|
|
 |
|
|
|
Jon "The Goalieman" Weston: Back to Basics
December 2001/January 2002
I regularly work with the top goalies in the country.
When they are using good goaltending fundamentals, their
additional skills shine through with some spectacular
saves against excellent shooters. When they violate these
basics, they play poorly and struggle, just like every
goalie does. This column covers the basics:
Rule 1 - Watch the Ball - Many goalies struggle because
they watch the game, guide the defense and get caught
looking at the shooter's motion or eyes during the shot.
These are all distractions to the real job of watching
the BALL and reacting to it. If you can't see the
ball because of a screen or the shooter is hiding the
ball behind his shoulder or helmet, wait patiently for
the ball to appear from the area where it is and then
react to it.
Rule 2 - Watch the Ball With Your Hand - In clinics, I
teach that the 1st rule of goaltending is to Watch the
Ball. The second rule is to Watch the Ball with your Hand
(that's how important this is). But, some folks
miss part of this. If you watch the ball in flight
(by almost pointing to it with your top hand), see it
land and simultaneously move to be setup for a shot from
that person, you are moving with the ball. You will
not be late on cross crease passes or feeds into the middle
or other similar passes. We tell our keepers, set
up on every exchange and watch the ball ALL THE TIME.
Tony Seaman , Head Lacrosse Coach at Towson University,
said the other day that this sounds so simple but is very
hard to do, so practice it until you can see the ball
all the time, even in a stick pocket, even rotating
during each pass or shot.
Rule 3 - Get Ready Early - I expect that nearly half
the goals scored are scored because the keeper is not
ready to move to the ball. This means hands and elbows
in front of the chest (at all times) with the wrists on
the back side of shaft and hands raised to cover the higher
shot. top Hand is at eye level and to the front side of
the cheek. Bottom hand is in front of the other
side breast (yes, the stick is somewhat angled not vertical).
Knees are bent with the chest slightly ahead of
the hips. Weight should be forward a bit onto the
balls of the feet ready to step to the shot. The
feet are shoulder width apart with the top hand foot slightly
ahead of the other foot and slightly pigeon-toed.
Play on the Balls of Your Feet - If you play with your
weight on your heals, most likely you will rock backward
on the off-ball foot and kick the front foot towards the
ball. This rock is slow and the kick too short,limiting
your range. If you play with your weight on the balls
of your feet, you can step quickly to the ball without
rocking first. To facilitate the step, play a little pigeon-toed
(toes closer together than heels). In this position when
you lift your ball side foot your body will flow to that
side (try this slew footed and nothing happens). Since
the goal is to have you WHOLE body moving toward the ball
to make the save, this stance helps and is faster than
other stances.
Get Your Hands Off Your Chest - If your hands are back
or down out of your vision, your mind has to tell your
hands and your body where to go (and likely your wrists
are to the side of the handle limiting the amount of wrist
rotation you can use to get to the ball). You eye-hand
coordination is triggered by having your hand in the line
of vision. Having your top hand up in your vision
- directly to the front side of your cheek (we call this
eye-thumb-ball), lets you see the ball with your hand
in view and helps when drive your hand to the ball (it's
quicker). Your body will follow your hand. Rule 3
is Get Ready.
Play the Pipe and High - As a shooter comes closer and
closer to the goal (let's talk about drives from behind
or low angle shots first), he/she wants to shoot high
on the pipe side (between the goalie and the pipe). If
the goalie's stick is up high already, then the shooter
has to change the shot or shoot it into the keeper's stick.
As a cutter cuts and is fed, he / she usually receives
the ball high and shoots high. So playing with the stick
low and stabbing to the ball gives the shooter the edge.
Playing with the stick high (top even with the crossbar),
gains you a couple of saves per game that you won't get
by stabbing. In the same vain, play the pipe closest to
the shooter's side. We call this Rule # 6 (NEVER
get beat PIPE side)
In another column on the three or four dumbest things
in lacrosse, I wrote that #2 was a goalie that isn't ready.
A lot of goals are scored on keepers who are distracted
or not ready, so an attentive keeper in great stance is
a real asset.
Rule 4 - Make a great move to the ball - If you are ready
this usually means driving your top hand to the ball and
stepping as you make the save. The clue here is to watch
the ball into the pocket. To have the best range
a propeller like stick motion is used where the top hand
drives to the ball and the bottom hand is a pivot, not
moving at all except on off-side high shots where it goes
opposite the top hand to get the most range. Step to every
shot, that way your whole body is moving to make the save.
Don't change your grip until after the ball hits the pocket,
that way the most stick area is facing the ball until
it is saved.
Rule 5 - Start the Break - The objective is to get the
ball and give it to your offense so your team can score.
The keeper can do this by getting a ground
ball, intercepting a pass, running out a shot to the back
line or making a save. Once you have the ball, get it
moving up field preferably by throwing a good pass over
the other team to your player so he can lead the break
for a goal. A keeper has got to handle the ball well and
throw it well, short or long, to get it over the
other team to your breaking teammates. It is not
as important to catch the shot as it is to make the save
and then gain control over the ball followed by a shift
to a good passing position. Then pass the ball well
or it is coming back at the keeper all too soon.
Rule 6 - Never Get Beat Pipe Side - When the ball is on
the left side protect the left side pipe. On the
right protect the right. The defense is in the middle
of the field, but if the shooter drives down the side
or from behind that is where the defense help is the least.
So a keeper can't let the shooter shoot between
the pipe and the goalie. Protect that Pipe. It
helps out every defensive scheme that I know.
If there is a rule 7 it would be to talk to your team.
The Check call can save a lot of goals by helping
your teammates know when to check their man when the ball
is fed. Calling out position of the ball (Top Right, Top
Left, Left Behind, ...) helps the defensive players know
where the ball is. The Clear call starts the break.
Rebound means knock down everyone on the crease.
There are other more sophisticated calls used to run the
defense that the keeper needs to learn from the team's
coaching staff. But, talking is the easiest form
keeper contribution that helps the defense avoid giving
up a shot that must be saved. |
|
| |
|
|
