Tag: Q and A

Question:

I have been goalkeeping for 3 years now and I am 16. I now play for the Cambridge (England) fourth team. I have noticed that penalty flicks are ever increasingly going to my right. When standing in the middle of the goal it is too far to make a save with our foot and too close to dive down with my stick. Can you suggest how I might be able to save these? I am also thinking of buying some Cloud 9 kickers and legguards. Would you say it is really worth spending the extra money for Robo legguards at the men’s level I am playing at?

Answer:

As far as penalty strokes go, I would suggest you think about your positioning. Unless you’re very big and flexible, it’s hard to get to the low corners with your feet. Typically, I’m most successful getting to those shots by diving. Work on keeping your feet about shoulder width apart with the weight on the balls of your feet. Look to explode, pushing off from both of your feet and try to get those shots with your hands or stick, especially for the low ones to your right. Penalty flicks are equal parts skill, reaction, intuition and sometimes luck.

The thing that I would offer to you when you buy pads is to think of the level you want to play at. If you plan on playing seriously for a while, I would recommend the Robo.

Question:

I’m a well respected keeper in Ireland, and need help. When you are talking at the back, what should one say, because my captain keeps saying I’m not saying constructive things, but my coach says that I’m fine.

Also, this is going to sound strange, but at the moment, I can’t concentrate on the game, and aren’t making the outstanding saves I used to make. I am confident, and am still willing to do anything to keep the ball out of the net, but I have tried to tell my coach about it, but all she says is that I’ve got too many coaches coaching me that I’ve got too much information. Any suggestions will be much appreciated.

Answer:

I don’t know if I’m going to be construed as one of the too many coaches, coaching you, but…

I think the bottom line with communication is “what is the result of it?” If players do what you ask, it’s effective communication. If not, you need to find out what it takes to get people to do what you want. Some people respond to simple, direct instructions, others need to be clued in at urgent times and you’re going to convey that with your voice. Obviously your rapport with team-mates can influence things. Constructive comments are always appreciated. You’re the best judge of whether people are doing what you want. If they are, you’re fine, if not, you’ve got to tinker.

As far as confidence and making the outstanding save, outstanding saves happen, I don’t worry about making that save all the time, I found I had my most confidence when I made the routine save, automatic. There was no doubt I could do the skill and I did it. Confidence comes from reading situations and successfully defending them.

Finally, I don’t know that you can have too many coaches. Coaches are information and I don’t know that you can have too much information. Now there’s nothing to say you have to use all that information, but thinking about things reinforces and clarifies issues.

Question:

There is one answer I need to know. What kind of shoes should I wear?

Answer:

What kind of shoes you should wear depends on the surface you play on and the conditions you play in. If you play on grass, a cleat is usually the best shoe, but not one that is too grabby. Those are the kind that have 8-10 big, long cleats on the bottom. Those are only really good when you play on long, wet grass. If you play on astroturf, the shoe will depend on the kind of turf and whether the pitch is dry or wet. If the pitch is dry, or sand-filled, you can wear flats, either like a basketball shoe, tennis shoe or cross-trainer. If you play on wet turf, look for hockey shoes designed for wet turfs. They’re multi-cleated shoes with small cleat and lots of them. The big thing you don’t want to have is a shoe that you’re going to slip in when you move or stick when you extend to make a save.

Here’s a suggestion from Chris Howes in the UK: “Just a point about “what shoes to wear” – on sand filled astro, I suggest that the multi-studded (cleated?) shoes are best as the kicker straps will either fit between the studs, or the studs can be removed (with a sharp knife) to allow this. This then protects OBO’s wonderful, but rather expensive, straps from abrasion.”

Question:

I have played hockey for nine years and have played international hockey up to under 21 level. At a short corner I position myself at the usual 3 paces out from the goal line and kneel down on my right knee. This technique works brilliantly for all levels of short corner hitting I have played against. At senior club level most flicked short corners are of a mediocre standard and my current technique suffices. However, at a higher level I am concerned that my position will not allow me the time to react to a good, high and powerful flick. Should I change my technique or work on my current one until it is successful for me.

Answer:

I’m not a big proponent of the technique where you go down on one knee as a set up to logging. As you’ve noticed, the technique is good on hit shots, but drag flicks present a big problem. Your weight is committed to the knee and you’re basically rooted. You can stay with this technique and try making an adjustment to keeping your weight more on your left foot as opposed to your right knee, but with a good drag flick to the upper corners, even that will find you lacking. At the level you’re playing at, I’d suggest more of a stance where you’re in a lean, to get down.

The following is a summary of the technique. You’re starting in a position on the corner where you are square to the stick stopper and shooter as opposed to being square to the pusher outer. On the push out you’re looking to get out three to four yards. On the stop, you are set with your feet about a yard apart, your right foot is inside your right shoulder and your left foot is about eighteen inches to two feet outside your left shoulder with your knees slightly bent. These distances will vary depending on your height. The big thing is, you’re leaning to your right as you face out from the goal. To get down on a hit shot, you collapse your right. This allows you to drop down on to your side to log. To make yourself as big as possible, you straighten out your right leg and drop down on your hip. On balls that are struck to your far right, you can push off with your left foot to fully extend. When you’re down, you’re trying to do the same things as when you log out from being on a knee. You want your legs straight out, you want your hips and shoulders perpendicular to the ground or slightly forward so when the ball strikes you, it doesn’t deflect back and up in to the goal. You want to watch the ball all the way on to your body.

The strength of this stance is the flexibility it allows you on drag flicks or variations. On drag flicks, you can easily get yourself in to a balanced position by just getting your right foot outside your shoulder so that you can cover the upper corners of the goal. With that one adjustment, you’re basically back in to a set position for the shot. The same principle allows you to easily change your positioning with the changes of angle that come with variations on corners.

Like any change, it will take a while to get comfortable. You’ll need to work on footwork and getting down from a slightly higher position, but as you get more comfortable, I think you’ll find that you can cover struck shots just as well and will have more success with good drag flicks.

Question:

I was playing for a team and then I changed to a new one cause it lost all of it’s life (because of the money) and in the new team, the coach is an international player who happened to be a goalie, I was very happy at first cause I thought I’d learn a lot but it’s a year from that and he refuses to teach me anything by making himself as a fool so I’ve begged him to teach me and I don’t know what to do and I’d think I can improve my skills if he does, so have you got any ideas?

Answer:

If you haven’t already, ask to sit down and talk to him away from practice and your team-mates. I think one of the biggest obstacles to getting good coaching is communication. If you can express to him your frustration and that you look at him and his knowledge as an asset, he may be more willing to share his experience.