Adopting the "Hybrid" style

[Zay1993]

Hey guys. I searched and the threads I found we're about stand up goalies wanting to make the transition to butterfly which I found some useful information in but I want more. Basically I want to become more of a "hybrid". Not like Marty Brodeur, pure hybrid but I want to learn to stand up for shots, stack the pads etc. I do sometimes stack the pads like the old goalies, make the occasional skate save and when a shot goes high glove side I have one knee down, one up like Nikolai Khabibulin. I think I got it from my dad who is PURE stand up and doesn't butterfly at all.

I don't want to look like every other goalie out there who think the butterfly is the answer to every shot. I want to be different, have more than just the butterfly in my tool box. (Tim Thomas is a bit of a hybrid/butterfly maybe a "Bybrid"? ) Since reading GW magazine on Tim Thomas, I've come to appreciate his style of play, and I don't want to directly copy it but take some of the aspects of his game and add it to my own. I like the way Marty Brodeur can stack the pads so quickly. Does it take time to learn to stack them quickly? I seem to take a while and can only stack to the left right now. (I'm better with my left side than right)

I see the saves Marty can make, the way he uses his speed to make saves and he's fun to watch. Same goes for Tim Thomas. Both goalies are fun to watch because they don't just get in position and butterfly for every shot. (Not that I have anything against goalies that do this but it is boring to watch) I'm getting worse with my stick control as my technique gets better, I used to deflect everything on the ice into the corner. Now I'm giving out fat rebounds off my pads. Marty is arguably the best in the league at using his stick, not just for shooting and making plays but in making saves and using it to the fullest extent.

I'd like to learn some hybrid aspects of goaltending and I'm sure there are tons of hybrid goalies on this BB. Any tips guys? I'm not trying to say "teach my hybrid" but more I'm asking for tips on how a hybrid goalie plays and how I can use that to my advantage. Having a bit of hybrid in me will make me less predictable as well. Sorry if this all seems a little silly but I want to learn to not just butterfly for every shot but have that skate save in the tool box if I ever need it. Know what I mean?

Thanks!

[SAW]

Hi Zay,
I wish I had some tips to add to the thread, but I don't.. I have been lurking the boards for over a year now and just recently registered. I am a lot like you in not wanting to stick to a certain style. I watched goalies growing up more than any other player but never tried to be in goal til a few years back. Now I am only 1 of 2 goalies in the country. Worst part is, I have more experience in goal and have some formal training (plus USA hockey certifications) so more pressure is on me to perform. I play whatever style I feel is appropiate for the play, and will do any move I feel warrented (though b-flys are hard in my current pads).

I know you are looking for tips, but do you yourself have any you can share? I would love to hear some tips from you as well on things you may of picked up in this area.

[Swedish goalie]

Dont try to be a hybrid just because you wants to be different. Try to learn from goaliecoaches and not focus on what the style is called. Its all about saving the puck, not look cool.

It will also be very hard to find a goalie coach now days that learns the hybrid style.

[Goaliemedic]

Playing one style only, just shows an inability to adapt. Sometimes butterfly is the way to go, sometimes standup. The more tricks you have, the better prepaired you are. I only tend to stack the pads when it is up close and going post to post. Throw your stick out there for a good poke while you are at it. Stand up works well sometimes, and if they are really close and you are having to move around, make sure to put your pads side by side so there is no 5 hole. I got a DVD a while back that was really good, "Bertagna Goaltending Series: Fundamentals of Goaltending" added a few tricks. You can order it online if you are interested. Good luck and happy tending.

[NedofRock]

Hi im a new user here, first post but just wanted to put my two pennys worth in.

Im a hybrid goalie, i didnt plan it that way though, it just happened over time after i developed my own style to cope with my good and bad points.

All i can say to you is that you should be learning how to make every type of save as well as you can, just so you can have all the tools in the box and be able to react to any situation thrown your way.

I see some pure butterfly goalies these days and despair. They have the same positional based response to every shot they face. It works 8 times out of 10 sure but, throw something different at them at they get flustered.

Im not saying im an amazing goalie by any means, however ive been told by forwards that face me that im more fun to play against, simply because i give them more of a challenge in that they dont know how ill react.

I became a hybrid goalie by default, you should play whatever stance and style best suits the way you play but be ready and able to deal with everything.

[riks92]

Playing one style only, just shows an inability to adapt. Sometimes butterfly is the way to go, sometimes standup. The more tricks you have, the better prepaired you are. I only tend to stack the pads when it is up close and going post to post. Throw your stick out there for a good poke while you are at it. Stand up works well sometimes, and if they are really close and you are having to move around, make sure to put your pads side by side so there is no 5 hole.

i couldn't agree more with that. i love brodeur's style, that's what i try to do.
he had a camp this past summer in my area and i loved it, a BIG THING is to LEAD WITH THE STICK - it works regardless of being butterfly or standup - in terms of stacking pads, etc. i use the skates save as well, barely butterfly except in certain situations that i see the need to (got tips like that from brodeur himself believe it or not) i mean i'm not trying to tell you what to do but again my input is: LEAD WITH THE STICK..LOOK AT THE PUCK WHILE TRYING TO STAY WITH IT ON UR FEET AND THEN REACT.. AND NEVER GIVE UP ON THE PLAY (i know it sounds cliche but ive seen strict butterfly goalies that are like robots and are so "textbook" that when they slide to one slide and the puck goes the other way, they don't even make an effort to save it) bottom line, you are correct in that the more moves you have in your arsenal to make a save, the better you will be and unpredictable.

[Damion]

Just to chime in and stir the pot.

Having lots of tools is great but developing allot of tools will not be as effective as mastering a few good tools.

You will need a few different tools to deal with all the different scenarios and plays that you can face in a game so analyze what would be the best way for you to stop a play or scenario then perfect the tool you need to do it.

Keep in mind simplicity breeds consistency

Players I play with say they know exactly what I am going to do at all time.

(take away net, minimize options, out wait them then close the door or take away the only option they had left when they commit to a play.)

By the way I Butterfly allot because it is easy, effective, and I have the leg strength, flexibility size, and recovery skills to make it work consistently.

[dukeh23]

Zay,

It is not that hard to find a coach that teaches a "hybrid" style.

If you go to Welcome to Mitch Korn.com! you can get a copy of his goaltending manual on CD for I think 15.95.

He also has an article on the site (which is also on the CD) on why he feels the hybrid is the best style, and the two types of hybrid goaltenders.

There is a lot of information in there, I think it will at least be a start for you.

Mitch is the goaltending coach of the Nashville Predators and has worked with Keeks as well. It is one of the best purchases I have ever made and I read and review it often.

[flopartist]

I think the key to being a hybrid goalie is not have have any presets thought on how you are going to attack the shot before it actually comes off the stick.

When that happens you may become a tad more predictable. you should always read and then react. I am big on the profly technique when I have to make a save low but I will try to keep on my feet as much as possible. I even stay on my skates on certain plays which are dangerously close to the net because I feel I can move better laterally and trust my reflexes for shots down low.

Take this all with a grain of salt because I am no pro-star goalie.

[Declyn]

eh i dont know, i would rather be good at more than just a few things.

if you always do the same thing then that makes you easier to beat IMO.

im a hybrid.. NOT a bybrid thank you very much! hybrid covers all the definitions, no need for a new word. i hate that damn butterfly tag bad enough as it is... please dont add bybrid to it as well.

as a goalie that has to watch the other goalie do his work, i must admit that it bores me to TEARS to watch all of these profly goalies, all i gotta do is remind my guys to shoot higher in between periods and generally speaking we start scoring... why it takes me to point that out every game i have no idea...

you would have to know me pretty darn well to know what my tendencies are, so i tend to think im a bit harder to figure out.

[Devilman]

Read the threads posted by Keeks ( Watch the puck) and (Cookie Cutter)
The answers and comments are great.
The one thing I have noticed over the last couple of years is the dependency of using the butterfly technique. I can't tell you how many times I have seen a goalie drop to the butterfly before the puck is even off the stick. This playing the "percentage" style goaltending is becoming very easy for the forwards and defenceman to adapt to. Believe me, I have a friend who is a highly respected instructor locally, that teaches his players to be more patient with puck before shooting and "fake" the goalie to go butterfly on him. Then go top shelf for the goal.

[Huntster]

Originally Posted by Declyn

eh i dont know, i would rather be good at more than just a few things.

if you always do the same thing then that makes you easier to beat IMO.

im a hybrid.. NOT a bybrid thank you very much! hybrid covers all the definitions, no need for a new word. i hate that damn butterfly tag bad enough as it is... please dont add bybrid to it as well.

as a goalie that has to watch the other goalie do his work, i must admit that it bores me to TEARS to watch all of these profly goalies, all i gotta do is remind my guys to shoot higher in between periods and generally speaking we start scoring... why it takes me to point that out every game i have no idea...

you would have to know me pretty darn well to know what my tendencies are, so i tend to think im a bit harder to figure out.

I understand what you are saying but at the same time are you playing at the pro level?

There are so few hybrid goalies for a reason at the pro level. The ones that are ,are so exceptional in other areas that they still can be effective at a very high level.

[omar]

now i only read a couple of the more recent posts in this thread but i'm almost sure that everyone of these posters has told you that it's not so much the style of a goalie, but his ability to stop the puck.

Personally, i just use every inch of my body in any way possible to stop the puck. in the average situation i'm more usual than not in a butterfly position, and ALWAYS square to the puck, that's one thing that's important no matter a goalie's style. but the again i'm also a "Hasek" type of goalie just doing whatever i can to stop the puck. i'm not afraid of challenging a forward speeding at me or hurting him either for that matter .

as mentioned earlier, you've got to learn to adapt to any and every situation as quickly as possible because face it, you're never going to face the same shot twice. But if you've got all of these skills with you, you can stop virtually any shot. if there's no way i can slide over to the other side of the net i stack the pads, if it's to my right (i'm a righty) and i can't slide over, i dive with all my might and just hope it hits me. If i'm in butterfly and i see that hte shot's about to go over my head into the net i jump up straight as a stick and just whack it away wiht my shoulders or head. sometimes i'll even sprawl out infront of the net because i have no idea what just happened and more often than not it's under me

regarding the stick handling now. you've got to have great stick handling skills. one thing that's good to have is a quick hand so that when ever you see passes even relatively near the net you're able to clear them away. while playing foot hockey in skool i'd clear passes away so hard we'd have to postpone the game for about 10 minutes just trying to find where the ball went in the grass.

same thing applies to poke checking. wait until the player is committed to a certain side before you even consider getting out of position, because if you're out of position there goes a goal. when releasing your stick make sure of what you're doing. you've got a big paddle, all you have to do is hit that little piece of rubber away. and for what i like to call "insurance" while your're poke checking you've got to stay in position no matter what because if you miss he's taking an open shot so make your body as big as possible.

if however you've got to make a diving poke check make sure you go into the "wish-bone" position so that if he gets past you you've got he bottom half of the net covered. some players have even said i remind them of a soccer goalie the way i lunge my body at the puck regardless of who's going to fall over me (i do indeed play socccer )


thanks for listening or even reading half of this. i just like to talk a lot about goal tending and sometimes i get carried away. i love the game!!!

oh and i forgot one thing!!! no matter you're style you've got to be able to get up EXTREMELY QUICK and get set for the next shot because they're going to keep coming!!!

[Damion]

I totally agree about goalies who just go down prior to the shot. they are very easy to beat and shooting high usually does the trick as well.

If they are patient and don't commit to the butterfly prior to the shot release and have active hands they instantly become allot harder to score on. The same can be said for stand up or hybrid goalies, the ones who guess or don't make the player commit first are also easier to score on.

A bad butterfly goalie is easy to score on high a bad standup goalie is easy to score on low. I have seen lots of shots miss by going over the net but I havent seen any miss by going under the net

In mucky hockey or against teams with good D the vast majority of shots are on the ice and towards the center of the net so despite bad form or going down early the butterfly is still pretty effective.

Whichever style you choose is of less consequence than your ability to make players commit first and take away options time and space at every opportunity.

[Robber]

This year has been my first in twelve back in the net. I found it very frustrating getting used to the new pads. I was always a stand up goaltender, but when I went down, I could close the five hole or more than often I would do what I call a half butterfly. (down on one knee with the other foot outstretched) this was a big part of my style and gave me great flexibility in where I went after the initial save.

I think the best thing that has worked for me this year, has been to stay up as long as I can before taking to the ice. Besides, if you go down, you have to get back up.
but then again my style could always be compared to Hasek. I'm not comfortable on the ground.

I don't know and probably doubt if that helped, but try the half butterfly, it also helps to get up quicker.