How to Be a Better Hockey Goalie

Some of the greatest goalies in hockey history didn't start out that way. Georges Vezina, for whom the sports' highest honor is named, didn't learn to skate until his late teens. Vladisav Tretiak only played goalie because he wanted a jersey for his Russian youth league team, and he couldn't make the squad as a forward. Here are some tips that they, and many others, have used to become better goalies.

Things You'll Need

  • Proper equipment
  • Pucks
  • Shooter(s)
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Instructions

  1. Building Skills

    • 1

      Choose your style and stick to it. The butterfly style (pads on the ground) is the most common, but many still use a standing style while others use a mix of both. No matter which style a goalie chooses, he or she needs to be comfortable playing it. For example, someone with bad knees should stay clear of the butterfly.

    • 2

      Practice shuffling, which is moving back and forth in the goal crease using just one leg at a time and dragging the other foot into place. The catch is not to lose one's balance while doing this. One tip is to scrape up the area in front of the goal so your skates can get a better hold.

    • 3

      Work on positioning. The majority of hockey saves are stopped simply by goalies taking the correct angles and getting their body in front of the shot. Do this by keeping your back square to the net as much as possible. Avoid turning too much in the crease. A drill on this is called facing a shooting wall, which is where shooters line up at various spots on the ice and shoot the puck at the goalie. The goalie must work at facing each shooter squarely before he or she shoots.

    • 4

      Practice your glove work, which may be the toughest part of the goalie's game. A good off-rink activity is to have someone throw a puck at you and practice catching it. This builds hand-eye coordination. At the rink, do a drill where you are required to stop numerous shots using only your glove.

    • 5

      Develop the right mind frame, which isn't always easy. A goalie is under a lot of pressure throughout the game, and it often takes a quick mind to make decisions as well as a bit of fearlessness. It helps if you have a goalie coach who can talk you through the tough parts of the game.

    • 6

      Study what you do as well as what other goalies do. Watch video of your play to look for ways to correct your game, such as taking better stances adn seeing what kinds of play you fail at and what you do well with. Also study other goalies to see how they handle situations such as clearing the zone and handling rebounds.