Experts needed to pick apart a video of me

[The_Sand]

YouTube - Ice Hockey Goalie Saves

Here is a summery of my first season as a goalie compacted into a few minutes. I'm sure you can tell that I'm quite new at this, and I have some questions. First of all, how is my positioning, what could I do to improve my stance a bit, or am I doing just fine? My stick and legs pads might be too big for me, I'm 6 foot 1 1/2 and my pads are 36 and my stick is a 26 1/2. I also sometimes have trouble knowing where to put my stick when in normal standing stance, does it go in the exact middle? a little to the right? Please anybody with advice help me.

One more question, how sharp should my skates be? Thanks for the help.

[NHGoalie]

generally, you learn better from the goals you let in. it would probably be better to show us a clip of everything, not just saves. i did notice you WAY out of position on a few shots, but for some reason they still shot it into your chest. Also i would come out of the net further.

[The_Sand]

Originally Posted by NHGoalie

generally, you learn better from the goals you let in. it would probably be better to show us a clip of everything, not just saves. i did notice you WAY out of position on a few shots, but for some reason they still shot it into your chest. Also i would come out of the net further.

Alright I'll upload another video in a second.

[njt42]

You're tall for a 93 lol

[sloth2946]

1. I'd like to see more of you failing like the first poster said.
2. You have good fundamentals in terms of using your size and recoveries.
3. Movement is very slow.
4. You drop, not drive your knees down.
5. Stick position is ok, but get it more involved in low saves, i.e. actually make the save with it as opposed to the pad.

That said, learn to skate without the pads, then work on goalie movements. Also, get lower in your stance, i.e. bend the knees and drive those knees to the ice as opposed to just falling down.

All in all a good start to build off of.

[The_Sand]

Thanks for the advice so far, hows my butterfly?

[Goalieworld20]

Originally Posted by njt42

You're tall for a 93 lol

hah the kid thats backing me up this year is a 93 and is 6' 1" off skates lol. hes a beast. cool kid too. a canadian kid that moved here and surfs with me haha


but back to the vid. Watch ur depth, ur sinking back in your crease. improve ur skating, u look uncomfortable. make sure you revocer or lateral adjust properly while down on the ice (you can use those key words, there are many threads about those topics).

also, really cool tps/rbk combo, looks great

[The_Sand]

Here is a picture of me and my current stick, is it too small? Yes I know five hole too wide gloves positioning off etc. The picture was taken during the middle of a game so I never really had time to perfect my position (but it should be perfect regardless of the situation right? lol) Also, what could I do to make that stance better? I often find myself in that wide stance...



old gloves btw

[njt42]

your stick is a good size! Remember, the 26.5 is = to 25.5 in other brands, so you're fine.

Oh and there is a kid on my 16u team who is a 93 and is 6'4. I feel short lol.

[magyarmo]

not too bad., but you look really stiff in your movements.
in practise, try to make everything flow, do your movements slow and get the technique. speed will come in time.

since you are such a big guy, it's nice to be tall in your stance, but in my opinion, bend your knees a bit more, just so you have that extra bit of explosivness.

[The_Sand]

How's this for kneebend? (woah, backbend too)

[njt42]

you're totally bending at the waist, which is making you appear much smaller to shooters. Bend at your knees only, and keep your back straight!

[DSAAA39]

I will keep the short and hopefully it will be helpful.

1. Movement (do movement patterns to improve) - The faster you can fill space the more net you will take up.

2. Backside Recovery (for example when you make the save and you are recovering from your butterfly to t-push into space) - Same as above fill space recover into space- reason being because the faster you can be set and on your angle the less you will have to stretch for pucks

3. Base - Be sure not to have too wide of a base. Read the play and if there is perimeter movement have more flexion in your knees and waste, you aren't in a situation where you need to make a save. This will improve your lateral up movement. However make sure that you are prepared to go into your save stance (less relaxed) whenever there is going to be an opportunity for a shot.

To answer your question about your stick, if you read the play you should be able to tell when a shot opportunity is present, so in those situations where one isn't, i.e. the one in 3, you don't need to have your stick on the ice. You can move into a save stance which will include your stick on the ice whenever there is an opportunity for a play or shot.

4. Down Movement (Work on with Movement patterns) - again fill space faster only now without getting up. This is your backside pushes and knee shuffles.


Hope I could be helpful, if you have any questions just ask.

[OmegaGoalie]

And pick a better song next time!

[sloth2946]

RE: Stance.

I wasn't clear on this and there is some not right answers regarding that here.

In your stance you want to bend your knees to the point of near 90 degrees, like as I tell my students, you're sitting on the toilet(potty humor always works).

That said your shoulders should be up, as in your able to show the shooter your 'breasts' if you will. Your nipples shouldn't be looking at your knees. That said, your knees and shoulders when photographed in a profile, you should be able to draw a perfectly vertical line from the front of your shoulders and the front of your knees.

This is a perfect athletic stance which will enable you to move laterally more efficiently and more explosively in every direction.

The width of your feet will be what works for you in your stance but I will argue against being too much wider than shoulder width, and you don't want to pinch your knees together. If your feet are wide, then the knees should be apart. There is nothing wrong with this, but pinching the knees will lock you in that position.

Here's an example of me in a stance that I would be advocating:


Notice how my shoulders are square, knees bent deep and you can see my face and chest. Feet are a tad wider than I would personally like there, and I have made adjustments since that picture to narrow them up. Also note the stick position. Blocker is flush to the puck, stick blade is in the middle of the 5 hole and flush on the ice.

And to show you how little my stance has changed, this is as close as I can get but this picture was from right around the day you were born:


Not much has changed in my game. Also of note...that is the same C/A unit in both pics!