Goalie FAQ's

[McCool123011]

Ask and answer your goalie FAQ's

I'll start off by asking if anyone has any tips on how to tell where you are when in goal?

[McCool123011]

Thanks I also make little points in the dirt to mark my mid cage left and right cage.

[stinisonfire]

Just like Xeclipse said... its all about sensing where you're at which takes time to develop. What I like to do in unfamiliar creases (or places without creases... I've been in that scenario) is do my arc (also a five-step) about 2-3 times moving from side to side until I get comfortable with it. That way you don't have to kill the bottom end of your shaft by banging the pipes constantly.

[McCool123011]

Thanks guys the only problem is that I never get played. Yea, were only in scrimages

[HTlax09]

Thanks guys the only problem is that I never get played. Yea, were only in scrimages but I'm the better Goalie!!!!! :hot:

SAME WITH ME its bull$hit im better they briught me up to varisty im a freshman and now their not even playing me teh other kid is automatically teh starter hes only 1 year older they havent even given me a chance im gunna ask to just get moved down to jv.

[goalieskcickay]

If you have a style that suits you, don't listen to any coaches who tell you to change what you're doing. I'm not saying to ignore your coaches, but just play the way you feel most comfortable in. Xeclipse prefers a 5-step arc, I prefer a 7. A coach once told me I HAD to slant my feet inwards when in my ready stance. I did what he said while he was there to appease him, then did the right thing. Everybody has their own style, stick with what you are used to.

[pclax41]

I've only been playing goalie 2 years.. whats the difference between 5-step and 7-step?

this is what i do... pipe... turn in(still on pipe)... step off pipe...center... and same thing other side

[stinisonfire]

SAME WITH ME its bull$hit im better they briught me up to varisty im a freshman and now their not even playing me teh other kid is automatically teh starter hes only 1 year older they havent even given me a chance im gunna ask to just get moved down to jv.


What? Can we get some periods... commas maybe?

[demongoalie]

I use a somewhat flat 5 point arc. I put marks on the crease, but rarely use them. I also tap the pipes a lot, but never when there may be a shot.

[FitzGoalie]

every time i step in the cage, i use my foot to trace an arc from one pipe to the other thats concentric to the crease. if i ever feel i'm out of position, i can just glance down and find the arc.

[HTlax09]

What? Can we get some periods... commas maybe?
sorry

SAME WITH ME its bull$hit im better in goal. They brought me up to varisty, im a freshman, and now their not even playing me. The other kid is automatically the starter because he was on jv last year; hes only 1 year older! they havent even given me a chance. Im gunna ask to just get moved down to jv. Atleast on jv ill get playing time.

[Lkantola]

How do you guys deal with broken confidance after a few missed saves... how do you keep pumped up for the Defence to feed off of you

[pclax41]

How do you guys deal with broken confidance after a few missed saves... how do you keep pumped up for the Defence to feed off of you

does your coach warm you up again during halftime? usually the last 3, 4 mins of halftime im in the goal... that might bring your confidence back up
but to tell you the truth if you're breaking after a few goals.. you're not ready yet to be a goalie.. you have to be emotionless..no anger.. no fear..no panic..see the ball..save the ball if you dont oh well..you'll get it next time

(i say no anger cause it leads to stupidity.. but if you can make anger work for you then do it)

and you shouldn't have to keep your defense pumped up.. the defense has to be able to keep their heads in the game on their own (and not break)
the only reason I see a defender mentally break is if he's just flat out tired like can't walk or if he doesn't have faith in his goalie
for example "why should I work hard if the goalie is just going to let it in"
maybe you havent won your defense yet..it takes time and even longer if you guys only see eachother during practice..
THE DEFENSE IS A UNIT so if your long poles are pointing fingers thats no good..that leads to low morale..if a shot gets scored its not any one persons fault its the whole DEFENSIVE UNIT or team sometimes..
example: attackman takes a sloppy shot..goalie saves it..goalie hits his middy on a nice clear..your middies dont catch up and never get back in time..fast break.. your defense sees it coming.. they get ready.. slide comes in to early ..pass..goal...
who's fault is it?
the attackman that took a shot..where he should have passed?
the middy's for not getting back in the hole in time?
the defender that went to early because he was pissed that his middys let this guy walk right by them?
or the goalie for not saving it?

[demongoalie]

Here's some one on one tips...

BAITING: This is when you move to the side a bit or crouch down and leave a little more of goal showing so it makes the shooter shoot to that spot and you just explode right before it is shot. What I usually do is crouch down and move to my offstick side a bit so the shooter shoots stickside high. Right before he shoots I explode (by explode I mean take a huge step and maybe jump) to stickside high. This usually works pretty good, but the shooter may not shoot where you want him to.

CHALLENGING: Step out high on the crease and get right in the shooters face in hopes that he will make a mistake and miss the goal or pass. You can also go out and hit him, but be careful he doesn't just shoot over you if you do this. Make sure your stick is always right where his is. I usually use this one if there is someone on the crease and right before the ball is passed to him I move high on the crease. When he is catching the ball I keep my stick where his is and run him over.

RUNNING OUT: I wouldn't recommend this one. It is somewhat like challenging, but as the shooter is coming in you just run out and level him. It usually results in a goal, but sometimes a miss, but it's more to hurt the shooter and make him afraid to shoot again.

MY TECHNIQUE: What I do combines baiting and challenging. As the shooter is coming I use baiting. When he is coming onto the crease I move out a bit, and then right as he shoots from the crease I jump up, keeping my stick with his, and I throw a body check on the way down. Even if he does get a goal he has something to think about while he's laying on his a$$. In my last game saved 38 out 44 shots (about 86%) and a majority of them were one on ones.

[sfieldlax3r]

If you have a style that suits you, don't listen to any coaches who tell you to change what you're doing. I'm not saying to ignore your coaches, but just play the way you feel most comfortable in. Xeclipse prefers a 5-step arc, I prefer a 7. A coach once told me I HAD to slant my feet inwards when in my ready stance. I did what he said while he was there to appease him, then did the right thing. Everybody has their own style, stick with what you are used to.


just wanted to point out that pointing your feet inward actually helps. when your feet are pigeon toed and you step, your back foot is already pointed in that direction so you have more power and are able to get there quicker. while this may not feel right or is uncomfortable, in the end it will save you precious tenths of a second, which you know is very important

[goalieskcickay]

just wanted to point out that pointing your feet inward actually helps. when your feet are pigeon toed and you step, your back foot is already pointed in that direction so you have more power and are able to get there quicker. while this may not feel right or is uncomfortable, in the end it will save you precious tenths of a second, which you know is very important

I don't understand what you're saying at all. Why would it matter. You're telling me that one way is faster than the other, but for what reason, and if so why do very few people do it that way? :thinking:
I'm open to changing my stance, but only if you can convince me that that isn't BS.

[pclax41]

Here's some one on one tips...

BAITING: This is when you move to the side a bit or crouch down and leave a little more of goal showing so it makes the shooter shoot to that spot and you just explode right before it is shot. What I usually do is crouch down and move to my offstick side a bit so the shooter shoots stickside high. Right before he shoots I explode (by explode I mean take a huge step and maybe jump) to stickside high. This usually works pretty good, but the shooter may not shoot where you want him to.

CHALLENGING: Step out high on the crease and get right in the shooters face in hopes that he will make a mistake and miss the goal or pass. You can also go out and hit him, but be careful he doesn't just shoot over you if you do this. Make sure your stick is always right where his is. I usually use this one if there is someone on the crease and right before the ball is passed to him I move high on the crease. When he is catching the ball I keep my stick where his is and run him over.

RUNNING OUT: I wouldn't recommend this one. It is somewhat like challenging, but as the shooter is coming in you just run out and level him. It usually results in a goal, but sometimes a miss, but it's more to hurt the shooter and make him afraid to shoot again.

MY TECHNIQUE: What I do combines baiting and challenging. As the shooter is coming I use baiting. When he is coming onto the crease I move out a bit, and then right as he shoots from the crease I jump up, keeping my stick with his, and I throw a body check on the way down. Even if he does get a goal he has something to think about while he's laying on his a$$. In my last game saved 38 out 44 shots (about 86%) and a majority of them were one on ones.

thats some good stuff... i would never thought of baiting that close.. i usually challenge or run out.. and like you said..running out usually ends up in a goal but they stop coming in that close.. so i figured its worth it.. im gonna try the bait-challenge

[demongoalie]

I think this thread should be moved to the Instruction & Training forum and stickied.

[NBClaxgoalie07]

the only reason I see a defender mentally break is if he's just flat out tired like can't walk or if he doesn't have faith in his goalie
for example "why should I work hard if the goalie is just going to let it in"


i have the opposite of this problem. it seems like my defense doesnt care sometimes and after a few 1 on 1 shots it gets to me.

[viking goalie]

here's my situation: Im the back up Varsity goalie and its my second year. the starting goalie is in his 3rd year and we're both Juniors. Now, we're both the same in everything except: I stop more balls and have better clears, He has the exact form that coach wants (jumping at every) and he's faster than me. Everytime coach has put me in at the end of a game to finish, I do 10x better than the starter. example, mid way through 3rd quarter of a game i went in. He had made 9 saves on about 18 shots, so 50%. I took 6 shots and stopped 4 to finish the 3rd. In the 4th, I stopped all 14 shots. My question is how do i show my coach that I'm better than the starter, and should be the starter.

[pclax41]

i have the opposite of this problem. it seems like my defense doesnt care sometimes and after a few 1 on 1 shots it gets to me.

you have to be mentally strong.. it sux that ur defense doesnt care..but play your game.. don't let it get to you... ur coach will see you working hard and your defense slacking and sooner or later they'll get the verbal lashing

maybe its just early in the season (see in florida we start in jan so by now me and my defense have really started acting like a team in the beginning we argued a lot and couldn't connect on things) what im saying is that its possible that while you feel like a team your defense doesn't and thats why they don't care...sometimes its personal issues off the field..thats when you should step up and try to get the issue off their mind cause that they cant on their own

I dont understand how someone you call a teammate just wouldn't care and let someone take a 70mph shot on you.. when a shot comes at me and I let it in.. my defense won't ***** at me instead they take the blame and say that they should have never let that guy get by..or that they could have stopped the shot.. like i said b4 pointing fingers lowers morale and you get angry with eachother.. the ones that i let by that i know i could have saved and my defense knows i coulda have saved (like the really slow ones) i dont blame my defense for that.. that'll just cause problems

[pclax41]

here's my situation: Im the back up Varsity goalie and its my second year. the starting goalie is in his 3rd year and we're both Juniors. Now, we're both the same in everything except: I stop more balls and have better clears, He has the exact form that coach wants (jumping at every) and he's faster than me. Everytime coach has put me in at the end of a game to finish, I do 10x better than the starter. example, mid way through 3rd quarter of a game i went in. He had made 9 saves on about 18 shots, so 50%. I took 6 shots and stopped 4 to finish the 3rd. In the 4th, I stopped all 14 shots. My question is how do i show my coach that I'm better than the starter, and should be the starter.

theres other crap involved than just "im better...let me play"
think how you would feel if some kid with less experience than you took YOUR spot
and maybe he has you finishing up games for a reason.. i don't think that its fair that he sticks you in midway through a quarter..
ask ur coach if maybe you can get a half and he can get a half.. or switch every quarter ..theres 2 of you and 4 quarters.. you can get the same amt of playing time.. you might as well take 50-50 cause you're gonna be stuck with him next year..right? cause you'll both be seniors

[viking goalie]

theres other crap involved than just "im better...let me play"
think how you would feel if some kid with less experience than you took YOUR spot
and maybe he has you finishing up games for a reason.. i don't think that its fair that he sticks you in midway through a quarter..
ask ur coach if maybe you can get a half and he can get a half.. or switch every quarter ..theres 2 of you and 4 quarters.. you can get the same amt of playing time.. you might as well take 50-50 cause you're gonna be stuck with him next year..right? cause you'll both be seniors
Thanx you really showed me the other side, from a team stand point i guess it doesn't matter who starts or plays because we both handle varsity fairly equally. me getting put in mid way throught the quarter just that game and was because he just took a slash that almost broke his elbow. which is why i dislike attackmen (not my own though).

[pclax41]

Thanx you really showed me the other side, from a team stand point i guess it doesn't matter who starts or plays because we both handle varsity fairly equally. me getting put in mid way throught the quarter just that game and was because he just took a slash that almost broke his elbow. which is why i dislike attackmen (not my own though).

hey no problem..thats why u came here right? to find an answer

[stinisonfire]

I'd say this belongs in the "Tactics" forum.

[pclax41]

I'd say this belongs in the "Tactics" forum.


does it really matter that much?

He's probably in highschool.. he's a goalie and he had a question..
i think this is exactly what this is
a highschool forum for goalies with questions

[sfieldlax3r]

I don't understand what you're saying at all. Why would it matter. You're telling me that one way is faster than the other, but for what reason, and if so why do very few people do it that way? :thinking:
I'm open to changing my stance, but only if you can convince me that that isn't BS.


haha, alright, think of it like this. if you stand pigeon toed, both of your feet are pointed inward. correct? when you step, you push off your back foot. lets say you in the center of the goal and a shot comes stick side (right handed keeper). for this shot, you would push off with your back foot (left foot). your foot is already pointed in the direction you are going to go, getting you to the ball faster. it also has alot to do with the hip movements. if you dont understand that or still think its BS, go here (http://members.aol.com/westonlax/Player.htm). check the february 2006 part. the question there was mine because i had read that playing pigeon toed was better but didnt think so, so i asked. hope that convinces you

[goalieskcickay]

haha, alright, think of it like this. if you stand pigeon toed, both of your feet are pointed inward. correct? when you step, you push off your back foot. lets say you in the center of the goal and a shot comes stick side (right handed keeper). for this shot, you would push off with your back foot (left foot). your foot is already pointed in the direction you are going to go, getting you to the ball faster. it also has alot to do with the hip movements. if you dont understand that or still think its BS, go here (http://members.aol.com/westonlax/Player.htm). check the february 2006 part. the question there was mine because i had read that playing pigeon toed was better but didnt think so, so i asked. hope that convinces you

Thank you, I never thought about it that way. I'm definetly going to try to work that into my current style of play.
Again, a sincere thank you.

[Berserker908]

I preatty new to the goalie position and my coach dosent seem to know anything about the position, so i have a few questions.

-Whats Jumping at a shot mean?
-Should i try to get square with the ball our should I just try to remain stationary and attemped a save? :imparied:

[CTLaxer]

If you have a style that suits you, don't listen to any coaches who tell you to change what you're doing. I'm not saying to ignore your coaches, but just play the way you feel most comfortable in. Xeclipse prefers a 5-step arc, I prefer a 7. A coach once told me I HAD to slant my feet inwards when in my ready stance. I did what he said while he was there to appease him, then did the right thing. Everybody has their own style, stick with what you are used to.

Why bother listening to your coach...someone who has more knowledge and experience than you, a player.... Have you ever noticed that some goalies don't step? Or that some players have horrible habits? Or that some attackmen shy away from shooting because of fear of getting hit? Or that some long poles slide too late? Or that some middies stay on the field way too long and become tired? These are all habits that are "comfortable" to people and they're WRONG.

I have players in my program that have been doing the wrong thing for so many years, that they can't do the right thing. By can't I mean they stick with what's "comfortable" to them, at the cost of their own playing ability and the teams as a whole as well.

Listen to your coaches when they tell you to do something. They have a better perspective than you. They have more experience than you. They have more knowledge than you. It's why they're coaches.

[crazydrew86]

what is the hardest type of shot and where is it for the goalie to save(example. overhand bounce). what hints can you pick up from the goalies stature like how tall he is, how he stands, what hand he is

[westlakelax17]

All ways step to the ball

[LowRida]

Last game I had alot of one on one's close onto the crease. In this situation is it a better idea to step closer to the shooter, cutting down the angle, or to play a flater arc to give yourself more time to react to the shot?

[megustalacrosse]

what is the hardest type of shot and where is it for the goalie to save(example. overhand bounce). what hints can you pick up from the goalies stature like how tall he is, how he stands, what hand he is


the hardest shot to save is off-hip. overhand bounce is also not an easy save to make. off-hip is the hardest simply because it requires the most movement on the goalies part. as far as hints you can pick up on the goalie, on thing you can do is go real high with the stick to real low with it and watch the goalies eyes to see if he is looking at the ball or looking at your eyes. if the goalie is looking at your eyes instead of the ball then you should shoot.

[xCrazyRedx]

ok. with all your stupid 5 step and 7 step arcs. all i have to say is that you should memorize your arc. it doesn't matter how many steps it takes you to do it. but you need to know it.

[lilaxgurl23]

Listen to your coaches when they tell you to do something. They have a better perspective than you. They have more experience than you. They have more knowledge than you. It's why they're coaches.

This is definitely not always true, especially when it comes to the goalie position. More so than not, in high school there is no goalie coach and quite frankly, most head coaches know very little about being a goalie and just go with some things they have heard what to do. If you're being coached by someone who has been a goalie and is constantly learning about it, then definitely do everything they tell you and figure out why they would want to do that. But then, more often than not, there are coaches like mine, who flat out tell me that I know more about being a goalie than he ever will. I take what he says and takes what he sees, but in the end, I'm usually the one figuring out what works best for me (usually based off of what he sees I can fix).

Best advice I can give is to get to a camp where there will be goalies or specific goalie coaches there. Take in every tad bit of information with you and work on it through out all off season. They are the ones who truly study how to play goal and will significantly help you improve (it's literally like night and day between a normal coach and a goalie coach).

As for some tips.

-Always step to the ball. Cutting off the angle while stepping will allow you to get to the ball quicker and minimize the distance your arms have to travel.

-Practice your steps. The more you practice your steps, the sooner they will become muscle memory. When they are memorized by your body, that is less you have to focus on. You can give all your attention to the ball, rather than having to worry about stepping to it correctly.

-Tapping your post is a good way to find yourself in the crease. Be aware though, you don't want to do it every second. Do it when it is needed, but always keep your eye on the ball and get back to your ready position fast, so you're prepared for any oncoming shot.

-Always watch the ball. It may sound stupid, but in all honesty, I know a lot of goalies who simply lose focus of the ball. While the ball is settled, they tend to watch the ball closely, but after a while will drift and start watching the player more than the ball. Keep your eyes focused on the ball at all times! Watch every pass, every cradle and never take your eye off the ball.

-Realize you will let balls go by. You are not Superman so when you let one in, rethink what has just happened. Did your defense slide correctly, were you watching the ball, did you step etc and quickly talk to your defense if necessary. Figure out what you need to do then forget about the goal. It's not coming back so just flush it down the toilet, it's over with.

-Don't get frustrated. Being a goalie requires being strong mentally. No matter what the situation is, the more you get frustrated, the more likely you are to lose your game. Fix what you need to and pretend the score is 0-0, and that you will save the next one.

-On clears, be patient. Wait for the open man, if you force something, you're only asking for trouble. If your guys aren't getting open fast enough, you should devise a play to get them open. But the key is to be patient.

-Communicate. You are the one who can see everything. While watching the ball intently, also tell your defense as much as you can. Ball location is essential and after you are comfortable with watching the ball 100% of the time, you can incorporate other things like calling cutters and slides.

I think that's pretty much it, there's a lot more involved in being a goalie, but those are pretty much my top things (I'm probably leaving out something big though). For all you guys out there looking to take that starting position, just make sure you always come to practice in a good mood, trying hard and giving it your all. That's all a coach can ask for. Be a leader when you're in a net and learn everything you're told to learn which will require listening carefully. Just work hard and eventually you'll be there.

[stinisonfire]

I agree, although in some cases this is not the case. I know teams that have coaches that have never played before. Also many coaches who do not know about goaltending will even tell their goalie the wrong thing. On the other hand, if you have an expirienced coach, you would be stupid to ignore him.

Not true. My hs coach didn't know much about goal-tending, but I still managed to make First-Team All-State. He taught me as much as he could find out for me.

[ColtsLax]

Jiba Jaba
hardets shot to save is a dpole crank, our goalie cant stop them, he says because it releases way different then a shortie.

[pclax41]

hardets shot to save is a dpole crank, our goalie cant stop them, he says because it releases way different then a shortie.

thats for damn sure... i hate it when dpole's try to shoot.. but they aren't good shooters.. so its rarely on cage

[nylax65]

you have to be mentally strong.. it sux that ur defense doesnt care..but play your game.. don't let it get to you... ur coach will see you working hard and your defense slacking and sooner or later they'll get the verbal lashing

maybe its just early in the season (see in florida we start in jan so by now me and my defense have really started acting like a team in the beginning we argued a lot and couldn't connect on things) what im saying is that its possible that while you feel like a team your defense doesn't and thats why they don't care...sometimes its personal issues off the field..thats when you should step up and try to get the issue off their mind cause that they cant on their own

I dont understand how someone you call a teammate just wouldn't care and let someone take a 70mph shot on you.. when a shot comes at me and I let it in.. my defense won't ***** at me instead they take the blame and say that they should have never let that guy get by..or that they could have stopped the shot.. like i said b4 pointing fingers lowers morale and you get angry with eachother.. the ones that i let by that i know i could have saved and my defense knows i coulda have saved (like the really slow ones) i dont blame my defense for that.. that'll just cause problems

I have the same problem. My defense doesn't care when the offense scores a goal but they don't try to fix the problem. My whole team respects me but the defense doesn't try in practice and they think they are going to be amazing in games. And yes I have tried many times to get them to try... I've been nice, I've yelled, I've probably even bribed them, but nothing works.
P.S. - About slow shots, I'm the worst at them. It's like a change-up in baseball. Even my coaches noticed this about me and make fun of me all the time (it actually is pretty funny how I can save their hardest shots but will let in slow shots that maybe a fourth grader can take).

[viking goalie]

Last game I had alot of one on one's close onto the crease. In this situation is it a better idea to step closer to the shooter, cutting down the angle, or to play a flater arc to give yourself more time to react to the shot?
my theory is that if they're close to the crease, playin a flat arc wont give you enough time to make a difference. I take a step out and just stay still, let the shooter make the move then you just have to smother his stick. But if you feel better by playin a flat arc then do it, always do what feels right (sometimes).

[Lkantola]

thats for damn sure... i hate it when dpole's try to shoot.. but they aren't good shooters.. so its rarely on cage

damn so true
and there is always so much pressure to stop the shot cause you "cant let the dpole score" but i've stopped 2 this year so far, and none have gone in

its alllll good

[DeftGoalie28]

This might have been asked and if it was sry. But does anyone know of any drills i could do in practice to improve my form on bounce shots and my foot speed?

[PuLsE_SpEeD]

bounce shots: just step straight to the ball
foot speed: you don't even need a shooter/pads/etc. just get your stick and practice all the positions on speeds, a drill I suggest is practicing the stepping on all the shots (off stick high, hip, low, 5 hole) on a straight line and continue moving up it cycling the save, and then getting back on the line...that may have sounded confusing but hopefully you get the gist of it.

[DeftGoalie28]

I step to the ball on bounce shots, i just have a bad habit of not bending over. Playing on my field is like playing on concret the ball just always bounces back up. So when we go to other schools im screwed. Any suggestions?

[laxplaya98]

I step to the ball on bounce shots, i just have a bad habit of not bending over. Playing on my field is like playing on concret the ball just always bounces back up. So when we go to other schools im screwed. Any suggestions?

yea you could tie a string around ur facemask and then around ur stick so the you have to bend over

[laxplaya98]

Ask and answer your goalie FAQ's

I'll start off by asking if anyone has any tips on how to tell where you are when in goal?
yea you can find land marks like goal post that are on the field or you can use ur stick to tap the post but dont over do the tapping cause that gets u out of position

[laxplaya98]

Why bother listening to your coach...someone who has more knowledge and experience than you, a player.... Have you ever noticed that some goalies don't step? Or that some players have horrible habits? Or that some attackmen shy away from shooting because of fear of getting hit? Or that some long poles slide too late? Or that some middies stay on the field way too long and become tired? These are all habits that are "comfortable" to people and they're WRONG.

I have players in my program that have been doing the wrong thing for so many years, that they can't do the right thing. By can't I mean they stick with what's "comfortable" to them, at the cost of their own playing ability and the teams as a whole as well.

Listen to your coaches when they tell you to do something. They have a better perspective than you. They have more experience than you. They have more knowledge than you. It's why they're coaches.

not unless they have never played goalie and are tryin to tell you something they dont know

[laxplaya98]

thats some good stuff... i would never thought of baiting that close.. i usually challenge or run out.. and like you said..running out usually ends up in a goal but they stop coming in that close.. so i figured its worth it.. im gonna try the bait-challenge
i have gone to alot of goalie camps and the smartest thing to do on one on ones is to stay calm and let the attack midie or what ever make the first move. by staying calm it might make the attack midie rethink of what he is goin to do cause ur not comeing out of the goal.

[laxplaya98]

what is the hardest type of shot and where is it for the goalie to save(example. overhand bounce). what hints can you pick up from the goalies stature like how tall he is, how he stands, what hand he is

i think the hardest shot to save is bottom left on a right handed goalie

if a goalie is really low dont shoot low cause thats where he wants u to shoot and he will probably save it high to.

[laxplaya98]

This might have been asked and if it was sry. But does anyone know of any drills i could do in practice to improve my form on bounce shots and my foot speed?
to improve your foot speed you can jump alot of rope and if you have nothing to do during practice you can lay your stick down on the ground making a cross on the ground with another line and make figure 8's on one foot and a square with both feet you can hope over the line do a 360 and go back and do another 360 just keep on doin that

[DeftGoalie28]

to improve your foot speed you can jump alot of rope and if you have nothing to do during practice you can lay your stick down on the ground making a cross on the ground with another line and make figure 8's on one foot and a square with both feet you can hope over the line do a 360 and go back and do another 360 just keep on doin that

Do you mean a 180 cause doing that many 360's would make me really dizzy

[HTlax09]

Listen to your coaches when they tell you to do something. They have a better perspective than you. They have more experience than you. They have more knowledge than you. It's why they're coaches.

Coaches may have picked up some basic techniques of playing goal but unless they have been a goalie themselves then they basically dont know $hit. The only way to coach a goalie well is to work around the goalie's style not the style you want him to have. Some goalies play in unorthodox ways that might just work for them. Its inaccurate to say they have more experience then you unless they have been a goalie themselves. Ive been goalie for many years and have been to many camos n have had a lot of different people tell me how i should play goal and the only ones that i take advice from are the coaches that were goalies. If your coach demands you play the way he tells you then hes an a$$hole but in most situations u gotta suck it up if u wanna play, a good way to get an a$$hoel coach off ur back is ot just do what he wants during practice but then in a game play the way you like to play,if it works, also if he tells you something and you liek your way better then just tell him in a respectful way just explain the reason you thnk your way is better.

[slinkyspine]

Alrighty, my goalie just got a new stick and I strung it with 10d. And it has a deeperpocket than before. He can't clear with the slow release any tips on clears?

[fromthesideline]

Make sure the top strings are taut and he should be OK

[slinkyspine]

It's strung fine. The fact he had a tennis racket and now its a bag. Its whipless still but it does have a slower release. And he lobs it now.

[pigpen]

man last time I cleared a ball disaster struck. I was double teamed, one in the front and one in the back. When the back guy hit me, he crossed checked me in the back of the head creating my neck to bang forward while doing so my throat guard managed to break my collarbone into two pieces. Its funny that a throat prevents you from dying but breaks your collarbone in the process. By the way I was starting V and I am only a freshman so it sucked even more. I had 20 saves out of 23 by the way.

[mullengoal141]

It's strung fine. The fact he had a tennis racket and now its a bag. Its whipless still but it does have a slower release. And he lobs it now.

he might have to change his throwing motion. like he might need to use a lot more bottom hand for the throw, using even more of the catapult-like effect.

[LaXgoAliE777]

man last time I cleared a ball disaster struck. I was double teamed, one in the front and one in the back. When the back guy hit me, he crossed checked me in the back of the head creating my neck to bang forward while doing so my throat guard managed to break my collarbone into two pieces. Its funny that a throat prevents you from dying but breaks your collarbone in the process. By the way I was starting V and I am only a freshman so it sucked even more. I had 20 saves out of 23 by the way.
how the hell did you do that, did you not notice the two bigs dudes running at you... ur a goalie get rid of it and get in the cage,or gilman it

[pclax41]

how the hell did you do that, did you not notice the two bigs dudes running at you... ur a goalie get rid of it and get in the cage,or gilman it

lol true you could gilman it.. but a gilman is def. a LAST resort..

[DeftGoalie28]

I have a question that might have been asked, but i couldn't find it.
Anyways I was talking to my coach who wasn't a goalie and really knows nothign about it, i don't have a goalie coach, if it was better to step to where the ball is going or to step to the shooter. he said the shooter but it made more sense to me to go to where the ball is going. any help is great.

[jaw22]

What do you guys do to prevent your stick from spinning on a save? It seems like every game I get my stick on it and the head spins and lets the ball through. I can't keep my top hand gripped enough to stop it. Im not going to try the stx contender, and when I use tape it prevents me from sliding my hand up quickly.

[somrandomguy]

I have a question that might have been asked, but i couldn't find it.
Anyways I was talking to my coach who wasn't a goalie and really knows nothign about it, i don't have a goalie coach, if it was better to step to where the ball is going or to step to the shooter. he said the shooter but it made more sense to me to go to where the ball is going. any help is great.

Step towards the ball.

And in response to Jaw22, do you hold the top of the stick/head with just the forefinger and thumb or your whole hand?

[POCK3Ts]

yeah i have the same prob sometimes all you have to do is concentrate more in practice on having a tighter grip and get more comfortable with the tighter grip. you could also try holding higher up on the stick to the point that you are holding half stick and half head. thats what i do and its seems to work better

[POCK3Ts]

I have a question that might have been asked, but i couldn't find it.
Anyways I was talking to my coach who wasn't a goalie and really knows nothign about it, i don't have a goalie coach, if it was better to step to where the ball is going or to step to the shooter. he said the shooter but it made more sense to me to go to where the ball is going. any help is great.


just make sure you step forward stepping to the side does nothing i learned the hard way. steppin towards the the ball but still forward is the most effective for me
if that makes any sense

[LaXgoAliE777]

ok than face dodge one, kick the other in the nuts and than run down the feild. lol