Keepers Resources
Here is a oldie but a goodie from a South African magazine named Sports Illustrated.
This magazine featured an article that makes a comparison of kit worn between Shankar Lakshman, who was goalkeeper in the 1950’s and Chris Hibbert the current South African.
Shankar Lakshman was nicknamed the rock of Gibraltar…
You will need the free Adobe Reader to open the PDF. .
OBO kickers are awesome ! I have tried all series of kickers and you get what you pay for in performance and quality as you move up the range. I don’t want to review all the kickers however for a long time now I have been thinking of a way to design a kicker that has a specific inner bootie instead of regular hockey shoes. The idea is like my motor bike boots. You put on the inner bootie then slip your inner bootie into the outer which is the protection layer. Velcro or other similar product could be used to attached to two eliminating the need for straps etc. The booties could be washable and both new inners and outer could be sold. The idea is only in a thought phase but I would love to develop it into an OBO product. Just a thought! 🙂
Yes yet another review from me!
This time however I’m going to review my Obo Robo Hotpants!!!
Before I got these pants I was using my clubs (So ice hockey brand that I can’t remember)
And will if I may they were RUBISH! (Compared to the hot pants)
They were heavy, loose around the thighs, the system for tightening the waist loosed and even when it was tight enough to stay up, it hurt!
They only offered protection to your thighs leaving your hips and parts of your groin that the cup doesn’t cover open.
This though is a thing of the past with my Hot-Pants!
They first few things I noticed when I took them out of the box was the same nifty buckle on the belt as is on the leg guards and robo kickers meaning no more loosing!!!!And plenty of padding between you and the belt (One problem solved instantly!)
I also noticed the Velcro straps for the thighs meaning you could tighten them eliminating the annoyance of them flapping about and getting caught as you run out to cream somebody.(Yet another problem solved)
And the big cup like pads for your hips meaning lots of protection from shots and less pain when sliding and diving.( all four of my major problem with my old pants solved)
On further examining I found that the inner leg which is often hit was also covered!
There is a gap for your cup, making them more comfortable.
They offer Brilliant protection and I must emphasise BRILLIANT!!
And I have proof.
One day in training one of the coaches (David Hobbes 120+ Ireland International. Still playing)
He was warming me up. We had done the pushing, flicking, slapping and were about to move on to hits. I had just kicked the last of the balls over to him and was waiting for it to begin. I had just said Okay Go!
When one of the bungle out field players calls me to pass them a ball,
As is natural I looked over to see who it was and WHACK!!!
I get a full force strike from the man himself straight into the thigh!
As I was off balance I fell back onto the ground much to the amusement of the other goalie and some of the outfielders.
When I had come back to my senses I noticed it DIDN’T hurt one bit!( thinking back to it now I was lucky I didn’t have my old ones as the ball would have probably gone through my leg! haha
And so ends my story.
I’ve been hit in the leg a few times with no pain whatsoever but this one sticks in my head.
All in all Robo hot pants are Amazing and if you’re willing to spend a bit extra.
Do as I have never had a single flaw.
Please leave a comment!
Thanks
James
We had our first loss of the tour this week in our opening game against Germany, the defending Olympic and World Cup winners. They scored in the final minute to record a 4-3 victory after we had come back from 3-1 down to get back in the game. Luke Doerner, Simon Orchard and Jason Wilson all scored for the Kookaburras in a generally even game that could have gone either way. We get a second chance against the home nation today in our final hit-up before the Hamburg Masters, and with the addition of Jamie Dwyer, Mark Knowles and Des Abbott to the squad we will be looking to get even.
One of the big challenges a goalkeeper of a touring representative side can face is getting mentally and physically prepared to play the second half of a game after sitting off for the first. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the goalkeepers in the Australian team will be interchanging at half time in the majority of the matches on tour, so being ready to play after 35 minutes of spectating is very important. In the pre-game warm-up, the two keepers rotate evenly through the penalty corner attack and goal shooting practice. If I am playing the second half, as I did in the game against Germany, I will come off after the warm-up and take off my all my protective gear above the waist plus my leg guards. I generally watch from the bench for the first 15 minutes and try to pick up any information that may be useful, such as the movement of their strikers through the opposition forward line or variations in their PCA set-up.
With about 20 minutes to go I will repeat elements of my warm-up, with some run-throughs, stretching and range of movement activities. With five minutes left I get all my gear back on and then take a bag of balls out to the circle at the half time whistle for the 17th and 18th players to hit at me before coming on in the second half. It’s useful if one of those players is a drag flicker so they can be incorporated into the hit-up, but unfortunately this is not always the case.
Please excuse the lack of picture again, I am having real trouble adding images to my posts since writing from our Hamburg hotel.
Cheers, Ross.
PS…. Just got back from game 2 so I thought I’d quickly add in the result to this post:
We suffered another close loss to Germany today, this time going down 2-1. While both of the games we have played against the Olympic Champions are essentially warm-up fixtures prior to the Hamburg Masters, they are still test matches and any loss is disappointing. Jason Wilson converted a drag flick from a penalty corner after the final siren, but by then the result was beyond doubt. I played the first half and was happy with my performance and very encouraged by the team’s efforts even though we couldn’t quite get the result we were after.
Sometimes when moving around goal and focusing on the play around you, you can forget where you are in relation to the post and lose your angles; ‘tapping’ the post is a simple way of getting round this.
To help you gage where you are when you cialis 5mg move on or off the post, you can use your hands effectively to help you out: the further you are away from the post, the further you have to reach back to find out where you are in relation to the goal and your angles. Once you’ve found the goal post, you should be able to step backwards successfully onto the post, ready to cut off a possible shot. This allows you to reset your angles and set your positioning for a potential save or block: aware of where you are in relation to the amount of net space you cover (by standing over or away from the post) according to the expected shot; ready to move off, into a save off and outside the post, if the shooter decides to target that area instead.
Knowing your angles is essential to finding your whereabouts in order to move around the posts in order to make saves. If you happen to watch GB’s current no. 1, Alistair MacGregor of Loughborough Students, you’ll notice this is a technique he has perfected down to a tee.
‘Tapping’ the posts
When moving off your glove side goal post to step out into the play, you can reach back and out with your glove arm; tapping the post with your glove to check your positioning in relation to the goal. Just like soccer goalkeepers that ‘punch’ the post with the side of their bunched up fist, or tapping with their fingers, you can tap the inside post with top of your glove, or push against it with your palm. You can basically ‘feel’ your way around to work out where you should be standing. This way, you are able to find where you are in relation to the post (and goal in general) and then reset your angles accordingly to deal with the action around you.
For movement onto and off your right post, you can use a similar technique to find the goal post with your stick; swinging it round to tap against the post to check the line of angle. Like ice hockey goalies who regularly tap their posts to check their bearings, you can use your stick actively; pushing out to tap the post. Check the noise made; the louder, the better. Theoretically, the louder the sound is, the closer the post is (helpful if you are too busy focusing on the play to look at the post itself), whereas the quieter it is, the further away the post is. The distance you have to reach out with the stick will also tell you how far you are from the post – if you have to extend the stick to reach it, then you are too far away from it.
First picture comes from England Hockey; the second is supplied by Alex Master’s action photos – www.alex-masters.com
So this begs the question; What do i replace them with? Well the obvious answer is another set of Cloud feet friends but given my imminent change in level i think it’s time to upgrade. So my next thought was either the Hi Control or the Hi Rebound Robo models. the problem with this choice is that i play on a sand pitch and i’ve heard that the HR kickers (which i would prefer) disintegrate rapidly on this kind of surface. And given the cost of Robo kickers i’m not sure that i can justify this. Similarly i’m not sure that i could fork out all that cash for the HC kickers if they’re not exactly what i want.
So another, more unusual, option that i have heard of is using Tk Gx 1.0 kickers with OBO legguards. Given that these cost something similar to the Cloud range they are a tempting option. they have a similar tongue system too so i think that the loking system would still work.
If you look closely at the Unusual Diving Syle video (below) i think that that keeper is using Gx 1.0’s with Robo legguards without any twisting.
So does anybody have any thoughts on this? I’d really appreciate some advice. if you have any experience of this or know of anyone using this system please leave a comment.
Cheers,
Cormac Deasy
OBO OGO Kickers
After writing a review about the leg guards, I thought I should make one about the OGO kickers as well – because (as I said with the leg guards) OGO is sadly misunderstood…
In my other review I covered four major subjects; weight, rebound, protection and drawbacks. I’ll try to do the same with this review.
Weight:
Being one of the smallest pieces of your kit, it has always seemed to me like kicker weight makes practically no difference to a keeper’s game. Well, so far I’ve played around 15 games with these kickers and I think now I can safely say I’ve changed my mind.
Kicking is arguably the most important part of goalkeeping and I believe that, no matter what level you play, there is always room for improvement in this area.
Because of my OGOs’ light weight, I’ve noticed I’m actually growing substantially more agile on my feet, allowing more controlled foot saves and quicker, easier running.
Rebound:
Well, what can I say? I remember on my very first save with these kickers I was amazed by their great rebound, which sent the ball away from the goal with almost the same speed as it came in with.
Needless to say, good rebound is an extremely helpful aspect of foot, leg and hand saves because it means that clearing a moving ball does not require a whopping great kick/punch.
Protection:
I play under fifteens, and during a club game I have never once been hurt through the kickers. I say club, because to tell the truth I have once or twice experienced a bit of pain from the occasional shot during southern and state training. But hey, that’s part of goalkeeping. Let me know what you think about this…
With my old kickers, I would often find (usually after running) that the strap at the back would slip down underneath my foot, allowing the kicker to slip forward, and expose my ankle. I can remember numerous times when I have been hit in the ankle due to this.
Well, I don’t know why, but this has never happened with the OGOs… Whether this is because of some amazing technology, or simply because they fit me better, I can’t tell you how much more confidence this has given me in the goal.
Drawbacks:
One problem I’ve found with the kickers (which, after reading other reviews, I know other people are familiar with as well), is that after a bit of action the front strap will slip in between the kicker and my shoe, actually raising the kicker high enough to expose my toes.
I asked OBO in NZ if there was anything I could do to stop this from occurring, and they got back to me quickly with three great suggestions, one of which is working beautifully (Figure eights).
I love this integrated locking system, although one problem I’ve been having is that the tongue tends to digs into my foot, which can be a bit awkward and sometimes slightly painful.
One solution for this is to wear shin pads underneath your leg guards, which I like to do because it makes my leg guards in general more comfortable. Another solution involves over-bending the tongue forward, holding it forward with tape, and blowing hot air on the inside of the tongue.
-Detailed instructions on how to do this on second page of PDF. [Link]
In conclusion, I’d like to say that some people will like these kickers and some people won’t (I think most people will). Personally, because I prefer to play a more agile, attacking game, I like them.
I hope this review has changed your perspective of OGO, like one training session changed mine.
Cheers,
Ozzie
Without any protection to the shoulder areas when using a solo body/chest pad, separate shoulder pads can be used in conjunction, to protect your joints when you hit the pitch when landing a save, or challenging on the ground. Increasing your upper body protection should be considered if you are concerned over the level and types of shots you will face.
Ice hockey shoulder caps
To cover the space above the chest pad and around the shoulder joint, which is not covered by the armour, some form of protection is needed for the vulnerable shoulder areas, when landing a save, risking knocks and bashes when scrambling around the goal mouth, or facing a direct shot to the top of your body. The padding often extends around the biceps (top of the arm) to take the sting out of shots.
Wearing ice hockey shoulder pads (worn by outfield players) on top of the body pad is a great solution to this problem of missing padding on the shoulders. You will find a number of reflex orientated goalkeepers at international wearing them in conjunction with a body pad, providing adequate protection that they need for the upper body (which the chest pad does not cover).
Some hockey shops will sell ice hockey shoulder caps, and Mercian have gone as far as making their own version. Some on-line shops like the Hockey Factory Shop (www.hockeyfactoryshop.co.uk) stock ice hockey player’s shoulder pads, like the CCM and Reebok ranges. Again, Ebay is an idea, and you can find suitable first or second hand padding, by doing a search for “shoulder pads” in the ‘Ice Hockey section’ in the ‘Sporting goods’ area
Pros
Combine well with field hockey body pads
Add protection to vulnerable shoulder joints and upper body
Moderate, affordable costs
Cons
Harder to find – specialised stores
Potential to be bulky (depending on preferences/upper body strength)
Can limit arm protection at the shoulder cuff rotator muscle (but only slightly)
Now that the Kookaburras have arrived in Germany, we have two tests against the host nation before the start of the Hamburg Masters tournament, which also includes England and the Netherlands. Before any international match it is important that all members of the team have done some research on their opposition to ensure we are well prepared for the challenge ahead. For the goalkeepers, that largely involves watching as many penalty corners as possible on the computer database so we can put together some ideas on the best tactics for our defensive group. Germany have a very strong penalty corner attack so any information we can gain from watching their past matches can be very valuable. We look at corners from as far back as a year ago and then present our findings to the rest of the team in our meeting before the game.
A large part of our training routine is focussed on facing penalty corner drag flicks, and yesterday’s two sessions were no exception. In the Australian team on this tour we have three very high quality flickers, namely Luke Doerner, Chris Ciriello and Jason Wilson, so there is no shortage of practice opportunities for the goalkeepers. Of course it is one thing to save a drag flick in a training situation without distractions between you and the flicker, and quite another to stop the ball in a game with defensive runners plus deflecting and rebounding strikers crossing your line of vision at regular intervals. An efficient sequence of movement becomes very important and this is something we consistently work on with goalkeeping coach David Bell at Australian Institute of Sport training sessions back in Perth.
I’ll let you know how we go against Germany!
Ross
Hey Everybody,
When I read through the other reviews for the kit competition, which were all very good, I noticed that nobody had really been that creative and that I might be able to fill this gap. Either way, I hope you enjoy:
I waited anxiously on Monday morning, staring out the window till about 2 o’clock, when, suddenly, I saw a flash of light come down the road. As it came nearer and nearer, I got more and more excited, wondering what was going to happen and whether my life would change after this momentous event. Then the man walked towards me, dressed completely in red, and said “Please sign”. I could barely write as my hand was shaking so much due to the exhilaration. I managed to do so after 5 minutes, giving the red man his lovely pen back, soaking in sweat. He passed the package over to me and walked off. I did not know what to do; I was just so thrilled that it was finally here. I stayed, standing, at the front door for another 5 minutes, motionless, not knowing what to do. I then decided to rush into my bedroom alone to open the package. When I arrived in my room, I threw down the package, searching for a pair of scissors of anything sharp. There was nothing anywhere. I ended having to use my bare hands and teeth to get in. But it was worth it. When I opened the package, a huge light stared at me, almost blinding me. What was it? It was my new set of obo cloud leg-guards.
As soon as I saw them, I was in love. I knew these were my dream leg-guards. The colours, weight, durability, protection and rebound were everything I wanted. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen in my life. I felt like going round my street and kissing anyone I saw, I was that happy. What was there not to like? Nothing. In my eyes, nothing could beat these. The yellow made me look like a bird…
I had my GCSE English Oral in 2 hours, which I had to attend. But I could not leave them. How could I bring them with me when I was going to talk about how John Steinbeck creates a feeling of sympathy for Lennie in “Of Mice and Men”? I just could not put them through it; I didn’t want to see them in pain. So, I took a bold move for the sake of my precious jewels, and chose to do my English Oral on the OBO Cloud Leg-guards. My teacher was amazed, saying she had never seen anybody so enthusiastic about a subject before. I got an A*, for which I took my leg-guards out to the local public house to celebrate.
The next day, I had my first match with them. I was in heaven. This was my paradise, forget about rehab, treat ecstasy addiction with obo leg-guards. They were so light, weighing nothing like any other pads I had ever worn. When I put them on for the first time, I was amazed by the comfort. I did not expect it from such a hard outer foam. Fortunately, OBO put a different inner foam in, and this made them unbelievably comfortable. I loved the way they hugged my legs, as if they were actually moulded on my legs. When taking shots to them, I felt no pain, even when playing against the ex-international, who had injured his goalie before the game. This was amazing, I was playing the game of my life, I was on cloud nine. When I had a one-on-one just before half time, I slid out, and my leg-guards did not twist slightly. This was due to the right leg-guard being slightly narrower than the left and also the wing hinging system, obo have in place on all leg-guards. Then after the break, I went down to log at a short corner, which the top of my left leg-guard saved, showing how useful the extra width on the left leg-guard is.
After the match, I noticed how for the first time in ages, none of my straps had come undone, unlike the opposing keeper, who was not wearing OBO, who had managed to become undone 5 times and lose one of his straps. I also realised that I had had no fear during the game of getting hit on the ankle or the knee, due to the design of these leg-guards.
A month later, it was time to wash my darlings. I made sure the water was warm for them, the way they like it, before adding a cup of borax. I then decided to do the same with fabric freshener, just to make sure that their skin was not irritated. It also made them smell great, ready to play their part in the club day the next day. Everybody commented on how good they looked, and although they did not say so, they were really chuffed.
A few years later, it was our anniversary and I was offered robo hi-control leg-guard’s. I said “Pah! No, how dare you even insinuate that! I will never leave them”. My pads had held up well over the years and there was no way I was leaving them now. Even though the inners had started to split and the outers and inners had started to come apart, these could easily be fixed with glue. And, either way, I had become attached to them, we had gone through a lot together, and I would only let them go when the time was right.
In the future, I would buy these again, and would be perfectly happy to play senior international matches with them in the future. Everything is great about them, I cannot fault anything. They are even easy to repair, even though they are very durable. I would recommend these to anyone, who wants a good set of leg-guards at a reasonable price. Although they may be more expensive than some other brands, in the end they last longer and are better.
Having told you this story, I would like to say that I would expect this from OBO, after all, “Goalkeepers are Amazing People”. You said be creative, I was creative. I hope that this included everything that is supposed to be in a review. Any questions, please ask? If I could put pictures in, I would, although maybe I should not, after all, the point of stories is to enlighten your imagination…