Thread: net orientation
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Old 01-10-2000, 05:36 PM
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CKeelty CKeelty is offline
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That's pretty clever, Jester.

Cam, one thing I do whenever I'm deep is try to keep one foot (the near side relative to the puck) against my post. This serves two functions, one is to cover low near side, the other is so I know where the net is. If there are markings on your surface, use the crease, man! It's your best friend after your posts so learn it well!

Regardless of whether or not you have a crease, you should also be doing movement drills around your net as often as possible in practice. Move out in different directions, move back, look at where you are and what the markings (even scuffs on the floor or lines on the walls) look like relative to your positions. The blue line marks on the walls are very helpful, as are the faceoff dots.

Before a game, do some quick movement drills--do an M (the shape of an M, if the posts are at the bottom right and left) and then circle your crease, stopping at intervals and getting into appropriate position--one stop at your post, one stop at a sharp angle shot, one stop at a shot from the faceoff dot, another at a shot from the point. Finally, a stop at a shot from the slot, then continue until you reach your opposite post. Also, skate out of your crease and then back into it, allowing your shoulders to hit the crossbar and/or your hands to hit the top corners. Skate back so your body is in the net, and press the back of your neck up against the crossbar. Do a split, skates against your posts, and then raise yourself up so your skates stay put but your body rises to make a huge v-shaped 5-hole. Then bring your feet underneath you on the goal line. Also, during the game, smack your posts with the stick and your gloves, skate out and back in again (anticipating where you'll end up)and do the "cleaning your crease" motion with the stick, even if you don't play on ice.

All of those things, in various combinatins, work so that you learn where your net is behind you. It helps to try and anticipate where everything is--as you strike the posts with your stick, silently say "now, now" as you think the stick should make contact.

There's also off-ice drills that I'm not sure have any effect, but I do them to try and improve my coordination behind my own back. One is to clap your hands behind your back--this also requires flexibility, mind you. Another is to lift one foot behind you, and smack the sole of that foot with the opposite hand (left to right, right to left). This also helps improve your agility, or so I'm told.

Over time (actually it happens pretty quick) you develop an instictive knowledge of where your net is. It still helps to check your angles against markings on the surface, but when you need to hit the net without seeing it, you'll usually be only a fraction of an inch off.
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