Question:
Hey Jon, It is Bobby again. I just have a couple more questions. (I asked about
the Mesh, not too long ago). So Im in this winter league and it started off
really well, but recently its been awful, It is much smaller fields, so you can
crank shots from the mid line and still get a goal on a bad goalie. I normally
don't play on turf like this but for this league I do. I was in goal off to a good
start last week. We were playing one of the top Teams Varsity with 3 middies,
2 attacks and three D. (its a 7 v 7 league) with 2 subs. The games are usually
very fast and high scoring. But it was 3-1 us at the half, and then i was in
goal, and this kid threw a crank at me and I suspected it would just bounce
up, but it didn't, it just rolled between my legs and went in. I was in disbelief.
I was so upset with my self, next play, their captain shoots it top left and i
miss completely. And for the next couple plays, they start bouncing them in
front of me (10 feet) and now their bouncing like Crazy. I really have trouble
with those outside shots. And the ones that are right in front of me. (only in
this league). I just have a question on what to do on those far outside shots
because they just bounce over my head.
Also, any tips on how i should be saving low shots (not bounce), because i
don't feel like i am getting low enough, but i cant fix it. Any tips for that.
Also, I don't feel like I am fast enough.60% on a missed shot, i beet the
attack, but a lot of the time i don't. Any tips on speed and power.
One last thing. Any tips on stepping to the ball?
Thanks
My Answer:Hey there Bobby! Man I never got your first question so sorry this took so long.
This is super-easy to fix. You're just not judging those outside shots correctly. Two things:
1) You need to be more aggressive and think of yourself as a catcher in baseball and not a lacrosse goalie. You need to drop the hips. Get your head down and over the ball. And your hands waaay out in front of you. Your goal here is to snuff the ball and not try to pick it clean with your stick. Especially if the turf is a little weird which this sounds like it may be. Does that make sense? Your saves on those shots are going to be ugly so make sure you've got enough padding on you so that you feel confident blocking them with your body just in case.
2) You need more practice on those types of shots. Your next warm up just work on those types of shots. Spend all your time on them. This league doesn't matter for you as much as the real season does so get some work done and work on those shots. If you don't spend a lot of time on that surface don't worry about them too much. You're a good goalie. You'll be fine long-term so don't sweat it.
Ont the low shots...rule #1. Never ever ever say "I can't" Got it? Seriously. If you think you can't guess what? You're right. Think about how you can fix it. By your question I know you already know the answer. Drop your hips. Bend the knees. And read back to #1 above. It's the same answer.
Speed and Power? Get in the gym man. Fall in love with training. Get bigger, faster, and stronger in the gym and you will be a better goalie.
Any tips on stepping to the ball? Yes, it's overrated. Just be agressive and lead with the hands and the head. Where they go the body will follow. By getting stronger in the gym you'll be better at stepping to the ball as well.
Kick ass Bobby. Let me know if you need more help. Get your butt over to the forum too and sign up. www.Lacrossegoaltendingforum.com
I can answer your questions over there as well.
Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
Showing posts with label stepping to the ball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stepping to the ball. Show all posts
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Big Brother Wants To Help Lil Sis Become A Better Lacrosse Goalie
Intro; Man what a great email I got from Adam in a location in the central US (I'm keeping the exact location a secret to protect the innocent. The short of it is that he wants to help his sister get better but it looks like her coaches are a bit clueless as to how to be a goalie. So I sent him an email back answering all his questions. What I did was pasted my answers back to him through the email he sent me. It's a good read if you can get through it. If anyone else has questions like this please just email so I can help.
Coaches: Make sure you've got your thoughts right before you work with goalies. I know it can be hard, but in this example I think we have some overly confused coaches who may really be hurting their team in general and this goalie in particular. Please send me questions if you need clarification. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
Here's My Response To The Email
Jonathan -
Adam my responses are below. Thanks again for writing. By being your sisters coach you're going to learn a ton yourself. They say that if you want to become an expert in anything you should learn how to teach it. So good on your for becoming a teacher.
----- Original Message -----
From: (Name and email address witheld)
Date: Sunday, March 23, 2008 6:22 pm
Subject: RE: differences between boy's and girl's goalkeeping
To: JONATHAN EDWARDS
>
> Jon
> I play in (City State witheld). normally I wouldn't care and
> would just accept that the girls sport is different, but I know
> that her team is not very good, so I don't trust them.
+++When things are new to people they tend to take whatever they hear and apply it no matter what the source. Also, they might misunderstand things along the way and end up teaching the wrong things even though they think it's right. There is a great saying that I tend to remind myself of and that is this, "The worst position in the World to be in is to think you know that you know, but you really don't know." You might want to read that a couple of times so it sinks in.
>
> first off, they were having her hold her stick at the bottom of
> the shaft instead of at the head. I don't know the logic
> behind it, but they say it works better, I think she just looks
> like a retard. I think I have her convinced to change
> that, but it would be helpful to get confirmation that I'm
> right.
Ok here's a great drill just to test that theory out. Have your sister get in her stance with her hands at the end of the stick. Now take a ball in your hand and hold it. Now take your hand with the ball in it and pretend like it's a shot coming at her. (The ball doesn't leave your hand. Do this in slow motion.) Now take your hand with the ball and have the ball go to her off stick hip. Have her try and catch it with the head of the stick. There is no way she'll get it. Now do that to a bunch of different positions. She'll be able to get the ones to stick side high. And maybe off stick high. Even the low shots. But anything near the body she will have no chance on. This should prove to her that holding the stick down low on the shaft is not a good idea.
As for looking like a retard I can't help her there. Those are bigger issues. But hopefully they are helped by holding the stick at the throat. Just FYI, the top hand goes right to the plastic. The bottom hand should be a shoulders width distance from the top hand. The reason it goes right to the plastic is now it's like a big baseball glove. It's an extension of that top hand and you should always think about getting that top hand to the ball first.
>
> The biggest differences are in stringing and throwing.
> They have her string it like a tennis racket, with almost no
> pocket. She's new so she doesn't know, but there aren't
> pocket depth requirements in girls lax are there?
+++In the girls rule book that you can download for free at NCAA.org it doesn't say anything about depth of stick. It does however talk about depth of stick for any other stick. Her coaches may have it confused but she should have some depth in that stick. Now I'll be honest, I've always assumed you can have depth in a girls stick. If there has been a rule change I don't know about you'll have to double check but I don't think so.++++++++++
but the
> main reason it seems that she is stringing it that way is so she
> can throw it, she's having trouble throwing with the big stick,
> so she flings it with her waist. any ideas on how to get
> her to throw....like a man, the full overhand way you have to
> throw with the big stick.
+++This is a very valid reason. Most girls are simply not strong enough in the wrists and forearms t throw with a deep pocket. Heck, most young guys aren't able to throw with a big pocket so by having a shallower pocket she will be able to throw further but she'll have no control of the ball in the stick.
As far as ideas to get her to throw like a man...strength train. Seriously, get her in the gym. You too. You guys can train together.
One of the best ways to teach anyone how to throw a lacrosse ball with a stick better is to have them throw a ball without the stick. If you guys have some baseball gloves this is what you do, start on your knees facing each other and throw back and forth. By taking the legs out of it you really see how weak you are. Then you lift one leg up so you are on one knee and one foot. (The up leg should be the one opposite your top hand. If you're a righty then your left leg is up bent at ninety degrees.) Then you stand and take a step. By getting the legs into it you'll really notice how far the ball can travel. If she's just throwing with her wrists she's not using a lot of the power that comes from our legs when we throw.++++++++++++++
>
> As far as stepping to and reading shots, we're obviously a long
> way from that, but if there are any tips you can give me as to
> how to teach her to play, I think I have the basic athletic
> stance with her, but does she need to walk an arc or is it just
> like hockey where you square up with the shooter all the
> time. and what are the major rule differences I need to be
> aware of.
++++++++++Ok, as for rules I think it would really help you to read the girls rulebook at NCAA.org. Just go to Spring Sports > Womens Lacrosse> 2008 Rulebook. One major rule to note is that once they leave the crease they are just like any other player.
As far as teaching her to play you are on the right track. My recommendations to most goalies at this stage is to focus on being an athlete first, and a goalie second. If we can make her stronger, and more aggressive then she'll be better. Also, she has to be well protected. She has to feel safe and unafraid of the ball to be able to focus on the ball at all times. If she's fearful and not enjoying herself then she won't be a good goalie as you would if you felt the same way.
She should walk an arc as well. She needs to be square to the shooter of course. The best thing you can do is to shoot on her in a stress free environment and focus on moving properly to the ball. When you shoot on her do this, take all the shots for the whole shooting session at the same place. Every single one. Pick a new spot every day but only shoot to that one spot. This way she can focus on moving properly. What you're doing is wiring in the right moves over and over and over again. That way in a game, when the shot comes, she'll be able to move without thinking.+++++++
Hope that helps Adam. If your sister, or her coaches need any guidance send them to the blog. They can email me any questions they may have. Great to hear from you again and good luck. Stay in touch and let me know how it goes.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Edwards -
www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com
Coaches: Make sure you've got your thoughts right before you work with goalies. I know it can be hard, but in this example I think we have some overly confused coaches who may really be hurting their team in general and this goalie in particular. Please send me questions if you need clarification. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
Here's My Response To The Email
Jonathan -
Adam my responses are below. Thanks again for writing. By being your sisters coach you're going to learn a ton yourself. They say that if you want to become an expert in anything you should learn how to teach it. So good on your for becoming a teacher.
----- Original Message -----
From: (Name and email address witheld)
Date: Sunday, March 23, 2008 6:22 pm
Subject: RE: differences between boy's and girl's goalkeeping
To: JONATHAN EDWARDS
>
> Jon
> I play in (City State witheld). normally I wouldn't care and
> would just accept that the girls sport is different, but I know
> that her team is not very good, so I don't trust them.
+++When things are new to people they tend to take whatever they hear and apply it no matter what the source. Also, they might misunderstand things along the way and end up teaching the wrong things even though they think it's right. There is a great saying that I tend to remind myself of and that is this, "The worst position in the World to be in is to think you know that you know, but you really don't know." You might want to read that a couple of times so it sinks in.
>
> first off, they were having her hold her stick at the bottom of
> the shaft instead of at the head. I don't know the logic
> behind it, but they say it works better, I think she just looks
> like a retard. I think I have her convinced to change
> that, but it would be helpful to get confirmation that I'm
> right.
Ok here's a great drill just to test that theory out. Have your sister get in her stance with her hands at the end of the stick. Now take a ball in your hand and hold it. Now take your hand with the ball in it and pretend like it's a shot coming at her. (The ball doesn't leave your hand. Do this in slow motion.) Now take your hand with the ball and have the ball go to her off stick hip. Have her try and catch it with the head of the stick. There is no way she'll get it. Now do that to a bunch of different positions. She'll be able to get the ones to stick side high. And maybe off stick high. Even the low shots. But anything near the body she will have no chance on. This should prove to her that holding the stick down low on the shaft is not a good idea.
As for looking like a retard I can't help her there. Those are bigger issues. But hopefully they are helped by holding the stick at the throat. Just FYI, the top hand goes right to the plastic. The bottom hand should be a shoulders width distance from the top hand. The reason it goes right to the plastic is now it's like a big baseball glove. It's an extension of that top hand and you should always think about getting that top hand to the ball first.
>
> The biggest differences are in stringing and throwing.
> They have her string it like a tennis racket, with almost no
> pocket. She's new so she doesn't know, but there aren't
> pocket depth requirements in girls lax are there?
+++In the girls rule book that you can download for free at NCAA.org it doesn't say anything about depth of stick. It does however talk about depth of stick for any other stick. Her coaches may have it confused but she should have some depth in that stick. Now I'll be honest, I've always assumed you can have depth in a girls stick. If there has been a rule change I don't know about you'll have to double check but I don't think so.++++++++++
but the
> main reason it seems that she is stringing it that way is so she
> can throw it, she's having trouble throwing with the big stick,
> so she flings it with her waist. any ideas on how to get
> her to throw....like a man, the full overhand way you have to
> throw with the big stick.
+++This is a very valid reason. Most girls are simply not strong enough in the wrists and forearms t throw with a deep pocket. Heck, most young guys aren't able to throw with a big pocket so by having a shallower pocket she will be able to throw further but she'll have no control of the ball in the stick.
As far as ideas to get her to throw like a man...strength train. Seriously, get her in the gym. You too. You guys can train together.
One of the best ways to teach anyone how to throw a lacrosse ball with a stick better is to have them throw a ball without the stick. If you guys have some baseball gloves this is what you do, start on your knees facing each other and throw back and forth. By taking the legs out of it you really see how weak you are. Then you lift one leg up so you are on one knee and one foot. (The up leg should be the one opposite your top hand. If you're a righty then your left leg is up bent at ninety degrees.) Then you stand and take a step. By getting the legs into it you'll really notice how far the ball can travel. If she's just throwing with her wrists she's not using a lot of the power that comes from our legs when we throw.++++++++++++++
>
> As far as stepping to and reading shots, we're obviously a long
> way from that, but if there are any tips you can give me as to
> how to teach her to play, I think I have the basic athletic
> stance with her, but does she need to walk an arc or is it just
> like hockey where you square up with the shooter all the
> time. and what are the major rule differences I need to be
> aware of.
++++++++++Ok, as for rules I think it would really help you to read the girls rulebook at NCAA.org. Just go to Spring Sports > Womens Lacrosse> 2008 Rulebook. One major rule to note is that once they leave the crease they are just like any other player.
As far as teaching her to play you are on the right track. My recommendations to most goalies at this stage is to focus on being an athlete first, and a goalie second. If we can make her stronger, and more aggressive then she'll be better. Also, she has to be well protected. She has to feel safe and unafraid of the ball to be able to focus on the ball at all times. If she's fearful and not enjoying herself then she won't be a good goalie as you would if you felt the same way.
She should walk an arc as well. She needs to be square to the shooter of course. The best thing you can do is to shoot on her in a stress free environment and focus on moving properly to the ball. When you shoot on her do this, take all the shots for the whole shooting session at the same place. Every single one. Pick a new spot every day but only shoot to that one spot. This way she can focus on moving properly. What you're doing is wiring in the right moves over and over and over again. That way in a game, when the shot comes, she'll be able to move without thinking.+++++++
Hope that helps Adam. If your sister, or her coaches need any guidance send them to the blog. They can email me any questions they may have. Great to hear from you again and good luck. Stay in touch and let me know how it goes.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Edwards -
www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com
Friday, July 20, 2007
Forget Your Stick to Make More Saves!
I started messing around with this idea a couple of years ago with great success so give it a try and see how it helps your game. Email me at jone94@shaw.ca and tell me how it works for you.
No stick, More saves.
In business, as in sports, I tend to look outside my industry for inspiration rather than in it. And when I look outside in business I tend to look for good marketers and salespeople. Because these are the skills that you can apply to any business to make it successful.
So in sports I tend to look at other great athletes, no matter what the sport, and try and bring traits and talents that would make a better goalie.
You'll find me talking a lot about hockey goalies and baseball players, and football players and today is no different. You see, I think the lacrosse goalie is a little screwed up when it comes to stopping a ball. (Yes, I really did say screwed up.)
It seems to me that the lacrosse goalie is confused in some ways. If you look at every other goalie position in sports you'll notice that the goalie never makes a save reaching across his or her body to make a save.
Only in soccer and hand ball will a goalie try to do that and they will only do it when they have enough time to react with both hands. If the shot is too fast, or too close, they will reach out a hand, or stick out a leg to make a save.
In hockey a goalie has a blocker on one hand, and catcher on the other. NEVER does a goalie reach across his body to make a save. If the puck goes to the blocker side the goalie will deflect it away. If it goes to the catching glove the goalie will try and catch it. (Even when the puck is shot from too close to the catching glove the goalie will use it as a deflection device and not try to catch it.)
But for some reason in lacrosse we feel that we should try to catch every ball. We're taught this. And then we don't wear enough equipment to make that happen. (More on that in another article.) Why on earth are we taught to bring our stick across our body, to make a save?
They don't do it in hockey: If a puck goes to their off stick hip they don't try and bring their stick there they just stick out their catching glove. If the shot goes to their off-stick low side they stick out a leg. The only time they bring the stick hand aross their body is when they have time and room to react and that's usually when the puck is dumped in casually or shot from a great distance.
In soccer, a goalie will bring both hands to the ball if he has plenty of time to react. A soccer ball doesn't travel nearly as fast as a lacrosse ball, on average, and when it does come fast and from short distances the goalie will throw out the same side hand or leg to make the save.
In field hockey, the goalie is loaded with equipment so that they can react to the ball no matter where it goes. If it's down low they will stick out a padded leg to make the save. If it's high they will throw out a blocker to make the save. And then they will whack the ball out of the area with their stick hand, or kick it.
The challenge we have as lacrosse goalies is that we must be able to pass the ball and run out of the cage which makes equipment issues when trying to stop the ball. Also, shooters in the lacrosse have the ability to stop their shot in the middle of their shot unlike other sports where once the ball is on the way it's hard to pull it back and fake out the goalie. Lacrosse is the only sport where a player can throw a fake so hard you actually think the ball has left the stick.
But what I'm focusing on here is stopping the ball.
With most young goalies, if I take the stick out of their hand and give them two baseball catching gloves (one on each hand) they will move better to the ball. When I throw the stick back in their hand the feet freeze up and they end up stabbing at the ball all over the place.
If you take the stick out of your hand and have your coach or friend throw light grounders at you I guarantee you will step easily to the ball. Just like a baseball catcher would step to a wild pitch or a shortstop to a ground ball.
When I find myself giving up shots, especially to the off stick side, if I drop my stick completely or at least focus on moving to the ball hands first and not stick first, I make more saves. It's those times when I find I am trying to catch things with my stick too much that balls go in.
I hope this has given you some food for thought. Focus on moving to the ball without that stick. Hands first. Feet first. I guarantee you'll make more saves, especially in close.
Let me know how this post helped you and email me at jone94@shaw.ca If you've got questions send them along as well and I'll answer them in future posts.
Jonathan -
No stick, More saves.
In business, as in sports, I tend to look outside my industry for inspiration rather than in it. And when I look outside in business I tend to look for good marketers and salespeople. Because these are the skills that you can apply to any business to make it successful.
So in sports I tend to look at other great athletes, no matter what the sport, and try and bring traits and talents that would make a better goalie.
You'll find me talking a lot about hockey goalies and baseball players, and football players and today is no different. You see, I think the lacrosse goalie is a little screwed up when it comes to stopping a ball. (Yes, I really did say screwed up.)
It seems to me that the lacrosse goalie is confused in some ways. If you look at every other goalie position in sports you'll notice that the goalie never makes a save reaching across his or her body to make a save.
Only in soccer and hand ball will a goalie try to do that and they will only do it when they have enough time to react with both hands. If the shot is too fast, or too close, they will reach out a hand, or stick out a leg to make a save.
In hockey a goalie has a blocker on one hand, and catcher on the other. NEVER does a goalie reach across his body to make a save. If the puck goes to the blocker side the goalie will deflect it away. If it goes to the catching glove the goalie will try and catch it. (Even when the puck is shot from too close to the catching glove the goalie will use it as a deflection device and not try to catch it.)
But for some reason in lacrosse we feel that we should try to catch every ball. We're taught this. And then we don't wear enough equipment to make that happen. (More on that in another article.) Why on earth are we taught to bring our stick across our body, to make a save?
They don't do it in hockey: If a puck goes to their off stick hip they don't try and bring their stick there they just stick out their catching glove. If the shot goes to their off-stick low side they stick out a leg. The only time they bring the stick hand aross their body is when they have time and room to react and that's usually when the puck is dumped in casually or shot from a great distance.
In soccer, a goalie will bring both hands to the ball if he has plenty of time to react. A soccer ball doesn't travel nearly as fast as a lacrosse ball, on average, and when it does come fast and from short distances the goalie will throw out the same side hand or leg to make the save.
In field hockey, the goalie is loaded with equipment so that they can react to the ball no matter where it goes. If it's down low they will stick out a padded leg to make the save. If it's high they will throw out a blocker to make the save. And then they will whack the ball out of the area with their stick hand, or kick it.
The challenge we have as lacrosse goalies is that we must be able to pass the ball and run out of the cage which makes equipment issues when trying to stop the ball. Also, shooters in the lacrosse have the ability to stop their shot in the middle of their shot unlike other sports where once the ball is on the way it's hard to pull it back and fake out the goalie. Lacrosse is the only sport where a player can throw a fake so hard you actually think the ball has left the stick.
But what I'm focusing on here is stopping the ball.
With most young goalies, if I take the stick out of their hand and give them two baseball catching gloves (one on each hand) they will move better to the ball. When I throw the stick back in their hand the feet freeze up and they end up stabbing at the ball all over the place.
If you take the stick out of your hand and have your coach or friend throw light grounders at you I guarantee you will step easily to the ball. Just like a baseball catcher would step to a wild pitch or a shortstop to a ground ball.
When I find myself giving up shots, especially to the off stick side, if I drop my stick completely or at least focus on moving to the ball hands first and not stick first, I make more saves. It's those times when I find I am trying to catch things with my stick too much that balls go in.
I hope this has given you some food for thought. Focus on moving to the ball without that stick. Hands first. Feet first. I guarantee you'll make more saves, especially in close.
Let me know how this post helped you and email me at jone94@shaw.ca If you've got questions send them along as well and I'll answer them in future posts.
Jonathan -
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