Dan’s Tips – Page 11

Short Corners: Getting Caught Out On The Drag Flick

When facing a drag flick from the top of the D on a short corner the biggest problem for the goalkeeper is to know how long to stand up (or remain standing) to deal with the incoming shot. If the destination is not given away, with the ability of the shooter to disguise it, you can only react to it. The timing affects your chance to save – you have to match exactly the ball’s arrival time to be successful.

This is a problem that even the world’s best suffer from, as they face the top drag flickers who like to have a few tricks up their sleeve to disguise their intentions and more importantly the destination of the ball. Just like on a penalty flick the shooter can ‘throw the shoulder’ with the keeper expecting a shot up and over them (or a low shot) exposing the open space to the side and slotting the ball away.

At the Olympics, this technique was shown at its best (unfortunately for the goalkeepers there). Germany’s gold winning goal was down to a successful high and looping drag flick on a short corner opportunity, where Fransisco Cortes left his feet early, whilst Vogels was beaten in the bronze medal game by a flick that similarly went up and over him.

When a lot of keepers make the transition to higher levels of play, they can often struggle to combat it, getting beaten by a well executed drag flick. I can personally admit to this in my younger days and other than the humiliation, it’s something you’ll want to eliminate from your game. But obviously the only way you can get better is to make mistakes and learn from them: in a lot of cases, like mine, you may be playing a lower standard but be facing a ringer.

There are not many county (lower division) teams where players can flick that well, but regional and onwards they are part of the game and it is therefore essential that, if that is a considered potential target, it needs to be learnt. You need to be aware that if you are ‘climbing up the ladder’, it is something you will meet and need to work on to beat.

Committing wrongly

The problem with going against the flick is knowing when to time the jump or dive; go down too early and you’ll have the ball roofed over you, but stay up too long and you will lack extension to reach the shot (in this case you will have to jump into the save). Similarly, making the wrong choice of save will hamper your efforts.

It is also difficult to read the direction of the ball: normally the ball will go to the corners or straight; in the path of the stick’s position, but low balls wide of the pad, which are difficult to reach standing up, can also be played by the striker.

Leaving your feet too early

With a drag flick, the goalkeeper in question can easily be caught out (by misjudgement and second guessing on their part) by a high ball that loops upwards onto goal, looking to beat the standing goalkeeper by getting it to a height and position that is impossible to stop. Unlike a strike, which is easier to read, the drag flick can be faster and curves with the flight of the stick; it can sweep into the corner or around you.

A lot of goalkeepers are taken back by the type of shot; confused about how to react and therefore act indecisively and misjudge it, or are tricked by the stick positioning; going down incredibly easy (and fast), leaving a whole area of net above them for the ball to go into. In this situation, the goalkeeper is effectively lobbed, with the ball going straight up over them without the ability to even get a touch on it, since they are too far gone (with downward momentum) to reach into any potential save.

Learning to stay on your feet

In order to prevent the ball zooming past you by aggressively committing too quickly against the flick for the attempted save, you need to work on timing your response to meet the ball. Timing the saving move with the actual shot, rather than going before the ball is released, gives you a better chance of reaction, instead of being beaten so easily.

The trick to saving the drag flick is to react with it: don’t be too early, or too late, as you won’t be able to stop it. React as the ball comes in – ready to stop it on its release, given the speed of the flick. Stay up as long as you need to and outwait the urge to move into a save immediately; be patient and react to the shot as it comes at you.

Stay up for the stop by the waiting ‘stopper’ (with their stick down to halt the ball to ensure the best shot on release); the ball will often be stopped dead before the flick to make it easier to drag flick (rather than having to drag a moving ball!)
Stay aware of potential corner routines involving players, but do NOT get caught up in their efforts to disguise the shot
Keep your concentration – react to it as the flick is released – only moving on the flick itself
Watch the ball all the way into the save to make sure you get as much behind it as possible

Making the wrong choice

Another point to take note of is the bad choice of save – going down with a long barrier, when the only means of a save is to stay up. There are still a lot of keepers, despite the rule changes and responding changes in the format and style of the game, that seem to log no matter what (as a first choice move rather than playing the ‘read and react style’), despite the threat of a well executed flick. These are the most vulnerable to a flick given the obvious height and speed of the ball: being lobbed by the ball as they obviously ‘down and out’ on the play.

This is an easy mistake to make that will have disastrous results – giving away a goal for free. Even internationals have managed it; Argentina’s keepers inabilities at short corners were exposed in recent world cups. Indecision will lead to problems as you cannot react with the shot, wasting time and not being fully prepared for a save. Work out how to make the save properly and stick to it: don’t mess around and have a clear plan.

Rule of thumb

The easiest thing is to learn how to read a straight strike versus a flick: working out the shooter’s intentions by their stick positioning. Reading their body language, posture, and looking at their eyes, will help you work out where they are looking to shoot.

– A shooter going for a straight strike will grip the stick at the top to gain power and hold the stick nearer their body to control the shot

– A shooter drag flicking the ball will have their hands further down the stick to get more control over the flick and hold the stick further back from their body; gaining more upward movement on the flick

The Second Save

Consequent rebound shots after the initial save are one of the hardest jobs for a goalkeeper to deal with. Unable to clear the ball and with going straight back out into play, further shots are guaranteed, with the shooter having more and more chances to bury it. The longer the ball stays in the D, the more chances the opposition has to shot in on goal, so you want to do all in your power to get rid of it. These are the types of situations that can either be a goalkeeper’s recurring nightmare, or their team’s saving hour!

What to do

If you do have to face multiple shots, then you want to be able to react to each one – concentrating on the single save each time to maximise your ability to stop the ball. ‘Keeping your head on’ and staying confident will make the save much easier to complete as you are comfortable in dealing with the pressure of the situation. Don’t ‘lose your head’, diving around all over the place and putting yourself in danger.

If you have to run back or across into cover open space, then be calm about it; using speed, but concentrating on the related angles and appropriate positioning to the shooter. The sooner you get there, the more area you can block if the shot comes in (if the shooter takes their time, then you have even more of an advantage!).

With the shot coming from the other side of you, as a pass is made, or the ball was redirected there, you will have to race back to cover the changed angle. If the shot is closer in (i.e. it went to outside of you on the save), then you can step and shuffle across to move into the space and shot.

Getting into the ‘zone’ really helps. As soon as you get going, you’ll feel unstoppable. But don’t forget to clear if you can, otherwise all your attempts will be fruitless.

Pointers:

Stay back and react to the shot as it comes in, giving you more reaction time for the save
If the shot is raised, try to stay on your feet as the ball could end up going over you; unless it is not possible to do so.
If you have to dive across, as you are likely to be forced into extending on side shots, then get up as soon as possible, otherwise you will be ‘down and out’, giving away a goal to the shooter
The sequence of potential saves is all dependent on the speed of recovery: the sooner you get back up, the more time you have to make that split-second difference in reacting to the next save
Never surrender: don’t give up and keep battling to keep the ball out of the net

The longer the ball stays in the D, the more time and opportunity the opposition has to score. Get rid of the ball as soon as possible.

Closing down the attacker

If you are alone with against the attacker (i.e. you have no defence and are left to deal with the play), then you can run out to meet them. By reacting quickly and instantly running out to meet them in-tight, you immediately close down the available shooting space and force them to move around you, or shoot straight into you. If the shot is released then you are in a capable position to stop it – being on the ‘doorstep’ to cover the strike.

Pointers:

Square up to the shooter, covering the angle close, so that they have little to shoot at (unable to see much of the goal) – forcing the shot into you for an easy save
Channel them; going out on the angle, to reach the top of the triangle, to cover the sides
Be ready to block as you are so close; dropping your hands to face the shooter to provide more coverage
Also be aware of a shot between the legs (with a gap there) and be ready to close them together
Remember to react – if an acute angle shot to the edges of goal is attempted, you need to stop it
Make sure you have lightning fast reflexes (sharpen them if needs be) to be able to react, as the shot will be so close , giving you little time to react

Rule of thumb:

If the shooter is alone then come out and challenge to make their life harder; only a good shot should beat you.

If there are multiple shooters then ‘hang back’ and react to it, as there are more options to deal with and more space to shoot at.

If the shooter does move, instead of shooting, be ready to move with them and tackle of stop a shot.

Eliminating the second save

When making the save, you want to be able to clear it away as soon and as safely as possible, so that further opportunities can’t develop. By getting rid of the ball, you are effectively stopping any further chance of scoring – shutting down the opposition.

The best place to put the ball is out to the sides or the back line, where attackers cannot get hold of it, as it is now out of play (try to clear the rebound on the save, but you can use a kick if needed after the initial save). If not, then kick it as far as you can away from danger, preferably outside the D, so that you have time to recover, reposition and get set for the next shot. Otherwise, try to get it to a defender who can then clear it away with their stick, or pass to another team mate to keep hold of possession.

If the ball has gone out on the save, depending on the rebound quality of your kickers and pads, you will have to chase it down to get in reach of clearing it. Don’t be static or laid back; actively come out to get to the ball and make a strong clearance out of harm’s way. That way you will be able to respond better and get more behind it, as you have more time to think and see the space available.

Be decisive: take charge of the game.

Remember: you can’t intentionally kick the ball back line after the shot is stopped. If you do, then you will be penalised with a short corner (the sidelines are still okay though). On making the save to push away, it needs to be a fluid single movement; angling the kicker or pad to turn away the ball in the correct direction.

First save mindset

You should focus on each save as it presents itself – concentrating on that shot singularly each time. Your priority is the first save: make the save and eliminate the rebound, and you prevent any further scoring chances. No more chances means no goals.

Lots of coaches teach the maxim (saying) of ‘one shot only’. They want professionals at the top of their game to make that one save on that one shot – they don’t want them messing things up by giving the opposition more opportunities than they should have.

If you watch football/soccer and look at the way rebound goals occur, then you should learn for your own game; say if a keeper ‘spills’ the shot; dropping the ball or failing to smother it, it is all too easy for the shooter to come in again and put it past the downed keeper.

Focus on the first save – prioritise the save and the controlled clearance of the rebound. Don’t give away further chances.

Not Getting Into Your Stance In Time

Getting into the stance, when the action is not specifically close, is something that troubles a whole range of keepers with saving and decision making ability, which can cost them in the game. It is so important to get into your ready stance before the stance – the better prepared you are, the more chance you have of stopping the shot.

You can never not bother with getting into your stance before a shot. Even when the ball is under one of your player’s control, you don’t know if they are going to have it taken from them and go onto have a scoring chance. I’ve recently been watching a number of keepers who are incredibly lazy in their efforts.

Other than not being ready for action and not making the save, you are not mentally prepared for game action. If you are not capable of being alert and watchful all game long (along with the need to pull off big saves when called upon in the last few minutes of the game), then you shouldn’t be getting selected to play.

Getting beaten

By not being in your ready stance and being ‘behind the play’ (i.e. not watching it properly and keeping a back seat), you leave yourself vulnerable. If you are unbalanced in your stance, then you will not be capable of making the save; tilting too far backwards, unable to reach the ball. A great example of this was Des Abbott’s goal that Vogels allowed in the bronze medal match at the Olympics; allowing a goal through the legs as he wasn’t set, falling back and letting it through him. If he had however been ready, he could have closed the gaps by bringing his legs in.

There are a few British national league keepers who still regularly fail to get set in time; a goal on a broken play within the D at a national conference league game I watched over the weekend is such an example. Expecting the umpire to call the other way (as the team had got most of their decisions their way), the goalkeeper was standing at the post, not in a suitable stance, the ball got loose and was then smashed in. By not being set for the shot, he was easily beaten, unaware of the impending danger.

In contrast, by being in your ready stance when the play is around you (and your defence; getting sucked into the idea of your role as shot stopper, is not the right idea), you are ready and raring for the save; your gloves up for the incoming shot.

It is no good just getting into your stance when the play gets in close; if you are caught off guard when a change occurs, like a deflection, then you are responsible for your lack of attention that led to that goal, by simply not being ready to make a save. By getting set before a play develops, you also help reduce the mental stress of waiting to see a shot in a tight game, since you are ‘switched on’.

Rule of thumb

The best way to judge the play is to watch and stay with it the entire game. As the ball gets closer, you need to ‘switch on’ and get to where it is on the pitch; moving with the ball as it moves and staying in your stance, ready for anything to happen.

By point of rule, if the play is in your half, you should be within your ready stance, ready for shots outside the D: you never know what’s going to happen next and should therefore always be alert and ready for anything (i.e. a pro technique is to put in a ball for a runner to get on the end of for a deflection, or a two on one that develops after a defensive mishap).

By getting ready in your stance, with your hands up and body forward, before a play is even made, you WILL be ready for an unprepared save, compared to other keepers who will get caught short by their inactive laziness.

Just watch the pros and see how they do it, like recent games in the Olympics (Vogels is a great example, except vs Australia) and you’ll understand. As the play gets closer you are nearer and nearer to, you are ever more likely to face a shot.

Key points:

When the ball is past the half way line, you should be in your ready stance
Always move with the play; adjusting your angles to suit where the ball is
Be active not a ‘ball watcher’ – be ready to take control of the situation, instead of just being an observer to what’s going on in front of you

Watch and learn

This is not just a problem that plagues our sport: if you watch (on Match of the Day [British TV] or anything similar), you’ll notice how the keepers that don’t bother to get set lag behind the play and allow goals out of failed ability to prepare for the shot.

In national league games I’ve watched keepers stand there stock still not even bothering to get into a ready stance, on free hits and plays around the D, when they should honestly be set in their stance, ready for a shot. Just because a team is weaker than you are and you are winning, it doesn’t mean there is any reason for you to switch off and sit back; for all you know the next play may go against you and you are beaten, when you aren’t mentally or bodily (position) set.

Self awareness

You have to be aware of your own attitude to the game to really succeed. If you don’t look ready, then shooters will pick up on this; rather than taking a ‘back seat’ during games, concentrate on being there all the time to deal with whatever comes your way.

As always, practise is key to success: train yourself to ALWAYS be in your stance and on the angle of where the ball is, to be set. At training, focus on getting yourself in your stance immediately and in line for the shot, allowing you to maximise your chances.

Daily Eating Plan

nutrition-facts Get used to planning what you’re going to eat each day. Planning helps to stop eating whatever, whenever. Check the labels for the amount of fat, carbs, and protein they contain.This is an example of an eating plan for a player who has a light run in the morning followed by training or game in the afternoon.

Time	Type of meal	Type of foods
	Pre-run snack for energy	Glass of water for hydration and a glass of fruit juice for energy
7:00am	Run
8:00am	Breakfast high in carbohydrates to replenish and build up energy stores	Cereal & milk, or toast with jam/honey etc, fruit or fruit juice, water
10:00am	Snack to maintain energy stores	Scone or muffin or muesli bar, fruit, yoghurt, water
12:00pm	Pre training meal 4 hours prior to help build energy stores	Filled rolls or sandwiches, fruit, muesli bar, fruit juice, water
2:30pm	Snack 2 hours prior to training to maintain energy stores	Scone or muffin or muesli bar, fruit, yoghurt, water
	Pre training to ensure well hydrated	Water
4:00pm	Training/game
	During training for hydration (and energy)	Water (but for high intensity training or long cardio use a sports drink)
	After training to replenish energy stores	Sports drink, muesli bar, water, fruit. Protein (drink) for muscle growth.
7:00pm	Dinner to build up energy stores	Rice/pasta, vegetables, lean meat, water
	Evening Snack (if required)	Fruit or low fat ice cream or low fat biscuits

Hydration

Drinking adequate amounts of fluid can prevent dehydration, reduce heat disorders, and provide a convenient source of energy. It can get pretty hot in all that gear and fluids help regulate your body’s temperature. Ensuring you have sufficient fluids before and during training, can improve your performance. Replacing lost fluid after training helps in your body’s recovery.

Water - your best defence

Water

Water is the easiest and most convenient fluid to drink. You should drink at least 2 litres of water each day, but more when you train. You should drink adequate water prior to training and games to keep you hydrated. Drink regularly throughout training – about every 15 minutes. Afterwards, water should be drunk to compensate for lost fluid from sweating. It is a good idea to drink water that contains electrolytes to replace the ones you lose through sweat. If you train longer than an hour or at a high intensity you would benefit from a sports drink.

Sports Drinks

As well as keeping you hydrated, sports drinks provide a source of carbohydrates, and sodium to fuel you during intense training sessions and replace lost electrolytes.

For most goalkeepers water will be sufficient during trainings and the game. After the game consume more fluid from either water or a sports drink. If the training session is particular intense, look to have a sports drink.

Note: Don’t confuse energy drinks with sports drinks. Energy drinks can contain caffeine and although they can give you a quick hit of energy, they do more bad than good. Energy drinks should be avoided.

How to be a Steel Ball of Muscle

Bruises, sprains, knocks and even broken bones come with the territory of a goalkeeper. Protein helps in the repair and recovery of damaged muscles and tissues, and in the recovery of energy stores. Consuming sufficient amounts of protein enables your body to recovery from training and to build strength. For young goalkeepers, protein is also needed for normal daily growth of the body. Those who are wanting to “bulk up”, must also consume protein.

Most people consume enough protein for their normal daily needs but sports people need to monitor their protein intake especially when they are trying to increase muscle. You should daily consume 1 – 1.5g of protein per kilogram of your own weight so an 80kg person should consume 80-120 g of protein each day depending on the intensity of the training. Young goalkeepers still growing should daily eat 2g/Kg of body weight.

Dairy products, eggs, meat and vegetables are all good sources of protein as to are protein bars and protein shakes.

How not to be a butterball of fat

Extra weight can slow you down. Although fat helps protect the organs from damage, we prefer our gear to do that. Simply put, if you eat more than your body needs, you get fat. Obviously the moral is not to overeat. Consume enough food to provide energy for all your daily activities – training, recovery, growth etc.

As well as how much you eat, you should also consider what you eat. Decreasing fatty foods such as fast food, fried food, and junk food will reduce the amount of fat you consume but by also decreasing your sugar intake (sweets, cakes, biscuits and soft drinks) will stop your body converting sugar to fat.

By keeping energy requirements and food consumption in balance, and consuming very little fatty foods and sugar, you can not only avoid fat increases, but also decrease the amount of fat that you do have.

How to be a Fireball of Energy

Think of your energy levels as a fire no fuel, the fire goes out and your energy levels decline. You need to continually feed the fire to keep your energy levels up. It’s important that you have sufficient fuel before, during, and after your training to keep your fire burning. If you’ve ever felt tired, light headed, uncoordinated or weak, it might just be that you’re low on fuel and your fire is going out. If you have high levels of fuel stored before training, you will be able to use that energy to train harder, for longer. Carbohydrate is the body’s fuel that stokes up your fire.

Good sources of carbohydrates come from breads, grains, pastas, fruit and vegetables.

Energy for training:

The way you train is different to the way you play on game day. You may shed the gear and train with the rest of the team runs, sprints, aerobic exercises etc. Then the gears back on and it’s working on drills, agility, reflexes, and saves. Training can be quite intense, long, and arduous. It’s in these training situations that you have to have sufficient energy to get you through. Eating a carbohydrate meal before hand brings your energy levels up. Look to consume about 200g of carbohydrate 4 hours out from training. This will give you plenty of fuel to have your fire burning throughout training.

Consuming carbohydrates while you train, in the form of a sports drink, keeps your fire burning with a ready supply of energy to your muscles. This enables continued performance and delays the onset of fatigue.

After training, carbohydrates help maximise recovery and restore your energy levels to have you ready for your next training session or game.

Energy for the game:

On game day your energy requirements are different to training. Stretches, a light warm up run, a few practice saves, but nothing too physically intense. Then during the game, it’s short spurts of energy when the opposition’s on attack. While your team mates are out there running a marathon, your energy levels aren’t required to be as high, so a light carbohydrate meal should be sufficient a few hours out from game time. Sports drinks can be used before or during games.

Nutrition

Today’s goalkeeper needs to be a super hero – speed, strength, courage, energy, reflexes, coordination, agility, skill, decisiveness, and determination. It’s no longer the fat person who gets put in goal just because they take up the most space.

There’s an old adage that says, “You are what you eat”. If you want to be a fireball of energy, a steel ball of muscle, or a butterball of fat, it’s going to depend on what you put into your body and how you train your body.

Good nutrition is a key aspect to the performance of any keeper. If you’ve ever felt tired during training, or worse during a game, it may be that your nutrition needs are lacking. Consuming the right foods at the right time can ensure that you have sufficient energy levels to get you through your toughest training and game. It also enables your body to recovery faster, your muscles to grow stronger, and your mind to stay sharper.

Carbohydrate and fluid intake by Rachel Durdin

Fluids
As a goalkeeper we are wearing so much protective equipment that our body cannot effectively cool itself. I am sure you all know the feeling of coming off the playing field after a hard training or game covered in sweat. It is very important to replace the fluid we lose so that our body is adequately hydrated and can perform optimally during the next session.

Fluids

As a goalkeeper we are wearing so much protective equipment that our body cannot effectively cool itself. I am sure you all know the feeling of coming off the playing field after a hard training or game covered in sweat. It is very important to replace the fluid we lose so that our body is adequately hydrated and can perform optimally during the next session.

When I train I make sure to have at least one bottle of water before training and I always have a bottle behind the goal so I can drink during the session.

People do not realize how important it is to be well hydrated. Our muscles can work more efficiently when we are hydrated, as our body is able to take the waste products away more efficiently. If I am dehydrated I notice my legs feeling very heavy and tired. I am sure you have heard that you should drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Well that is for everyday people who may not be exercising. Goalkeepers should be drinking much more than this. If you find it hard to drink water you can try a small amount of cordial or energy drink powders to give it a bit more flavour!
Carbohydrates

As well as being well hydrated getting enough nutrients before a game or training is also very important. My routine before I play is to eat three hours before a match. This is so I do not feel hungry during the game and I am not feeling “full”. I wouId generally try to eat a sandwich or baked beans so that I have plenty of energy. However after you play or train it is important to try and eat something within 30 minutes so you can replace the energy you have burned up exercising. I would normally try to have some sports drinks or sandwiches to get some carbohydrates into my system. A quick and tasty alternative to this is some jelly babies or similar soft jubes, which are glucose rich. They also taste great!