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.
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.
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.
This 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.
I’m very interested in purchasing one of these for my training. What’s the closest place that I can purchase one from, I live in Vancouver, Canada. Can I order it through the local OBO retailer? Or would I have to purchase it from a retailer in a different country?
If I get one, does the person hitting the balls have to be very good? Or do they just need to be able to hit with enough power and accuracy to get the ball on the mat and coming at me with enough speed?
Thanks!
I have got one of these I find it better wen the ball is pushed at paced cause it makes it more unpredictable and works ur reactions a lot better