How to Be a Better Ice Hockey Goalie

On-ice practice

• 1

  Work on angles. Begin at the top of your crease and skate out three or four feet, stop, and skate backwards to the crease. Try to maintain the same line out of the crease as you do skating back into it. Repeat this drill, but change your starting position to skate at an angle, using the blue line on the boards as a guide. As you return to the crease, stop and turn completely around. Did your return trip to the crease cover the angles on both your stick and glove side? Repeat this drill, but stop at the halfway point on your backwards skate to the crease, turn around, and determine which side you are "floating" to.

• 2

  Practice leg quickness. This can be done in or out of the net. Drop down into the butterfly position and return to the standing position as quick as you can. Choose a set number of times to repeat this in quick succession.

• 3

  Take part in skating drills. The tendency to think that hockey goalies do not need to practice skating is wrong. Goalies need to be quick on their feet as well as strong skaters. If it does not interfere with your goalie coach's practice plans, take part in skating drills with the rest of the team.

• 4

  Practice stick handling. In recent years, goalies have become a "third defensive player," actively engaging in head-manning passes to other players. Use your goal-tending partner (or another player if you are the only goalie on the team) and simply pass the puck back and forth for a few minutes each practice. Remember to work on both forehand and backhand passes. Since stopping the puck as it comes behind the net has become common for goalies, have a player or coach stand at the blue line and shoot pucks in around the boards. Then practice coming out of your crease to get behind the net and stop them. This is also good practice for skating.

• 5

  Develop a set routine for pre-game warm ups. This can be any number of shooting positions you choose, but the point is to allow you to "get a feel" for the puck before the game begins. Remember, as a goalie, you are not simply there for the players to shoot at before a game. Talk to your coach and let him or her know that you need to prepare both physically and mentally for the game.

• 6

  Learn your team's plays and overall system. Goalies can act as a "quarterback" for a team as it breaks out of the zone, and while the opposing team is occupying your defensive zone. As a goalie, you need to learn to read and understand how the play is developing, react to changes in player's positions, and communicate with your teammates.

Off-ice practice

• 7

  Condition yourself to play 60 minutes of hockey by exercising aerobically (jogging, cycling, etc) regularly. Unless you are relieved of your duties early, you will be the only player on your team who plays all three periods (or more) of the game. Even if you do not see a shot for ten minutes, you will still be crouched down and moving around when the play is in your end. For those games where the opponent outmatches your team, you may see shot after shot, which can get very tiring very quickly. Being in top aerobic condition will allow you to be more effective, as you will be able to play at a high level for longer without tiring.

• 8

  Practice hand-to-eye coordination by learning to juggle. Juggling is not particularly easy, but learning to juggle can greatly improve how fast your brain can communicate signals to your hands, improving speed and coordination.

• 9

  Practice speed and reflexes by having a partner throw tennis balls against a wall, so that it rebounds towards you. Find a wall that you can safely throw a tennis ball against. Stand about 10 feet from the wall, and face towards it. Instruct your partner to stand about 10 feet behind you and throw the ball against the wall, and attempt to catch it as it rebounds. This drill can be done with or without your catching glove. Once you get good at catching a rebounding tennis ball, switch to a racquetball, as they rebound off of a wall much faster than a tennis ball.

• 10

  Improve your flexibility by stretching daily. Work on stretching out your legs, trying over time to reach the full splits. Work on arm flexibility as well. Stretch your arms behind your back and behind your head.

• 11

  Practice being calm in everyday life. As mentioned above, goalie is a difficult position to play, and you are going to allow goals in nearly every game you play. It is important to maintain composure off the ice, and transfer that to your on-ice play. Wait until the game is over to analyze what you did wrong, and work on it during the next practice. Once the red light goes on behind you, shake it off, get your head back in the game, and continue to play.