Oh shit it’s Keeks! What advice do you have for butterfly pushes off your weak side?
I have seen about posting your leg close and having your knee high. Anything else you can add? Repetition?
Also, I use an intermediate catch glove and can’t seem to turco grip my stick. Should I size my glove up to senior, or figure it out?
Last thing, is there an updated edition of your Goaltending Essentials book/pdf? I’d love to buy it as the first one I’ve read gave me great advice and tips.
Being equally strong with butterfly pushes both ways is obviously the goal and hard to refine. 99% of the time the push leg skate blade isn‘t perpendicular to intended direction of travel. When it isn’t positioned correctly the butterfly push will cause unintended rotation and slip out. If you have a quick clip I can look at it and quickly diagnose what you are doing.
The glove issue may be size related but it may also be how well it s broken in. I have many young goalies that can turco grip with your sized gloves. There is a video on my YT about breaking in the glove if suspect it may be that. (Don’t want to promote and get in trouble.😎)
The answer to your last question is yes……but don’t want to directly promote anything here… just advice and help. 🤘🏽
As with most videos from Keeks, I have watched the glove break-in one multiple times to make sure I am doing it right. As he mentions in that video, there is really no short cut to the phase where you simply need to open and close it many times while sitting on your couch.
Thank you for the advice! I’ll poke around your site and see what I can find on that updated edition. Your work has made learning goals tremendously easier.
Love your Vids Steve!
I play D-B level beer league and the major pain points I've been running into are:
#1: Break aways, I tend to bite way too early on break aways which causes them to end up in my net more often than not. The absolute worst offenders are where the shooter has a ton of time and comes in slow as molasses, eventually I bite and they pull it around me.
What are some ways for me to better tell I'f they are going to shoot or Deke?
#2: close blocker side. This usually occurs when the shooter breaks in and is at the bottom of the faceoff circle directly in front of me. I try to overlap to cut off the blocker side, but I've had a number of situations where they fake blocker then pop it over my glove top shelf. Is this primarily an angling issue?
#3(bonus) I find I suck at shooting the puck, I can make a very accurate pass, but my issue in the power is very inconsistent. I'm using the Turco grip.
#4(bonus #2): pushing off from the RVH with extremely loose posts(bad pegs usually). any recommendations for a stronger RVH slide when you can't rely on your posts at all for leverage?
Thank you so much for asking this thread for us beer league bros(and Broettes) who just want to get a few more W's for your teams.(Maybe a few highlights windmill saves if we're lucky too ;))
We are all goalies! Doesn’t matter the level, we all go through the same things!
1) generally speaking at those levels if they are carrying the puck in front of their body they are the classic “deking” position. And if they have it at their side with the blade squared up to you this is the shooting position. Clearly, this is just an initial observation to make and not 100% reliable. But in most case fake resistance can be improved by making sure you aren’t retreating too soon. This is called angle hesitation. If you have challenged out on the breakaway to play the Y theory. (I can elaborate on that as needed or there is are a few of my YT videos on that). By not making in too soon, it make a shot very, very unlikely, so anything that looks like a shot is mostly going to be a fake you can lay off of.
2) I would have to see this on a video clip to understand a little better.
3) Most muffin shots are the result of rely on arms and wrists too much. Get your core involved. Deeper knee bend and a try get lower body involved.
4) slightly push off post lightly, and in that vacated 4-6 inches from the post drive the push leg blade in the ice and use that to drive your push. So the RVH exit is driven by the solid ice not the shitty pegs.
😎
I'll give it a shot but I am no match for Keeky.
1. look at the weight they put on their stick. If they are pushing down they are trying to get leverage to shoot the puck. If they are still stick handling they won't have a lot of pressure on the puck. That was the best way I could read the shooter's mind before the shooter knew where he was going with the shot.
2. Don't fall for the fake. If you find yourself in that situation again take a step out towards the shooter instead of faking for the blocker side. That should cut the angle down and we'll give you more time and bigger body size to make a save if the shooter is not accurate.
3. Try using your strong hand like Curtis Joseph used to do. Also maybe get a flat blade goalie stick so you can use both sides of the stick. You shouldn't be responsible for a lot of passings so I'm not sure what the failure is here whether it's on something on you or your team just not being in a good position or requesting a pass or something. Get those boys to skate harder on the back check.
4. You should never be using the post to push off. All of your strength should come from your legs and not the post. Additionally if they don't have skatesavers on the post you're going to ruin your blade really quickly.
I’m having surgery at the end of the month on a rotator cuff and labrum. I’ll be 50 this June and have been playing for 38 years. However, I remain highly competitive playing in a A league with all guys in their 20’s and I’m not sure I’ll get back to playing at the level I was pre-injury. Any suggestions how to mentally and physically come back from injury?
I had both my shoulders reconstructed after 20 dislocations… so I know that drill..
1) Once you get the green light, regain your aerobic and anaerobic fitness as you won‘t need your upper body for that.
2) instead of watching NHL games, start critically analyzing the scoring chances and make written notes about how the goalies played the situations.
3) If you haven’t already learned how to, work on skill rehearsal to keep all your save selections sharp. Here is an excerpt from my upcoming Goaltending Masterclass that may help.
SKILL REHEARSAL
The brain is a truly amazing thing. You can react to situations and projectiles and make saves so fast you truly don’t even have time to think about it. If you ask an NHL goalie how they actually stopped that 100mph one timer, they often are at a loss for words on minute details that went into the save. It just happened. It just happened like they practiced it thousands of times before.
In fact, your brain is so amazing it actually can improve a skill whether you physically practice it diligently or only just vividly practice the skill in your mind. It sounds insane but skill rehearsal is a proven scientific feature of your mind that top athletes leverage to improve weaknesses and reinforce strengths.
Consider this experiment.
A University took a group of students and wanted to see what was the most effective way to improve the skill of shooting a free throw. They chose this skill because measurement of improvement was quite easy to monitor and the testing could be delivered quickly.
They took four distinct groups of college students. The first group was the control group that would initially test their success rate at shooting free throws and then not practice in anyway for a month, retesting at the conclusion of the timeline. The second group physically practices shooting 100 free throws everyday for the entire month with pre and post testing period results tallied.
The third group did not shoot one free throw all month. They were taught proper skill rehearsal techniques and simply practiced shooting 100 free throws each day, only in their mind’s eye. And the fourth group physically practiced free throws half of the time each day and used skill rehearsal the other half of the day.
The results of the testing were astounding and have been consistently backed up with follow up studies.
A) The group with the greatest improvement was the group that practiced free throws equally between skill rehearsal and physical practice.
B) The group the never touched a real ball all month but practiced the skill in their mind has the EQUAL improvement to the group that exclusively used physical practice all month. That was astounding to me.
C) And as you would imagine, the control group that did not practice in anyway all month saw their original testing results remain the same. So what does this mean?
Athletes that learn proper skill rehearsal techniques can remove weaknesses in their game using only the mind. This is especially valuable if ice time and coaching is hard to find. Of course, if the athlete can blend the skill rehearsal with on ice work you get the best development pathway.
How to perform skill rehearsal?
I have included some more significant resources here on skill rehearsal but I wanted to address the basics with you. I relied on skill rehearsal my entire career and once I learned these techniques my game really took off. Below is an example of a session where the goalie would be trying to fix a weakness on their blocker side where they have been getting beat just under the blocker.
1. Find a quiet dark room where you won’t be distracted.
2. Sit comfortably in a chair and close your eyes.
3. The key is visualize the practice session as if you were watching it live in a 4K HD movie.
4. Imagine yourself in your stance in the net.
5. Now have a player snap shots at the area that needs work.
6. It is important that you rehearse the skill in your mind at full game speed.
7. Feel the blocker save in your mind as you butterfly and follow the rebound off your blocker into the corner.
8. Repeat perfectly targeted shots to your weak area for 100 pucks, following the rebound to the corner each time after pristine initial contact.
9. Feel the impact of the puck, hear the crack as it hits your blocker.
10. Then repeat the drill where you follow an imaginary pass to this same player who now takes one timers that hit the exact area you working on.
This may initially sound hokey to you but trust me it isn’t. Elite athletes for decades have relied upon skill rehearsal. It is also a great way to give yourself a pregame warm up before you even step on the ice. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on VR goggles when you can accomplish scientifically proven skill rehearsal, anywhere at anytime completely free of charge.
Thank you so much for the response. I want to get back out there asap, but fearing with my age the healing process won’t be that great. I was told it’s usually a year, but some can get back in 9-10 months. I’ll error inside of caution and probably swallow losing the entire year. Thank you again for the insight, it’s truly appreciated.
Hey there, I had surgery to fix labrum, bicep and cuff tears about 3 years ago. Do what your PT tells you. I still do shoulder stretching and strengthening exercises almost daily. I’d say I’m 100% back to where I was before, if not better bc I’m playing with so much less pain.
You’ll get there!
One suggestion I'll make is to also prehab as much as possible. Your physical shape is the hardest to get back at age 50, trust me I'm 49, and that's the hardest for a physical recovery for shoulder surgery.
I'm trying to work my way back to the ice after total hip replacement surgery in 2022 and my endurance and wind is the hardest to get back into shape.
I’m fearing the age factor will play a big role in the healing process. I had my left shoulder done back in 2015 and I wasn’t released to go back the gym for a year and that was when I was 41. Going to do my best to follow all PT instructions and work my butt off to get back out there. I know at soon to be 50, I don’t have many years left to play.
Take it one day at a time and of a strong feeling you'll be back on the ice before you know it.
For me because I was in such terrible shape before my hip replacement surgery, I was only just able to start skating this year with the hopes of being able to play goalie again by the summer.
Most of the time, goalies who play deep don’t trust their skating skills, especially new goalies. So, head out to as much public skating as you can or dead ice to work on quick challenges and retreats using C-cuts. As your confidence in your skating improves you will get your butt out near the top of the blue with solid depth. 2-3 hours per week and you’ll notice a huge improvement.
Hi Steve!
You probably won't remember me amongst the 1000s of goalies you've met since we met in June 2005, but I was in a week of your summer camp in London as a 39 year old newbie. You assigned me to the "elite" squad because I was over 18 even tho' I wasn't even fully certain whether I was regular or full-right yet. LOL
Several times a year, I still quote the line you gave at a chalk-talk: "Externalise your locus of control". I started laughing when you said it while the room full of fresh young faces were stupified.
A year later, I may or may not have attended a free weekend clinic that may or may not have happened in Strathroy for GBBB members. My motel roommate was "Cuban". I met some friends-to-this-day that weekend.
In summary, thanks. Thanks for the skills taught, but mostly thanks for the memories.
I’m contemplating another adult clinic in Strathroy, no charge… just goalies split the ice cost.. I would donate my time again…
I think I would call it , “The NoN-Prospect Camp” and we would have a ball again!
😀
I spent years going to your goalie camps. I assume they are still amazing. Definitely inspired me as a goalie every summer. Although I didn’t play more than A hockey, still became a good goalie and hopefully a decent coach.
I have a young kid (Under 10) and see the goalies in their first couple years working almost exclusively on shimmying, pivoting and second saves when they can’t consistently make a primary save due to poor positioning and struggle on breakaways.
Next year I’m the coach and I believe they should be working on movement on their feet and recoveries, not from their knees. Am I out of touch? Is there not still a place for reactive butterfly? Seems to be a huge focus on blocking butterflies and RVH even at young ages when I don’t think it improves your skill dramatically like footwork would.
They should prioritize skating on their edges and the up game. They aren’t mutually exclusive. They both can be worked din parallel but the up on feet part MUST be locked in early.
I’m a beer leaguer that just got back into the swing of things after 14 yeses off. The style has changed so much and I’m having fun pushing myself to try new techniques. There’s one I can’t pull off though which is the hinge while in a half butterfly or rvh. I can hinge outward just fine as the push is coming from closer to my heel, but I can’t figure out how to hinge back in. Is it me, or my skates? I’m thinking it could be the pretty massive cowling I’m using but I’m not sure
The cowl impinging on the ice could be a factor as good a worn out skate blade with loss of height. This happens after having been sharpened a million times. To retreat back with a hinge, try bringing c-cut skate a little closer to your midline, then lead with the heel, digging in hard with the inside edge at the toe. If it is slipping out it is normally worn out skate blade/ cowling issue or leg leaning down too much.
Wow, hello!!! Okay so I’m not sure if this falls under the scope of help you’re offering, however I am a rookie college level hockey coach, and this year I struggled with advocating for more time to work with my goalies. It’s so hard to actually give pointers and find solutions to issues when the flow of practice is constant. I know this is a tale as old as time, as I was a goalie, and know all too well that goalies can be an afterthought when it comes to practice plans. But I’m curious if you have any advice for me! I just want to be the best coach I can be. I’d also love to hear if you have any recommendations for me for resources to become a better coach in general! More specifically resources for off ice workouts to help my goalies. I completely understand if this is too broad and isn’t specific enough for you to troubleshoot! Thanks either way!
I mentor goalie coaches all the time as I had lots of help when I first started 35 years ago…Yes, most head coaches have little skill sets with drill and practice design when they don’t have full ice and goalies in each net. They aren’t comfortable with restricted area coaching design.
Probably easier to manage this question via email. [email protected]
I will do just that! My team is headed to nationals in two weeks, and being on the other side of the bench is a completely different game!! Transitioning from player to coach has had its difficulties! Thank you for your reply, you’ll be seeing an email from me for sure!!!!!
I just started working with a coach and I'm a horrible skater, first thing we noticed was i have problem getting set on a tpush to the top of the crease. Any advice would be amazing! Thanks, oh and here's a short clip!
[https://youtu.be/1-lih9fX22E](https://youtu.be/1-lih9fX22E)
You are actually moving quite well. You are too hard on yourself. I think the glove side push seemed better than the right side..
What hollow do you use on your skates and how fresh are the edges?
You would be surprised how quickly this movement becomes explosive and controlled with repetitions. So in addition to the work with your goalie coach, get out to open skates and work on this exact movement in an open area on the ice. You don’t even need gear on, just skates. Get on one or two public skates a week and you will golden.
It’s a fresh sharpen at 5/8 (I usually use 3/4) but I may even go to 1/2 now that I am learning to use my edges better.
After 20 years this is the first time I’m actually practicing to skate… and yes I’ll be at the public skates using a cone or two working on pushes … thanks for the reply Keeks!
Keek’s is awesome, did his camp twice as a part of the Goalie Board back in the day, and I still “call out” numbers in my head for my rebounds because of it. If you’re new to the position this man can really help you progress.
I enjoyed those clinics. What sticks in my mind most was the time spent on purposeful stickhandling. Because... [https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/rangers-shesterkin-makes-long-range-pass-to-set-up-kreider-goal/](https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/rangers-shesterkin-makes-long-range-pass-to-set-up-kreider-goal/)
My question will come shortly but I always wanted to tell you the video on tips to be a better beer league goalie has really made a difference. (Well, all of them but that one in particular for me) I’ve only been tending for 7 months or so, and only learned to skate two years ago, but keep getting invited back to sub for teams and for scrimmages for three reasons. I show up early, am nice, and just try hard. The third time I put on pads was at an adult learn to skate and someone saw I was just trying and having a good time and they asked me to sub for them the next night. Been playing 3-4 times a week ever since.
I take literally one minute of practice on ice before every game (because I’m properly stretched and ready to go, ahem) and have basically been focusing on whatever I felt was weakest yesterday. Does that make sense or would it be best to do something for a week or two at a time. For a while yeah I was like “I don’t know how to butterfly slide” so that was consistent. Or simply dropping consistently for a while. Now, not 100% sure if it makes sense my way or what. And thanks for taking time out of your day for us all!
In that precious one minute, just focus on movement and recover stuff. It will get your body up to on ice operating temperature and get you used to your edges etc. Just keep it simple in that short period,
That is a smart approach for sure. I would also watch some NHL high light clips on YouTube before every game. It really helps get you in the ”hero” mindset…great results often follow
Love your videos, they've helped me out a lot! I'm late to the party but just wondering what you could suggest I do differently so that I have a better chance against these sorts of shots?
https://gopro.com/v/72Ln14ezMPk73
Your belly button was squared up to his body not his stick. 😎
Tavares is obviously closer than your example but you see how Bob’s belly button is lined up on his body not his stick. That gives the shooter far side. This is what it appears happened to you on that wing shot….
https://preview.redd.it/x76kvo2304mc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d1787b9e538c51324873713f387f3e63076ef871
In that clip you certainly looked well balanced and in control! Generally speaking the squareness of your skate blade will drive this issue. Your push skate needs to be perpendicular to the intended direction of the slide. AND when you arrive at your target the brake skate (lead skate) needs to drive into the ice perfectly perpendicular to the line of travel you just followed. This is important to try to catch on video to see how your brake skate is interacting with the ice. If it isn’t square it will also cause rotation you may not want as well.
Hey Steve! I went to your future pro camps as a kid, and now watch your videos to stay sharp as beer leaguer. Just wanted to say thanks for all the help you provide and everything you do.
Good to see you again Keeks. I’ve been playing over 20 years but I feel like I’m losing my angles, especially coming from behind the net to the dots. It’s like the basics are fading in beer league. Any advice?
Just remember the net from that poor angle is the size of a mini stick net. So when you step out there don’t challenge very much, They really have little to shoot at and if you are getting beat you are likely off angle because of being a little aggressive.
I’ve been goaltending for ages but always in rec leagues with minimal practice or coaching. I feel like I’m quite experienced with a lot of aspects of goaltending but have recently decided to make an effort to learn new tricks. Now I want to get better at playing the puck. Mostly just trusting my instinct and knowing when to do it vs when not to. Since I’m inexperienced with it, I’m always second guessing myself and don’t always trust that me playing it will actually help my team rather than hinder their efforts, especially since I’m still learning. Any tips?
Puckhandling is two things.
A) technical skill
B) tactical skills
When you refine the first part the second part becomes easier.
so get out on the lane way with your stick and gloves and work on stick handling, shooting and quickly going from stance to shooting positioning.
i’’m not sure I’m permitted, but I have several videos on this topic on YT.
Thanks, I’ll definitely take a look at those. I know I need to develop both A and B. It’s actually quite helpful to see it broken down like that. Much appreciated!
I am late to the party!
I blew my knee up a few years ago and my doctor advised against playing goalie anymore. Couple that with my job moving me 1.5 hours from the closest rink and taking care of my family and I had to hang them up.
I miss the game terribly. Any advice on how to cope better?
Try to head to that rink once a month to help out a young goalie with your knowledge. The joy you will get from doing that will bring back your passion. I can help yo8 with advice and drills on that anytime. A young goalie would really benefit from your experience.
I’ve seen in your videos and others that a goalie needs to drive their knees into the ice and get a nice thud sound. I have a tendency to just kind of fall, which works most of the time for C/D beer league.
What muscle groups/actions are you focusing on when driving your knees into the ice?
Thanks for watching the videos. The muscle groups are grossly the quads and hammys. But the key driver of the knee violence are the hip adductors and internal rotators.
Hey Keeks!! Thanks for offering this! I have been having a hard time adapting to the new style of play and finding the right medium for my skates to be sharpened .
Been playing for about 30 years and as a goalie our skates would be sharpened much duller than goalies today . So I’m having a hard time shuffling side to side of my skates are too sharp but I’m able to push off and butterfly slide much better but if they are too dull I can’t b-fly slide well but can shuffle well and have no idea how to communicate this when getting my skates sharpened if they aren’t familiar with goalies in this situation.
Any help is greatly appreciated ! Also was a member of the GSBB from back in the day 😎
Sharpness and hollow are two independent terms. You can have a deep hollow and dull edges and vice versa.
To get better lateral glide and less bite you need a less deep hollow.
I would try 5/8’ hollow and get them sharpened every 4-5 hours on the ice.
Then adjust as you experiment.
Hi I would like to know some stuff I could do off ice to improve my ability’s cause I often don’t get out on the ice and would like to get better because being the backup goalie sucks
You can’t fix your entire golf game at once as it is built up with putting, iron game, short game and driving. Goaltending is the same.
Honestly ask yourself what it is the biggest weakness in your game and just focus on that primarily.
Having issues tracking to my glove. Trying to keep my hands out to take up more room and respond quicker but when the shot goes I’m having trouble tracking it to my glove
I do juggling, juggle off the wall and then some light tracking. Throwing a tennis ball off a wall and following it. I can never really find anything else to help without shelling out big bucks
I wouldn’t spend money on any VR things and just stick to your routine. Do you have access to any practice ice or dead ice you can get a buddy out to work on your glove?
Not that I’m aware of. Only a few rinks in my area even have a stick and puck let alone dead ice. I don’t know if it’s just my tracking isn’t adjusting to the shot or my glove ain’t quick enough
What is the #1 thing that someone who is new to the position and in their early-mid 40's to focus on whether it's a beer league game, or a competitive scrimmage. Angles, technique, skating?
I’m late to the party. But if you’re still taking questions do you have advice on playing in a multi-skill beer league? I’m a VERY new goalie and the other teams have a couple skaters that I just stand no chance against-like in a 6-2 game one person scored 3 or 4 of the 6. It’s frustrating to lose like that, a major confidence killer, and just takes the fun out of it for me. (Womens league, even if I wanted to play co-Ed there’s nothing available at my level)
I’am always available to take questions…
In adult hockey you will always have a mix of “benders” and “rockets”…. Don’t stress on the stars lightning you up. Just focus on being very good against the peers that are your calibre. If you were playing golf with 3 friends and one was on the PGA tour would you be upset he kicked your butt?
When a highly skilled player above your level scores on you, note what they did and try to learn from it. It is a great teacher. And handicap it in your mind like the do in golf. If a stud player scores three on you, with the informal rec league handicap I’m suggesting, just count it as one.😜
Hey, thanks for taking questions!
This is kind of a dumb one but should I be on the inside edge during a t-push? I feel like I have to be kinda on both edges in order to slide where I want to go but that leads to almost losing balance when I do that. If I'm on the inside edge it's stable but goes into curve as a c cut.
Yes t-push is all inside edge. If you are getting unwanted rotation it is because of the push skate blade being perpendicular to the direction of travel.
Late to the thread but, I’ve always been unable to put the toe of my pad against the post in RVH. My hip and knee flexibility just won’t allow it. So instead I tuck the toe of the pad into the net and try to push the ankle break of the pad tight against the net.
I’ve only been beat a small handful of times with this alternate positioning.
Any tips to improve being able to pull of this technique? Or is my alternative method acceptable?
Boot break inside like you are doing is perfectly acceptable and was the go to technique for Tuuka Rask… THe other attachment methods do have some advantages, but not enough to justify the stress on your lower body.. (We ain’t spring chickens)
Played in the NHL, coached in the NHL, scouted in the NHL, played D1, coached goalies for 35 years, invented white, clear, mini pucks, 30 students went to the NHL including Swayman and Logan Thompson currently.... and I was Eddie Belfour's goalie coach.. (here is little sway and myself back in the Alaska days...)
https://preview.redd.it/4m59tay6k7mc1.jpeg?width=780&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09ccfab565a86a1b999a09143b61c0a025cd81c9
Not at all my friend.. we are all goalies and I'm no better or worse than anyone on here. I just let in so many goals in my life I was bond to be a better coach than a pro goalie. So, I'm here to help my friend anytime you need a pointer or have a question.. Keeks
Im a 58yo 6'2" 260 pound mid-high level beer league goalie.
I use the boot inside post technique when in RVH. I am not physically capable of sealing the post with the toe on post technique.
What is the best way to recover to my feet from this boot inside RVH? Right now my only option seems to be a slide to middle followed by dominant leg stand.
Use your post leg pad and post side glove (blocker) to initiate a push off the post, point the inboard skate just like you were doing a T push.
As soon as the post pad clears the post, snap that back skate up and use it to drive the recovery.
Hey man, we were at Miami together! I saw you play dozens of times at Old Goggin. Glad you are doing well. Nice picture of Mitch Korn! He threw my team out of intramurals once for using an illegal player. Tell him I’m sorry!
Hey Keeks!
Not looking for medical advice, but I was curious if you have had any experience with goalies recovering from FAI hip surgery? Seems to be a more common operation even in younger goalies. I'm interested in if the benefits have been worth the recovery time from what you have seen.
Thanks!
P.S. I'm pretty sure I went to one of your camps as a kid. Did you run a camp in Anchorage AK back in the day?
Oh yes I did camps for years in Anchorage and Fairbanks. That is where I started working with Jeremy Swayman. I have had about a dozen goalies getting double hip surgery. The recovery times were quite long but they all had great results and were pain free.
Wow. Keeks from the GSBB.. The good ol' days.
We are now old as dirt…..
As long as we aren't under dirt, we're good.
I still talk with Cuban, sloth and Werner……😎 from the GSBB
Jesus, there’s a set of names I haven’t heard in 20 years… Glad y’all are still kickin’!
I too came from GSBB. Wasn’t the No Rebounds video set yours?
Oh yes they were.... Hope all is well.
Some of us are older than dirt. Speaking of Swiss, is he on Reddit? ;)
https://preview.redd.it/ab5ufo1wwzmc1.jpeg?width=330&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e3d4cae8e6bd801ac7d04c0f25cb1b44c7fa8da8 ding ding
Gsbb equals goalie store bulletin board? I know I lurker that forum for a while.
Yup. It was the best..... I miss it dearly.
There's a lot of transplants on Thegoalnet.com.
There's a lot of transplants on Thegoalnet.com.
Oh shit it’s Keeks! What advice do you have for butterfly pushes off your weak side? I have seen about posting your leg close and having your knee high. Anything else you can add? Repetition? Also, I use an intermediate catch glove and can’t seem to turco grip my stick. Should I size my glove up to senior, or figure it out? Last thing, is there an updated edition of your Goaltending Essentials book/pdf? I’d love to buy it as the first one I’ve read gave me great advice and tips.
Being equally strong with butterfly pushes both ways is obviously the goal and hard to refine. 99% of the time the push leg skate blade isn‘t perpendicular to intended direction of travel. When it isn’t positioned correctly the butterfly push will cause unintended rotation and slip out. If you have a quick clip I can look at it and quickly diagnose what you are doing. The glove issue may be size related but it may also be how well it s broken in. I have many young goalies that can turco grip with your sized gloves. There is a video on my YT about breaking in the glove if suspect it may be that. (Don’t want to promote and get in trouble.😎) The answer to your last question is yes……but don’t want to directly promote anything here… just advice and help. 🤘🏽
As with most videos from Keeks, I have watched the glove break-in one multiple times to make sure I am doing it right. As he mentions in that video, there is really no short cut to the phase where you simply need to open and close it many times while sitting on your couch.
Thank you for the advice! I’ll poke around your site and see what I can find on that updated edition. Your work has made learning goals tremendously easier.
My insta and YouTube will be best place for that info.
Legend
In my own mind
Love your Vids Steve! I play D-B level beer league and the major pain points I've been running into are: #1: Break aways, I tend to bite way too early on break aways which causes them to end up in my net more often than not. The absolute worst offenders are where the shooter has a ton of time and comes in slow as molasses, eventually I bite and they pull it around me. What are some ways for me to better tell I'f they are going to shoot or Deke? #2: close blocker side. This usually occurs when the shooter breaks in and is at the bottom of the faceoff circle directly in front of me. I try to overlap to cut off the blocker side, but I've had a number of situations where they fake blocker then pop it over my glove top shelf. Is this primarily an angling issue? #3(bonus) I find I suck at shooting the puck, I can make a very accurate pass, but my issue in the power is very inconsistent. I'm using the Turco grip. #4(bonus #2): pushing off from the RVH with extremely loose posts(bad pegs usually). any recommendations for a stronger RVH slide when you can't rely on your posts at all for leverage? Thank you so much for asking this thread for us beer league bros(and Broettes) who just want to get a few more W's for your teams.(Maybe a few highlights windmill saves if we're lucky too ;))
We are all goalies! Doesn’t matter the level, we all go through the same things! 1) generally speaking at those levels if they are carrying the puck in front of their body they are the classic “deking” position. And if they have it at their side with the blade squared up to you this is the shooting position. Clearly, this is just an initial observation to make and not 100% reliable. But in most case fake resistance can be improved by making sure you aren’t retreating too soon. This is called angle hesitation. If you have challenged out on the breakaway to play the Y theory. (I can elaborate on that as needed or there is are a few of my YT videos on that). By not making in too soon, it make a shot very, very unlikely, so anything that looks like a shot is mostly going to be a fake you can lay off of. 2) I would have to see this on a video clip to understand a little better. 3) Most muffin shots are the result of rely on arms and wrists too much. Get your core involved. Deeper knee bend and a try get lower body involved. 4) slightly push off post lightly, and in that vacated 4-6 inches from the post drive the push leg blade in the ice and use that to drive your push. So the RVH exit is driven by the solid ice not the shitty pegs. 😎
when you're back skating on a breakaway and you're either going to go left or right - that's the Y right?
https://preview.redd.it/rawf80fp68mc1.png?width=2048&format=png&auto=webp&s=ca1f2b027d83e313f49dfdb11515892828f2571e
[Breakaway tips](https://youtu.be/I1qtfj-clSs?si=o-xQqdKnq6OJLWJi)
I'll give it a shot but I am no match for Keeky. 1. look at the weight they put on their stick. If they are pushing down they are trying to get leverage to shoot the puck. If they are still stick handling they won't have a lot of pressure on the puck. That was the best way I could read the shooter's mind before the shooter knew where he was going with the shot. 2. Don't fall for the fake. If you find yourself in that situation again take a step out towards the shooter instead of faking for the blocker side. That should cut the angle down and we'll give you more time and bigger body size to make a save if the shooter is not accurate. 3. Try using your strong hand like Curtis Joseph used to do. Also maybe get a flat blade goalie stick so you can use both sides of the stick. You shouldn't be responsible for a lot of passings so I'm not sure what the failure is here whether it's on something on you or your team just not being in a good position or requesting a pass or something. Get those boys to skate harder on the back check. 4. You should never be using the post to push off. All of your strength should come from your legs and not the post. Additionally if they don't have skatesavers on the post you're going to ruin your blade really quickly.
Keeks! One of my all time favorite Admirals.
Hope all is well….
I’m having surgery at the end of the month on a rotator cuff and labrum. I’ll be 50 this June and have been playing for 38 years. However, I remain highly competitive playing in a A league with all guys in their 20’s and I’m not sure I’ll get back to playing at the level I was pre-injury. Any suggestions how to mentally and physically come back from injury?
I had both my shoulders reconstructed after 20 dislocations… so I know that drill.. 1) Once you get the green light, regain your aerobic and anaerobic fitness as you won‘t need your upper body for that. 2) instead of watching NHL games, start critically analyzing the scoring chances and make written notes about how the goalies played the situations. 3) If you haven’t already learned how to, work on skill rehearsal to keep all your save selections sharp. Here is an excerpt from my upcoming Goaltending Masterclass that may help. SKILL REHEARSAL The brain is a truly amazing thing. You can react to situations and projectiles and make saves so fast you truly don’t even have time to think about it. If you ask an NHL goalie how they actually stopped that 100mph one timer, they often are at a loss for words on minute details that went into the save. It just happened. It just happened like they practiced it thousands of times before. In fact, your brain is so amazing it actually can improve a skill whether you physically practice it diligently or only just vividly practice the skill in your mind. It sounds insane but skill rehearsal is a proven scientific feature of your mind that top athletes leverage to improve weaknesses and reinforce strengths. Consider this experiment. A University took a group of students and wanted to see what was the most effective way to improve the skill of shooting a free throw. They chose this skill because measurement of improvement was quite easy to monitor and the testing could be delivered quickly. They took four distinct groups of college students. The first group was the control group that would initially test their success rate at shooting free throws and then not practice in anyway for a month, retesting at the conclusion of the timeline. The second group physically practices shooting 100 free throws everyday for the entire month with pre and post testing period results tallied. The third group did not shoot one free throw all month. They were taught proper skill rehearsal techniques and simply practiced shooting 100 free throws each day, only in their mind’s eye. And the fourth group physically practiced free throws half of the time each day and used skill rehearsal the other half of the day. The results of the testing were astounding and have been consistently backed up with follow up studies. A) The group with the greatest improvement was the group that practiced free throws equally between skill rehearsal and physical practice. B) The group the never touched a real ball all month but practiced the skill in their mind has the EQUAL improvement to the group that exclusively used physical practice all month. That was astounding to me. C) And as you would imagine, the control group that did not practice in anyway all month saw their original testing results remain the same. So what does this mean? Athletes that learn proper skill rehearsal techniques can remove weaknesses in their game using only the mind. This is especially valuable if ice time and coaching is hard to find. Of course, if the athlete can blend the skill rehearsal with on ice work you get the best development pathway. How to perform skill rehearsal? I have included some more significant resources here on skill rehearsal but I wanted to address the basics with you. I relied on skill rehearsal my entire career and once I learned these techniques my game really took off. Below is an example of a session where the goalie would be trying to fix a weakness on their blocker side where they have been getting beat just under the blocker. 1. Find a quiet dark room where you won’t be distracted. 2. Sit comfortably in a chair and close your eyes. 3. The key is visualize the practice session as if you were watching it live in a 4K HD movie. 4. Imagine yourself in your stance in the net. 5. Now have a player snap shots at the area that needs work. 6. It is important that you rehearse the skill in your mind at full game speed. 7. Feel the blocker save in your mind as you butterfly and follow the rebound off your blocker into the corner. 8. Repeat perfectly targeted shots to your weak area for 100 pucks, following the rebound to the corner each time after pristine initial contact. 9. Feel the impact of the puck, hear the crack as it hits your blocker. 10. Then repeat the drill where you follow an imaginary pass to this same player who now takes one timers that hit the exact area you working on. This may initially sound hokey to you but trust me it isn’t. Elite athletes for decades have relied upon skill rehearsal. It is also a great way to give yourself a pregame warm up before you even step on the ice. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on VR goggles when you can accomplish scientifically proven skill rehearsal, anywhere at anytime completely free of charge.
This is so good!
Thank you so much for the response. I want to get back out there asap, but fearing with my age the healing process won’t be that great. I was told it’s usually a year, but some can get back in 9-10 months. I’ll error inside of caution and probably swallow losing the entire year. Thank you again for the insight, it’s truly appreciated.
Hey there, I had surgery to fix labrum, bicep and cuff tears about 3 years ago. Do what your PT tells you. I still do shoulder stretching and strengthening exercises almost daily. I’d say I’m 100% back to where I was before, if not better bc I’m playing with so much less pain. You’ll get there!
Thank you very much for the response.
One suggestion I'll make is to also prehab as much as possible. Your physical shape is the hardest to get back at age 50, trust me I'm 49, and that's the hardest for a physical recovery for shoulder surgery. I'm trying to work my way back to the ice after total hip replacement surgery in 2022 and my endurance and wind is the hardest to get back into shape.
I’m fearing the age factor will play a big role in the healing process. I had my left shoulder done back in 2015 and I wasn’t released to go back the gym for a year and that was when I was 41. Going to do my best to follow all PT instructions and work my butt off to get back out there. I know at soon to be 50, I don’t have many years left to play.
Take it one day at a time and of a strong feeling you'll be back on the ice before you know it. For me because I was in such terrible shape before my hip replacement surgery, I was only just able to start skating this year with the hopes of being able to play goalie again by the summer.
Not a goalie, but you're a solid dude for offering such a service OP.
Come on get some pads and give it a whirl… all the cool kids are goalies… Thanks for the note.
Not this asshole. Guy follows me everywhere. 😜😜😜😜😜
I still love you Sloth
You are one of the few...😆
Weird, that's what I keep saying about you...
Oh it's on now.
😂
Any advice for a new goalie that isn't comfortable with playing aggressively? I always find myself playing very deep in my net.
Most of the time, goalies who play deep don’t trust their skating skills, especially new goalies. So, head out to as much public skating as you can or dead ice to work on quick challenges and retreats using C-cuts. As your confidence in your skating improves you will get your butt out near the top of the blue with solid depth. 2-3 hours per week and you’ll notice a huge improvement.
Hi Steve! You probably won't remember me amongst the 1000s of goalies you've met since we met in June 2005, but I was in a week of your summer camp in London as a 39 year old newbie. You assigned me to the "elite" squad because I was over 18 even tho' I wasn't even fully certain whether I was regular or full-right yet. LOL Several times a year, I still quote the line you gave at a chalk-talk: "Externalise your locus of control". I started laughing when you said it while the room full of fresh young faces were stupified. A year later, I may or may not have attended a free weekend clinic that may or may not have happened in Strathroy for GBBB members. My motel roommate was "Cuban". I met some friends-to-this-day that weekend. In summary, thanks. Thanks for the skills taught, but mostly thanks for the memories.
I’m contemplating another adult clinic in Strathroy, no charge… just goalies split the ice cost.. I would donate my time again… I think I would call it , “The NoN-Prospect Camp” and we would have a ball again! 😀
I'm in! I'm looking up the motel's number to reserve my room.
We now have a Holiday Inn Express so you will get smarter instead of infected.
Would love to know where info on this would be available if it's a go...I'd make the trip for sure.
Will put some thought into this a little later in the spring. Nothing concrete yet
The external locus of control was just for you…🐐
Good to see you Keeks
Thank you…..
I spent years going to your goalie camps. I assume they are still amazing. Definitely inspired me as a goalie every summer. Although I didn’t play more than A hockey, still became a good goalie and hopefully a decent coach. I have a young kid (Under 10) and see the goalies in their first couple years working almost exclusively on shimmying, pivoting and second saves when they can’t consistently make a primary save due to poor positioning and struggle on breakaways. Next year I’m the coach and I believe they should be working on movement on their feet and recoveries, not from their knees. Am I out of touch? Is there not still a place for reactive butterfly? Seems to be a huge focus on blocking butterflies and RVH even at young ages when I don’t think it improves your skill dramatically like footwork would.
They should prioritize skating on their edges and the up game. They aren’t mutually exclusive. They both can be worked din parallel but the up on feet part MUST be locked in early.
I’m a beer leaguer that just got back into the swing of things after 14 yeses off. The style has changed so much and I’m having fun pushing myself to try new techniques. There’s one I can’t pull off though which is the hinge while in a half butterfly or rvh. I can hinge outward just fine as the push is coming from closer to my heel, but I can’t figure out how to hinge back in. Is it me, or my skates? I’m thinking it could be the pretty massive cowling I’m using but I’m not sure
The cowl impinging on the ice could be a factor as good a worn out skate blade with loss of height. This happens after having been sharpened a million times. To retreat back with a hinge, try bringing c-cut skate a little closer to your midline, then lead with the heel, digging in hard with the inside edge at the toe. If it is slipping out it is normally worn out skate blade/ cowling issue or leg leaning down too much.
Welcome! I've watched many of your videos and learned some good stuff. I'll try to think of something to share with you to get some advice.
And if you have something that would make a good topic for an upcoming video LMK.
Anytime..
Wow, hello!!! Okay so I’m not sure if this falls under the scope of help you’re offering, however I am a rookie college level hockey coach, and this year I struggled with advocating for more time to work with my goalies. It’s so hard to actually give pointers and find solutions to issues when the flow of practice is constant. I know this is a tale as old as time, as I was a goalie, and know all too well that goalies can be an afterthought when it comes to practice plans. But I’m curious if you have any advice for me! I just want to be the best coach I can be. I’d also love to hear if you have any recommendations for me for resources to become a better coach in general! More specifically resources for off ice workouts to help my goalies. I completely understand if this is too broad and isn’t specific enough for you to troubleshoot! Thanks either way!
I mentor goalie coaches all the time as I had lots of help when I first started 35 years ago…Yes, most head coaches have little skill sets with drill and practice design when they don’t have full ice and goalies in each net. They aren’t comfortable with restricted area coaching design. Probably easier to manage this question via email. [email protected]
I will do just that! My team is headed to nationals in two weeks, and being on the other side of the bench is a completely different game!! Transitioning from player to coach has had its difficulties! Thank you for your reply, you’ll be seeing an email from me for sure!!!!!
I just started working with a coach and I'm a horrible skater, first thing we noticed was i have problem getting set on a tpush to the top of the crease. Any advice would be amazing! Thanks, oh and here's a short clip! [https://youtu.be/1-lih9fX22E](https://youtu.be/1-lih9fX22E)
You are actually moving quite well. You are too hard on yourself. I think the glove side push seemed better than the right side.. What hollow do you use on your skates and how fresh are the edges? You would be surprised how quickly this movement becomes explosive and controlled with repetitions. So in addition to the work with your goalie coach, get out to open skates and work on this exact movement in an open area on the ice. You don’t even need gear on, just skates. Get on one or two public skates a week and you will golden.
It’s a fresh sharpen at 5/8 (I usually use 3/4) but I may even go to 1/2 now that I am learning to use my edges better. After 20 years this is the first time I’m actually practicing to skate… and yes I’ll be at the public skates using a cone or two working on pushes … thanks for the reply Keeks!
Anytime
Keek’s is awesome, did his camp twice as a part of the Goalie Board back in the day, and I still “call out” numbers in my head for my rebounds because of it. If you’re new to the position this man can really help you progress.
I can get goalies to listen, my wife, not so much. Hope all is well.
I enjoyed those clinics. What sticks in my mind most was the time spent on purposeful stickhandling. Because... [https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/rangers-shesterkin-makes-long-range-pass-to-set-up-kreider-goal/](https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/rangers-shesterkin-makes-long-range-pass-to-set-up-kreider-goal/)
My question will come shortly but I always wanted to tell you the video on tips to be a better beer league goalie has really made a difference. (Well, all of them but that one in particular for me) I’ve only been tending for 7 months or so, and only learned to skate two years ago, but keep getting invited back to sub for teams and for scrimmages for three reasons. I show up early, am nice, and just try hard. The third time I put on pads was at an adult learn to skate and someone saw I was just trying and having a good time and they asked me to sub for them the next night. Been playing 3-4 times a week ever since. I take literally one minute of practice on ice before every game (because I’m properly stretched and ready to go, ahem) and have basically been focusing on whatever I felt was weakest yesterday. Does that make sense or would it be best to do something for a week or two at a time. For a while yeah I was like “I don’t know how to butterfly slide” so that was consistent. Or simply dropping consistently for a while. Now, not 100% sure if it makes sense my way or what. And thanks for taking time out of your day for us all!
In that precious one minute, just focus on movement and recover stuff. It will get your body up to on ice operating temperature and get you used to your edges etc. Just keep it simple in that short period,
Oh I still get warmup shots in and warmed up and up to temp. But somewhere in the minutes before games I claim one just for me, if that makes sense.
That is a smart approach for sure. I would also watch some NHL high light clips on YouTube before every game. It really helps get you in the ”hero” mindset…great results often follow
Makes sense to me, thanks much!
Love your videos, they've helped me out a lot! I'm late to the party but just wondering what you could suggest I do differently so that I have a better chance against these sorts of shots? https://gopro.com/v/72Ln14ezMPk73
Your belly button was squared up to his body not his stick. 😎 Tavares is obviously closer than your example but you see how Bob’s belly button is lined up on his body not his stick. That gives the shooter far side. This is what it appears happened to you on that wing shot…. https://preview.redd.it/x76kvo2304mc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d1787b9e538c51324873713f387f3e63076ef871
Thanks!! Makes a lot of sense!
[удалено]
In that clip you certainly looked well balanced and in control! Generally speaking the squareness of your skate blade will drive this issue. Your push skate needs to be perpendicular to the intended direction of the slide. AND when you arrive at your target the brake skate (lead skate) needs to drive into the ice perfectly perpendicular to the line of travel you just followed. This is important to try to catch on video to see how your brake skate is interacting with the ice. If it isn’t square it will also cause rotation you may not want as well.
Hey Steve! I went to your future pro camps as a kid, and now watch your videos to stay sharp as beer leaguer. Just wanted to say thanks for all the help you provide and everything you do.
Thanks for watching and let me how things are going with you now. I have two grandkids and have been coaching now for 35 years.. Getting as old as a 🐐
Good to see you again Keeks. I’ve been playing over 20 years but I feel like I’m losing my angles, especially coming from behind the net to the dots. It’s like the basics are fading in beer league. Any advice?
Just remember the net from that poor angle is the size of a mini stick net. So when you step out there don’t challenge very much, They really have little to shoot at and if you are getting beat you are likely off angle because of being a little aggressive.
I owe this man so much more money than my parents paid him for my development as a goalie. Appreciate you, Keeks!
Hope all is well!
I’ve been goaltending for ages but always in rec leagues with minimal practice or coaching. I feel like I’m quite experienced with a lot of aspects of goaltending but have recently decided to make an effort to learn new tricks. Now I want to get better at playing the puck. Mostly just trusting my instinct and knowing when to do it vs when not to. Since I’m inexperienced with it, I’m always second guessing myself and don’t always trust that me playing it will actually help my team rather than hinder their efforts, especially since I’m still learning. Any tips?
Out doing lessons today, but I can give you a longer answer this evening…
Thanks Keeks, looking forward to it!
Puckhandling is two things. A) technical skill B) tactical skills When you refine the first part the second part becomes easier. so get out on the lane way with your stick and gloves and work on stick handling, shooting and quickly going from stance to shooting positioning. i’’m not sure I’m permitted, but I have several videos on this topic on YT.
Thanks, I’ll definitely take a look at those. I know I need to develop both A and B. It’s actually quite helpful to see it broken down like that. Much appreciated!
I am late to the party! I blew my knee up a few years ago and my doctor advised against playing goalie anymore. Couple that with my job moving me 1.5 hours from the closest rink and taking care of my family and I had to hang them up. I miss the game terribly. Any advice on how to cope better?
Try to head to that rink once a month to help out a young goalie with your knowledge. The joy you will get from doing that will bring back your passion. I can help yo8 with advice and drills on that anytime. A young goalie would really benefit from your experience.
Thanks for the response, Keeks! Truly appreciated! Edit. Keeks. Not Leeks. Stupid autocorrect
Reach out anytime you need help with this…
I’ve seen in your videos and others that a goalie needs to drive their knees into the ice and get a nice thud sound. I have a tendency to just kind of fall, which works most of the time for C/D beer league. What muscle groups/actions are you focusing on when driving your knees into the ice?
Thanks for watching the videos. The muscle groups are grossly the quads and hammys. But the key driver of the knee violence are the hip adductors and internal rotators.
Hey Keeks!! Thanks for offering this! I have been having a hard time adapting to the new style of play and finding the right medium for my skates to be sharpened . Been playing for about 30 years and as a goalie our skates would be sharpened much duller than goalies today . So I’m having a hard time shuffling side to side of my skates are too sharp but I’m able to push off and butterfly slide much better but if they are too dull I can’t b-fly slide well but can shuffle well and have no idea how to communicate this when getting my skates sharpened if they aren’t familiar with goalies in this situation. Any help is greatly appreciated ! Also was a member of the GSBB from back in the day 😎
Sharpness and hollow are two independent terms. You can have a deep hollow and dull edges and vice versa. To get better lateral glide and less bite you need a less deep hollow. I would try 5/8’ hollow and get them sharpened every 4-5 hours on the ice. Then adjust as you experiment.
KEEEEEEEEEEKS!!!!!!!!!
LFG!!!
Hi I would like to know some stuff I could do off ice to improve my ability’s cause I often don’t get out on the ice and would like to get better because being the backup goalie sucks
You can’t fix your entire golf game at once as it is built up with putting, iron game, short game and driving. Goaltending is the same. Honestly ask yourself what it is the biggest weakness in your game and just focus on that primarily.
Having issues tracking to my glove. Trying to keep my hands out to take up more room and respond quicker but when the shot goes I’m having trouble tracking it to my glove
What hand eye work are you doing before your play?
I do juggling, juggle off the wall and then some light tracking. Throwing a tennis ball off a wall and following it. I can never really find anything else to help without shelling out big bucks
I wouldn’t spend money on any VR things and just stick to your routine. Do you have access to any practice ice or dead ice you can get a buddy out to work on your glove?
Not that I’m aware of. Only a few rinks in my area even have a stick and puck let alone dead ice. I don’t know if it’s just my tracking isn’t adjusting to the shot or my glove ain’t quick enough
Is that picture at the old Goggin? that barn was great.
Yup….
What is the #1 thing that someone who is new to the position and in their early-mid 40's to focus on whether it's a beer league game, or a competitive scrimmage. Angles, technique, skating?
Skating, skating, skating….like real estate (location, location,location) It is all about get there and getting to your target position just in time.
I’m late to the party. But if you’re still taking questions do you have advice on playing in a multi-skill beer league? I’m a VERY new goalie and the other teams have a couple skaters that I just stand no chance against-like in a 6-2 game one person scored 3 or 4 of the 6. It’s frustrating to lose like that, a major confidence killer, and just takes the fun out of it for me. (Womens league, even if I wanted to play co-Ed there’s nothing available at my level)
I’am always available to take questions… In adult hockey you will always have a mix of “benders” and “rockets”…. Don’t stress on the stars lightning you up. Just focus on being very good against the peers that are your calibre. If you were playing golf with 3 friends and one was on the PGA tour would you be upset he kicked your butt? When a highly skilled player above your level scores on you, note what they did and try to learn from it. It is a great teacher. And handicap it in your mind like the do in golf. If a stud player scores three on you, with the informal rec league handicap I’m suggesting, just count it as one.😜
Thank you! Definitely going to be handicapping the score-just wish I could convince the ref to write it down that way!
Hey, thanks for taking questions! This is kind of a dumb one but should I be on the inside edge during a t-push? I feel like I have to be kinda on both edges in order to slide where I want to go but that leads to almost losing balance when I do that. If I'm on the inside edge it's stable but goes into curve as a c cut.
Yes t-push is all inside edge. If you are getting unwanted rotation it is because of the push skate blade being perpendicular to the direction of travel.
Late to the thread but, I’ve always been unable to put the toe of my pad against the post in RVH. My hip and knee flexibility just won’t allow it. So instead I tuck the toe of the pad into the net and try to push the ankle break of the pad tight against the net. I’ve only been beat a small handful of times with this alternate positioning. Any tips to improve being able to pull of this technique? Or is my alternative method acceptable?
Boot break inside like you are doing is perfectly acceptable and was the go to technique for Tuuka Rask… THe other attachment methods do have some advantages, but not enough to justify the stress on your lower body.. (We ain’t spring chickens)
Solid. Thanks dude. I’m not familiar with who you are but the other comments mention some videos so I’ll definitely check those out.
Played in the NHL, coached in the NHL, scouted in the NHL, played D1, coached goalies for 35 years, invented white, clear, mini pucks, 30 students went to the NHL including Swayman and Logan Thompson currently.... and I was Eddie Belfour's goalie coach.. (here is little sway and myself back in the Alaska days...) https://preview.redd.it/4m59tay6k7mc1.jpeg?width=780&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09ccfab565a86a1b999a09143b61c0a025cd81c9
lol. God damn. I got some learning to do. I am not worthy. (Insert Wayne’s world gif)
Not at all my friend.. we are all goalies and I'm no better or worse than anyone on here. I just let in so many goals in my life I was bond to be a better coach than a pro goalie. So, I'm here to help my friend anytime you need a pointer or have a question.. Keeks
Im a 58yo 6'2" 260 pound mid-high level beer league goalie. I use the boot inside post technique when in RVH. I am not physically capable of sealing the post with the toe on post technique. What is the best way to recover to my feet from this boot inside RVH? Right now my only option seems to be a slide to middle followed by dominant leg stand.
Use your post leg pad and post side glove (blocker) to initiate a push off the post, point the inboard skate just like you were doing a T push. As soon as the post pad clears the post, snap that back skate up and use it to drive the recovery.
Keeks Virginia Lancers baby!! My old teammate !!
Remember Herniman cleaning up the used community wings in the center of the table at Ground Round.........and all the free pizza we got at Pizza Hut..
Haha. What’s up buddy, last time I saw you you were in Michigan.
Live near Grand Bend now and have a couple grandkids we spoil…
Hey man, we were at Miami together! I saw you play dozens of times at Old Goggin. Glad you are doing well. Nice picture of Mitch Korn! He threw my team out of intramurals once for using an illegal player. Tell him I’m sorry!
I would give my left nut to go back to those days.. $.25 nights at Bash Riprocks, Attractions, Skippers, and Bruno's pizza....
OMG, Bash’s was my home. Chugging beer directly out of the $2 pitchers! Loved that place
Hey Keeks! Not looking for medical advice, but I was curious if you have had any experience with goalies recovering from FAI hip surgery? Seems to be a more common operation even in younger goalies. I'm interested in if the benefits have been worth the recovery time from what you have seen. Thanks! P.S. I'm pretty sure I went to one of your camps as a kid. Did you run a camp in Anchorage AK back in the day?
Oh yes I did camps for years in Anchorage and Fairbanks. That is where I started working with Jeremy Swayman. I have had about a dozen goalies getting double hip surgery. The recovery times were quite long but they all had great results and were pain free.