Beginner needs help

[Center79dt]

Hi everyone. I have just decided to play goalie. I have played hockey but only as a defender. I am just looking for any advice, constructive critism, anything that can help me out. What should i start with during the off season. Possible workouts and other off ice stuff, as well as on ice stuff? Thanks

[tjgoalie]

The biggest thing your going to need to work on is movement. As a defensemen you never had to shuffle, or move around like a goaltender. An easy drill which will help alot is making a + sign in one of the circles. Skate from the bottom of the circle to the top, c-cut back to the center, than you can shuffle, t-push, 2 pad stack if your old school, or bufferfly slide to the corners, go to the opposite side and back to the center, and than skate back to the bottom where you began. You can do this drill with many variations, add butterflys when you hit the top/bottom of the circle, or your choice of lateral motion. Than start adding these motions in and around the crease to familiarize yourself with angles, and how to shift from one place to a new angle.

[Temple]

I'm in the same boat as you: D-man just picking up the pads. I've learned an incredible amount in the past several weeks. The single best advice I can offer is what worked for me: search this board over and over again. Read, and read, and read, and read. Keep searching over and over again. Search "beginner", search "new goalie", search anything you can think of, any question you've got. Follow threads and absorb.

After a couple ice times, re-read everything you read, it will make twice as much sense. As you get more experience, keep re-reading the advice. I'm expecting to get more out of these same threads the more experience I have to measure it against.

Overall, you'll only learn by grabbing the spoon and feeding yourself.

Craig

[Canucks_Fan]

Great advice Craig.

I just got back into the game this year after a 13 year layoff and this place is a wonderful resource. By doing searches and reading you will pick up an incredible amount of tips and information. Great people here who are always willing to help.

[STLGoalieman]

There are a few of us. Forward turned gear whore now figuring it out.

[Sprawl]

i think the best thing to try is just TRY

get yourself a cheap set. borrow, Beg, Buy. And just go to a few drop in sessions and have some fun. Get your feel for what to expect. Learn to skate, drop.

than work your way up. Check out a video or two. Read the forums and start incorporating what you've learned into it.


Remember

HAVE FUN

[Eidolon]

• If you've got access to ice this summer, get out there and get the feel for your skates and equipment in low pressure situations first, like stick and puck or open skate. Just wear the pads and skates and get used to how your center of gravity is different and how movement is changed as a result. Similiarly, if you've got a catcher, play catch with it on to get the feel for how it's different from a baseball glove.
  
• Be sure to stretch well, with an emphasis on the groin, thighs, hips, calves, etc. Hate for you to tear something your first night out because you THOUGHT you could do something you hadn't done up to that point playing defense.
  
• Find out when the local rink has drop-in or if there is a summer league. Go watch the goalies there. You'll be able to quickly tell who you should be studying and who you shouldn't. Get a seat or stand in one of the corners behind the net you're watching and focus on his/her movement. Pay attention to their depth as the play approaches, how the move from post to post, how they communicate with their teammates during play, and how they position their hands. These are all things that you'll have to think about in the beginning, but will become second nature as you progress.
  
• Research: ask questions here and of other goalies at your local rink. Read as much of this board as possible. Look into the book "Hockey Goaltending" by Daccord. It's a good compact source of tons of good info on stretching, gameplay, save selection, equipment, self-evaluation, etc.
  
• Lastly, once you've got a good foundation of info, throw yourself out there. Go to some stick & pucks with your gear and start taking shots. Work up to some lower level drop-ins.

[natelevi]

This may be obvious but it might give you a little piece of mind; you're going to need to see a lot of shots. A LOT of shots. I guess you can compare it to being a hitter in baseball - you've just got to get used to the speed of the puck, angle of the shooter in relation to you in the net and that means you need to see a lot of pucks. Don't get down on yourself - if you have a rough game; playing goalie has a large mental aspect to it. If a forward makes a mistake, you generally DON'T see it on the scoreboard, but if a goalie makes a mistake, generally you will see up on the scoreboard, so you just have to shrug it off and develop a thick skin.
now here are a smattering of random advice from a goalie with ADD haha:


Like many others have mentioned - watch a goalie who you know has some skill. In fact, if you're playing against a decent goalie - ask him for tips between periods or after the game. I've been playing for almost 14 years and I STILL ask goalies if they have any constructive criticism because you'll find most goalies are pretty friendly, maybe its the 'goalie code', but most will be happy to help you out.

I would also suggest doing stretching exercises. There are many threads on here with different stretches you can do. You'll find being more flexible often is the difference between missing a puck by an inch or being scored on during a close play where both teams let out a huge "oooooooooh!" (<---- thats one of the best reasons to be a goalie haha) Seriously though, stretching will not only help prevent injury, but it will make it much easier to makes saves, and you probably won't ache nearly as bad the next day. Just remember, playing goalie deals a lot with muscle memory, so it's gonna take time before you simply react out of instinct instead of thinking and reacting, but so long as you keep practicing and trying, you will be fine. Welcome to the best and often most underrated position in hockey. You join a very fine brother/sisterhood!

[midlife crisis]

I'm also new at this. Only been at it since Feb. I would definately get goalie skates if you haven't already done so. I started out with my player skates which seemed okay. But once I bought my goalie skates I realized how much of a difference they make. I find it easier to move laterally and can get back up much quicker. They weren't hard to get used to either. The best advice as others have mentioned, is to get out there every chance you get. I play 3 times a week and that really helps.
It's also important to get players who can really take decent shots to work with you. As long as you have decent equipment you should be fine. You will get some interesting bruises but no big deal. And I agree with watching as many other goalies as possible. You will learn from them all even if it's what not to do.

If you get the chance, sit in the front row behind the net at a pro or college game during warm ups.

This is a great site as well with tons of great info and advice.

[Center79dt]

Hey thanks alot guys for the advice, im gunna get the rest of my gear and deff take what u guys told me and see what i can do. I agree this site is awsome for all levels. Deff need to work on some stretching and what not. Thanks again.