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Goalkeeper Stance

Edition 20
 

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. First of all I would like to welcome all of the new subscribers. In the past few weeks, I have received a significant number of subscribers and I want to make sure they know that all past Goalkeeping Newsletters are archived at http://finesoccer.com .

I would also like to apologize for not having sent a Goalkeeping Newsletter recently. Camps can get hectic sometimes and make it difficult to get everything I want accomplished. Things are now back to normal so I will start sending them out on a more regular basis.

Today’s newsletter deals with the goalkeeping stance. Having just returned from two weeks of keeper camps I am amazed at that lack of understanding that keepers have of the importance of the proper stance.

To start with the proper stance entails having your feet shoulders length apart, on the balls of your feet, knees bent and hands out in front (some people prefer having their hands up, prepared to catch a ball chest high while others prefer hands low to make it easier to save the low hard shot. Personally, I prefer the hands low since this is the most difficult shot to save but either way is acceptable. This really is all there is to know about the stance and that is why it’s so amazing to me how poorly so called keepers stand in preparation for a shot. Way too many keepers have their feet too far apart so that they are not in a position to move in any direction quickly nor are they able to dive utilizing the power step since they are already out of balance. The second major problem is standing flat-footed. There is no time in athletics that a person will be able to stand flat-footed and be able to move quickly. Their feet must be moving and they must be balanced on the balls of the feet. The third major problem is not having the knees bent at all. As you can tell, this position is no different then the proper position for most sports (tennis, basketball defense, volleyball etc) so it is quite disturbing to me that so few keepers can consistently be in a proper stance. I get so many emails asking about training advice and asking for opportunities for training and it gets frustrating to see these same people make the same mistakes over and over again. The only explanation for this is poor coaching (there is a point when the coaches must emphasize the importance of this) and laziness. Since most keepers in this country have played other sports, they cannot say no one has ever taught them how to stand properly. It’s simply a matter that to stand completely upright is easier and requires less energy then to have your knees bent and your feet moving. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean it works. As soon as the balls in a dangerous position, (defensive half of the field, the keeper must be on the balls of her feet and ready to move quickly. Being in this proper stance will allow you to move quickly in all directions is a very short period of time.

The best way to ensure you stay in a proper stance while in goal is to practice it (novel idea huh?) First of all, get used to being in that position and moving forward, backward and side to side (and all other variations). Being able to move quickly and change directions while in this stance is vital. Next, concentrate on maintaining this stance during all shooting drills and attacking drills. Never allow yourself to get into the habit of trying to make a save or handle a cross from any other position. Lastly, have someone videotape you while playing a game. This will enable you to see just how often you are in a proper stance (and even more impertinently, how often you aren’t in a proper stance).

What might seem like a real simple topic of proper stance is actually a huge problem in the position of goalkeeping. Proper stance will allow you to concentrate better, move quicker, dive quicker and basically be a much better goalkeeper.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or anything else,
please email me at comments@finesoccer.com

Have a great day.

Lawrence

 

We would like to thank Lawrence Fine and FineSoccer.com for allowing us to publish this article on the NASL website.  Please visit http://www.FineSoccer.com and sign up for Lawrence's free coaching newsletters and articles.

Created: 12/20/99
Last Updated: 08/21/03

Since February 24, 1999
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