The goalkeeper ‘duel’

Geplaatst op 14/10/2010 door grim78

The game is essentially a battle between the two goalkeepers on the pitch: whoever lets in the most goals gives the other team the win. Therefore, when you are playing, you need to battle to perform better than the other goalkeeper. The goalkeeper’s job is to keep the ball out of the net and to do so, they need to play well. If the goalkeeper has a ‘bad day at the office’, then they will give away an easy win to the opposition. Every game you need to bring your ‘A’ (best) game to the match, otherwise the other goalkeeper will outdo you and make you look bad!

Battle of wills

Goalkeeping is essentially a battle of wills; you are mentally battling against the urge to be nervous and worry about your ability, or be too aggressive and pumped up and make wrong decisions as a result. You have to play confidently and calmly, not letting the opposition ‘get into your head’. Be strong in your convictions and don’t get put off. To play well, you need to be confident, so make sure you are in ‘the zone’ and confident before you play, so that you will perform at your best during the match.

Outdo your opponent!

You need to beat out your opponent; you need to match them save for save and make sure you don’t let any goals in. If the other goalkeeper makes big saves to keep their team in the game, then make sure you also make the big saves. If the other goalkeeper lets in an easy goal and starts to self destruct, then make sure you don’t do anything stupid. Every mistake is costly, so try not to make any. Try to “put on a clinic” as the Canadians say and play as if you were being scouted or watched, that way you will end up being heard of!

Beat the other ‘keeper!

Ultimately you need to perform better than the goalkeeper at the other end if you want your team to win. Make sure you do better than them and perform at your best; be confident to do this. The better you play, the more chance you have of winning and proving yourself the better ‘keeper.

Gearchiveerd onder: Algemeen, LeoGrim | getagged: , , , , | Reageer »

What makes a great goalkeeper

Geplaatst op 31/03/2010 door grim78

It is good to pinpoint the qualities of a top class goalkeeper, so that you know what you’ve got to work towards if you want to be the best. There are number of skills, some of which are natural and gifts we are born with (like amazing reaction speeds/reflexes), but it is possible to work hard to improve them, if you want to reach the top. Coaches look for these abilities, and this is important to remember if you want to be scouted to play at the best levels. The following is a list of qualities that all the elite crop of goalkeepers have:

Pirmin Blaak is an elite goalkeeper, but what does it take to be like him?

Athleticism

To be able to make those highlight reel saves, you need to be athletic. Although field hockey goalkeepers have all that extra padding, they need to be quick on their feet and acrobatic in save making. Just like soccer goalkeepers who leave their feet a lot, field hockey goalies need to be prepared to jump, leap and dive around to make the save, especially against tricky shooters with hard, well placed shots or quick drag flicks.

Ability to read the play

Elite goalkeepers are aware of what players are going to do, which helps them make up their mind on when and how to make the save. Athleticism helps them to get into place to stop the ball, but it is their ability to read the game that makes the save. By being able to work out what will happen, they are also able to make better decisions as a result; one step ahead in the battle against the opposition.

Agility

At the top level, goalkeepers often have to make consecutive saves if the shot is uncontrollable (unable to direct the rebound given the power of the shot). To be able to do so, the goalkeeper needs to be agile; getting up immediately and recovering to stop the shot. With immediate changes in play, goalkeepers will also have to change direction. If you have to move from post to post to be attempt a save on a passed shot, then you need to be lightning fast to get there in time to block. This is what agility is all about.

Strong mental attitude

A strong mentality is so important to being an elite athlete; dealing with the pressures that come with the position. Goalkeepers are competitors and don’t ever like being beaten. If a goal is scored against them, it is immediately forgotten about and ignored, rather than being worried about and causing more goals. The goalkeeper needs to carry their team and help them win. Especially at the international stage, goalkeepers would underperform if they were nervous and showed it.

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Gearchiveerd onder: Algemeen, LeoGrim | getagged: , , , , , | 1 reactie »

Play it your way

Geplaatst op 31/03/2010 door grim78

It is important to play your way. You and you only are the person best to decide how you play; coaches can show and teach you, but you are the one who will put it into practise during a game. When it comes to style, you should only be influenced by others (like your heroes), if they play like you, otherwise you will end up trying to do something you’re not like. Play it “your way”; play the way you play, not the way someone else does.

Play to your strengths/style

When developing your style and working on improving the way you play in relation to , you need to consider your own strengths. What you are good at and how you play; for example do you go to ground a lot, do you like to slide tackle, or do you prefer to stay on your feet and get in front of the ball more? Do you have good reflexes, or do you prefer to block with your body? By asking yourself how you play and what you are good at will help you map out a style of goalkeeping. For example, playing without arm pads in a reflex style, or wearing full body armour to block against shots low.

It is also important to take note of your coaching. When being coached, the coach’s role is to teach you and add to your technique, not change it. Although it is good to be taught new techniques and ways to make saves, if they don’t suit you, there’s no point learning them. Be aware if a coach is trying to mould you into a certain style that doesn’t match your strengths.

Kit that suits you

Another aspect of your game that needs to be considered when thinking about how best you play, is the kit you wear. Some goalkeepers stick to kit and never try out different brands, which could stunt their ability. Buying your own kit and choosing it to suit you will allow you to play to your strengths and suit your own style of play. By playing in your own kit that suits your style of play, you will be able to play to your strengths; you will find that by playing in kit that suits you, you will play better and be able to perform at your best. Doesn’t that sound like a good thing?

This picture is a good example:

Notice how they are mixing brands of kit to suit different purposes: the Obo gloves, with the goalkeepers uses TK instead for the pads and kickers, whilst the shorts (rather than a girdle) give the goalkeeper extra movement.

Stay true to yourself!

Ultimately, you need to keep to the way you play; don’t be put off by other keepers and the mainstream ‘status quo’. If it doesn’t work for you, then you shouldn’t be doing it. Stick to the way you play and choose kit to suit it: that way you’ll play at your best.

Gearchiveerd onder: LeoGrim | getagged: , , , , , | Reageer »

New blog

Geplaatst op 30/03/2010 door grim78

Just to let you all know, I’ve started writing my own blog on top of everything else.The idea is to provide up to date analysis and info on goalkeepers for youngsters to read up on the top starters (to learn a thing or two), or simply to provide a good read. At the moment it covers the big leagues in England and international games, but I’ll hopefully being adding some blogs on Holland and the Hoofdklasse (feel free to provide me with information!). Here’s the link: http://grimsgoalkeeping.blogspot.com/

If you have a Google account, please add yourself as a follower! If you’ve got any other ideas or comments on content, feel free to tell me!

Gearchiveerd onder: LeoGrim | Reageer »

Strafbal: making the save easy

Geplaatst op 25/03/2010 door grim78

The strafbal (or penalty flick) is one of the hardest parts of the game for the ‘keeper. Pitting the goalkeeper against the attacker in a duel to see who is the best, it is a difficult situation to deal with. The odds are stacked against them and observers will be surprised if the save is made. Here, the mental game is ever important, as the goalkeeper must believe that they will succeed.

The mental game

Like most saves, the mental game is so important, if not essential to be making the save. Even though the goalkeeper knows that they don’t have much of a chance, they need to be in a position where they think they are unbeatable and can easily make the save, so that they do stop the strafbal. If you doubt your ability to make the save, then you will not do well in your attempts to defend the flick.

Nothing to lose

When facing a strafbal, it is important to remember that there is nothing to lose: you are up against it, but if you make the save then you will have done better than expected. It is not up to you , so you don’t need to worry about succeeding. That said, you still need to try your hardest! If it was a teammate’s fault for the strafbal (i.e. obstruction/them getting their foot in the way), then you do not have to accept responsibility for the goal (IF it is scored!). Since there is little chance of making the save anyway, you have nothing to lose, so go out there and try to stop it with all your might!

Be calm

To succeed, the goalkeeper needs to be calm and confident. They need to relax and not get worked up about stopping the ball. If they are nervous about it and worried (shaking with nerves), then they are likely to not do as well. Instead, the goalkeeper should work on calming down and relaxing. Breathing slowly; taking deep breathes in and out will help calm yourself down, so that you are ready to make the save. Try to put doubt and bad thoughts out of your mind; focus instead on making the save and eliminate all other factors that will put you off.

Be confident

You need to be confident before you face the shot. You really need to have self belief and really believe that you can stop the ball and make the save. Believe you can make the save and you will; it’s that simple. Worry about making the stop and you will fail! The goalkeeper should try to put bad thoughts of failure out of their mind and do their best; that is all that can be asked of them by their team.

Intimidating your opponent

A lot of goalkeepers like to intimidate and aggravate the opponent before they take the flick. Most of the time goalkeepers will bang their stick against the posts or crossbar, and possibly their pads, aggressively to annoy and upset the strafbal taker. Vogels for example often takes his helmet and gloves off, shakes his opponent’s hand, says “good luck” and then gets padded up and goals back into goal, ready to face the flick. Things like this help to ‘get into the flick taker’s head’; they put the flick taker off their shot and make them nervous about the scoring chance. If you are successful, then the flick will miss the goal, or it will be a weak attempt and will be an easy save.

Mind games

Furthermore, there are other ways the goalkeeper can play with the strafbal taker’s mind. Some goalkeepers like to dance around on the spot, looking big and spreading out so they cover as much of goal as possible, trying to make the goal look smaller and give away less shooting space. There are also other ways to psychologically play with the opponent, which soccer goalkeepers often use.

‘Dummy’: the goalkeeper tries to ‘dummy’ the shooter – as the player goes to take the flick, the goalkeeper feints a move in the other direction; the shooter therefore thinks the keeper is going that way and shoots it right at the ‘keeper.

Standing to one side: the goalkeeper stands to one side of the goal (left or right, generally the left as the goalkeeper’s strong side is his right) – the goalkeeper encourages the shooter to go for the open space, gambling to move across to cover the bigger gap.

Gearchiveerd onder: LeoGrim, Training | getagged: , , , , , | 2 Commentaar »

Getting involved with your team

Geplaatst op 10/03/2010 door grim78

Even though the goalkeeper is the one who stands alone during the game, with everyone else playing in front of them, it is still vitally important that the goalkeeper involves themselves in the game. If they don’t, then they are no good to them team: a ‘keeper who doesn’t communicate with his defenders will not be able to properly defend his goal and stop shots getting in. By actively speaking, the goalkeeper is in a better position to help their team; quickly spotting open attackers and warning of the threat.

Speaking up

It is important that you ‘speak up’ during games; you need to talk loud and be heard. If you mumble your instructions to your teammates, what good is it if they can’t hear you? Without communication, your defenders won’t know who to mark or where to go, so you should tell them. Most of the time defenders want to hear something so they have an idea about what they need to do; they don’t care about they content, they just want some recognition! Don’t worry about your fears or chances of being embarassed, as this is what puts most people off and means they fail at it. Instead, be loud and proud; speak up and make sure you can be heard from the other side of the pitch. They say that the goalkeeper who can be heard from the opposite end of the pitch is the better goalie as they will see less shots!

Talk to your team-mates

At the end of the day, the most important thing, other than making saves, is talking to your team. By communicating with them and providing a constant stream of information, you help your team position and deal with any threats. It’s a good idea to build up a relationship with your team off the pitch and when , so that you can easily talk to them during a match. The more the teammate knows you and is comfortable with your advice, the more likely they are to follow your instructions.

Team talks

A team talk is where a goalkeeper needs to talkative. Since it is a team meeting, and the goalkeeper is part of the team, they need to make sure they get involved. Team talks are the best opportunity to get involved with your team, as they are the time when the team gets together to discuss the effort that has been made in the first half. If you have noticed the opposing goalkeeper’s weaknesses and how they can be beaten (having watched and observed them), you can tell your teammates this to help them score. If you talk up and sound confident, then your team is likely to listen to you and heed your advise. In this way you are helping your team score on the opposition, as well as making sure you are participating in the group.

Here, you can see that the goalkeeper is shying away from discussion. You need to do the opposite and involve yourself!

Be part of the team!

Ultimately, you need to be part of the team. In order to fit in, you have to make an effort. Talking is an important part of the game, so you need to talk to your team with useful information. If you want your team to listen to you, then you need to be loud and clear, so that they can hear what you are saying.

Gearchiveerd onder: Algemeen, Coaching, LeoGrim | getagged: , , , | Reageer »

Articles on Keepers Cafe

Geplaatst op 19/02/2010 door grim78

I thought I should let you all know that I have a column on Keepers Cafe (the famous website for Dutch keepers). I’m also writing articles for them and there is a mix of beginner and advanced advice, as requested, that would hopefully interest goalkeepers of different abilities. Jan supported my decision to split the information so that I provide more advice on the mental aspects of goalkeeping for the Leo Keepers group and I thought it would be a good idea to let you all know, so you can read up on some more technical advice! Here is the link: http://www.keeperscafe.nl/artikelen/14-dans-tips.html. I hope you like the articles!

Gearchiveerd onder: LeoGrim | Reageer »

Goalkeepers are like wine

Geplaatst op 28/01/2010 door grim78

A good metaphor for the goalkeeping journey is wine; wine gets better with age and the best wine is mature wine. This is the same with goalkeepers: goalkeeping is all about experience and the ability to know what to do when something happens in the game, so gaining that experience is all important to achieving success. Like wine, goalkeepers need time to develop; the older they get, the better they get thanks to their game experiences.

Wine gets better with age

At the end of the day, goalkeepers are players that need experience and , so that they can make the timely save and play with consistency. Without it, they cannot succeed: they will not be able to and end up letting their team down. Like wine, goalkeepers need time to get to their best. It is a good point to know that goalkeepers won’t peak and play at their best until they are about 33 years old; that seems like a long time if you’ve been playing in goal since you were 12 or so! Take Vogels for example; if have seen him play internationally recently, he is playing like a wise veteran, whereas Stockmann was struggling a bit against teams in the latest Champions Trophy tournament. Not that he isn’t any good, but it is his first real experience of taking the starting spot and experiencing the struggles of competing against the world’s best.

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Gearchiveerd onder: Algemeen, LeoGrim | getagged: , , , , | Reageer »

Study the game

Geplaatst op 17/01/2010 door grim78

A lot of goalkeepers think that they have a good understanding of the game of hockey. However, they are wrong: they do not study the game or learn enough about it, they are back-seat passengers and not active learners. You could compare it to taking an exam: you wouldn’t go into an exam thinking you know everything, you would revise beforehand so that you would do well. The same is with hockey: you need to be learning about the game, so that when you play you perform better. To be able to say that you understand the game you therefore need to be studying it.



Don’t just watch it

When a lot of people watch sports, they simply watch it; they don’t watch it and unpick what is happening, who is doing what and why the goal was scored. As a goalkeeper and more specifically, athlete, you need to analyse the play, to say why something happened. Watching games is not just about observing. Think about how a scout would work if they were watching a game to see if a goalkeeper was any good (such as national league goalkeepers being analysed to see if they could compete in the international squad); they would analyse technical things like recovery time, save selection etc., as well as the mental game and their overall performance; whether or not they helped their team win or ‘packed up their bags’ and didn’t try. If you want to do well, then you need to do the same.

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Gearchiveerd onder: Algemeen, LeoGrim | getagged: , , , , , | Reageer »

Passion for the game

Geplaatst op 10/01/2010 door grim78

It is really important to be passionate about playing in goal. You need to love the position, otherwise you will find it hard to do well and perform for your team. Dealing with heavy losses (if you play on a weak team, or are just starting out; goalkeeping is all about and it is common to make mistakes as you learn how to play as a goalkeeper), having to take responsibility of letting in bad goals that could be costly and the pressure of performing well are difficult things, but if you have don’t a passion for goalkeeping, then it will be even harder to forget the past and move on. Not wanting to get better is also harmful to your career; if you’re not motivated to improve, then how do you think you will stop those shots?

Passion

I could tell you stories about dozens of people that aren’t very good at sport, but love it to bits. There are lots of them out there that will give 110% even if they don’t have amazing abilities, running around and working up a sweat. They love the game so much that will train hard and give everything they have, just so that they can end up being a substitute and only get a few minutes time on the pitch. They might not be the best or most skilled, but their passion for the game comes in bucket loads. A good comparison is people who play soccer in the park; they play with rolled up jumpers as goal posts and play until the sun goes down. For them it’s not just a game, it’s a way of life! A life that they love and can’t do without.

You need to measure up your own personal passion for goalkeeping and hockey against the passion of these types of people. If you are not really in love with the game of hockey, or the position of goalkeeper, then you will struggle to do well. Also, as soon as you lose your passion, you will find it difficult to compete because you don’t really want to.

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Gearchiveerd onder: Algemeen, LeoGrim | getagged: , , , , | Reageer »

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