Goalies: Breaking Habits and Training Harder

[Solstice]

I'm currently entering my Sophmore year as a goalie for my high school. During the indoor lacrosse season, I've developed a habit of collapsing to my knees on low shots in order to block them. This habit has both good and bad consequences. I've let in a handful of bounce shots that have gone over me, and also, I lose time when I have to stand up and reset.

I'm not a big, slow, timbering goalie as most teams are used to. I'm a lighter goalie, with quick relexes, and fast breaks. I started using this collapsing-habit to increase my lower leg and five-hole saves. It's had some success, but my coach isnt liking it. Should I just force myself to stay on my feet, and do a standard lower shot save position? What do most goalies do, high school and professional?

Also, I want to intensifiy my pre-season training. What drills do you other goalies do, alone and with another person? How do I decrease my hesiatation to step forward on extremely fast shots? One more question is, do you goalies prefer to break out of the crease on a clear, or stay inside?

[OldGoalie]

While there are some goalies that occasionally collapse to their knees to make low saves, and sometimes it's all you can do on a pure reaction save, it's really not a good habit to get into for the reasons you mentioned. Like you said, some shots will go over you, and if you give up a rebound, you'll be in a bad position to stop the next one. You really need to be stepping towards the ball and attacking it to stop the low ones.

Some drills you can try to break the habit include:
1) The "walking the line" drill, where you practice the right save moves over and over as you walk a line down the field (court, whatever). this gives you the repetition and muscle memory to make the proper save move
2) Step over the rope drill, where you place a rope or a shaft in front of your feet when you're in goal. To make each bounce save, you have to step over the rope/shaft and attack the ball to complete the save.
3) Handcuff drill. Get some handcuffs (or some rope, whatever) and attach it to your helmet facemask. Then, slip the other end over the shaft of your stick, and make saves like this. This forces you to get your head down towards the ball (instead of just collapsing) on every save, and reinforces the notion of getting low to attack the bounce shots.

Finally, work on your stance in goal - this should help you get to the low shots more easily. Bend your knees more, and get your butt down when in your ready stance. It's much easier to spring up and attack the high shots then it is to start high and drop low. There are no muscles to help you drop down to a low position, but there are big muscles that help you spring upwards, so if you start off lower, you'll be halfway there.

[lax17man]

i know a goalie that always went low and still had success but when he stoped doing that he was a lot better goalie.