How to hold a lacrosse goalie stick. Mastering the Perfect Lacrosse Goalie Stance: 7 Essential Elements

What are the key components of an effective lacrosse goalie stance. How can goalies improve their positioning to maximize save potential. What role does foot placement play in a goalie’s stance. How should a lacrosse goalie position their hands for optimal performance.

The Importance of a Proper Lacrosse Goalie Stance

A solid foundation is crucial for any lacrosse goalie looking to excel on the field. The goalie’s stance serves as the cornerstone of their defensive prowess, directly impacting their ability to make consistent saves and react swiftly to incoming shots. By mastering the perfect lacrosse goalie stance, players can significantly enhance their performance and become formidable guardians of the goal.

Let’s delve into the seven essential elements that constitute the ideal lacrosse goalie stance, providing insights and tips to help goalies optimize their positioning and elevate their game.

Element 1: Foot Placement and Base

The foundation of a strong goalie stance begins with proper foot placement. How should a lacrosse goalie position their feet for optimal balance and mobility?

• Feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart
• Weight distributed on the balls of the feet
• Heels slightly raised (able to slide a credit card underneath)

This stance provides a stable base while allowing for quick movements in any direction. Some goalies may prefer a wider base, which can be effective, especially for taller players. However, it’s essential to find a balance between stability and agility.

Comparing Foot Placement Styles

While the slightly wider than shoulder-width stance is most common, some goalies opt for different approaches:

1. Shoulder-width stance: Offers balance but may limit lateral movement
2. Wide base stance: Provides stability but can slow down quick reactions
3. Narrow stance: Generally not recommended as it compromises athleticism

Ultimately, goalies should experiment with different foot placements to find what feels most natural and effective for their playing style.

Element 2: Knee Flexion and Lower Body Positioning

Proper knee bend is crucial for maintaining an athletic stance and facilitating quick reactions. How much should a lacrosse goalie bend their knees?

The ideal knee bend will vary based on personal preference and physical attributes, but generally, goalies should aim for:

• A moderate to deep knee bend
• Weight centered over the balls of the feet
• Ability to explode upward or laterally with minimal delay

Bent knees offer several advantages:

1. Improved readiness for both high and low shots
2. Enhanced balance and stability
3. Increased explosiveness for quick movements

Finding the right degree of knee bend is crucial. Too little, and the goalie may struggle with low shots; too much, and they may sacrifice quickness and agility.

Element 3: Back Posture and Upper Body Alignment

Maintaining proper back posture is essential for maximizing the goalie’s presence in the goal and ensuring efficient movement. What is the ideal back position for a lacrosse goalie?

Key aspects of proper back posture include:

• Straight, flat back
• Broad shoulders
• Slight forward lean (approximately 20 degrees) at the hips
• Chest slightly in front of hips
• Back and chest square to the shooter

This posture helps goalies maintain a “big” presence in the cage, increasing their save percentage by covering more area. The slight forward lean puts them in an athletic, ready position without compromising balance or reaction time.

Common Back Posture Mistakes

Goalies should avoid:

1. Hunching or rounding the back
2. Leaning too far forward (beyond 45 degrees)
3. Standing completely upright

These postures can lead to slower reactions, reduced coverage of the goal, and increased vulnerability to certain types of shots.

Element 4: Hand Positioning and Stick Grip

Proper hand positioning is crucial for effective stick control and quick save reactions. How should a lacrosse goalie position their hands on the stick?

Optimal hand positioning includes:

• Hands approximately chest-width apart (about 12 inches or 30 cm)
• Top hand positioned near the throat of the stick
• Bottom hand placed comfortably on the butt end
• Hands held at chest height, slightly in front of the body

This positioning allows for maximum control and quick stick movement, enabling goalies to react swiftly to shots from various angles.

Grip Techniques for Improved Control

While individual preferences may vary, most goalies benefit from:

1. A relaxed grip to prevent tension and allow for quick adjustments
2. Fingers spread for better stick control
3. The ability to quickly shift hand position for different save types

Experimenting with slight variations in hand placement can help goalies find their most comfortable and effective grip.

Element 5: Head and Eye Positioning

Proper head and eye positioning are critical for tracking the ball and anticipating shots. How should a lacrosse goalie position their head and eyes?

Key aspects of head and eye positioning include:

• Head up and eyes focused on the ball
• Chin slightly tucked to protect the neck
• Peripheral vision engaged to track player movements
• Eyes relaxed to avoid tension and facilitate quick tracking

Maintaining proper head position allows goalies to react more quickly to shots and fakes, improving their overall save percentage.

Visual Techniques for Enhanced Performance

Goalies can improve their visual acuity and reaction time by:

1. Practicing eye exercises to improve tracking speed
2. Developing a consistent pre-shot routine to focus attention
3. Learning to read shooters’ body language for shot anticipation

By honing their visual skills, goalies can make more informed decisions and react more effectively to incoming shots.

Element 6: Body Tension and Readiness

Maintaining the right level of body tension is crucial for quick reactions and efficient movement. How can lacrosse goalies achieve optimal body readiness?

Key aspects of body tension and readiness include:

• Muscles relaxed but primed for action
• Core engaged for stability
• Arms and shoulders loose to facilitate quick stick movement
• Lower body ready to explode in any direction

Finding the balance between tension and relaxation allows goalies to maintain their stance comfortably while being prepared to react instantly to shots.

Techniques for Improving Body Readiness

Goalies can enhance their physical preparedness through:

1. Regular practice of quick-twitch muscle exercises
2. Incorporating yoga or stretching routines to improve flexibility
3. Mental visualization techniques to reinforce proper body positioning

By developing a keen awareness of their body tension, goalies can maintain an optimal state of readiness throughout the game.

Element 7: Consistency and Repeatability

The ability to consistently replicate the perfect stance is crucial for reliable performance. How can lacrosse goalies ensure stance consistency?

Key aspects of stance consistency include:

• Developing a pre-shot routine to reset the stance
• Regular practice to ingrain proper positioning
• Mental cues to quickly check and adjust stance elements
• Adapting the stance to various game situations while maintaining core principles

Consistency in stance allows goalies to react more instinctively to shots, improving their overall save percentage and on-field performance.

Drills for Improving Stance Consistency

Goalies can enhance their stance consistency through:

1. Mirror work to visually reinforce proper positioning
2. Partner drills focusing on stance critiques and adjustments
3. Video analysis to identify and correct inconsistencies
4. Repetition exercises under varying conditions (e.g., fatigue, distractions)

By making stance consistency a priority in their training regimen, goalies can ensure they’re always in the best position to make saves.

Mastering the perfect lacrosse goalie stance is a continuous process that requires dedication, practice, and attention to detail. By focusing on these seven essential elements, goalies can significantly improve their on-field performance and become more formidable defenders of the goal. Remember that while these principles provide a solid foundation, individual goalies may need to make slight adjustments based on their physical attributes and playing style. Regular practice, video analysis, and feedback from coaches and teammates can help refine and perfect your lacrosse goalie stance over time.

The 7 Elements Of The Perfect Lacrosse Goalie Stance

Getting into a perfect lacrosse goalie stance before every shot is half the battle when it comes to making consistent saves as a lax goalie.

One of the first things a new goalie should learn is how to get setup in the proper stance that will maximize his or her ability to make saves.

When you analyze video or still images you’ll often notice that when a goalie is setup in a bad stance at the time of the shot’s release, the ball goes in.

How much you wanna bet this shot goes in?

The overall governing rule for a perfect lacrosse stance is to get into an athletic position.

If there’s ever a question about your stance, just ask yourself am I in an athletic position?

A proper goalie stance is also one that we can routinely get into and is the same every time.

The stance should be comfortable and also put the goalie into the best possible position to attack the oncoming shot.

As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, there are many styles of lacrosse goaltending. Each goalie may have some differences in his or her stance however these are the 7 elements of the perfect lacrosse goalie stance and every great goalie will have these.

I teach my goalies to setup with their feet a little wider than shoulder width.

This is the way I felt most comfortable in the cage. I could move in any direction out of this stance and I always felt like I was in a good athletic position.

The base stance of a lacrosse goalie is often compared to that of NFL linebacker. Lacrosse goalies obviously setup with their hands up and ready to save a shot.

You never see an NFL linebacker setup with feet only shoulder width apart standing up straight.

Some goalie coaches do recommend feet shoulder-width apart, which is fine. But any narrower then shoulder width and you’re not in an athletic position.

Other goalies use more of a wide base with their setup. This stance can be effective too, especially for the taller goalies but it does come with some pros and cons that I discuss in this post (wide base stance).

When you analyze the play of today’s top MLL and PLL goalies, you’ll notice that the majority use a slightly wider than shoulder width and the rest use the wide base.

We should also be on the balls of our feet so that we’re ready to move. You should be able to slide a credit card underneath your heels.

The second element of a perfect lacrosse goalie stance is to have your knees bent nice and low.

Having bent knees automatically puts us in an athletic position.

If you bend your knees nice and low, it’s very easy to popup for the higher shots and the bent knees means you’re already lower to the ground to simplify the process of saving low shots.

Another benefit of having your knees bent is that the weight automatically goes on the balls of your feet which is want we want.

We don’t want to have our weight on the toes nor on the heels.

Many goalie coaches teach their goalies to have their weight on their toes. The problem with that is the goalies are off-balance and falling forward as to the shooter winds up or makes a fake.

We want a stance that is completely still when the shooter is the winding up.

Here is Trevor Tierney setup in a perfect lacrosse goalie stance.

How much you bend your knees will depend on your personal style and what feels most comfortable for you. Some goalies get into a deeper squat while others choose a slight knee bend.

But the important thing is you must have bent knees in the perfect lacrosse goalie stance.

Having a nice straight, flat back in your stance ensures you take up as much room as possible in the goal.

We’ll also ensure our shoulders are broad for the same reason. However nothing awkward, as we always want to be comfortable in our lacrosse goalie stance.

As we make saves we always want to be “BIG” in the cage. Having a straight back in your stance and during the save process will help ensure we’re staying BIG and thus increase our save percentage.

While keeping my back straight I like to have a slight bend forward at the hips. Always in a comfortable, athletic manner.

45 degrees of bend is too much. I’d recommend something like 20 degrees which puts us in a comfortable, athletic position. This is going to position our chest slightly in front of our hips.

Your back and chest should always be square to the shooter.

Side angle of a great lacrosse goalie stance.

I love the visualization of thinking of the NFL linebacker stance, a position that the great John Galloway refers to as “Ray Lewis Ready”.

Hand position is extremely important. Both in where your hands are on the stick and their positioning to your body.

I like to have my hands about chest-width apart or about 12 inches (30 cm) apart.

If your hands are too wide, the rotation of the stick becomes too long and will inhibit our ability to make those off-stick hip and off-stick low shots where the stick must fully rotate.

With your top-hand placement, you have a few options:

I prefer to setup with my top hand touching the plastic (#2 above) but I know plenty of goalies who like to grip the plastic to prevent stick rotation when the ball makes contact.

In certain circumstances, such as with a very small youth goalie (< 5 foot) it makes sense to have the top hand be under the plastic throat (#3 above) of the stick an inch in order to help the goalie reach all corners of the goal.

Regardless of where your top hand is, the bottom hand is about 12-18 inches below. With our hands that far apart we can make quick movements and rapid stick rotations when needed.

Place tape on your stick so that you know where your hands should be every time.

The final point regarding your hand position is that the top of your stick should not be above the crossbar when you set up in your stance. If it is, you’re protecting an area that’s not a goal and that’s a waste.

This means, taller goalies (about 6′ and above) either need more knee bend or lower hands so that the top of their stick is at the top of the goal.

Shorter goalies can have their hands as high their eyes if the stick doesn’t go past the top crossbar.

Or they can also set up very low like current MLL goalie Adam Ghitelman.

The next element of the perfect stance is arms out away from your body.

If your arms are too tight, moving the stick around is a difficult task. Also with your stick in tight, it might become caught on your face mask or gear during a save.

Our arms should be out and away from our body while still maintaining a bend at the elbow. Locked elbows are no good as any locked joint is not an athletic position.

One tip to find the right arm position. Fully extend your elbows, then bring them 1/2 way back. This usually results in a nice athletic positioning of the arms.

To practice having your arms out and away from your body, try the Defensive Stick Drill where we use a long stick to make saves. If your hands are not out away from your body in this drill, the long stick will hit the goal.

By having our hands out we can attack the ball quicker and reduce the amount of distance we need to cover to make a save.

Scott Rodgers’ goalie stance is seen above.

I don’t know all the details of a perfect lacrosse defensive stance for long-poles but I’m pretty sure that defender in the pic is NOT doing it ?

When we grab the lacrosse shaft with our hands we want to grip to be loose – ideally with only our thumb, first, and second fingers.

The grip should be loose while still maintaining control of your goalie stick.

The light grip with the thumb and forefinger allows the hands to rotate to cover all corners of the goal.

Your hands should be on the stick so that the wrists are to the back of the stick. Again, this will provide the best rotation of the stick to all areas of the cage.

You should be able to freely and easily rotate the stick 360 degrees with no limitations. If you can do that, you’ve got the right grip.

The goalie’s grip exposes the goalie’s thumb to damage from shots so be sure you’ve got a pair of lacrosse goalie gloves that have a reinforced thumb to protect yourself.

The final element of a perfect lacrosse goalie stance is to be completely relaxed.

We cannot have tension in our body because it limits our ability to react.

One of the main reason we give up rebounds is that we’re stiff. Also one of the main reasons we bite on fakes or have a false step is because our bodies are too tense and we go for that first movement.

We’re gripping the stick nice and light with our hands too. And all other limbs are relaxed and ready to go.

If you’re relaxed in your stance you can stay in it all day. Or at least long enough to endure a long 4-minute possession from the opposing team.

Once you’re able to set up in the perfect lacrosse goalie stance, one great exercise is the mirror training lacrosse drill.

That is, set up in front of a mirror and see how your stance looks.

Your lacrosse goalie coach can provide feedback on your stance but once you understand the basics you can practice it in front of the mirror to ensure consistency and perfection every time.

Another great drill is to walk the line where we practice our stance by visualizing and making imaginary saves. Before making a save in this drill, setup in your stance.

Work on the things you need to correct to make your stance perfect.

With the goalies I coach one thing I constantly harp on is the need to be able to get into the same exact stance over and over, without thinking about it.

The perfect stance should just be 2nd nature for every goalie. And this only comes through repetition.

If you’re uncomfortable in your stance you might need to build the leg and shoulder muscles to increase their endurance.

I often find it helps to study the pros so here are photos of MLL goalies setup in their stances.

Each goalie is going to have a little uniqueness to their goalie stance but notice how every goalie is in an athletic position to make a save.

Do you see the 7 elements of the perfect lacrosse goalie stance demonstrated throughout these photos?

Here is PLL Redwood goalie Tim Troutner discussing how he teaches the perfect lacrosse goalies stance:

A goalie’s stance is crucial to his or her ability to consistently make saves.

By ensuring that you’ve got these 7 elements covered you’ll be setting yourself up for success:

• Feet a little wider than shoulder width apart
• Knees bent
• Flat, straight back with a slight lean forward
• Hands chest-wide or about 12 in apart
• Arms out and away from the chest
• Relaxed

By covering those 7 elements we are guaranteed to be in an athletic position ready to make saves.

The trick is we need to practice and practice because you shouldn’t have to think of these 7 things to get into a great stance. It should be 100% natural!

Like many other elements of lacrosse goalie play, there are many different stances that goalies will use. But all good stances have these 7 elements in common.

Until next time! Coach Damon

What are your tips for the perfect lacrosse goalie stance? Let me know in the comments. 

Lacrosse Goalie Tips for Eliminating Rebounds

Lacrosse goalie’s have one of the most difficult tasks in sports. Not only do we have to prevent a high velocity shot from entering the goal but we also have to control the rebound and lead the clear so we can get our team back on offense.

Every rebound you give up is another opportunity for the opposing team to score.

Therefore lax goalies must work hard to ensure they’re eliminating rebounds on every save.

In this post I want cover tips that I teach young goalies to help them control rebounds.

Soft Hands Eliminate Rebounds

Not giving up rebounds starts with having “soft hands”.

If a hard shot hits the pocket of your stick and your hands and arms are firm like bricks there’s a good chance that shot is going to pop out for a rebound.

Before I played lacrosse, I played infield in baseball and you’d always hear the concept of soft hands here too so that a grounder wouldn’t hit your glove and pop out.

When you’re learning how to field a grounder as an infielder they talk about staying loose, not tensing up your body and then timing the grounder with your footwork. Same thing applies to saves as a lacrosse goalie if we want to prevent rebounds.

Having “soft hands” in lacrosse starts with a light grip on the stick.

When the ball hits the mesh of your stick, your loose grip will give a little and help reduce rebounds.

Your bottom hand grip can be a little tighter to ensure the stick doesn’t rotate when hit with a shot. However the top hand should be very relaxed.

If your top hand is too tight when the ball contacts the mesh the force could pop it out and create a rebound.

To train your goalie to have soft hands there are a few goalie drills that you can do.

Tennis Balls

The lighter tennis balls are harder to keep in the stick’s mesh during a save. So practice not giving up rebounds in practice with tennis balls.

You’ll really need to ensure your grip is relaxed to not give up a rebound with a tennis ball.

An interesting idea, especially if you’re practicing solo, is to use a tennis ball machine like those found at Tennis Racquet Central to fire shots at you.

Shots With a Shallow Stick 

Later in this post we’ll discuss how your stick’s mesh and pocket depth impact rebounds. The quick summary is a shallow goalie pocket will give up more rebounds.

Read this to determine the ideal goalie pocket depth for your stick.

So to practice not giving up saves, we’ll intentionally use a goalie stick with a shallow pocket during warmups to focus on having soft hands.

Only with soft hands will you be able to eliminate rebounds when using the shallow pocket goalie stick.

But most importantly the hands have to be comfortable. The hands have to be relaxed.

Hot Potato

This goalie drill I learned from the MLL’s Brian Phipps. It’s called “Hot Potato” and is meant to develop soft hands in lacrosse goalies and thereby reduce rebounds.

This is a drill I’ll work into the beginning of practice to get the goalies going.

You simply throw the ball back and forth – catching and releasing as soon as possible – and ensuring that you’re 1.) watching the ball at all times and 2.) receiving the ball with soft hands.

You should not be snatching or stabbing at the ball but rather receive it like an egg, the same way attackman/middies are taught to catch a pass.

Here is a GIF of Mr. Phipps demonstrating the drill with 2 people:

Some variations of the Hot Potato drill:

• Perform it against a wall when you’re alone
• Play in a group of 3-4 so you really have to track the ball (try some no look throws)
• Play “P-I-G” or “H-O-R-S-E” where each player gets a letter if the ball is thrown to them and they drop it or snatch at it.

In each case the goalie is focused on watching the ball into his/her hand and receiving the ball with soft hands.

Work those 3 drills into your practice routine and hopefully you’ll find that you give up fewer and fewer rebounds.

Don’t be a Statue

A goalie’s entire save motion should be fluid.

At no point should we be frozen like a statue. In fact when goalies get frozen at some point in the save motion, rebounds are often the result.

I see this happens frequently on off-stick saves. The goalie will make the save but then stay frozen like a statue at the end of the save movement.

Never be a statue. Always be fluid and finish every save.

That will help you reduce rebounds.

Give the Top Hand a Slight Cradle

When the ball makes contact with our stick we can give the stick an ever so slight cradle.

This will help ensure that the goalie controls the rebound.

This slight cradle is best displayed visually so here is “Doc” Dougherty  explaining the concept:

The Right Stick

A goalie’s stick will have a lot to do with their ability to control rebounds.

Back when I played in college there were fewer options for goalie mesh. When you strung up a goalie stick, you had to spend hours and hours breaking in the mesh.

A goalie stick with mesh that is not properly broken in will be like a tennis racket giving up rebound after rebound.

These days there is goalie mesh like East Coast Dyes Semi-Soft Wax Mesh or Jimalax 12 Diamond Goalie mesh that is much easier to break in thereby reducing rebounds.

However anytime you get a new stick strung up be sure to spend adequate time breaking it in before that stick sees action in the games.

Another element of the stick that effects rebounds is your pocket depth.

A shallow pocket will give up more rebounds. Thus the reason we specifically train with a shallow pocket stick to develop soft hands.

Before you run of and make your pocket as deep as possible know that its much easier to throw outlets with a shallow pocket.

• Deep Pocket: Less rebounds, harder to clear.
• Shallow Pocket: More rebounds, easier to clear.

Therefore I typically recommend a balance with about 2 to 2.5 balls of depth in the pocket.

Trap and Scoop Rebounds

No matter how soft your hands and how great your stick is, there will still be an occasional shot that pops out around the crease.

In this situation its crucial for the goalie to clamp the ball with the back of their stick.

If you clamp outside of the crease, offensive players are legally allowed to attempt to pry the ball loose by dragging their stick under yours.

If this happens defensive players should be salivating as they can body check these pesky attackman and make them wish they never tried that move.

If the goalie has a foot in the crease, no contact may be made with the keeper. Thus always keep a foot in the crease if possible.

I teach my goalies to drag the ball back into the crease if they’re clamped just outside.

With a foot in the crease nobody can contact them so you can use your body to “box out” attackman and ensure your team gets possession of that ball.

Invert the Mesh Before the Shot

One final tip for helping to eliminate rebounds.

Before the shot – invert your mesh. That is push the back of the mesh through the front of the stick.

This won’t drastically reduce rebounds like the other concepts in this post however it’s my belief that it helps.

When the ball hits the inverted mesh there will be more give and a higher probability that the ball stays caught in your mesh like a fishing net.

Conclusion

Learning to control rebounds is an important element of any goalie’s game.

Keep these tips in mind when you’re out on the field and hopefully the number of rebounds you’re giving up will diminish drastically:

• Develop soft hands
• Don’t be a statue
• Give a slight cradle
• Get the right stick
• Clamp and scoop
• Invert your mesh pre-shot

Remember every rebound you give up is another chance for the opposing team to score.

Until next time! Coach Damon

Any goalies or coaches have any additional tips on eliminating rebounds? Leave me a comment down below. 

Cover photo credit – JCCincy

9 Tips for First Time Goalies

NO MATTER HOW GREAT OF A GOALIE YOU ARE NOW, ALL GOALIES START FROM ZERO. IN THIS POST WE COVER TIPS FOR FIRST TIME LACROSSE GOALIES.

Every lacrosse goalie has to start from zero.

Many goalies start out at attack or middie and then make the conversion later in their career as I did. 

I spent an entire collegiate career playing in goal and I’ve now coached goalies for about 15 years.

With all that experience here are 9 tips for lacrosse goalies just getting started. 

Get the Right Goalie Gear

Any goalie stepping into the cage for the first time should be outfitted in proper lacrosse goalie gear.

Feeling protected will give you more confidence and help eliminate the inherit fear that comes with someone firing a 90mph rubber bullet in your direction.

It’s funny how many times I’ve seen attackman, middies, or first time goalies step into goal using bad equipment, like a chest protector from the 80’s that doesn’t even fit them.

Below is a quick breakdown of the equipment a new lax goalie will need.

For a full in depth description on gear checkout: The Lacrosse Goalie Gear Guide.

• Throat Guard – Goalies use the same helmets as others just attach a throat guard.

• Lacrosse Goalie Gloves – You’ll need to upgrade to goalie gloves. The gloves you use to play attack won’t provide the protection you’ll need when facing shots. In addition to stronger padding to protect your hands the goalies gloves are going to have a reinforced thumb to prevent injury.

• Athletic Supporter – I’d also recommend an upgrade to this piece of equipment as getting hit where the sun doesn’t shine is extremely painful. Warrior’s Nutt Hutt will give you the protection you need.

• Chest Protector – Many great options when it comes to chest protectors. Newer models have reinforced heart protection that I recommend to all goalies. 

• Goalie Stick – Saving the last for the most obvious. You’ll need a goalie stick. You can either buy a complete stick or purchase a head, shaft, and a goalie stringing kit and string the goalie head yourself. Since you’re just starting out, the first option will be easier but learning how to string a goalie head is worth the investment in time.

• Shin Guards – An optional piece of equipment but one that will help you feel protected and help you avoid the horrible pain that is taking a ball to the shins.

• Lacrosse Goalie Pants – Another optional piece of equipment but feeling protected will help your confidence. Goalie pants cover up your hips and thighs that are extremely vulnerable to receiving bruises.

Learn the Proper Lacrosse Goalie Stance

When lacrosse goalies ready themselves to make a save, there’s a basic stance that every goalie should get into that will best prepare you to make saves.

This stance puts you in athletic position and is used by all goalies albeit with some subtle differences in style.

Here are the 7 elements of a great lacrosse goalies stance: 

1. Feet a little wider than shoulder width apart

2. Bent Knees

3. Arms out and away from body

4. Proper grip on the stick

5. Straight, flat back with slight bend at the hips

6. Hands well positioned

7. Body Relaxed

You can learn more about the perfect lacrosse goalie stance in that post. 

Part of getting in the right stance is also understanding the lacrosse goalie arc.

I teach 3 different types of arcs but for the beginner I recommend using a normal arc.

Understand the Basics of Making a Save

Sometimes goalie coaches (including myself) over-complicate the position of goalie.

When a 90mph shot is traveling our way we cannot have hundreds of rules floating around in our head.

So let’s simplify things – Lacrosse goalie is this: See the ball and save it.

While maybe that’s a little too simple. It’s what I reiterate to goalie students over and over.

Here’s a little more detail on the basic technique you want to learn.

To make the save we’ll take our top hand (right hand for righties) and drive it towards the ball.

We’ll take our lead foot (left foot if shot is to your left, right foot if shot is to your right) and step to get our body in front of the shot.

Our trail foot and bottom hand then move.

So after you’ve got the right goalie gear and you have a good lacrosse goalie stance, the next step is to take some time to learn the theory behind making saves.

Read this post for an in depth description of a simple way for lacrosse goalies to make saves.

Drills, Drills, Drills

Playing goalie in lacrosse is about training your muscles to make saves.

We want to development the correct muscle memory that automatically fires once we see a shot coming in our direction.

In addition, we also want to develop our reaction time.

The combination of quick reactions and perfect body movement is the key to becoming an All-American goalie.

Here are 33 drills for lax goalies:

This is more than enough drills for a 1st time goalie, or any lacrosse goalie for that matter.

Pick 3-5 drills from the list above and work them into your practice sessions.

Shots, Shots, Shots

If you’re going to learn to swim, at some point you’ve got to get into the pool. Same for goalies. 

Goalies must face shots. That’s what we do. There’s no substitute for live shots.

As you’re taking shots you can put everything you’ve learned into practice.

For beginner goalies you can follow this warmup plan to ensure you’re getting a great mix of shots.

If you don’t have a goalie coach, you can setup an iPhone to record your warmup. After practice watch the video and see which areas of your game need work.

The final tip for new goalies is get as many shots as you can.

Practice makes perfect. Getting time and experience in the cage will help you perfect your save technique and help you gain the confidence needed to become a great lax goalie.

Goalies Need Stick Skills

One thing that goalies who make the switch from middie or attack have in their favor is stick skills.

I generally recommend that goalies not get in net until they can catch and throw properly.

If you look at today’s top goalies in the MLL most of them have the best stick skills on the field. T

his allows them to make great saves and also clear the ball effectively after the save.

So goalies who come from the position of attack have an advantage with their stick skills.

If a first time goalie didn’t know how to throw and catch, I’d recommend they checkout my post on getting stronger stick skills for goalies.

Don’t Get Discouraged

Lacrosse goalie is definitely not an easy position.

At first most new goalies will flinch when someone rips a shot at them. And while its the exact opposite of what we want, it’s completely natural.

It takes time to develop the confidence not to flinch and the quick reactions and perfect save technique required to stop shots.

If you’re a coach, parent, or teammate of a goalie reading this make sure you absolutely “go wild” on every save. Even if the goalie doesn’t move and the shot hits them square in the helmet. 

That encouragement will help them. 

For the goalies, don’t get discouraged if you’re giving up a lot goals at first. That will happen.

Instead focus on having fun. Making a great save is one of the better feelings in the world so rejoice a little bit every time you make a save.

Hopefully your teammates are supporting you and going crazy each time you make a save.

Be sure to do the same when they make great plays and you’ll definitely get the love back.

Remember to have fun and you’ll be surprised how your goalie game will improve. 

Focus on the Basics

The position of goalie can be quite complex.

But one of the things I recommend to new goalies is to focus on the basics.

This is even great advice for experienced goalies who find themselves in a rut.

In other articles, I’ve written about topics like:  –

But for a new goalie, don’t worry about these things.

For now your job is to focus on the basics.

In the next season, you can start to learn other concepts once you’re more comfortable in the crease and understand the basics.

Be Loud and Communicate to the Defense

Part of being a great lacrosse goalie is being an excellent communicator.

With your unique position on the field, you see things that other defenders cannot, as the goalie is the only player on the field constantly facing the ball.

Most 1st time goalie are too quiet which is understandable since they are timid and don’t understand.

But when in goal you should be communicating loudly to defensive teammates. Here the lacrosse goalie terms you should use.

Commit those terms to memory and use them when in practice or game situations.

Being loud and knowledgable about the game will help earn your team’s respect and turn you into the leader of the defense that the goalie should be.

Conclusion

Lacrosse goalies are a strange breed and I’m honored that anyone would consider joining our club.

Even years after I stopped playing lacrosse when I would mention that I was a lax goalie in conversation with another lacrosse player, there was instant respect.

My basic tips for 1st time goalies are:

1. Get the right gear

2. Get the right stance

3. Study the basics of save technique

4. Drills

5. Shots

6. Learn stick skills

7. Don’t get discouraged

8. Focus on the Basics

9. Be Loud and Communicate

Good luck to all beginner goalies!

How to Hold a Lacrosse Stick When Right Handed | Live Healthy

Lacrosse players use their dominant hand to control stick movements, generate shot power and protect the ball as it cradles in the head netting. A right-handed lacrosse players holds the bottom of the stick with his left hand for stability and slides his dominant hand along the stick shaft depending on the current game situation. Learning to hold the lacrosse stick properly is your first step on the path to master the fundamentals of the game.

Ready Position

Place your left hand on the handle directly above the butt end of the stick with your thumb pointing toward the stick head.

Position your right hand one-third of the way up the stick handle, about shoulder-width distance from your left hand. Again, point your thumb toward the stick head.

Grasp the stick with both hands, curling your hand around the handle so it rests on the pads of your fingers.

Press your thumbs against the stick shaft.

Bend your right arm at the elbow.

Hold the stick at eye level with the head facing forward. This pose is known as the ready position and is the proper way to hold the stick when moving without the ball, passing or shooting.

Scoop Position

Slide your right hand up the stick shaft to the throat of the stick when you get close to a ball that is rolling along the ground. The throat of the stick is the portion located a few inches below the head.

Run to the ball, positioning yourself so the ball is next to your right foot.

Bend down, lean forward and rotate your right wrist to invert the stick head like a spoon.

Scoop the ball off of the ground and into the head of your stick.

Switch to the cradling position to protect the ball from defenders, or switch to the ready position to prepare to pass or shoot.

Cradling Positon

Slide your right hand up the shaft to the throat of the stick to protect a ball cradled in the net.

Grasp the stick throat firmly between with your right thumb and right forefinger.

Slide your left hand down the shaft until your hand is loosely grasping the butt end with your palm facing the ground.

Rotate your wrist gently back and forth while keeping your left arm close to your body. The cradling motion keeps the ball in the head while protecting against prodding defenders.

Catching Position

Slide your right hand up the shaft to the throat of the stick. Leave your left hand grasping the handle near the stick butt.

Grasp the stick firmly with both hands, similar to the grip used in the ready position.

Keep your left arm close to your body as the ball approaches.

Guide the stick head into the path of the ball with your right hand.

Pull back slightly with your right wrist to cushion the impact as the ball strikes the netting.

References

Writer Bio

Dan Howard is a sports and fitness aficionado who holds a master’s degree in psychology. Howard’s postgraduate research on the brain and learning has appeared in several academic books and peer-reviewed psychology journals.

Goalie Stick Tips and Tricks For Clearing And Passing

Coach Edwards shares advice with a women’s lacrosse goalie on how she can alter her stick. He describes the trade-offs involved in changing the pocket of the lacrosse stick and critiques the pictures of the goalie’s Eclipse stick to help her change it to suit her clearing and passing needs. Coach Edwards also shares a tip on how goalies can buffer the ball and describes his preferences when it  comes to lacrosse goalie stick brands.

1:03 – Coach Edwards shares his choice lacrosse sticks.
1:30 – Why many female goalies benefit from the Eclipse.
2:00 – The good and the bad about the Nemesis.
2:22 – A critique of a lacrosse goalie’s stick and how to improve it.
3:06 – A small trick that will help goalies buffer the ball.
4:06 – A small sample of what Lacrosse Goalie University has to offer.
4:34 – There are trade-offs when you alter your stick’s pocket.

Introduction

Hey guys, Coach Edwards here with LacrosseGoalieTips.com and LacrosseGoalieUniversity.com, and this week I’ve got a great question from Lauren. It says,

Hey Coach Edwards,

My name is Lauren, and let me just start off by saying I have just found your website today and I have already learned so much, from fixing my stance to finding out how deep a goalie pocket should be. I’m in 10th grade and I’m a goalie, and I’ve only been playing lacrosse for about three years now, so I’m not an expert. I was wondering what kind of mesh and stringing would be the best to use with my stick. I recently got a brand new stick with hard mesh with a really shallow pocket to help me clear, because I’m a smaller person, but sometimes when I make saves in games in practice the ball bounces out. I don’t want to make the pocket deeper because I know that will affect my clearing, so I was hoping you could tell me what to do.

Lauren in Long Island

I’ve gotten a big following in Long Island lately, this is pretty sweet.

Coach Edward’s Choice Lacrosse Sticks

So Lauren from Long Island, I just wanted everybody to know Lauren sent me some photos and I will post them below this video and you’ll see what her stick looks like. There’s a couple of things there. She’s using an STX Eclipse, which I’m a big fan of. I like the Eclipse. I like the Nemesis. Under Armour this year, the World Lacrosse Championships had a really good-looking head, I have not used it.

The Eclipse Is A Great Stick For Women’s Lacrosse Goalies

I’m a fan of the Eclipse, especially for girls. There’s no flare to the sidewalls, they don’t taper in in the back. They go kind of straight back. What ends up happening is that gives a little bit of a wider pocket, so when that pocket is shallow it allows more of a length to the stick so the ball can work its way up the pocket. That helps for a nice, easier clear, especially with a shallower pocket and tighter shooting strings.

The Pros And Cons Of The Nemesis Stick

The Nemesis, because the sidewalls taper in, gives a little bit of a solid pocket. You can string up a Nemesis and pretty much use it right away, it’s got a fantastic pocket, but it is a little deep and you need to be a little bit stronger to be able to use that effectively.

Critique of Lauren’s Lacrosse Stick

You’ll see in Lauren’s photo – I don’t mind the string job here. It’s pretty solid. It’s pretty crafty with those extra sidewall lacings, which I don’t mind, but it is quite shallow, Lauren. So what I’m going to tell you is I know you don’t want to give up clearing ability, but that pocket is so shallow that I think that you can probably move that bottom string at the throat at least two diamonds, maybe even three diamonds down. You’re going to have to do some adjusting with the shooting strings and with your sidewall lacing so that you can still have the same type of release but you’re going to have more pocket in the stick.

Tricks To Buffer The Ball

The other little trick to do is – this is just something small, a little bit of an advanced trick, but instead of getting in the cage and having your stick like this and having your pocket already basically back and set, what you do is you punch the pocket forward so that the pocket is reversed. This gives just a tiny amount of buffer, of cushioning, when the ball hits the stick, just tiny. It’s just a little tiny trick, it’s not a big deal.

When your mesh is super stiff, when it’s like this and it’s hardened like a teaspoon, when you punch it this way it needs to take a fair amount of pressure in order for it to get back so you can then cradle that stick and throw the ball. Just a little tip. You could do that and it will help giving up on some of those rebounds.

Lacrosse Goalie University

Your stick is way shallow. You can get by with loosening that up pretty well. I’ve lost my ball stop in this one. For my Lacrosse Goalie University members, I’ve gone into much further detail into this inside of Lacrosse Goalie University. So if you want to check that out I go into a lot more detail that I can’t really go into here in these short little clips.

The Trade-Offs Of Altering Your Pocket

Lauren, this is a great question, and you’re smart to realize that because you’re smaller, and probably sometimes a little weaker, you need that shallow pocket to get that long pass. But you are compromising, it is a trade off. Rebound control versus passing distance. You’ve just got to decide, are you giving up too many rebounds or are you getting your stick on the ball but you’re making up rebounds, which are really frustrating? Then lessen up that pocket.

When you go to make a pass, are you getting that ball out there? Again, it’s a trade-off. There are also some technique issues that you can work on in terms of making that pass and getting those hands up away from you. Again, for Lacrosse Goalie University members, I’ve done a lot of that. I’ve talked a lot about that inside of Lacrosse Goalie University, so you can check that out there.

Conclusion

Lauren, good for you. We’re into December now. The season is right around the corner and you’re going to want to get that stick in gear. It’s just a great question. If you’ve got a question about your stick or anything lacrosse goalie related, I’m your guy. I’m [email protected].

Do me a favor, leave me a comment below. Don’t be shy. I’m surprised – I get e-mails all the time but nobody leaves me comments.

Leave me comments below so we can keep this going. It gives the blog Google juice. I love it. Then Facebook, tweet it, send it off to people you love and trust, and I’ll be happy to answer your question in a future episode. I’m Coach Edwards at LacrosseGoalieTips.com and LacrosseGoalieUinversity.com, and I’ll talk to you real soon. Cheers.

Comments

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Setting the Goalie Stance | Inside Lacrosse

One of the MLL’s longest-standing keepers, Mike Gabel was an original member of the Chicago Machine and spent 2011 with the Rochester Rattlers. The co-founder of True Lacrosse, a camp and club team company aimed at expanding lacrosse in the Midwest and beyond, Gabel talks about a goalie’s stance as the most important building block of his game

01: The Basics

A) Lower Body

Your stance starts from the ground and works its way up. Start with your feet positioned, balanced slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. As a goalie, be in attack mode, ready to move to a ball thrown at any position on the goal. Coaches often tell players to bend their knees and keep their weight on the balls of their feet; it’s not that simple. Don’t just have your knees in front of your body, because this only transfers your weight to the front of your feet — keep your chest leaning back, creating a passive posture. Keep your knees slightly bent and your hips pushed back so your upper body moves forward in your stance, propelling you into attack mode.

B) Upper Body

It’s important to realize that much of your body weight is between your hips and shoulders; if you lean too far forward, it can drastically affect how you attack the ball and can lead to poor habits. When evaluating your stance, you want your upper-body weight somewhat forward so you’re ready to move toward the shot.

02: Hand Positioning

A) Hands on Your Stick

Your hand and arm placement can either reward your efforts with a save or have you fighting against your body and equipment to get to the ball. Some new goalies hold their sticks in ways that don’t complement the effort they’re putting into their stances. You want to get to the ball as fast as you can and control it after your stick makes contact. One of the primary functions of your stick is saving the ball, so your top hand should be as close to the throat of the head as possible while gripping the stick in your fingers, away from the center of your palm.

A lot of goalies keep their bottom hands just below their top hands, allowing them a lot of speed but little control over their sticks. Others keep their bottom hands far from their top hands, limiting speed and range of motion but allowing for control if they get to the ball. Balance is usually the answer. Separate your hands relative to your body type and arm length. There are two helpful ways to determine a good distance: keep your hands waist-length apart, or leave your top hand at the throat and hold the shaft against your forearm, placing your bottom hand at your elbow. Put a piece of tape there to create the muscle memory until it comes naturally.

B) Hands in Your Stance

Most goalies start off keeping their hands and elbows in close to their bodies — focus on keeping your hands out, away from your chest. Make saves in front of your body, not in tight like you’ve got alligator arms. The goal is ensuring a free range of motion that will help you not only eliminate wasted movement but also prevent issues like getting your stick caught in your equipment or jersey.

03: Stick Positioning

A) Keep the plane of your stick flat

It’s important to understand that any time you start tilting your stick, it immediately looks smaller to the shooter. Goalies should present their sticks out in front, as big as possible to pose an obstacle to shooters. I have a saying when coaching: “don’t break the glass,” meaning “imagine there’s a thin vertical piece of glass in front of you — don’t tilt your stick forward or backward enough to break the glass.”

B) Keep your hands up

How tall you are should determine your stick placement, but ideally you’ll want the lip of your stick parallel with the crossbar. If you’re a younger or shorter goalie, don’t jeopardize your stance to reach the crossbar — keep your top hand up about as high as your eyes.

Should You Weight Your Lacrosse Goalie Stick To Get Faster?

Should You Weight Your Lacrosse Goalie Stick To Get Faster?

It seems like it should work.  I mean, if you move something heavier than what you’re currently using it should make you faster, right?

Not necessarily.

Not to start out and be offensive, but this level of thinking is the lowest on the scale of creative training ideas.

I don’t mean to be rude, but…it’s not the way to go.

Now I know, I know…there will be some goalies who had a coach who made them play with a stick that was heavy and then they picked up their stick and it “felt” lighter.  The idea that the stick now felt lighter was cool and intriguing.  I mean, who wouldn’t want to play in the cage with a stick that felt lighter, right?

Well, the sensation “trick” here does not actually correlate to moving your stick any faster.

While there isn’t any research for lacrosse goalies specifically, there is a fantastic study that debunked one of the longest held traditions in sport…swinging a weighted bat in the on-deck circle at a baseball game.

The study that was done back in 2009 at Cal State Fullerton proved that swinging a weighted bat made a baseball player’s actual swing with a normal bat slower.

What made a batter improve their swing speed was actually swinging a lighter bat and not a heavier one.

In a similar vein, years ago I read about how Communist East German athletes used weighted and unweighted discus, shot put, and javelin to improve throwing distance without ruining technique.  (They also used a healthy amount of performance-enhancing drugs but I doubt your young goalie will be doping any time soon.)

The idea of loading up a lacrosse goalie stick with BB’s, or sand, or marbles, or adding string weights to the head is just incorrect thinking.

Why?

When coaches or parents (or goalies) miss a save people think, naturally, “If only they could move their stick faster they would make more saves.”

This is akin to the, “I want faster hands” argument.

And while wanting faster hands is a good idea, it’s not actually what we really need.

When we move a goalie stick to the ball we are applying force from the ground through our body up into our shoulders and arms which move the stick.  Making the save then isn’t just about having fast hands it’s about generating force through every joint in the body.  

I’m sure if I asked your goalie to clap their hands quickly they could do it.  That would be “fast hands” technically.

Words matter and that’s why I absolutely cringe when a parent or coach tells me their number one concern for their goalie is developing “faster hands.”

When we think about making a save we need to 1) see the ball, 2) know where it’s going, and then 3) move, efficiently, in front of that ball.

For the purpose of this discussion, we’re just talking about getting the head of the stick in front of the ball.  I am not talking about making a save with another part of the body.

With that in mind, how then do we make a lacrosse goalie move their stick faster?  Well, consider the following:

For a lot of young goalies, a lacrosse goalie stick is really heavy.

It’s big and hard to cradle with.  If it’s a team stick it may have a cheap but heavy aluminum shaft in it which makes it even more cumbersome.  Small hands in thick gloves also make managing that stick a bit of an issue.

Couple that with the fact that a lacrosse goalie is still learning how to see the ball and then know where it’s going and you have the recipe for a very sluggish move in front of the ball..  (Very long sentence, sorry.)

There is a level of patience we need for young/new lacrosse goalies.  It is totally normal to want to kick Mother Nature in the butt and expedite the process but weighting the stick and then making it lighter is NOT the answer.

Getting your goalie into the gym is.

If your goalie is serious about playing the game at a high level they need to have some sort of Strength and Conditioning program they are following.  Getting to the gym two to six days a week is perfectly normal for an athlete who is serious about their sport and that can start as young as twelve years old.

This last year I turned three goalies away from my Lacrosse Goalie University program because what they needed was not more lacrosse, it was focusing on getting themselves stronger physically.

The third “key” to making any save is moving in front of the ball and that “moving” is all about a goalie’s physical ability.

I like to say that your goalie is an athlete who plays the lacrosse goalie position.  You don’t become athletic by playing goalie but you can become a better goalie by becoming a better athlete and that usually happens off-the-field and out of the crease. 

A common mistake that is made by many coaches and parents of lacrosse goalies is to try and do too much at the same time.  Here are a couple of examples.

Using a weighted stick while making saves:

There is some benefit to “loading” a goalie’s movement so they can feel where their weaknesses are but it is NOT correct to try to add weight to something that requires technique.  For example, if you attach a bungee cord or a cable to the head of a goalie’s stick and you have that cable pulling from the correct angle, a goalie may feel that they are weak in their ankle or their hip.  Or through their chest.  Or even their wrist.  This extra load can be a cue similar to overexaggerating a technique but it’s not to be used as a way to strengthen.  Baseball pitchers will “load” the end range of motion when throwing but they will do that in the gym, and not with a weighted ball.

Doing Agility Drills (i.e. Ladder Drills) while in their goalie stance:

I see this a lot.  Let’s take a goalie, put them in their stance, and THEN have them do a ladder drill.  Where their head is down and, overall, the whole thing looks like crap.  When you cook a steak and mashed potatoes, you don’t throw the steak and the potatoes in the pot of boiling water?  Or throw everything on the grill.  All at the same time.  No.  The steak goes on the grill for the appropriate amount of time and the potatoes go in the water early.  Each in the proper place.  If you’re going to work agility with your goalie…work agility.  If you are going to work on movement…work on movement. If you try to do it all you’re going to have a crappy outcome for all of it.

Many parents are just happy that their goalie is hot and sweaty after a session. That is actually their benchmark.  I’ve asked parents in the past, “How did you like the goalie clinic your goalie went to?” and I will get an answer like, “Oh it was great! He slept the whole way home!” or, “She was sore for days after that camp it was so great.”  To these answers, I say…up your standards.  But you can only up your standards if you know better.  You must know what you’re looking to improve in your goalie.  If you don’t, people will be happy to keep taking your money.

Now, I’m the first coach to tell you that your goalie does NOT need more/expensive/better equipment to play better.  I say that because I don’t want young goalies using it as an excuse.  Many athletes will cause a subconscious “waiting” by thinking, “Well, I’d be better if I had better equipment.”  That’s typically not true.

That being said, IF your goalie is using a club stick that is old and heavy and has a crappy pocket in it, they will probably benefit by having a lighter stick with a better pocket.  Just saying.

There are any number of heads that can be used.  Personally, I recommend the STX Eclipse or the Nemesis.  I’m also a fan of the String King Mark 2 as of this writing.

There are a lot of great mesh options out there as well and we have a rather robust thread in our private Facebook Group that is evolving every season that keeps this updated.

Finally, I have always recommended Titanium shafts or something similar.  I used to say that they cost a lot but they will probably last your goalie for as long as they are playing.  There are always new shafts coming on the market but remember these concepts:

1. The shaft is probably the most mundane piece of equipment and it in NO way will improve your goalie’s ability to move in front of the ball.  Anyone who makes a claim that the shaft they are selling you will improve your goalies save percentage is lying.  Buy strong.  Buy cheap.  End of story.
2. Avoid carbon which can break very easily.  All it takes is one slash and the shaft is compromised.  As I said before, going with a Titanium or an alloy that is similar will last you forever.  I like Savage X shafts. (Not an affiliate link)

As for titanium…Savage X makes a titanium alloy and not pure titanium.  The cost is ridiculously cheap with Savage so I would recommend you start there for $40 USD.  But if you can find a Titanium shaft, and you’re not allergic to the price…buy that.

I tell my goalies, a lot, you don’t need more wall ball, you need to learn how to cradle and dodge.  

The reason is that we need to improve our goalie’s strength in their fingers and their hands, into the forearms, and up through the shoulder.

If your goalie is making passes with their top hand locked to their shoulder and their bottom hand pointed out like a big lever…they need strength in their shoulders.

I have seen kids work hours and hours and hours on Wall Ball only to see that they cradle like they have an egg in a teaspoon and they have no strength in their upper body.  This is NOT good.

A goalie who spends 5-10 minutes a day cradling and faking.  Dodging and picking up ground balls with authority, will be more confident on the field.  They will be comfortable out of the cage and on the clear.  They will make more stops.

Why?  Because they will be using less mental bandwidth because they aren’t worried about dropping a ball or having to run around someone.

Work on this at the END of practice, or in a separate practice altogether.  No need to fatigue them before they get in the cage for practice.

Male or female, it doesn’t matter.  If your goalie has small hands then they should be using a junior shaft.  Go to your local lacrosse store and order a junior shaft with a sleeve that fits into the head.

If you are working with a young goalie there is no reason you can’t use a mini-stick.  Just get a decent pocket in it so it throws well.  I warn you, this can be a challenge, but the use of the small stick makes a lot of sense for a new goalie who is young and small and all that.

Your lacrosse goalie needs to get stronger from the ground up and this doesn’t happen by weighting their stick.  Weighting the stick can actually slow a goalie down not to mention that the loading of the stick causes a fundamental change in the movement for the goalie.  It’s just not necessary.

Encourage your goalie to be patient.  To adopt a strength and conditioning program.  If it’s needed, investing in better equipment can help so keep that in mind.  Finally, encourage your goalie to spend 5-10 minutes per day just working on cradling and dodging.  Their confidence with the ball in their stick will help them in, and out of the cage.  Let me know how it goes.

90,000 Goalkeeper sticks 2020 best TOP9

1. Bauer Vapor 2X Pro goalkeeper stick

Overview

The new Bauer Vapor 2X Pro introduces a composite golf club that delivers exceptional shock absorption. The stick has an asymmetrical design with a foam hook that contains lightweight fibrous material on both sides to withstand the most challenging throws. The fold is quite strong with carbon weave reinforcement, yet lightweight with a flat blocking surface.This provides better rebound control and superior balance in your hand.

The stick has a comfortable, smooth finish that is designed to stop and control the puck. The stick is fitted with sticky grips for better grip. It is also designed so that you can easily slide your hand up and down as you play.

The

Bauer Vapor 2X Pro Goalkeeper Stick is ideal for intermediate to advanced players and is available in multiple colors and sizes. The stick is in the mid to high price range as it is one of the best goalkeeper sticks in the world.

2. CCM Extreme Flex E4.9 Goalkeeper Stick

Overview

This new CCM goalkeeper stick is manufactured with an all-polyurethane graphite hook for superior puck control and possession. It is great for channeling bounces into corners as well as passing to teammates. The blade has a polyurethane core that is reinforced with fiberglass for added strength and durability. The blade is designed to minimize vibration from heavy throws by helping control rebounds and cornering.

The handle is made of lightweight aspen wood with a core with graphite and fiberglass for durability and is manufactured with straight walls and rounded corners. This model is available in several different colors and a range of sizes with a 26 ” golf club weighing 854 grams. The handle is reinforced with graphite laminate for secure and reliable play.

The CCM Extreme Flex E4.9 Goalkeeper Stick is designed for the mid-level player and ranges from low to mid-range prices, although it is a well-designed stick.

3. Sherwood Rekker M70 – goalkeeper stick

Overview

This 2019 Sherwood Goalkeeper Stick offers hockey players a unique balance and is engineered for maximum performance and durability. The stick and curl are made of carbon fiber composite for optimal responsiveness and comfort when stopping pucks or playing with defenders. The handle is made with anti-vibration technology with added foam to withstand the most severe shots and impacts.The handle is also made from a lightweight composite material that allows you to stop quickly and easily grip the

washer

The hook has a rounded heel for better puck control, and the handle has a glossy finish for quick, precise puck grip. The club comes in 26-inch sizes and weighs 845 grams. The stick is made to handle all the action during the game without slackening.

This is the ideal goalkeeper stick for beginners and outdoor enthusiasts, as it is strong and flexible enough to take powerful shots without vibration.The Sherwood Rekker M70 Senior Goalie Stick is a great durable composite model that comes in a lower price range.

4. Warrior Ritual V1 Pro goalkeeper stick

Overview

This 2019 goalkeeper model is from Warrior and is set to quickly become one of the brand’s most popular sticks. This is a lightweight model with a slip and grip zone. The woven design and premium carbon material of the Minimus make it one of the strongest and most durable goalkeeper sticks on the market, while providing optimal balance and comfort.The handle is designed to take gears and absorb shock vibrations and provide superior rebound control. The blade comes with a fiber backing for extra strength and is designed for high speed and tough throws.

Stick stiff but flexible where needed, the shaft is impregnated with anti-vibration materials to prevent your hands from hurting when the hook stops the puck. The flexible part of the club is located above the blade, in the handle for easy throwing of the puck out of the zone through the glass.The handle technology is a matte finish, which, in combination with the ribbed texture on the shaft, provides maximum grip and glide in the hand

Warrior Ritual V1 Pro is aimed at elite level players and is sold at a higher price. It is available in a variety of styles and sizes and is one of the most advanced composite golf clubs you can find.

5. True A4.5 HT goalkeeper stick

Overview

This True goalkeeper stick is one of the most popular models on the market due to its light weight as the 26-inch model weighs only 770 grams.However, it is one of the strongest golf clubs despite its weight, as both the blade and the hook are designed to withstand the strongest throws. True uses its efficient BRT + technology along the full length of the club, scream and heel, resulting in a lightweight yet very durable golf club.

The stick and hook have a viscoelastic layer to absorb impacts and provide excellent control of puck rebound and acceptance. The bottom of the stick is lighter with balance towards the handle for comfort and superior control for goalkeepers who love puck possession.The hook has a foam core for even more durability and is very reliable in tough conditions.

The True A4.5 HT stick is the perfect choice for mid-level goalkeepers looking for a durable, lightweight stick at an affordable price. The club can be purchased at a low to mid price range.

6. Stick Sherwood Rekker M90 for goalkeepers

Overview

This Sherwood Rekker stick is designed for higher level goalkeepers, so this model can be found in a higher price range.It is a durable, lightweight 26-inch composite stick weighing only 694 grams. The stick is made from Blackline carbon fiber, which is made with a special weaving method that keeps it lightweight and durable. Key breakage points have a reinforced graphite material that can withstand the toughest impacts without fear of club breakage.

The stick is also designed for superior puck bounce control, as well as full puck control when passing a pass to a teammate or clearing a dime.The vibration dampening design is also very effective for control and comfort, which is achieved by injecting foam into the grip, nib and handle. The stick has straight sides, rounded corners and an attractive glossy finish.

The

Sherwood Rekker M90 is another 2019 model, one of the lightest you can find. It is made using high-tech composite materials with added foam and offers a good value for money.

7.CCM Premier 2.5 Goalkeeper Stick

Overview

This inexpensive CCM goalkeeper stick is designed for beginners and hockey enthusiasts. The stick is designed for goalkeepers who want a stick with high levels of durability, puck possession and control, and is made of tough composites and fiberglass in the shaft and hook while maintaining a light weight. The shaft is also reinforced so that there are no weak points when repelling the most difficult throws.

The stick has an effective sticky grip surface that ensures it won’t fly out if you don’t want it to, for example when deflecting a powerful throw.The finish is an attractive blend of gloss and matte gloss, and the hook features a polycarbonate insert that helps control bounce and throw the puck into corners. The stick is available in several sizes, a 26-inch model weighing 825 grams.

The CCM Premier 2.5 stick is popular with mid-range players for its low cost and high reliability. This is a durable model that provides fantastic control and puck feel and is a bargain.

8. Bauer Vapor X2.9 goalkeeper stick

Overview

The

Bauer Vapor X2.9 Goalie Stick is a 2019 model that delivers great balance and durability no matter how many shots you hit in the game. The hook is equipped with a foam core that provides durability and a superior puck feel when deflecting or wielding. The stick is designed to reduce vibration at high throwing forces so your hands feel comfortable and not hurt.

This model has an arched part, which means that the blocking surface of the putter is flat and the back part is rounded. This helps you have better control over your rebound and maintain the greatest possible club balance. The stick is made with a durable carbon composite outer wrap, without adding any weight to the handle. The handle above the lug provides optimal control and work with the Griptac, has a smooth surface.

The Bauer Vapor X2.9 Goalie Stick is in the mid-range for goalkeepers of all skill levels.It is available in a variety of sizes and is a 26-inch model with a weight of only 773 grams. This stick offers a ton of possibilities and should quickly become one of Bauer’s bestsellers.

9. Warrior Ritual V1 Pro SE goalkeeper stick

Overview

The Warrior Ritual V1 Pro SE goalkeeper stick is one of the most durable on the market, as the stick, shaft and handle are made from lightweight Minimus carbon 1000 material. The shaft also features Warrior VibexLite technology to help dampen vibration during the toughest shots, and HiFused construction provides excellent balance.

The stick has a TwinSpar construction for a better feel for the puck when shooting, while the hook has the necessary stiffness. Because the stick is made of the same material, it provides goalkeepers with the strength they are looking for by eliminating any possible weak points.

This is the ideal goalkeeper stick for those who like to control the puck thanks to the sliding grip and matte finish on the blades. This model has a ribbed surface and is very easy to move in your hand, while the upper part of the putter has a sticky part to guarantee maximum control of the putter at all times.In addition, the impact fiber layer is designed to strongly deflect the washers at the bend of the club.

This luxury composite stick from Warrior comes in three colors with different shaft patterns and lengths. It is the ideal stick for serious and elite goalkeepers, and offers great performance and quality in a price range.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trim the goalkeeper’s stick?

We do not recommend sawing your golf club if you think it is too long for you because it will degrade balance.

Do goalkeeper sticks need to be bent?

Curved sticks are not popular with goalkeepers. Goalkeepers generally use regular sticks, which have a straighter hook that allows them to stop high-strength throws.

What is a right-handed goalkeeper stick?

Right-handed goalkeeper sticks are used by goalkeepers who catch with their right hand and hold it with their left hand, while goalkeepers using regular hockey sticks catch with their left hand and hold it with their right hand.

How to make a goalkeeper stick knob

Today we will talk about how to make a head for a goalkeeper’s stick.
There are many different ways to do this, everyone has their own preferences, so it’s not better to figure it out on your own and find out which method is best for you.
So, the wrapping of the goalkeeper’s stick begins with the knob.
Most goalkeepers prefer it to be quite large.
There are several good reasons for this: first, and most importantly, the stick will not get stuck in the net.Secondly, goalkeepers usually poke the puck during play. That is, they have to slide their hands up the handle, and the large knob makes it easier to grip the stick, because the goalkeeper’s pancake is quite massive, it complicates everything, and the large knob helps to cope in such a situation. And thirdly, if the goalkeeper dropped the stick, then because of the size of the pancake it will not be easy to lift it – here the large knob will come in handy again, thanks to it it will be much easier to raise the stick.
The second thing about wrapping a goalkeeper’s stick is to wrap around the handle to provide a firm grip.
How long the handle winding will be is up to you.
Some players prefer longer wrapping, others prefer to wrap strictly under the grip.
In general, this is really a matter of taste.
Personally, it seems to me that this is enough.
Some people say that cloth ribbons are enough, they are already satisfied with everything.
But personally, I prefer the grip to be more powerful, so I also use our professional grip tape.
Thin sticky grip tape provides increased grip on the grip.
One coat is sufficient.
Our professional grip tape belongs to the class of self-adhesive tapes, so, in fact, there is no sticky layer on it.
So, first, a little cloth tape is wound so that the grip tape does not slip, bunch up and break.
This is how the head of a goalkeeper’s stick is made.

90,000 How to lose the semifinals of the World Hockey Championship for Russia :: Hockey :: RBC Sport

Bad advice on how the Russian national team should not play with the Finns in the semifinals of the home world ice hockey championship

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Photo: Al Charest / Zumapress / Global Look Press

Play them as usual at home

In the history of games between Russians and Finns, a lot depends on the preferences of the researcher – what years and periods he will remember.For the new match, Suomi fans can easily collect material on a rather offensive poster “Fear Us”, which will indicate the results of the semi-finals of the 2006 Olympics (4: 0, Finns), the 2007 World Cup (2: 1, OT) and the 2011 World Cup (3: 0), and decorate it with a postcard from Sochi-2014 (3: 1). Ours fend off with a banner “What else?” and will remind you of the 1996 World Cup (5: 0 in our favor), the Nagano Olympics (7: 4 and five Bure goals), the 2012 World Cup (6: 2) and the 2014 World Cup (5: 2).

By and large, there is, of course, approximately a combat draw, but here’s the thing.In two tournaments held in Russia, it was the Finns who knocked out the home team (these are the 2007 World Cup and 2014 Olympic Games). They would have been knocked out with the 2000 World Cup, but there the team of Alexander Yakushev effectively withdrew. Moreover, all three times the winners were in medals.

Leave Mikael Granlund outside the gate

Mikael Granlund came to the 2011 World Cup in Slovakia in about the same status as Patrick Laine is now – only Granlund was a year older and no longer thought about the draft.But, like any rising big star, miracles were expected from him. And they waited in the semifinals with Russia. For this episode, you can scold the defenders Kalinin and Kulikov, from whom Granlund left somehow suspiciously easily, but the speed with which he performed his lacrosse move is still impressive. Usually such tricks are performed longer, after two or three seconds of reflection. Immediately you will not say that he was left right outside the gate. He burst in there – and flew behind Barulin’s back like a meteor.

Make a hero out of a Finnish goalkeeper

The main feature of the most resounding defeats from the Finns is that we can have a goalkeeper team of any strength (even the best in the world), but the opponent’s goalkeeper becomes the hero.In 2014 in Sochi hot Finnish guy Tuuka Rask saved 37 shots on his goal. In 2007, in Moscow, Kari Lehtonen – 29 out of 30. And a year earlier, the classic story happened.

In the semi-finals of Turin-2006, a hero whose name is easier to copy-paste than to print from his head, Antero Niittyumaki coped with only 21 throws: Ovechkin and Kovalev threw three times, Kovalchuk four times. The Finns won 4: 0 and this breadwinner Niittyumaki was enough to climb to his career peak, become the best goalkeeper of the tournament (with Lundqvist alive) and get into the symbolic team.

In general, instead of a hero, you need to make a laughing stock out of him – we can do that too.

Bring the matter to overtime

Case from the series “How to lose if you have an advantage and are firmly convinced of victory.” It’s quite simple – you need to bring the match to a state where everything will be decided by one mistake. In 2007, the Russian national team was more talented (Ovechkin, Malkin, and Radulov played, all 20-21), angrier and brighter than the Finns – a couple of goals scored in regulation time were not enough.The country’s sports bars have survived to overtime with the confidence that now we will definitely squeeze them out. But alas. A dangerous lumbago went on a penny, Mikko Koivu wiped out the defender’s body, knocked out the stick of Alexander Eremenko and rolled the puck into the empty ones.

Give free ice to Patrick Laine

Now it’s hard enough to underestimate the threat posed by Laine, because people don’t sing about him at the championship except from irons. The race with Matthews for the first pick in the draft, Patrick generally turns out what he needs: Auston lagged behind in the group stage, but almost single-handedly pulled the team to the semifinals, which was not expected of him.That is, the Finn still needs to improve.

Another thing is that in winter, at MFM , the coaching staff of the Russian national team also heard a lot about his troika with Aho and Pulyujarvi – they still did not really work to neutralize them. In general, this is a big task for all teams in the tournament, and the Russians are no exception. True, he is like Ovechkin: you just have to let him aim, like – boom! – and take it out.

Continue not to implement most

Now the Russians are in an interesting seventh place for the majority in the tournament (even the Germans are higher).And we scored the last time against the Danes – not a single realization in the last four games. Moreover, there are chances (there are several draws in each game) and, more importantly, hands. It is definitely impossible to complain about the number and level of the performers of the Russian national team.

The coaching staff rejects everything, they say, only throws are missing. But if you think about it, throws are the most important thing. It’s just that while all our throwing masters endlessly improve for each other the position to throw on the most empty goal (as if Mozyakin cannot hit the others).”Keep up the good work guys!” – perhaps the most harmful advice for our team.

Photo: Global Look Press / Al Charest / ZUMAPRESS .com; Gettyimages.ru/Brian Bahr; Global Look Press / Alexander Kulebyakin

Author

Nikita Petukhov

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