Save Selections for Advanced Rebound Control: Body Activation/Center Shifting

[harri1]

This is further continuation of the "Advanced Rebound Control" article.

Body Cradle with Glove Hand Trap

One of the best ways to control a rebound on a shot a foot high or higher is to use a body cradle. The body cradle can be used when a goaltender is using a butterfly or paddle down save selection. The body cradle involves proper timing and proper read of the shot release. What happens in a body cradle is that the goaltender collapses the body once the puck is about to hit the torso. Collapsing the body means that the goaltender will drop the upper body from the upright position for a normal butterfly movement; see "Butterfly Basics". The body will collapse, like an accordion, while maintaining balance and closing holes. By collapsing as the puck impacts the body the puck will become caught in the chest and arm protection controlling the puck at the body. In order to aid a body cradle most goaltenders will use the hands to trap the body in case the rebound is moving fast enough to bounce away.

Here Kiprusoff maintains balance and uses the hands to aid in rebound control.
The puck will lose momentum and stick to the torso or drop into the glove.

Even the body cradle has an advanced technique that further aids with rebound control. Rather than try to use both hands to help the body cradle the goaltender should strive to only use the glove to aid with the body cradle. By only using the glove to work with the body cradle the goaltender is able to maintain strong compactness with the blocker and body as well as keeping the stick in position to cover the five hole. The benefit of keeping the stick and blocker in position is for guarding against possible deflections. Most often a puck that is shot in the air is more likely to be deflected downwards thus a goaltender that maintains compactness and stick position will stop a handful or two worth of goals from going in per season. A few less goals against may seem insignificant but may make a big difference during the season. Take a look at the example below.

The blocker and stick maintain control while the glove controls the puck at the body.
Very little coverage is lost in case of deflection.

[harri1]

Here is the final section of the "Advanced Rebound Control" article.

Body Activation/Center Shifting

The final and most advanced rebound control technique is the use of body activation. Body activation can be broken down into the idea that the goaltender will shift the body into the path of the puck in order to get the most body behind the puck as possible. By placing as much body/equipment behind the puck as possible there is less chance of having the puck find a hole or miss an out-stretched limb.

The execution of body activation involves the goaltender pushing laterally to meet the puck with as much body as possible. In most cases the body must only shift a couple of inches to a maximum of two feet. The goaltender must be able to explode into the save with control in order to maintain angle and compactness. Most often a body activation will involve a butterfly slide into the new position. **A goaltender’s ready stance must not be too wide to ensure more power for a push into a save. If the ready stance is too wide the goaltender loses the power of extending the pushing leg.** By activating the body the goaltender has improved the chances of controlling the puck at the body.

Again Kiprusoff is a strong model, by pushing to activate the body towards a high blocker shot.
The body is controlled with strong visual attachment.

Body activation is especially helpful in a deflection situation because the puck has changed angle because the deflector is the new shooter. A deflection should be considered a new shot from a new shooting angle which requires an adjustment by the goaltender; body activation is the best way to make the angle adjustment. When coupled with the previous save selections of the stick with angle and body cradle the goaltender has effectively attempted to control as many pucks as possible at the body; the number one rebound control priority.

In conclusion, a goaltender that has superior rebound control through the use of the advanced rebound control techniques will have the ability to control the game leading to increased success. Be a leader, take charge, and control the team’s destiny through these helpful hints.

[harri1]

It has always been interesting to read and listen to discussion about reaction versus blocking saves and this thread seems like a decent place to discuss this issue further.

As I recall a lot of the debate revolves around goalies becoming robotic and highly predicatable in their goaltending arsenal. Often the disctinction is made between blocking saves and reacting saves. As I understand the distinction, reaction saves often incorporate saves with extended limbs as opposed to blocking where the goalie tries to get as much of the compact body unit in front of the puck on as many pucks as possible. Often we see a negative connotation associated with blocking goaltenders (Giguere, Price) as opposed to the more common reacting goalies (Brodeur, Turco).

What we would like to propose is the question, aren't all goalies blocking/reaction goalies?

It makes sense that all goalies should have and use both elements as game situations demand. We would argue that all goalies should strive to be blocking goalies, just in the definition of trying to get as much of the body in front of the puck as possible on all shots. This is where the connection to body shifting/activation comes in. If a goaltender strives to get as much surface area in front of the puck as possible on all shots including deflections it seems there is less likelihood of something going wrong. Just to clarify the body activation can be done while standing but more often than not will be used with a butterfly slide type of movement.

In previous discussions on this board I have read descriptions of the need for reaction saves on shots from further out without a risk of deflection. Why should goalies not strive to use as much body as possible on those outside shots? Rarely do we have shots in a game that are clear, from outside with no risk of other players being involved. If a goalie is in the habit of using extended limb saves on outside shots what kind of habits are they getting into for shots that have more traffic?

Extended limb saves are very much still required and are often used because the goalie does not have time to move into a shot with the body, this is usually the case with a player blasting down the wing and taking a giant slapper. Of course, rarely do we see this type of play in a game.

I believe that a center shift is a very strong save selection to be used whenever possible. Now a center shift does not always have to be a full blocking style of butterfly slide, goalies can center shift and use a sort of half extension save (i.e. a half butterfly save with the pad sealed on the ice and strong stick placement or even with the knee up if the puck is off the ice). The use of the center shift is still a reaction save, like all other saves, it just doesn't involve full extension, which can open holes and leave a piece of equipment with less support. Less support in an extension save can lead to bad rebounds or bad goals or both.

What makes the center shift hard to do is the fact that it requires excellent shot reading and tracking skills, patience, power/explosiveness and compactness through the body unit with strong stick discipline. For those in doubt, try pushing yourself in practice to center shift into as many pucks as possible and the game will become easier.

To finish, we would argue that all goalies strive to be blocking goalies (it is the nature of the position) but they should still be able to use an extended reaction save when a situation is called for. So, is there really such thing as blocking or reaction goalies or don't we all need to be both?