Keepers Resources
I’m putting together a magazine article on changes in ‘keeping technique over the last twenty or thirty years… everyone here seems incredibly knowledgeable and opinionated about their ‘keeping, so if any of you go back a bit (like me!) and can remember, say, the offside rule, or cane pads and leather kickers, and fancy a chat about how the game has changed, I’d love to hear from you. You can drop me an email at richardsmyth100@hotmail.com. Thanks!
As a goalkeeper it is very important that you know the roles and responsibilities of every position in Penalty Corner Defence. It is your job to control the circle and therefore the PCD. You will be given guidance from coaches along the way but if you know each position then you can be confident in your job and help your team mates if they are unsure.
Firstly I need to explain that there are many ways to defend a penalty corner with the most common being a 1:3 set up. I wont go into detail with them all but the roles of each person change slightly depending on the way you run out. The explanations below are based on a 1:3 structure.
Goalkeeper: First role is to save the shot. If it is a flick then you need to be standing and if its a hit you must be lying down. When lying down you should be able to cover most of the goal. When fully stretched out your left glove and stick needs to cover the right post. Your stick may hang over a little bit but it is important you can save everything that is on the ground or in the air on that side. Once the first save has been made you need to be back on your feet for any rebounds.
Left Post: First role is similar to the goal keeper. Save the shot. The posty needs to stand to the goalkeepers left and either in line with or in front of you. When you lie down they need to cover the rest of the goal as unless you are six foot four you will not be able to cover it all. Second role for the posty is to go for any R2 deflections. This is very difficult as they must not move off the post too early but if they can read it then they should go for it. The final role is to clear the pads. If the ball stops in front of the goalkeeper then the posty must turn, block out the attackers and clear the ball wide.
Right post: This position has a number of responsibilities and requires a bit of multi tasking. They should stand on the outside of the post and about three steps in front of you to start. First task is to block out any deflectors that come in on the left side. They must also be ready to intercept any balls that go back to the push out. The third job is to block out any rebounders and clear the pads if necessary.
First Runner: This would have to be the most simple role on PCD’s but requires the most courage. This person has to run as fast as they can to the top of the circle and use their stick or body to stop the first shot. If the ball is moved across the top of the circle then the runner must have a go at it.
Second runner: This person has the role of stopping the R1 deflector from getting in to a goal scoring position. They can use their body to block them out or just stand in front and make the trap. It is important that they stand just outside the line from the ball to the post if possible so that the posty has clear vision.
Dont forget to wear protective equipment
Penalty Corner Defense | rachaellynch.com.au
With the winter hockey season now over in the southern hemisphere I am sure many of you are starting to wonder what to do for the next few months until pre season starts. You have a few options. I am a big believer in getting some rest and making the most of the time off but if you want to keep up your skills then check out my suggestions below.
SUMMER HOCKEY – great opportunity for you to have some fun playing hockey without your goalie gear on. Summer hockey is designed to allow people to play hockey in the off-season, keep their skills and fitness up and have fun with a group of friends. For me I think you are better off playing as a field player and just enjoying your hockey. This is not to say that goal keeping is not fun but you need to spend some time out of your gear to freshen up and re motivate yourself for the following season.
INDOOR HOCKEY – This may not be available to everyone depending on where you live but if you get the opportunity to play Indoor hockey then I highly recommend you do it. I played both club and state level as a junior then senior and loved every minute of it. It is a different game but can be great for your footwork, reflexes and technique. The speed and intensity of the game combined with the smaller court means you are getting lots of touches and plenty of action. It is a nice change from regular hockey. You may need to buy/make some covers for your OBO leg guards as it makes it easier to slide on the different surface.
Now if you want time off hockey completely but are feeling motivated to keep your reflexes up I can suggest you try a bit of table tennis. Not just your traditional table tennis though, playing with a bat in each hand. I learnt this little trick following a conversation with Danny Green’s trainer. He felt it was a great way to improve both your hand eye coordination on both sides and also your reflexes. Try it. If you have a friend who is pretty handy it will help but if not just enjoy a game or two and make sure you use both hands.
If you have any tips or ideas of your own around keeping up your skills in the off season I would love to hear about them.
Goalkeeping and the off season | rachaellynch.com.au
Hey all I just wanted to let you know how great I think that the new chest guard is (Previous post). I got a very hard hit on the shoulder about a week ago and I think that the new chest guard performed very well. I believe if I was in anything else the hit would have floored me.
Also I got a hit in the middle of the chest today and hardly felt it at all.
So far this new chest guard is performing great.
Many people ask me for recommendations on gear so I thought I would put up a post with all the equipment I use. OBO lead the hockey world when it comes to Goalkeeping gear. They produce the very best quality equipment and have been keeping goalies safe for years. I have been lucky enough to have the support of OBO for my whole international career and I know that I can not play my best hockey without it on.
If you are looking at purchasing your first set of gear then I have two pieces of advice for you. Number one: Always try the gear before you buy it. Borrow some from your club, a friend or a team mate and try training in it to see if you are comfortable and like the feel of the gear. Number two: Buy gear that fits you perfectly. The gear is quite expensive and if you are a young keeper then yes you will grow out of it quickly but if it does not fit properly then you will not be able to move efficiently and your saves will be less effective. As a junior I was lucky enough to borrow gear from my school then Greensborough, my club. Every year I would save up for a new piece of equipment or put in a request to santa. If you need assistance just pop into any Hockey World or OBO store or you can email me through the site.
OBO Robo Hi rebound Leg Guards and Kickers
OBO Robo left and right hand Gloves
OBO Body Armour and Arm Guards
OBO Padded Shorts and Pelvic Protector
OBO Helmut and Neck Guard
Hockeyroos Goalie Smock
OBO Wheelie Bag
Special thanks to Steve Zang for the photos
I am an OBO keeper | Rachael Lynch
by Michael Smith
Style
This is the style of top that a lot of keepers have been waiting for. No more ¾ length tops or using a similar style from another sport. The other company that does this style is Kukri, however they will only normally produce a GK top as part of a team order and they do not have a vented back.
For info, I had both GK’s come over from the game prior to mine to have a look and the opposition GK after our game (all in OBO kit, two had a Mazon shirt with the other wearing an older OBO design – silver/black). Also, it received a lot of compliments from my own team. That has never happened before.
Colours
Great combination and looking forward to seeing the other colours to match specific foam colours. My complete kit is red and black. [Admin: available colours are black/orange, blue/black, black/silver, blue/orange.]
Printing
Great integration of the OBO into the number one at the back. However, a lot of GK’s are not number 1; therefore, does this come as an option unprinted? [Admin: we no longer print the number ‘1’ on the back of the shirts].
In addition, I have had this screen printed with my name on the back and the number 1 on the front also.
Fit
At first glance this top (size L) look really small and figure hugging almost like a muscle top. This isn’t just my view but also that of the other GK’s who have much better physiques – (I will blame age and beer). However, once worn with body armour it really does come into its own. The body armour is kept firmly in place and whilst it is definitely snug it does provide an overall sense of protection. I can only relate to the same way it feels when wearing the stripper pants and overshorts as everything is compact but comfortable. I do not know how much difference is there is between the L / XL etc but would be worth noting the exact sizing details on the sales info.
This is definitely a top that is not suitable for the full body armour with arms; however, I believe that is self explanatory when buying a top of this nature. It fits really well with the OBO elbow guards as the fitted arms do not get caught in the guards unlike the sports tops that I wear.
Vented Back
Great for me in Australia during warm games however am not sure of the whole philosophy. If anything, the back is probably the coldest area on a keeper as the body armour always keeps the front warm. In addition, there are a large number of keepers now wearing Skins or equivalent. I still either use an OBO wicking or skins. The old style GK Tops were always vented being a spin out of ice hockey smocks with the new way being all enclosed similar to outfield players. I am not sure if there are actually any performance differences but am sure you guys have researched it more than I am aware of. In summary, I do not know whether or not it is needed and honestly do not have a preference either way.
In summary
I absolutely loved this top and consider it by far the best one I have had and surpassing anything that OBO have produced previously. The colour range will be important as it always is with OBO products as different foam colours also play a big part.
Hey all, I wanted to share with you why I think that using 32″ stick is useful. I was finding the end of the handle annoying so I thought about going to a shorter stick to eliminate this problem. Using a shorter stick still provides the same amount of coverage out the end of my glove as can be illustrated by the photos below. Also the use of a shorter stick makes it just that little bit lighter for aerial saves. I have not found any disadvantages yet, but I would be interested in your thoughts about the use of a 32″ stick.
I do recommend that if you are going to try a shorter stick that you put a thicker piece of tape at the end of the handle for a sensory reminder, that you are at the end of the stick.
Dear Amazing person
We thought you might like to see this feedback on the new ROBO chest guard form Toni Cronk… Australian National Goalie. Toni’s comments (in red boxes around the edges of the fact and feature sheet) are really valuable to us, as they enable us to improve on small aspects of the product. We really value player feedback… from national goalies like Toni, to beginners; as while we know OBO products are good, we also know that they can be even better. We really do listen to feedback … so please keep it coming !
Cheers
Simon and the committed team at OBO New Zealand
Click to enlarge
One of 14 short films created by the Gibson Group for the Ministry of Science + Innovation. The 14 Kiwi companies featured were chosen for their originality and creativity, and have developed unique and fascinating products or services. Harnessing the characters and innovations from each of these organisations, Innovation Stories will take viewers inside exciting development processes, explain the science and workings behind the products, and provide engaging yarns that leave viewers with knowledge about the amazing innovations happening in New Zealand.
Hi everyone, I’m a GK myself and I run a large club in Hong Kong called Valley that runs 5 mens and 5 ladies teams.
We’ve got a bit of a goalkeeping crisis a present with only about 3-4 experienced goalkeepers to cover 10 teams, myself included. We’re keen to hear from anyone in the area who’s interested in joining us this year, especially at the top end of the club.
Please take a look around our website www.valleyrfc.com/hockey (Yes, we’re the Hockey section of a rugby club, but we’re by far the biggest section!).
If you’re interested please contact us on menshockey@valleyrfc.com or womenshockey@valleyrfc.com