© Steve Davies Goalie School - 2008
Even if you are the greatest goalie in the world, you are going to face difficult times. Even the Patrick Roy's and Martin Brodeur's of the goalie world have gone through stretches when their skills and confidence have gone into hiding and they felt awkward and unsure of themselves. When this happens, instead of expecting to stop the next shot, goalies play in dread of the next shot and the possibility of letting the team down. It is almost as though the puck had a will of its own and it was determined to find a way into the net. When this happens, goalies often sit deeper in the net and "think" their saves rather than staying in the moment and trusting their training and instincts. It is a frustrating cycle that compounds itself and the ensuing downward spiral can be difficult to break.
In times like these, it is always good to have someone to talk things through with and this is why a good goalie coach is so important. If your coach has played the game, he will know exactly what you are going through and remind you of how good you really are. He will remind you that your skills haven't evaporated into thin air and that you are still the same talented goalie that you were before your skills and confidence went into hibernation. This is where visualization is one of several strategies that can be very helpful. I'm sure Dr. Bray has already written several articles about this practice and I most certainly defer to him. But, as I understand it, visualization helps the goalie to recreate the mindset that he was in when full of confidence and playing well. While in a relaxed state, the goalie will not only see himself making saves but actually experience the save all the way through, from seeing the puck on the shooter's stick, to reading and moving with the release of the puck and sensing the impact of the save and then tracking the rebound to the corner. Personally, I know this technique can be helpful because I have used it many times … which tells you how many slumps I had. They really aren't much fun.
I'm sure there are other similar methods that goalies use to find their game. While driving back to Toronto last winter, I listened to an interview with a well known goalie coach. He explained that when his goalies were struggling, he liked to sit down with them and watch a compilation of all the great saves they had made over a period of time. This simple technique is brilliant in its simplicity. Rather than analyzing or dissecting bad performances, it focuses the goalie's mind on confidence generating great performances. Often, that's all that is needed for the goalie to rediscover the mental state that allows him to find his game. This is not to say that goalie coaches don't have to draw a goalie's attention to subtle errors; but there is a time and place for everything. Sometimes, goalies just have to be reminded of how good they really are. What better way than to watch oneself making technically correct save after save.
So, when you find yourself struggling to find your game, always remember that your skills haven't vanished; they're sleeping just beneath the surface and need to be gently awakened. Keep working hard in practice and you will win the respect of your teammates but be gentle with yourself mentally and your skills will come home.
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