Category: Goalie Drills
Type: Tip
GOALIE STANDARD POSITION
It is time for some goalie info, but this is good information for everyone to know. You never know when you will find yourself between the posts. We will start with the standard goalie position.
First off, there are several similarities to playing goalie for water polo and playing goalie for ice hockey. Both of which I have played and coached in the past. We can start by noting that the goalie should always be ready to react to the ball. You never know when it is coming. The key to goaltending is anticipation. Being able to react quickly will result in an increased amount of saves.
The standard waiting position for a goalie is NOT vertical. This is a misconception that people have, as every time they see a goalie, their body is vertical. This is true, after reacting to the shot. However, the waiting position is much like the defensive position for the field player. The goalie is actually in a half lying down position on their stomach. The shoulders are just above and have broken the surface of the water. The legs are kicking underneath the player very hard and not allowing the goalie to sink in the water. The hands and arms are also churning the water just below the shoulders to keep the upper body close to the surface of the water. This is the waiting position of the goalie. Keeping this position ensures that the goalie is always ready for the shot.
When the shot comes and the goalie wants to react to it, the legs kick really hard and sustain a hard kick throughout the save. The arms also churn hard and help push the body out of the water. The upper body goes from the lying down position in the water to a vertical position. Simply put, the goalie stands up, pivoting at the waist. The arms are stretched out to the area where the ball is going.
Legs are very important to a goalie, as this is where their height out of the water comes from. The more of the upper body that is out of the water, the more cage the goalie can cover. Ideally, goalies like to get out of the water so that the water level is right around the middle of their stomach. Some of the best goalie get so high out of the water that a player could see the top of their suit or make it so you could read the label on the hip of the suit. This is extremely high out of the water and sustaining this height is extremely difficult, if not impossible for some players, so don’t get discouraged if you are not there, but it is something to shoot for as you practice.
Practice the above and eventually, you will become comfortable with it. Stay tuned, for more will come. Play hard and don’t let ’em score goalies!
Submitted by: Coach Dave
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