Author: ozzie

OGO Kickers Review

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.

OGO Kickers
OGO Kickers

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).

figure 8
figure 8

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

OGO Legguard’s Review

I have decided to write a review about my new OGO legguards (which I’m borrowing from my club), as I think many people underestimate the great aspects of ‘high control’ shaped OGO.

OGO medium legguards

OGO Medium Legguards

When I was given the leg guards I was aware that OGO was the bottom of the OBO range, so I wasn’t too excited about getting them. I expected that they wouldn’t be strong enough, or I would hurt myself, or maybe they would be awkward and uncomfortable. After just one training session I realised that I was completely wrong, and that there are in fact many great advantages with my new leg guards.

I prefer to wear less gear than most other keepers (no arm guards, neck guard, etc.), because I rely on more of an attacking sort of play, kind of like a third defender. This requires me to run around and switch directions with ease, and to achieve this I need light, comfortable leg guards which will stay facing forward and slide beautifully. I find all of these things with my new OGO’s.

While I’m on the subject of sliding, I’ll mention a reason for a lot of my past leg injuries. These injuries have always occurred during an attempt at a second save, when my pads have been swivelled around due to lying down on short corners or sliding at players. I will go for a save with my shin and then realise (usually when it’s too late) that there isn’t actually anything in between the ball and my leg. Luckily for me, this is a thing of the past with OBO’s nifty locking system (see my diagram), which has completely stopped my leg guards from twisting!

obo locking system

OBO Locking System

After getting used to my old legguards, every time I pick up my OGO’s I’m still surprised by how light they are. I’m padding up, padding down, running, stretching, victory dancing, sliding and diving faster than ever before and it has changed my game substantially …for the better of course! Unlike other brands that I have tried, the fact that they are super lightweight does not AT ALL mean they have poor protection – which of course is an extremely relevant aspect, no matter how old you are.

Yes, my OGO’s might not have the same amount of rebound as the famous ‘ROBO Hi Rebound’, but nevertheless I have still been amazed by their remarkable bounciness (apparently it’s a word). I have found the rebound of my OGO’s a very helpful aspect of goalkeeping, as it means I can make a quick, safe clearance out of the D without having to take a massive kick.

Another thing – these leg guards look so cool! You can tell me not to judge a book by its cover as much as you like but, in my opinion, appearance is a surprisingly large part of goalkeeping; looking good is feeling good, and feeling good means a whole lot of confidence. And everybody knows how important confidence is!

I’ve thought and thought, and to be completely honest I cannot think of any problem with the leg guards. I’m playing under-fifteens at the moment, and when I move up to under-eighteens I will probably invest in some more expensive leg guards and kickers (I’m thinking hi control) because my OGO’s are not specifically designed for this age group. That isn’t a fault though, that’s a given.

To conclude, the OGO leg guards have been designed beautifully and offer all of the amazing aspects that people around the world have grown to expect from OBO. I am 100% satisfied with them and can’t wait to play with OBO leg guards of a higher range.

Please feel free to leave me a feedback comment and questions.

Cheers,

Ozzie.

PS: You know how keepers like to whack their stick against their legguards? My OGO’s are so loud! A few days ago I hit my pads with my stick, and one of my defenders jumped about a foot in the air.