Welcome to the Goalkeeping
Newsletter. First of all I would like to welcome all of the new
subscribers. In the past few weeks, I have received a significant number
of subscribers and I want to make sure they know that all past Goalkeeping
Newsletters are archived at
http://finesoccer.com.
I would also like to apologize for
not having sent a Goalkeeping Newsletter recently. Camps can
get hectic sometimes and make it difficult to get everything I want
accomplished. Things are now back to normal so I will start sending them
out on a more regular basis.
Today’s newsletter deals with the
goalkeeping stance. Having just returned from two weeks of keeper camps I
am amazed at that lack of understanding that keepers have of the importance of
the proper stance.
To start with the proper stance
entails having your feet shoulders length apart, on the balls of your feet,
knees bent and hands out in front (some people prefer having their hands up,
prepared to catch a ball chest high while others prefer hands low to make it
easier to save the low hard shot. Personally, I prefer the hands low
since this is the most difficult shot to save but either way is acceptable.
This really is all there is to know about the stance and that is why it’s so
amazing to me how poorly so called keepers stand in preparation for a shot.
Way too many keepers have their feet too far apart so that they are not in a
position to move in any direction quickly nor are they able to dive utilizing
the power step since they are already out of balance. The second major
problem is standing flat-footed. There is no time in athletics that a
person will be able to stand flat-footed and be able to move quickly.
Their feet must be moving and they must be balanced on the balls of the
feet. The third major problem is not having the knees bent at
all. As you can tell, this position is no different then the proper
position for most sports (tennis, basketball defense, volleyball etc) so it is
quite disturbing to me that so few keepers can consistently be in a proper
stance. I get so many emails asking about training advice and asking for
opportunities for training and it gets frustrating to see these same people make
the same mistakes over and over again. The only explanation for this is
poor coaching (there is a point when the coaches must emphasize the importance
of this) and laziness. Since most keepers in this country have played
other sports, they cannot say no one has ever taught them how to stand properly.
It’s simply a matter that to stand completely upright is easier and requires
less energy then to have your knees bent and your feet moving.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean it works. As soon as the balls in a
dangerous position, (defensive half of the field, the keeper must be on the
balls of her feet and ready to move quickly. Being in this proper stance
will allow you to move quickly in all directions is a very short period of time.
The best way to ensure you stay in a
proper stance while in goal is to practice it (novel idea huh?) First of
all, get used to being in that position and moving forward, backward and side to
side (and all other variations). Being able to move quickly and change
directions while in this stance is vital. Next, concentrate on maintaining
this stance during all shooting drills and attacking drills. Never allow
yourself to get into the habit of trying to make a save or handle a cross from
any other position. Lastly, have someone videotape you while
playing a game. This will enable you to see just how often you are in a
proper stance (and even more impertinently, how often you aren’t in a proper
stance).
What might seem like a real simple
topic of proper stance is actually a huge problem in the position of
goalkeeping. Proper stance will allow you to concentrate better, move
quicker, dive quicker and basically be a much better goalkeeper.
As always, if you have any questions,
comments or anything else,please email me at
comments@finesoccer.com.
Have a great day.
Lawrence
To order by phone
call us toll free at 1-888-342-6224
