Holding the Glove out front

[influenza]

I finally figured out how important this is last night. Playing a team that was 2 divisions higher than our team turned out to be a good learning experience. We actually kept it even for half the game 1-1 mid way through the second period.

Short handed with a few minutes left one of their guys came down the right side and wound up and blasted this shot right by my glove side. I mean he got everything on it. So to myself I said "If I had of had my glove in front, I would have had a better chance at that." I had it at my side and basically tried to block it.

A couple minutes later faceoff in our zone, me with the mindset to keep that glove out. The puck gets passed far side to the left of me, as I'm hugging the post. Same guy who drilled it earlier. I saw this happening, had my glove ready out in front and made a beauty glove save as it was going full force top corner. The place erupted, and even the guy who shot it came over and gave me a shot in the pads and told me nice save!

I'm new to goal tending, but man did it ever feel good! Probably the prettiest save I've done to date.

So as everyone has told me, keep that glove in front, and you'll be able to see the puck coming to it better.

Just like when you catch a baseball, you don't catch it to the side of you, you stick that glove in the air in front!

[foodsample]

Yea I have been working on that, I notice when i toss tennis balls on the wall .. its alot harder to catch them keeping my hands on my side than to have my hands out in front. I have been also making sure to keep my hands in that position during butterfly movement, since i've been noticing I get lazy with my blocker when moving to the right.

[RebelGoalie27]

That was my problem the other night... 3 pucks hit my glove and went in. All 5 goals I let in hit me and went in. Millimeters between allowing 5 goals and getting a shut out.

Keeping the gloves out in front and watching the puck all the way in were my downfalls that night.

[sthbayguy]

I also find that having your gloves out during a close scramble really helps too. It keeps them more mobile, plus while the puck is in close you can cut off a lot of angle quickly and easily.

[Densetsu]

Putting the glove out in front

(a) Makes watching the puck go into your trapper easier,
(b) Cuts down on angles,
(c) Helps close the space between your elbows and torso
(d) All of the above.

More than anything, goals in my six- and seven-hole have gone down dramatically since I started using active hands. Best benefit of the style for me by far.

[NathansDad]

Holding the glove in front of your body also closes off the hole between elbow and body on the glove side. Try it in front of a mirror and it's easy to see.

[foodsample]

has anyone else had the problem where you can't see the puck coming? like slapshots from the slot?

[Temple]

I'm brand new to the position, but not to stopping pucks/balls/etc. I've been reading this board for many hours and hours, and have been spending most of my waking (and some of my sleeping) time thinking about goal tending.

I've come up with a method/way/thought process for keeping my trapper in position:

I hold my glove out in front of my pads with my palm facing the puck with my thumb and index fingers at about 11 and 1 o'clock on a clock face (so far this is pretty standard really). What I use to maintain this positioning almost sub-conciously is a mental technique of visualizing the puck flying into my trapper.

I think of using the force like Luke did when he was trying to retrieve his light-saber when he was hanging upside down in the Wampa cave. I literally try to use telekinesis to get the puck to fly into me. I'm thinking sort of a 'come to me, come to me...' while tracking the play. It sounds funny, but it seems to work. Not to mention that it's fun when the puck gets shot glove side and you snag it.

Craig

[NedofRock]

Economy of motion...if its already out, up and open, you saved yourself a hell of a lot of trouble.

[foodsample]

Originally Posted by Temple

I'm brand new to the position, but not to stopping pucks/balls/etc. I've been reading this board for many hours and hours, and have been spending most of my waking (and some of my sleeping) time thinking about goal tending.

I've come up with a method/way/thought process for keeping my trapper in position:

I hold my glove out in front of my pads with my palm facing the puck with my thumb and index fingers at about 11 and 1 o'clock on a clock face (so far this is pretty standard really). What I use to maintain this positioning almost sub-conciously is a mental technique of visualizing the puck flying into my trapper.

I think of using the force like Luke did when he was trying to retrieve his light-saber when he was hanging upside down in the Wampa cave. I literally try to use telekinesis to get the puck to fly into me. I'm thinking sort of a 'come to me, come to me...' while tracking the play. It sounds funny, but it seems to work. Not to mention that it's fun when the puck gets shot glove side and you snag it.

Craig

Cool trick, I find I tend to be concentrating on everything at once .. and I agree probably if I just think for the puck to come striaght to me, I will subconciously line myself up.

[Petey4485]

I just got back to the game after taking about a year and a half off. Since I took that break though, I got new equipment that was NHL spec. So, I found this to be one of the fundamental habits I needed to get back. It's amazing how one little thing can help that confidence you had after not playing for a while.