We have been over a few of the basics but now its time for the fun stuff and this time its Diving. This is not a difficult skill to learn but does require some guts and determination to practice as if you get it wrong, it can hurt a little!
The key learning points are:
Start by practicing in your goal keeping gear on your knees. Sit up / kneel up straight and tall, then have a friend throw a ball to within you reach.
Go for it with both gloved hands; save the ball, then use your gloves to brace yourself as you land.
Practice this extensively, until you are quite familiar with all the points of impact – and the sensations – as well as the various ways you can lessen the force when your body meets with the ground.
Once you are comfortable doing this you can move on to do the same from a fully upright position.
Stand in your normal stance. As the ball comes towards you, push off with your outside leg to transfer your weight laterally. Then the main drive will come from your inside leg. Reach for the ball with one or both gloves; make the save then land with your hands bracing your fall.
The most important thing to remember is to make sure you are fully warmed up and stretched before trying this skill. It can be dangerous and hard on your body so please be careful.
Learning to Dive | Rachael Lynch
Hi Rachael. Great article, enjoying your website also.
I only started goalie’ing in my mid 20’s now in my early 30’s I have always been taught to drop on to my hip and lead with your glove hand covering the ground, I guess this is for low balls/logging. I always thought this was wrong and dangerous. And was too much pressure landing on the hip. Instead I would first try to move quicker with my feet but would dive if I knew it was going to be too wide. But that’s what it would be, an out stretched dive getting my whole body in to it leading with my hands and as my body would land gradually from the glove hands the weight would be distributed better, it felt better. Almost like a ‘break fall’ that I was taught when I did Judo. A way of distributing the forces of the fall/dive. I am confused because the coach teaching me this ‘leading with my hip’ is a respected coach yet this didn’t feel like the best way to perform that skill.
What I want to ask is there any skill logging/diving/dropping etc that requires you to ever land on the hip? If so or not what advice could you give me? (and my poor hips!)
Thanks
George
Hey George
The only thing I can think of is lying down on short corners. When dropping for a hit on a PC you should aim to get your hip on the ground in the middle of the goal. Although you still dont want to be landing hips first as like you said, it hurts. I always use my hands/arms to break my fall when going to ground.
Naturally when you dive your hands will hit the ground first due to gravity. You only have to watch a cricketer taking a catch. Even though their hands are occupied with the ball they still land arms first.
I am sure the coach had a theory behind it but I believe if it hurts then it is probably not a good idea to do it. I assume your hips would agree with this too?
Rachael