Question:
I really enjoyed your sliding tackles tips this month. As an ageing goalie who plays at a very low level of game, I have great difficulty in putting myself on the floor. I just cannot get the technique right. What would you suggest would be a good exercise to do? Apart from having too much beer before the game, whereby naturally falling over!
Answer:
Slide tackling is one of the hardest skills to practice because rarely do you get anyone who wants to practice for the sake of helping the keeper. Forwards want to score, which doesn’t necessarily mean that they want to do things repetitively or at slower speeds. Things that help a keeper master a skill.
As far as getting used to sliding, it is something that takes getting used to. I think the biggest thing is repetition. When I first work with keepers, I focus only on the technique. We slide to a target and focus on footwork and body positioning. Once the keepers start to get confidence we’ll start to work with field players and a ball at half speed. Like any new skill, you work on things in practice before you try them in a game, and probably overdo them in training so you get the reps you need.