Playing Tips – Page 11

Attacking clearances

Attacking clearances are a great way of eliminating a scoring chance, running in to get rid of the ball before an attacker can get to it. Standing up and kicking away, you do not take yourself out of the play as you would with a dive; allowing you to get back into the game if things mess up!

The attacking clearance is one of the best forms of aggressive goalkeeping, without having to commit to the risky manoeuvre of athletically diving in to deny a pass; actively choosing to deny a scoring chance, but also eliminating the possibility of another by clearing it away to safety in a single move. When a breakaway opportunity presents itself, you should be the first one there to meet the incoming ball; rushing out to deny the attacker the chance to receive the intended pass, which would otherwise have resulted in a tricky 1-on-1. However, you shouldn’t just use it in this situation; at times when the ball gets loose within a D, you need to be active in claiming the ball, dominating your area to control the play to your advantage.

Technique

The technique for a solid attacking clearance is based on a well executed instep kick, so that you can gain the maximum distance for the clearance, when swinging in. Given that you are running in with speed, to make contact with the ball, you have to be precise and accurate, otherwise you could mess up the attempt, or miss the ball entirely.

Begin your run on the angle of contact with the ball (i.e. straight forward, if it is coming down that way, or diagonally); it is important you match up the angle, or you can end up being in the wrong place when it arrives
As you run in to meet the ball, swing in with the instep (using an instep kick), for maximum on the clearance – watch the ball in, to ensure you
Direct the kick with your instep; turning your foot to angle the redirect (face the area you want to clear it to, to help this)
Follow through on your kick as normal, so that the angle of direction is maintained after the kick (i.e. to keep a straight line)
Having made the clearance, get back in goal as soon as possible, so you are ready, just in case

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Pointers:

Be ‘quick off the blocks’ to beat the attacker to the ball; sprint out with speed to reach it
Be aggressive – don’t back out, be committed, and go in with
Stick to your decision: be decisive; if you think twice and mess up, then you can get in a tricky spot, embarrassingly concede a silly goal

Breakaway passes

The most obvious scenario during a match where you can actively come out off your line to meet the ball and launch it clear, is on a breakaway. By challenging with an attacking clearance, you can eliminate such an opportunity. With the attacker racing forward trying to receive the long pass and then take you on in a 1-on-1, you have the time to come out and clear the ball (away to the sides) before they reach it; denying them a chance on goal. As the ball comes in, sprint out to meet it and then kick clear with the instep technique, focusing on where the open space is, and therefore where to place it.

With an aerial ball into the D (at higher levels) you have to be more ‘on your toes’ and ‘ready for action’ to quickly counter the threat; . Before you know it you can get ‘sprung’ on the play, quickly beaten by the attacker as they run around you, with the ball in the back of the net. At times like this, you need to react in an instant; sprinting in immediately to get to the ball first.

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Loose balls

In scenarios when the ball gets loose, you can again actively come out to clear. Whenever a ball has broken free, you can make it your job to get to it and kick it away; eliminating any chance of an attacker getting to it. If the ball gets free in the D, then you can come off your line and sprint into the ball’s path; actively getting rid of it to the sidelines. By doing this, it allows your defence to regroup and ; buying you time to get back in goal and prepare for further shots on goal. By aggressively taking charge of the situation, you relieve the pressure on your defenders to deal with the problem, whilst also nullifying the danger and making it ‘safe’; preventing any further chances on goal. With your kicking ability, you can put the ball to safety with power and distance on the clearance, or pass it to a free player, to get it away from the danger area.

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Free balls

Just as you may face game situations when the ball , you will also need to actively ‘make it yours’ when the ball becomes free from the main group of players; aggressively getting into space and challenging out to get rid of the ball, where it is currently a danger. After a tip-in save or deflection, you may find that the ball gets free and needs to be cleared, before an attacker can come in and put away the rebound. There are also times when a defender could get muddled and end up falling over, or mess up a pass, whereby allowing an overlap for an attacker to get through the open space. These are the times when you should look to get the ball clear by yourself.

Going one step further, you should make it your mission to latch onto any free ball; taking that extra step and getting in front of the attacker, in order to beat them to the ball and get it clear.

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Rebound dangers

The only problem with an attacking clearance, is the possibility of the player ‘getting something on it’ and redirecting the ball back towards goal, which will end up with the ball hitting the backboard, as it goes in off their stick. A hard enough kick should dislodge an attacker’s stick and make sure the ball gets cleared, but it is worth being warned of the dangers, even if they are very slim. If such a thing happened, then you would need to be quick getting in front of the ball to stop it ending up being a goal. Alternatively, if this could occur, then sliding in to block, or diving in to clear (so that you are behind the ball, increasing coverage with your body in front) will help lower the chances of a goal being scored.

This is more likely to happen at national league level, where they are very skilful at reading the game and deflecting in shots, however, you may face a tricky sneaky forward intent on scoring, so it is worth remembering. Just be aware of attempts on the rebound on the kick; if the kicker carries on through, they may try to deflect it back (at goal), by getting their stick down on the floor.

If a player is coming in with their stick down, don't go out to kick it, as it will probably end up redirecting back into goal!

Attack the ball!

Ultimately, it is a good skill to be able to clear the ball before the opposing players get the chance to take it; shutting down scoring chances by eliminating a shot on goal, or second shot. You need to be aggressive in your approach; actively going out with commitment, so that you can close down and deny opposition forwards their chance of glory. Self doubt and rethinking will be problematic; causing you to mess up the attempt (with disastrous consequences), so you have to be decisive and do it with conviction (solely focused on the task at hand).

If an opportunity to get rid of the ball, away to safety arises, then you really need to take charge of the situation; making the ball ‘yours’ and dominating. During the game, whenever the ball springs free, you should be the first one there; taking charge, in order to immediately get the ball out of the danger zone.

Staying mentally strong

The mental game is often ignored by goalkeepers and coaches alike. However, it is essential in order to succeed. The best goalkeepers are those who believe in themselves; nothing can ‘get them down’. To play well, you need to play with confidence and it’s worthwhile working out for yourself how to encourage this!

You train twice as hard as everyone else, are expected to stop all of the 100+ shots blasted at you in training, get bruised black and blue, then go and be told you’re still not ready skill wise. If you make a mistake it can cost your team the game. When it comes to game time, you’re expected to pull off amazing dramatic saves at the drop of a button. You have to take bull in the form of pointless advice from team mates and comments from the opposition trying to get under your skin. Once you’ve done all that, you have to go back and do it all again.

Your role forces you to take on the responsibility of the team (something that can kill your ‘mojo’ if you let it get to you): if they are playing poorly, you have to ‘pick them up and carry them, making the big saves to keep them in it, and if you are down on the scoreboard a screw up can cost you the game. At the decisive development stage where you are a young keeper looking to develop into a no 1 at top domestic level, it’s back breaking work training hard twice a week and then playing at weekends. If you look at pro sport (and any other type), you’ll find out that the best players are those who have stuck with it and worked their way through to be the best in the world.

Despite the smiles, it's not always this easy! If you want to be the best in your club, or even the world, then you need to persevere, as it will be a long time until you peak.

Mental strength

A goalkeeper stands against a tough mental battle, given the role of the task to ensure the team wins. In comparison to the other players, you can easily be everybody’s mug of the month. If a defender makes a mistake, you’re supposed to mop up after them, and if it isn’t a striker’s ‘week’, then it’s just put down to not being given the right scoring chances by their team mates. Being mentally strong is essential to any chance of achieving success. As you start to go up the ladder of hockey, you will come under intense pressure not only to succeed, but dominate, in a game where you won’t seem many shots in a defence orientated game. There are some keepers that will fail to take their game to the next level and progress in their development because of their inability to develop a mental ‘game’: don’t let that be you.

During a game, how you feel and how you look to the other team can affect the final outcome. If you start to show emotion and look beatable (getting wound up, which can cause you to make rash decisions like bad tackles), then the team will really start to test you and get as many shots as possible on goal to find your weak spots. Learning to grow a backbone to resist nasty comments and shake off mistakes will set you up for the ‘professional’ game, mentally able to beat off anything that comes your way.

Developing strength

As they always say, sport is 99% mental and 1% skill, not to mention the hard work needed to beat out your peers. In order to succeed at a high level, you need to have a solid mental ‘game’ as well, otherwise you won’t be able to play to your best. In the face of allowing costly goals that can affect your team’s chances (letting the lead slip), you need to be able to stand up and carry your team. If not, then you will crumble and end up giving away a defeat because of it; losing confidence as you get shelled by the opposition, and consequently your team losing faith in you. How you develop a strong mental character is more of a personal skill, as it is something that cannot necessarily be ‘taught’, you need to work out what works for you, and build up a system to resist negative thoughts.

Self belief

Goalkeeping is all about confidence, which relates to how you play; if you are playing confidently, then you will be able to compete at your best (regularly, week in week out), but if you aren’t happy with your game or the situation, the chances are you will play poorly; rethinking situations that would normally be easy to deal with and doubting yourself. If you are nervous, then you cannot perform at your best, and therefore let your team down. A confident keeper will make those unbelievable, amazing saves that deny the opposition’s best chances, whereas a shaky keeper will let in soft goals. It’s all about confidence: if you play confident, then you will succeed, but if you get upset with yourself, you will sink, costing your team.

Examples of encouraging yourself:

Wear the no.1 shirt: if you believe you’re the best, then you’re likely to go out and prove it
Build a video of ‘Hollywood’ saves and then watch it before the game to really psych yourself up
‘Roar like a tiger!’: it may sound stupid, but doing the clichéd trick of looking into a mirror and putting on your ‘game face’ can really help
Work out phrases to say in your head when training or playing (encouraging your self to perform)
Take pride in your ability; acknowledge something if it’s done well (i.e. making a timely save to keep the score even, or getting a clean sheet)

Tips

Learning to become mentally unbeatable, is a personal thing that varies for everyone, but in order to succeed, you do need to establish a strong mental game. Positive mentality will define whether or not your team succeeds; if you have a ‘mental collapse’ and get shell shocked, making yourself beatable as a result, then you have made the opposition’s job all too easy. Don’t: never give up and always fight no matter what; don’t make it easy for them to score on you . Leaning to shrug off goals and people’s comments will help you maintain consistency in your game, always being unbeatable.

Here are some ideas staying mentally strong in practice:

Focus on your game; don’t get phased by what’s going on around you – only you can , so concentrate on your
Don’t show emotion: don’t get harassed by players getting in your face or your own team stabbing your in the back – learn to ignore and use it as a motivational driving force – look weak and the opposition will think you are easy to beat
Never give up on your team; stay in the game no matter what to keep them in it, showing commitment and will help make the big saves when they really matter
Develop a thick skin; learn to ignore people’s comments and let mistakes wash off you like water off a duck’s back (make them the reason to perform better rather than having a negative impact); that way, you can really prove them wrong

Ultimately, you need to be strong in yourself and your own ability; it is your game and essentially your problem (if you’re having a bad spell), so you have to work out methods to help yourself.You truly have to believe in yourself: no-one else matters. If you can’t go onto the pitch thinking your God’s gift or the best around, then you will struggle to play to your best, doubting your own ability and letting your confidence slip.

Passes Across The Back-Line

Defenders often like to pass the ball around the back of the pitch, in order to open up pitch space and allow for an attack through the middle; holding the ball and passing it amongst themselves to force the opposition to press forward (and thus making gaps appear). For this to happen, the goalkeeper must play their role in stepping out of the way!

If you do watch high level domestic (like the Hoofdklasse, Bundesliga, England Hockey League National Premier league games etc.) or international hockey, or happen to be able to, then something you will often notice the goalkeeper stepping into their own goal, as defenders stay deep, passing it amongst themselves, as they like for space in the midfield. At first this seems a little odd; why would the goalkeeper be intentionally stepping into his own goal during open play when their team has possession? Often, with a high press at work limiting the chance of moving the ball forward, or wanting to move the ball around at the back to the sides and start a play, your full backs will look to slap the ball between each other across the back of the pitch, in the attempt to entice the opposition forwards to come forward on attack and therefore open up space.

Although it sounds insignificant, it’s a very simple and effective tool that you can add to your game, to help your team; allowing your defenders more room to play the ball around, using the time and space available by staying deep to play the ball hard and fast across the field to test the centre, or begin an attack.

The ‘back-line’ pass

The back-line pass is essentially a pass made near the back line, with two defenders far apart, in each corner, knocking the ball back and forth amongst themselves (England’s international Richard Mantell, who plays his club hockey for Reading, is a great example of this, and was influential with it in the recent EuroHockey matches). A good slap hit allows the defender to move the ball with speed, power and accuracy a great distance; maintaining the team’s possession of the ball by playing it back and forth around the back of the pitch. Looking for a gap to open up in midfield, two defenders will often hang back and play consecutive long passes between themselves to take their time over opening up space for an attack, before releasing the ball to allow the moving forwards to penetrate the D.

However, for such an option to be available and successful, the goalkeeper needs to work with the team; if they are standing on their line in between the defenders, the option is not available! If you are standing on your line, you will end up being in the way! For the defenders to be able to maximise the space available to spread out a pass and open up playing space, they need to be given the room to do so. By stepping out of their way, you can give them the option to make pass across the back-line.

With the goalkeeper standing in the way of the passing option, the pass cannot be made.

With the goalkeeper out of the way, the defenders are now free to make the pass; maximising the greater space provided as a result.

Moving out the way

To get out of your defender’s way, you can step backwards past the goal line and into the goal. Standing inside your goal will give your defenders more room to manoeuvre, playing the pass as near enough to the goal line as possible, to keep it deep. If they like to play it further away from the line, then you can just stand on the line if you wanted, out of their way. Once the pass has been made, you can obviously step back out of the goal and out to your normal standing position within the D. If your defenders want to pass the ball to each other again in this way, then all you have to do is repeat the process!

back_line_pass

Different Arm Pad Set-Ups

With the style of removable arm pads and separate chest pads, rather than a full all-in-one body suit, the goalkeeper has a lot of choice concerning their protection. With the ‘padding down’ style of goalkeeping offering a number of combinations, the goalkeeper can choose how to set up their arm protection in relation to the reflex qualities that freedom of movement allows.

The removable style of arm pads, like Obo’s design, makes it possible and easy to customise protection desired to the goalkeeper’s preferences according to their style of play. Rather than wearing both arm pads for full protection, there are a number of different combinations to allow greater flexibility in fluid saving movements, or that extra mobility to make reflex saves when reacting to an unexpected change of angle, like during a tip-in deflection. Suiting the goalkeeper’s style of save making, the different set-ups give various advantages to aid in their shot stopping abilities.

Right arm padded only

This concept has the goalkeeper removing the arm pad from the left arm, for full movement (useful for defending against well placed quick shots, like fast drag flicks and hard, well struck shots), but keeping the right arm padded for full protection. It is based on the theory of the right arm being used to block shots (being placed behind the stick to cover, on raised shots, if the ball is missed) and spending most of the time on the floor, so therefore needs protecting – when going down in a log, or sliding out to tackle/block, only the right arm will be on the ground. Dropping the arm completely down to be flat and fully connected with the pitch, for covering the shot along the floor opens up the gaps above and below the elbow, which would not be protecting by elbow pads. The arm pad therefore provides full protection, when fully extending the arm on a low save.

With the right side therefore not needing to be so ‘reflexive’ (bringing the glove/stick in to block), only the left arm is uncovered. Even elbow pads can be somewhat restrictive (especially if they are tightly strapped over the arm), so to gain full movement in reflex saves to the glove side, the glove arm is not protected to allow total freedom for the arm and elbow joint muscles to move. This way, the goalkeeper can actively make unrestricted athletic glove saves reaching across, without the stiff arm pad to limit movement.

This style of upper body protection has been fairly popular with the crop of New Zealand’s international goalkeepers; Paul Woolford used it during his whole international career, as did his replacement Kyle Pontifex for a short while. It is quite popular in Germany, with a number of Bundesliga goalkeepers using the set-up, as well as being used by Dutch keepers. There are also a couple of keepers in the Spanish male Divisio D’Honor (like the Club de Campo goalie) using it for its gained movement to the glove side.

It is currently growing in popularity in South America as the general method of protection. Argentina’s number 1 women’s keeper, Maria Belen Succi, and the second men’s keeper both use the set-up, whilst it is growing in use in Chile; with their men’s keepers using it. It is also popular in the junior ranks; with the junior Argentinian goalkeepers using it in the recent Junior World Cups.

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Right arm pad, left elbow

With arm pads being bulky and weighted, the goalkeeper can often be handicapped by the thick padding on the left arm, needing to be able to move around more fluidly for reactive glove saves in the reflex style of field hockey goalkeeping. Requiring extra manoeuvrability to power away rebounds in a directed clearance away from the body, arm pads don’t always give optimum movement, so an elbow pad is worn instead. However, the left arm can still be vulnerable to dodgy shots because of

goal mouth scrambles and close-in tips; going down athletically to block with the body, so the elbow pad is often worn to protect the bone and surrounding joints.

The elbow pad on the left arm offers a more suitable alternative to an arm pad on the glove side; protecting the elbow from a shot without fully limiting the ability for reflexive and reactive saves around the body and sides. With the elbow covered, only the forearm and the bicep area above the elbow (which is fleshy and less at risk to breaking, if a shot did pin the goalkeeper there) are in potential danger, thus ensuring the goalkeeper is protected enough for game action. The arm pad left on the right arm enables the goalkeeper to happily make more angle and ‘body’ saves; using it for blocking with an active barrier, knowing the arm is potentially well protected from harm.

This method is quite rare, with not too many goalkeepers using it. Currently, the Austrian mens’ goalkeeper was seen using it at the recent Rabo EuroHockey Nations Championships tournament (for World Cup qualification), whilst there is at least one goalkeeper in the Irish national league using the arm pad and elbow set-up. It is also taught and slightly popular in Australia; Stephen Mowlam was known to wear it when logging in a short corner defence.

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Both elbows

An alternative method to wearing a full arm pad, which enables freer movement at the wrists and shoulders (the turning points of the arm, for those ‘twitch’ actions to make a last moment reaction save, which are often infringed with arm pads too stiff to provide the full range of amount), giving the greatest amount of freedom, bar wearing nothing, is to wear elbow pads on both arms. In comparison to wearing full arm padding, the reduced amount of coverage also results in decreased weight for the goalkeeper to carry, meaning they are not as weighed down as much for moving into reaching saves. The goalkeeper is not completely infringed from moving the arm fully, for reflex saves, and is also covered against the chances of being in the vicinity.

Elbow pads are worn purely for protective purposes, as the school of thought teaches the need to protect the bone (which would put the goalkeeper out of action, if damaged), as well as looking after the muscles: the pads are there to protect the bones, from a direct hit, whilst looking after the muscle joints surrounding the elbow, on the basis that continually landing on the area after a save (when diving or landing a jump/high dive) can result in long lasting damage – causing an ailment similar to “tennis elbow”. Sometimes, they are often simply used to cover bare flesh, with the chance of ‘skinning’ the elbows on a rough sand based pitch.

When standing up against shots, and bringing the arms in to passively block, like against a deflection, where the arms are exposed, the goalkeeper is putting themselves in danger. Elbow pads often have added forearm padding, helping protect the vulnerable bones surrounding the wrist, in case of taking a shot there; furthering the confidence to go down low against hard strikes that would otherwise be dangerous. With the elbows fully protected, the goalkeeper can comfortably go down for barrier saves and block slides with the confidence of being safe from harm, as well as having the elbow ‘backed up’ for blocking a stick side shot, with the chance of it skimming past.

This set-up is popular in Britain, and with the common school of thought with goalkeeper coaches; it is seen quite a lot in the domestic regional and national leagues, as well as at county and junior level. International English goalkeepers George Pinner and Becky Duggan are among the many examples. Welsh, along with Irish goalkeepers, also find it popular; like David Harte, Ireland’s no 1. However, it is not just used in the British Isles: Klaas Veering, the goalkeeper from Amsterdam H&BC (who has been capped internationally) uses this; matching his style for stand-up reaction saves and blocking low with barriers. There are also a few goalies in the Bundesliga who use the set-up, with Kristina Reynolds (female German international, who played as the first choice keeper in the 2008 Beijing Olympics) wearing two elbow pads as well.

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Right arm elbow, left unprotected

For stand-up reflexive style keepers who hardly ever go down to ground for a save and prefer to bring their gloves in to block shots on either side of the body, they tend to use a set-up, where only the right elbow is padded, to enable as much movement as possible, without maximising the risk levels. With the left arm left needed for extra movement for those athletic, reflex and dramatic saves against tough drag flicks, only the right elbow is padded up. In case of being hit there, an elbow pad is worn; reinforcing the coverage behind the stick, for stick saves (in case the shot is missed). This also helps protect the joints and muscles, when diving down to the stick side; limiting the chances of damaging the elbow when landing, as well as the chance of getting hit there. Again, with the left arm free, the goalkeeper has full movement on glove saves, for using the glove in all positions around the body in shot blocking.

The main chance of being hit on the right elbow is when going down on the play; diving, sliding out to tackle or going down to block a low shot, with barrier style saves. The elbow pad also gives protection to the elbow when sliding; covering against the chance of skidding along the pitch surface when sliding on the right. It is also possible to safely go down against a shot with a ‘long barrier’ shape for barrier saves; tucking the right arm more into the body to give extra protection (with the left arm also brought down to hip height, and behind the body, to protect the fully exposed arm), to bring the exposed area of the arm (upper arm and forearm) away from the shot; so an elbow pad provides sufficient protection, covering the vulnerable bone.

This style is fairly popular in Holland; Jaap Stockman, the young prodigy of HC Bloemendaal and the Dutch national team uses it to protect his right side, whilst leaving the glove arm free for reflex saves; the main element of his deep positional, reactive style. It is also fairly popular in Belgium, with national keeper David van Ryssleberghe is a good example. England national goalkeepers James Fair and Nick Brothers both use the set-up, for its reflex style elements, and reacting athletically against well placed drag flicks. Ireland’s second choice international keeper Iain Walker, use of it for its reflexive purposes, shows how its popularity in western Europe is growing. Kyle Pontifex (New Zealand’s new first choice) has been using this set-up since 2007 and the BDO Champions Challenge, again, for its increased freedom of movement for reflex style saves. Juan Manuel Vivaldi, Argentina’s prominent number 1 men’s goalkeeper, who has also recently been playing in the Hoofdklasse (Holland’s premier league) also uses it, for these reasons.

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Which to use?

The combination you use for arm protection will depend on the way you play: if you spend more time standing up, patiently waiting to react to the shot, then you will normally ‘pad down’ more to allow greater use of your reflexes, whilst if you prefer to bring your body into play to get in front of the ball, then you are going to cover up more. You should also be aware of the safety aspects relating to reducing protection to allow increased movement for save making; given that you are exposing vulnerable areas by losing protection in order to gain advantages of increased movement, you should be aware of plays in the game that can leave you in danger, like close-in shots with the arms brought, where you could risk a fracture if you ended up being hit on the uncovered bone.

The older and more experienced you get, the better you are to experiment, knowing how you play and the ways you block certain types of shots, and can therefore make well thought out decisions concerning your safety.

Standing when the ball is outside your half

When the ball is outside of your team’s half, you can actively step forward to be nearer the action. Ready to react as the game develops, you can play aggressively to gain the advantage; already ready to move into intercept an attacker or pass into the D, to prevent a scoring chance.

A lot of goalkeepers like to stay inside their goal when the ball is outside their half and then move out as the play gets through, allowing them to cover the posts in case of an inrushing attack. However, the more dominant goalkeepers will stand confidently at the top of the D, so they can intercept any stray balls, also giving them a better chance to immediately tackle a forward as they run through the D.

Being aware of the need to be aggressive and acting correspondingly, will further your ability to control the play; able to shut down attacking chances by acting with confidence and awareness of the game’s development.

Standing on your line

Rather than coming off their line to prepare for any offensive breakaways into the D, you will often see a lot of goalkeepers staying back on the line, even when the ball is in the opposition’s zone. Passive goalkeepers who are not as comfortable aggressively stepping out to cut off a breakaway by actively running out to tackle, will often stay close to their line, even when the play is outside their half; ‘rooted’ to their goal line. By being so deep, they can play a shot, if a breakaway occurs; covering all options in order to block the incoming shot, rather than challenging out; allowing them to play to their strengths in angle play and reflexes, for a reactive save according to the incoming shot.

Staying nearer to the goal line means that the goalkeeper is further way from the play, often unable to react in time to a breakout play from the opposition, through their own defence (facing 2 on 1s, 3 on 2s etc.). As a result of being so deep within the D, you will have to be a lot quicker ‘off the mark’ in reacting to a lone player breaking into the zone, if you intend to tackle them successfully; immediately sprinting straight out, off your line to the top of the D, when you need to confront an open player running into the D, in order to make the interception.

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Staying further back leaves you significantly more vulnerable to the incoming attacker, with speed and multiple options on their side.

Standing at the top of the D

At higher levels of the game, where the action is more fast paced and open, you will often see goalkeepers standing far off their line; readily anticipating an attack when the ball is in the opposition’s half and 25. Standing at the top of the D, you are nearer to the action. With a better view of the action, by gaining a closer view (rather than staring at a distance), you can also get a clearer look at things that are happening and are therefore able to make more accurate calls to your team; relating the dangers of free and mobile opposition players. Other than showing outward confidence to the team and opposition alike, as well as getting a better view of the pitch, from where they can shout commands to their team mates, it allows you to be ‘quick off the blocks’ in responding to defensive breakdowns and resulting scoring opportunities as they occur.

By confidently stepping so far out, you are closer to the action; able to quickly intercept a free attacker or pass into the D, without having to move into position to do so (by running in etc.). Ready and anticipating, instead of being ‘on the back foot’ and ‘slow footed’, you can see the danger developing from the outset, and respond immediately to it: showing good anticipation skills and a positive thinking aggressive mindset. This way, you increase your chances of disrupting passing plays simply by being in the right place and the right time.

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By being active in positioning at the top of the D, you stand a better chance of making attacking interceptions.

Against a breakaway, an inactive goalkeeper in this situation would normally stand near, or even on the goal line, making it much more difficult to make the interception, as they have to race out in full kit to make the tackle. Being off your guard and not watching the play will leave you an easy target against skilled shooters. However, by being ready for an incoming player you stand a greater chance of successfully making the tackle.

Being aggressive

Standing at the top of the D means you are able to shut down plays more easily by being effectively “already there”; not having to sprint out off your line to meet an attacker or loose ball, but simply being on ‘the doorstep’ to the action. By being closer incoming play, you have less to travel to meet the attackers; setting up in an advanced position, ready to deal with overhead aerial passes into the D, leaving you up against an open breakaway situation, or multiple player scenario (with further attackers running in as the ball is held). An aggressive attitude in being ready and alert makes sure you are ready for the challenge; able to spring immediately into action as the player breaks through your defence and in onto goal.

As a result of being decisive and aggressive in your play, there are a number of possible actions that you can take against opposition plays breaking through the ’25. Disrupting such attacking plays allows your defence to get back in time to help out, as well as shutting down the present scoring chance, to deny the opportunity of a goal against.

Such scenarios include:

Making attacking clearances by clearing loose balls into the D (like aerials or strong hits in), which incoming runners are attempting to latch onto for a tip-in or breakaway chance
Making interceptions at the top of the D; running out on the angle of the attacker’s run, to slide tackle, to relieve the attacker of the ball and eliminate a scoring chance
Challenge the attacker coming into the D: meeting them early to challenge (staying on your feet and looking big, forcing them to go round you), and forcing them wide, so that you can force the shot wide, or move back with them to block a shot on goal they attempt

Being agile

Being aggressive in coming out to the top of the D to challenge coincides with agility and being mobile around the D; in order to get back in time to meet a shot if a pass is made around or into the D for a play on through to goal, you need to be quick enough and athletic enough to get back to cover the open ground. Working on overall fitness (to build up the required ) and practising roaming around the D at training, via respective drills, will help you learn when and how to come out to challenge, whilst being comfortable doing it.

Where should I stand?

Ultimately it is up to you to decide where to stand, according to your individual style of game; if you prefer to hang back and play the angles to limit a shooting chance, then you are more likely to play deep within your D and not step out to the top ready to challenge incoming plays. However, to take full control of your D, you need to be aggressive in stepping forward; ready for any attack and following the game play, influencing it as best as possible in ‘dominating the D’. By challenging with your positioning, you are able to control the play and shut down scoring chances; denying the opposition goal opportunities by acting like a spare defender.

If you are happy to act aggressively, and confident in your tackling abilities and aggressive style of play (being decisive, so as not to back away from a challenge and give the attacker the upper hand), then you should definitely be active in standing further up in the D when the ball is under control. Having a strong defence to rely on is helpful and important, but communication and awareness of where they are is crucial to success.

Recommended use, hot pants, groin guard

qna Question:

I play for club and school in Australia and I train with a division one team on the side. Last week during division one training I was hit in the belly of my kicker last years Yahoo and it kind of hurt. I was fine at the time and I continued to train. Afterwards when I got home and I rolled my foot and several bones cracked. After a physio trip I came out missing all three of my games that weekend. Now to clarify I don’t blame my gear for my injury or Obo but I was thinking there aren’t many warnings on the site for gear about maximum speed or recommended use. Just a suggestion. Tyson H-CPS. I’m in the market for groin gear and thigh protectors. I was wondering how far can the thigh protectors go around and do you put an athletic cup in the groin gear or is it good to go out the packet.

Answer:

I’m sorry to hear about your injury. All new OBO equipment comes with a warning that states that hockey is a contact sport and that injury is a possibility. I’m attaching a link from the OBO website that explains the recommended level of use for each range of equipment:

http://www.obo.co.nz/#Products/RangesOverview

It can be tough with equipment when you’re a younger keeper training up, but I think it’s really important that when you buy and use equipment you consider the level you want to play in the future as that’s often where you’ll train. As you know, players in your first team can consistently hit the ball hard.

On your last question, the ROBO hot pants do a great job of protecting the inner thigh region. They must be worn with an athletic cup in the groin area, playing out of the packet is not a good idea.

good luck,

Jon

What to do after the shot

Down on the play, you are left between a ‘rock and a hard place’; having limited time to recover into your ready stance in readiness for the next save. Working out what to do next and deciding on when to recover, will affect the future outcome of the situation.

Now that you’ve made the low save (like a dive, or have purposefully gone down to block with a barrier) the hardest thing to deal with is getting back up and recovering in time for the secondary save. Similarly, if you end up on your back, after making a scrambled save, moving across goal, and end up losing your balance, then your situation is made even more tricky by the need to get strong in your stance within the time allowed to recover.

The burning question on your mind, is what to do next; unsure whether to cover shooting space, or take yourself out of the play for a recovery. Do you make the effort to get back up and try to get set? Or do you attempt to make a desperation save against the rebound shot?

With the ball potentially coming straight back into play, you have to have your wits about you; aware of what is going on around you, and able to make a dramatic reflex save if required. Your defenders can be extremely helpful in getting the ball out of the zone as the shooters attempt to score on the rebound, and you need to work with them, as well as communicating the dangers they aren’t attentive to.

Recovering from the save

Barrier saves are hard to recover from, even without the need for quickness; along with getting up from a save where you have ended up on the pitch. As with all saves, the best recovery is reversing how you made the movement in the first place; pushing up off the stick, getting up on your feet and then going back to your normal stance.

after_shot

Bring your left leg in front of your right leg, planting firmly down on the ground with your left foot
Raise yourself up onto your right glove, ready to push up
Push yourself up in a single motion,
As you do that, bring your right leg underneath your left
Kneeling off your right knee, plant your right foot on the ground as you push from it to a standing position
Return to your ready stance

When pushing, make sure you get as much power as possible in order to get up in one go, otherwise you will struggle and waste precious time or get stranded.

Keep your eyes on the ball at all times, so you are aware of where it is and whether another shot is coming your way or not. You can keep your glove out in front of you at all times in case of a shot, which you can stop with the glove.

after_shot1

As you get better and stronger from practise, you can eliminate getting up off the knee and get up in a single motion instead.

When to recover

As the goalkeeper facing the shots, it is important to come to your own conclusions about when to recover in time; if you recover too early you may leave yourself vulnerable, whereas if you stay down for too long, you will leave yourself open to lifted shots.

Depending on how the play is developing, and your confidence in your own recovery speeds, you should recover for the next shot as it develops.

Pointers

When you recover depends on the situation and how the play has developed. If you can recover and it is best to do so, then get back up quickly, otherwise stay down and get ready to block another shot!

Once the ball is cleared from the zone and away from danger, you can get up again normally
If the ball rebounds to the top of the D, get up as quickly as possible using the recovery technique

Staying down

Sometimes the only thing you can do against the shot is to stay down. You don’t have enough time to recover, so the best thing is to remain down, allowing you to cover the low shot. You can attempt to get in the way of rebound opportunities, using your body to cover the shooting space, even putting your hand in front of the shot to cover more space. Rolling over onto your back can help you cover low on-pitch strikes using the snow angel desperation technique as explained later on.

The shooter’s priority here is to get the ball over or through you as quickly as possible. You can bank on their nervousness and desire to get the shot off as soon as possible, simply shooting straight into you.

Relying on your defenders

Some of us are blessed with good defenders who know our style of play and decision making in dealing with shots. By staying down on the play and letting our defenders deal with clearing the rebound, we can increase coverage of the bottom of the net, in case the attackers try to lift the ball or shoot at your prone frame as they attempt to get the ball out of the D.

You will generally not have time to recover, so letting your defenders do the job for you will help you in dealing with the situation.

Analysing your in-game play

It is important to analyse any game you play; allowing you to evaluate key areas of weakness that can be improved, as well as working out your strengths. Whilst a bad game is best forgotten, you can look back on your performance to learn from your mistakes and not commit them in the future.

As a goalkeeper intent on making it big, you should always consider how well you played in the game. You may think you’ve done your best, but there’s always something you could have done better, or a play you could have prevented. Even if you played a ‘blinding’ game and kept a clean sheet, there are still things that you can work on! Seeing every game as an opportunity to improve, instead of being already being ‘perfect’ will help you greatly in developing your own game in order to succeed as best you can.

Remember: goalkeeping is a journey of develop, and by the time you reach your peak, you will be more of a finished product, in your overall understanding of the game and therefore ability to control the play, compared to when you first started in ‘between the sticks’.

Weaknesses

Weaknesses are basically areas of the game that still need to be worked on.

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If you are aware , then you need to work twice as hard to get rid of those bad habits. Not all of our potential weaknesses are down to skills and abilities though; a poor mental approach to the game could leave the team in disarray as the goalkeeper ‘folds’ under the pressure.

Below are some examples:

Ability to make great acrobatic saves, but uncontrolled; giving away easy rebounds
Poor angle play letting in ‘soft’ goals
Lack of aggression leading to easy break away opportunities
Poor recovery, meaning the goalkeeper is out of the play for too long
Gives up easily (in a tough game), therefore putting his team at a disadvantage
Failure to control rebounds – puts them straight back out to the player, or does not chase after the ball to kick clear
Does not dominate the D; fails to properly control the play, unable to read the game and over commits too easily in situations, leaving open shooting space
Fails to shout out instructions or call out plays, for the defence to control the play, leading to scoring opportunities

Strengths

A strong goalkeeper is one who is capable of winning games, and has the confidence to back it up. It takes hard work to develop into a great shot stopper, as the examples show:

Good rebound control preventing secondary scoring chances
Confident in intercepting passes to prevent scoring opportunities
Organises the defence well, so that they see few shots
Strong reflexes and reads the play well; making good saves when called upon in penalty corners
Doesn’t give the opposition the upper hand by not showing emotion (keeps up the appearance of being unbeatable, rather than showing weakness)

What you need to improve on

By analysing your mistakes in the game, and what you should have done or could have done better to reduce the number of shots you faced, or improper technique, in using the wrong save for the situation, or poor technique resulting in the opposition gaining possession of the ball, like a weak clearance. Looking back at the game will help you work out what needs improving; practising a different save may be a better way of controlling the rebound. Discuss with your coach what you need to work on, and always look to improve yourself: if you want to be the best of the best, you’ll have to work for it.

Keeping notes

A great idea is to keep a record of your games, using a paper flip book or storing documents on a computer. After each game I like to evaluate my performance in order too isolate weaknesses and see what needs working order to successfully win tight games where the all-important save is decisive, so I don’t make the same mistake twice. Writing down what I did well, what goals I let in; when they occurred (i.e. if late in the game as a result of reduced concentration), how I could have actually stopped them going in, and what I did wrong, I can analyse key areas of my own game. This way I can keep track of weaknesses and trouble spot areas within the game, like set-plays (if they are a recurring problem), so I don’t commit them again in the next game, as well as staying aware of my strengths.

Although it is good to put a bad game behind you and focus on the next, it is more important to work out what needs working on and prevent it from happening again. This way, you will ultimately improve and play better, to your full potential.

Keep your gloves in front of your body!

Holding your gloves allows you to be get control of more raised shots by being nearer to the incoming ball, instead of having to react to every shot; pushing into the save. This is important when facing faster and harder shots, where you have less time to react to the shot, and therefore have a harder time controlling where the rebound will end up.

An important feature of your ready stance is your glove positioning. If you keep your hands low and inactive, out of the way where they can only block low, you make them effectively useless; taking them out of action for a raised save. However, by bringing them up, where you can then be able to move with greater reaction to counter act the speed of the shot. As raised drag flicks are virtually unstoppable when roofed into the top corners, it is important to try and combat this. With your gloves in front of your body, you do not have to bring the arm up on the save; this makes it easy to get your glove on saves to control the shot and rebounds, rather than missing the shot entirely.

A raised glove stance is a technique used by soccer and ice hockey goalies to maximise shot stopping abilities by ‘being set’ before the shot, and works just as well when applied to hockey. The theory behind it is that with your gloves already ready; in position for the immediate save, you do not have to move as much on reacting to the shot. The closer you are to the ball, the less you have to react to the shot, due to forward preparation. It makes life easier shot stopping as you close down the shooter’s options, speeding up your reaction to the shot as you have more time to react by being nearer the incoming ball.

Being pro-active with your stance, you can actively challenge the shooter; covering space and limiting their shooting options. Mentally and physically ready for the shot, you are set before the play more able to deal with the impending strike.

Hands tight to the body

There is a tendency to routinely forget or ignore a proper ready stance, and be lazy in positioning your gloves, simply letting them drop to your sides. Limiting yourself in your ability to save shots by being held back against the incoming shot is not good: against a fast strike, you cannot react in time to stop it properly. The further your gloves are from the ball, the harder the save is; reacting late to the shot as it comes in and requiring you to lift your arms up high within an instant, whilst covering less space (so the shooter can see more of the goal, and you cannot close off options).

With your hands ‘back’ and close to your body, you are limiting your ability to make saves. There is also the possibility of interference, with your arms rubbing and bashing into your body, as you lock them into your stance, which can prevent full range of movement. Trying to be over reliant on reflexes is a bad idea – you simply cannot stop high shots with a low glove position. You can make the best use of your reflexes by having your hands already up for the save; increasing your reaction speeds against the shot and therefore reacting immediately, gaining the edge needed to stop the ball.

gloves_out

Gloves out

With your gloves out in front of you, you can get behind the save more easily; with more power and speed. Logically, you are closer to the ball on the raised shot: the closer you are, the less you have to react (as you are already in position for the save) and can therefore reduce reaction times for a fast reflex save against screened shots or quick shots. By pushing out with strong momentum, and less distance to travel to meet the ball, you can power into the save and force the rebound away further, with the momentum.

In contrast, to a stance with your gloves placed down by your sides, you can be more flexible and active with your hands out, getting your gloves on every shot that comes your way; pro-actively reacting to shots, with greater movement and fluidity, rather than trying to push into saves outside your comfort zone (if playing a tighter stance). With your hands out in front of your body, you have less work to do, enabling you to react quicker with greater aptitude.

Against drag flicks, with great height and speed (i.e. crossbar height), it is impossible to bring your gloves up high enough from a low starting position to reach into a raised save; therefore, by having the gloves up and out in the space, you stand a better chance of reaching the ball on time.

gloves_out2

Gravity works the same way, so it is easier to drop your gloves for a lower save, as you can quickly bring your glove down, facing the ball, to build up a blocking barrier (if needs be around the hip), when dealing with a shot around the body. If you face a lower shot than expected within this position, then you can simply bring your gloves down; reacting to the danger as it presents itself and blocking instinctively.

Pointers:

Hold your gloves out in front of you (about the third of a stick length or more) to move them away from your body
Try to get your gloves to shoulder or chest height to bring them up for higher shots
Have your elbows outside your body (bringing the arms out to the side so they are horizontal), so they do not interfere, and free up the range of available movement
With both hands out, you can be active with your rhp as well – don’t always try to bring your glove across, if you can make the block with your rhp

Working on strengthening your arms will help you in being able to hold your gloves out in your stance (without getting tired and then lazy) for the full length of the game, especially if you use a heavy stick – weight training (for keepers aged 16 and over) can be helpful with this. Wrist weights on the hands also be useful in building up resistance on glove positioning.

Fransisco Cortes of Club Egara (current Spanish number 1 keeper) is a great example to watch and learn from; he has a ready stance with his gloves far forward, consistently positioning all the time, in every game situation, in order to be active with his glove saves. You can watch highlights of him in action at the Euro Hockey league website , or search for “Spain hockey” or “Club Egara” on YouTube. Vogels (the well known Dutch no. 1) also uses the same glove positioning, out in front of his body (search for “Netherlands hockey”, “HGC”, or “Hoofdklasse” on YouTube to watch him in action).

gloves_out3

Be active

The key to having your gloves out for saves, is making it become a standard thing. To make sure you are doing it, you have to programme your mind to get set in the same stance all the time. Train yourself to get into a proper hand stance every time you set for the shot, so that it becomes automatic during games. In training purposefully practise with your gloves out on all shots; this will then transfer into games where you will find yourself automatically pushing your gloves out.

Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide how you position your gloves, but having the gloves out does improve the ability to stop shots around you, with greater capability. It is not being passive, but the opposite; you are quicker moving into the save than when trying to push out from a tight stance, with the gloves close into the body, taking advantage of reaction times on really fast shots, to give yourself the best fighting chance of a save.

Slippery Stuff!

Hey guys and gals,

I don’t know about anyone else, but i love slide-tackling the striker thinking that they have just scored another goal because they get a 1v1 with the goalie. I’m ready and waiting, and then bam! they are on the ground and the ball is back over the halfway line.

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Something that helps me achieve this is a small miracle called silicon spray. I spray a layer of this onto my leg guards before every game, (i have 3 practices and 2 games a week), and not only does it protect my pads from wearing down, it lets me slide alot faster on all turfs, (water and sand). Fast sliding means the striker mis judges your tackle, and the ball is yours.

One hint, don’t spray this stuff on your kickers otherwise you will find it alot harder to control the direction of the rebound, and if it get on the bottom of your feet then over you go.

You can buy silicon spray from a place like Repco, Bunnings, or any good automotive or engineering shop for around $10 NZD.

Videos of this great stuff to come.

Any questions please dont hesitate to ask.

Cheers,

Travis.