! I for one would drop kick my gloves after a bad game where my shot stopping made no difference to the score line, so I’m no different, there you have it!

“Boing!”

Not sure who this photo belongs to (for accreditation) so apologies for copyright etc.

But, there is also the potentiality for things ‘getting out of hand’. You hear it in other sports like football, or the goalies in ice hockey where they’ll chop at people’s legs, shoulder check a guy coming through (yes, even goalies can ‘hit’ in ice hockey, need to find a video example!) or take a shot with their stick in between the legs of whoever got too close. Billy Smith and Ed Belfour were true examples of guys that didn’t like you in the crease! In all seriousness, there is the danger of becoming a danger. I always worry about the moral implications of slide tackles, especially when you see or hear of forwards getting flipped over. A friend broke his collar bone being upended in a football match, so there is seriousness behind things. I’m not saying tackling is an ugly business, but it’s how you do it and why you do it, especially if there may not be a reason to.

But keeping aggression and angst in check as a goalkeeper is kind of important. You may feel the need to make things right and even want to take vengeance on a player or members of the team you are playing against for some slight or something. Say if someone injured one of your team mates or you were being pushed around or wacked at. I’ve been physically knocked over and bundled over running out for a ball and play carried on = confidence ruined! You may be more prepared to let your feelings take over your actions, making rash challenges and being overly aggressively than need be, thus ending up conceding more than we should have: out of silly costly errors that came from our feelings about things. This sounds a lot like a little random drivel, but I honestly do hope it makes a some amount of sense!

Nerves

We all get nervous, to some degree. Nerves are good when mixed with confidence; a lethal cocktail because the nerves keep us in check, whilst mixing with the confidence when we realise we are good enough to play at a certain level, or similar. In exams if I knew I was going to do well, I normally would (they were the parts of my degree I got most of my firsts!). And when I played with apprehension or mistrust of myself or worry, I played well and showed my talent. But it’s not always like that and everyone interacts with it differently. Set routines or kitting up a certain way, and similar may help, along with a good warm-up and things like that. But really, ultimately, you can’t really let them get to your. Hold your head up, believe in yourself and go out there and enjoy yourself; it’s a game, we play it because we enjoy it!

Over confidence

On the flip side, you can be a little too pleased with yourself and a bit borderline cocky, which can hinder you because you forget the ‘bread and better’ saves of goalkeeping or expect to get a clean sheet without having to earn it! Perhaps!! This is important when it comes to matches, especially if playing against a lower placed team perhaps and expect a walkover, except it turns out differently and they give you a run for your money (even though it’s an ‘amateur’ sport, you get the idea!). If we honestly feel like a demigod or totally unbeatable and we play like we aren’t and ‘don’t show up at the races’, then it’s not going to make us look too good and will probably knock our self impression and ego down a peg or two! Imagine the upset of an underdog upset when you’re not the underdog! Confidence is essential, but being realistic about it and not ‘letting things get to your head’ after comments, commendations and team appreciation etc. is just as important. Confident yes, egotistical no!

Doubt

Again, doubt is another negative impact that can have a big and potentially catastrophic impact on our performances as goalkeepers. If we doubt ourselves, then we’ll struggle to make saves and our decision making will be poor as we second guess or over analyse and over think and never commit to a decision that may have been the right one! Playing a stronger team or moving up a level in hockey, we may begin to doubt how good we are. But, beating ourselves up about things isn’t going to help either really. So, remind yourself how good you really are, remember that you are good otherwise your team wouldn’t have chosen you and play like you are!

Calm, cool and collected

So, as I’ve tried to suggest, there is a lot to the emotions that we run the gauntlet of, as goalkeepers. But to really succeed in ‘whatever weather’ good or bad (well, match wise, as a metaphorical analogy), we need to keep things in check and maintain a level headed approach. Keeping things balanced. We should be more like Jedi monks or something! ‘Emotional stability’ is what this is: the ability to be unfazed throughout the whole 70 minutes every weekend for the whole season. A hard task, but worth it, because if we don’t, we won’t play well!

Keep a level head!

Ultimately, you want to be able to manage your emotions so that things don’t affect the way you play in goal. Don’t let things get to you, don’t let them niggle away at you or cause you problems that can affect your game, instead focus on the positives, don’t get carried away and don’t think you’re not good enough! It’s in no way easy, but rise to the challenge and display your mental strength! Rise above the difficulties, and make sure your goalkeeping is reflected in your ability to cope with adversity.