stand up!don't flop around!

[grecogoalie]

well, just finished my season with one of my teams...,.

In our last playoff game and other times as well I have players coming up to me and always telling me ..."stand up" don't go down so much" "stop flopping". I know that I do go down quite frequently but overall it works for me and i usually make the save. I actually play well when I am reacting and going down. That particular game there was a lot of two on ones and lots of time for the shooter to take a shot.

Where I get beat is when the player has (what seems to me) all the time in the world. I seem to get anxious and react to early.

I also seem to have a hard time when the shooter is on the left or right side of the goal (at the hash marks)

Anybody else get these comments from your team and should I listen to them or continue with my game?

also any help to overcome the two situations above

[moogy35]

I was also going down to much. I noticed that I was going down before the player shot the puck.

Stay on your feet and react to the puck. It made a big difference. I still go down to block the low shots. If you stay on you feet you have more options for a save, rather than going down and having to reach for high glove and blocker shots. It also helps when there are situations where the shooter might fake a shoot and dek. If you stay on your feet you can stay square to the puck.

[ChrisMangano]

I consider myself to be a butterfly goalie. With that said, there are situations were I remain standing (or where I at least play a "reactionary" position).

1) Sharp angle shots below the circles I stay standing with one exception. If the player decides to skate across the net laterally in tight. In this situation I use the bfly slide and get my body as close to the puck as I can, effectively giving him nothing to shoot at.

2) Point shots with no screens, I stay on my feet and react to the shot. As the player is winding up I am setting myself to go down, but I don't go down. What I mean is, my body weight is starting to shift in a way that I can make a quick butterfly, but not to the point that I have no other options. If the shot is high, I stay standing and use my hands whenever possible. If the shot is low, I can quickly butterfly due to me being ready. If there is a screen or a chance for a deflection, I butterfly.

I used to be 100% butterfly, go down on every shot no matter what. By being a little more patient and choosing my spots better, my game has improved. If you are a hardcore butterfly goalie like I was, it may take some adjusting, but stick with it, I think the results will be worth it.

[RedK]

Should you listen to your teammates when they tell you how to tend goal?

Do you listen to Julia Child when you change the oil on your car? Do you talk to Mahatma Ghandi when you are looking for a tip on Duke Nukem?
Do you chat with George Dubya when you wanna pick up a chick?

Unless they have played in goal or have special experience working with goalies, ignore them. The vast majority of outskaters couldn't tell a butterfly from a butter pat, and have no idea which should be used on the ice.

[tom_m]

Greco -

Here's a link to articles by Paul Fricker -

64.119.160.130/doctor/doctor_intro.php

They're all good, but read "The Stand-Up Myth" and "Inside Angle" in particular.

Regards.

- Tom M.

[grecogoalie]

RedK - good point -Point taken, i agree on the comments about the players giving advice ..it is usually the hot doggers out there that think they know all positions

Chris - I agree with you I am frustrated at my inability to have the patience to stand up just that little bit longer ... If I can find a way to hold on for a split second I blieve I can improve my game tremendously.

I think my "fear " of staying up to long stems from when i started. I was initially a ball hockey goalie and when i transitioned to ICE i had a hard time with the speed of the game as well as the low shots beating me so i overcompensated and am having a hard time finding the balance .....

I am going to try that article but any ohter advise is much appreciated

[Frosty]

No, blow htem off. Seek the opinio of antoehr goalie or a coach. Forwards is stupid. They still fall for the "shooters illusion"

[G-Man]

Normally I would agree to just ignore them. But since you yourself stated that you have been going down to early, there may be something to what your team is saying. You just can't take it at face value because although they see "something" wrong they don't have a good enough understanding to give useful advice.

What you should do is listen to what they have to say. Then apply your knowledge of goaltending to it. You should be able to weed out the nonsense, and translate the useful information.

For example, you've already translated "stand up, don't go down so much" into "Where I get beat is when the player has (what seems to me) all the time in the world. I seem to get anxious and react to early."

[spidergoalie]

I completely agree with G-man. The players just know something is wrong and they express it that way. It is very likely more a case of going down too soon rather than too much.

Also Frosty, on that last post, you might have had your hand an inch too far to the righton the keyboard...or left....maybe too high.....Hmmmm nto oto suer whta teh porlbme is

[G-Man]

Frosty was using a forwards keyboard.

Now pardon me while I go edit the typos out of my own post . I was using a forwards brain at the time

[Chasedog]

Forwards keyboard, lol.

I agree with the guys but have a couple of points. A lot of 2 on 1's. Hmmm, maybe its not the goalie. However, if the D does his job, you should stop most of them. If the pass is going by him that's a pretty tough stop.

Shooter has a ton of time. Hmmm, maybe its not the goalie. Unless it's a power play the shooter shouldn't have all the time in the world to pick his shot. And if he's moving in, eventually you reach the point where you have to block, you won't have time to react. Just make sure you're out on the angle before you bf.

So take the "advice" with a grain of salt. Goalies are often the scapegoat for the lack of team defense. I remember one post where the goalie was blamed for her team being shut out. Apparently, she didn't give the shooters enough of a warm-up.