Beta Testing Review – D’flecta.

My review of the brand new OBO D’FLECTA.

Throughout this year i have been given the opportunity to train with and test the D’flecta, one of the new training products that Obo is bringing out on the first of December this year. I have used it in many different drills and using it has improved my reactions and confidence in making deflection shot saves.

dflecta

In basic use the D’flecta sits on around the penalty spot area. It can face either way (one side giving more height that the other) and a field player or coach hits or pushes a ball along the ground at it. When the ball hits the D’flecta it goes in any direction, sometimes it goes up, sometimes it goes wide and sometimes it stays on its original course. You cant judge this so its all about reactions. The trickiest part of the D’flecta i found was when the ball missed the D’flecta but was still going for the goal. Often i would get caught waiting for the ball to move and forget about making the basic save. This keeps you thinking about your angles and the basics.

When i first started using the D’flecta i was astounded at how many i was missing. However this was soon fixed as i started to train using the D’flecta regularly and incorporate it into more drills. By the end of the month i had improved drastically. I was stopping most of the deflections from the mat and was playing much better. Regular use of the D’flecta speeds up your reactions and agility. It is an excellent product to both warm up and train goalkeepers. It teaches you that the ball can come towards you from any direction at any time.

IMG_0778

In this photo the ball has deflected high and left off one of the D’flectas.

The D’flecta can also be moved around the circle to simulate different deflections from different angles. It can be incorporated into drills to simulate game scenarios. E.g. a straight shot from the top followed by a push at a D’flecta mat set up around the circle somewhere simulates a save then a deflected return. These sort of drills improve agility and basic positioning.

IMG_0784This photo shows a ball recently deflected off the D’flecta, i have to move to my left to make the save.

In summary, i have found the D’flecta mat to be an excellent training product and also a lot of fun. It has improved my game in a short space of time and i recommend it to any other goalkeeper or coach out there who wants to improve. if you want to see the product in action take a look at the Obo Training Product Introduction on YouTube at the URL below .

http://www.youtube.com/user/obogoalkeeping#play/all/uploads-all/2/BGyAv6H9kdY.

New Short Sleeved Smock

Hello amazing people based on your recent feedback here is a basic but fresh smock option we have been working on.

It fits with the new FIH “one colour smock ruling” outlined below.

Goalkeepers and players with goalkeeping privileges must wear a single coloured shirt or garment which is different in colour from that of both teams. Goalkeepers (ie wearing full protective equipment) must wear this shirt or garment over any upper body protection.

Quote from FIH 09/10 rules

IMG_0930

The smock is made from the mesh and comes in any colour as long as its black. Based on demand and your feedback we can add more colours and look at some modification so please drop us a comment on your thoughts…

IMG_0932

Before you ask i’m wearing a CLOUD body armour, ROBO hi-control hand protectors, Skinny thing stick and a ROBO FG helmet.

This product should be available from December 09.


Goalie Brands Use In The Head Division Holland 2009/10

A table showing brand use from the Netherlands top division.

Here is table displaying the use of brands from the top league in Holland for both Men and Women.

holland

CLUB First goalie % Second goalie %
Men
1 AHBC Amsterdam OBO OBO
2 HC Den Bosch OBO TK
3 Kampong OBO OBO
4 MHC Laren OBO TK
5 Pinoké OBO OBO
6 SCHC Brabo OBO
7 Bloemendaal Brabo OBO
8 HGC TK OBO
9 Hurley Brabo ?
10 Oranje Zwart Brabo Brabo
11 HC Rotterdam TK TK
12 TMHC Tilburg TK TK
Subtotal
OBO 5 41.67% 6 54.55%
TK 3 25.00% 4 36.36%
Brabo 4 33.33% 1 9.09%
Total Men
OBO 47.83%
TK 30.43%
Brabo 21.74%
Ladies
1 AHBC Amsterdam OBO OBO
2 HDM OBO OBO
3 Kampong TK OBO
4 MHC Laren OBO OBO
5 Oranje Zwart Brabo ?
6 HC Rotterdam OBO TK
7 HC Den Bosch OBO OBO
8 HGC OBO OBO
9 Klein Zwitserland TK OBO
10 Nijmegen OBO OBO
11 Pinoké OBO OBO
12 SCHC TK OBO
Subtotal
OBO 8 66.67% 10 90.91%
TK 3 25.00% 1 9.09%
Brabo 1 8.33%
Total Ladies
OBO 78.26%
TK 17.39%
Brabo 4.35%
Total Ladies & Men first and second goalies
OBO 64.44%
TK 24.44%
Brabo 13.33%

OBO Goalkeepers are amazing people!

Want more stat’s on brand use? Check out: brand use.

CLUB first goalie % second goalie %
Men
1 AHBC Amsterdam OBO OBO
2 HC Den Bosch OBO TK
3 Kampong OBO OBO
4 MHC Laren OBO TK
5 Pinoké OBO OBO
6 SCHC Brabo OBO
7 Bloemendaal Brabo OBO
8 HGC TK OBO
9 Hurley Brabo ?
10 Oranje Zwart Brabo Brabo
11 HC Rotterdam TK TK
12 TMHC Tilburg TK TK
Subtotal
OBO 5 41.67% 6 54.55%
TK 3 25.00% 4 36.36%
Brabo 4 33.33% 1 9.09%
Total Men
OBO 47.83%
TK 30.43%
Brabo 21.74%
Ladies
1 AHBC Amsterdam OBO OBO
2 HDM OBO OBO
3 Kampong TK OBO
4 MHC Laren OBO OBO
5 Oranje Zwart Brabo ?
6 HC Rotterdam OBO TK
7 HC Den Bosch OBO OBO
8 HGC OBO OBO
9 Klein Zwitserland TK OBO
10 Nijmegen OBO OBO
11 Pinoké OBO OBO
12 SCHC TK OBO
Subtotal
OBO 8 66.67% 10 90.91%
TK 3 25.00% 1 9.09%
Brabo 1 8.33%
Total Ladies
OBO 78.26%
TK 17.39%
Brabo 4.35%
Total Ladies & Men first en second goalies
OBO 64.44%
TK 24.44%
Brabo 13.33%

OBO Wheelie Bag Design

My Ideas on the OBO wheelie bag designs

hey guys and girlies

just wondering have you guys at obo ever thought of taking the wheelie bag and instead of having the blue and orange colours and maybe try substituting them for crazy patterns or even the custom painted helmet designs and having them printed all over the kit bag. just a thought as the kit has got crazy designs on maybe the bags could look funky too. any ideas???

bag-wheelie

big mac 99

go fourth and save that ball!!

OBO Training Flicka Beta Test Review

The Flicka Stick

flicka

The hollow in the stick allows better control of the ball which enables the player/coach to control the speed and direction of the shot to a greater degree than is possible with the conventional hockey stick.

When I first started to use the flicker stick most of the shots veered to GK’s left (flickers right). Many players I asked to test the stick also seemed to have the same problem when starting off. This problem was easily corrected by releasing the ball sooner than what you would do with the conventional hockey stick.

I would advise anyone using the flicker stick to concentrate on control of the ball at slow speed before trying high speed flicks as I and a number of other players experienced some difficulty with accuracy when initially using the stick. Pay attention to the area behind the goals to ensure player/spectator safety.

Once you have mastered the technique you will be able to place the ball anywhere in the goal from any position in the circle and give the goalkeeper an excellent workout.

Goalkeepers facing drag flicks at penalty corners will benefit hugely as the pace of the ball is far greater with the flicker stick than with the conventional hockey stick. This makes for improved aerial saves, overall agility, hand eye co-ordination and reflexes.

Another point in favour of the stick is that the person using it does not have to use a large amount of energy to give the goalkeeper a good workout.

The hollow in the stick allows better control of the ball which enables the player/coach to control the speed and direction of the shot to a greater degree than is possible with the conventional hockey stick.

When I first started to use the flicker stick most of the shots veered to GK’s left (flickers right).  Many players I asked to test the stick also seemed to have the same problem when starting off.  This problem was easily corrected by releasing the ball sooner than what you would do with the conventional hockey stick.

I would advise anyone using the flicker stick to concentrate on control of the ball at slow speed before trying high speed flicks as I and a number of other players experienced some difficulty with accuracy when initially using the stick.  Pay attention to the area behind the goals to ensure player/spectator safety.

Once you have mastered the technique you will be able to place the ball anywhere in the goal from any position in the circle and give the goalkeeper an excellent workout.

Goalkeepers facing drag flicks at penalty corners will benefit hugely as the pace of the ball is far greater with the flicker stick than with the conventional hockey stick. This makes for improved aerial saves, overall agility, hand eye co-ordination and reflexes.

Another point in favour of the stick is that the person using it does not have to use a large amount of energy to give the goalkeeper a good workout.

Deflective mat

This all weather mat is made of a durable rubber compound which is designed to deflect the ball off fin-like protrusions in unpredictable directions and heights when placed in front of the goals.

The boomerang shaped mat remained secure on the turf regardless of the speed or amount of shots deflected off it.

This is a very portable and convenient piece of equipment and a great aid for goalkeepers.

Shots need to be hit flat on the surface of the turf in order to get optimum defections. Younger players had a problem making contact with the mat as they felt it was too short, this could be contributed to skills still being developed.  This problem can easily be rectified by using two mats next to each other.

Some senior players were hitting shots over the mat but this posed no problem to goalkeeper as the shots were still accurate, this also made for variations in the shot and goalkeepers had to watch the ball at all times and not focus on the mat.

The mat was also placed at various distances from the goalkeeper depending on ability/experience of individual.  Speed variations also affected the flight of ball when making contact with the mat. The mat was used in conjunction with other drills involving more players eg. One hitter from circle edge, players on either side of goal getting rebound shots.

After personal use I found that the mat performed as it was designed to do and improved my overall performance. The feedback from various other coaches and goalkeepers

who used the mat during training sessions confirmed this opinion.

This mat is designed to improve agility, deflective shot saves and reaction time of the goalkeeper.  It’s a great asset and should be considered as an essential piece of training equipmeThe Flicker Stick

The hollow in the stick allows better control of the ball which enables the player/coach to control the speed and direction of the shot to a greater degree than is possible with the conventional hockey stick.

When I first started to use the flicker stick most of the shots veered to GK’s left (flickers right). Many players I asked to test the stick also seemed to have the same problem when starting off. This problem was easily corrected by releasing the ball sooner than what you would do with the conventional hockey stick.

I would advise anyone using the flicker stick to concentrate on control of the ball at slow speed before trying high speed flicks as I and a number of other players experienced some difficulty with accuracy when initially using the stick. Pay attention to the area behind the goals to ensure player/spectator safety.

Once you have mastered the technique you will be able to place the ball anywhere in the goal from any position in the circle and give the goalkeeper an excellent workout.

Goalkeepers facing drag flicks at penalty corners will benefit hugely as the pace of the ball is far greater with the flicker stick than with the conventional hockey stick. This makes for improved aerial saves, overall agility, hand eye co-ordination and reflexes.

Another point in favour of the stick is that the person using it does not have to use a large amount of energy to give the goalkeeper a good workout.

Deflective mat

This all weather mat is made of a durable rubber compound which is designed to deflect the ball off fin-like protrusions in unpredictable directions and heights when placed in front of the goals.

The boomerang shaped mat remained secure on the turf regardless of the speed or amount of shots deflected off it.

This is a very portable and convenient piece of equipment and a great aid for goalkeepers.

Shots need to be hit flat on the surface of the turf in order to get optimum defections. Younger players had a problem making contact with the mat as they felt it was too short, this could be contributed to skills still being developed. This problem can easily be rectified by using two mats next to each other.

Some senior players were hitting shots over the mat but this posed no problem to goalkeeper as the shots were still accurate, this also made for variations in the shot and goalkeepers had to watch the ball at all times and not focus on the mat.

The mat was also placed at various distances from the goalkeeper depending on ability/experience of individual. Speed variations also affected the flight of ball when making contact with the mat. The mat was used in conjunction with other drills involving more players eg. One hitter from circle edge, players on either side of goal getting rebound shots.

After personal use I found that the mat performed as it was designed to do and improved my overall performance. The feedback from various other coaches and goalkeepers

who used the mat during training sessions confirmed this opinion.

This mat is designed to improve agility, deflective shot saves and reaction time of the goalkeeper. It’s a great asset and should be considered as an essential piece of training equipment.

nt.

OBO Training D’flecta Beta Testing Review

D’Flecta Mat

dflecta

This all weather mat is made of a durable rubber compound which is designed to deflect the ball off fin-like protrusions in unpredictable directions and heights when placed in front of the goals.

The boomerang shaped mat remained secure on the turf regardless of the speed or amount of shots deflected off it.

This is a very portable and convenient piece of equipment and a great aid for goalkeepers.

Shots need to be hit flat on the surface of the turf in order to get optimum defections. Younger players had a problem making contact with the mat as they felt it was too short, this could be contributed to skills still being developed. This problem can easily be rectified by using two mats next to each other.

Some senior players were hitting shots over the mat but this posed no problem to goalkeeper as the shots were still accurate, this also made for variations in the shot and goalkeepers had to watch the ball at all times and not focus on the mat.

The mat was also placed at various distances from the goalkeeper depending on ability/experience of individual. Speed variations also affected the flight of ball when making contact with the mat. The mat was used in conjunction with other drills involving more players eg. One hitter from circle edge, players on either side of goal getting rebound shots.

After personal use I found that the mat performed as it was designed to do and improved my overall performance. The feedback from various other coaches and goalkeepers who used the mat during training sessions confirmed this opinion.

This mat is designed to improve agility, deflective shot saves and reaction time of the goalkeeper. It’s a great asset and should be considered as an essential piece of training equipment.

This all weather mat is made of a durable rubber compound which is designed to deflect the ball off fin-like protrusions in unpredictable directions and heights when placed in front of the goals.

The boomerang shaped mat remained secure on the turf regardless of the speed or amount of shots deflected off it.

This is a very portable and convenient piece of equipment and a great aid for goalkeepers.

Shots need to be hit flat on the surface of the turf in order to get optimum defections. Younger players had a problem making contact with the mat as they felt it was too short, this could be contributed to skills still being developed.  This problem can easily be rectified by using two mats next to each other.

Some senior players were hitting shots over the mat but this posed no problem to goalkeeper as the shots were still accurate, this also made for variations in the shot and goalkeepers had to watch the ball at all times and not focus on the mat.

The mat was also placed at various distances from the goalkeeper depending on ability/experience of individual.  Speed variations also affected the flight of ball when making contact with the mat. The mat was used in conjunction with other drills involving more players eg. One hitter from circle edge, players on either side of goal getting rebound shots.

After personal use I found that the mat performed as it was designed to do and improved my overall performance. The feedback from various other coaches and goalkeepers

who used the mat during training sessions confirmed this opinion.

This mat is designed to improve agility, deflective shot saves and reaction time of the goalkeeper.  It’s a great asset and should be considered as an essential piece of training equipmThis all weather mat is made of a durable rubber compound which is designed to deflect the ball off fin-like protrusions in unpredictable directions and heights when placed in front of the goals.

The boomerang shaped mat remained secure on the turf regardless of the speed or amount of shots deflected off it.

This is a very portable and convenient piece of equipment and a great aid for goalkeepers.

Shots need to be hit flat on the surface of the turf in order to get optimum defections. Younger players had a problem making contact with the mat as they felt it was too short, this could be contributed to skills still being developed. This problem can easily be rectified by using two mats next to each other.

Some senior players were hitting shots over the mat but this posed no problem to goalkeeper as the shots were still accurate, this also made for variations in the shot and goalkeepers had to watch the ball at all times and not focus on the mat.

The mat was also placed at various distances from the goalkeeper depending on ability/experience of individual. Speed variations also affected the flight of ball when making contact with the mat. The mat was used in conjunction with other drills involving more players eg. One hitter from circle edge, players on either side of goal getting rebound shots.

After personal use I found that the mat performed as it was designed to do and improved my overall performance. The feedback from various other coaches and goalkeepers

who used the mat during training sessions confirmed this opinion.

This mat is designed to improve agility, deflective shot saves and reaction time of the goalkeeper. It’s a great asset and should be considered as an essential piece of training equipment.

ent.