My "spin" on drills

 

As a longtime goaltending coach, I allocate some of my day to watching game video (NHL & youth hockey) and research.  As well, I like to watch drill videos uploaded to various social media formats by coaches & others.  And as I watch, I always try to understand what is “the why” behind the drill.  Which, I must say, is difficult to do at times. 

That aside, here is my spin on what, I feel, should be the thought process when building any drill for your goaltender(s): 

  1. What is the purpose or goal of the drill?  Drills should never be random or consist of random movements without producing a desired result. A change, refinement or improvement 

  1. What are you actually working on?  Skating skills, technical skills or tactical skills?  Once you determine this, keep your focus on which you are actually working.  Attempting to blend different skills into one drill only muddles its effectiveness 

  1. Is there an aspect of "randomness" in the drill?  Drill construction should be focused on challenging the goaltender's decision-making process, so using structured drills where the goaltender already knows what is going to happen (the exception here being working at a specific technical skill or movement) will only develops a "goalie school goalie" who won't be able to make decisions on the fly 

  1. Does the drill relate to a game situation?  Every drill must mimic some game situation or some movement required throughout a game, otherwise it is of little value 

  1. What are the important drill details?  Most every action in goaltending involves details.  So, every one of those fine details need to be emphasized during the drill execution 

  1. What are the bio-mechanics of the drill?  Executing movement which follow good body mechanics allows the goaltender the best opportunity to maximize efficiency, power & speed 

  1. How is speed reflected in the drill?  Inevitably, the drill has to be replicate at game speed.  Once, the drill process is understood, the emphasis becomes developing first move quickness & overall speed of execution 

 

Questions????  Drop me an email at john@alexandergoaltending.com or look me up on Facebook and send a message

Location: Moncton, NB, Canada

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Playoffs!

  Playoffs!   And that is the time when every play, every mistake, every save & every goal comes under the spotlight and becomes especially important.   It is also the time when everyone elevates their game, the speed & physicality goes up and so, as this happens, YOUR PLAY MUST elevate to match the game play.   A series can change on a play, on a goal, and you don’t want to be giving up a goal that is going to change momentum in a game that may change momentum in a series because you are still stuck in regular season mentality.   So how can you, the goaltender, arguably the most important player on the ice, deal with the amplified pace of the playoffs?   Here are some things you should focus on doing (or not) prior to your first game:   Don’t try making changes to your game – trust that whatever got you there will see you through to the end   Once you know who your opposition will be, then talk to your coach (head or goaltending) or draw from your own experience or
Read more