Jump to content

Glove Side Wrap Arounds/Slam Dunks


seagoal

Recommended Posts

I wanted to start this discussion because I am looking to improve on my glove side down low, on wrap around type plays or backdoor slam dunk type plays or even close-in low shots to my feet.

I think I am very good on my blocker side on these types of plays but need to improve on the glove side.  I do have a bit of asymmetry in my hip/leg flexibility and I a much better/stronger/more flexible on my dominant side, my right, blocker side.  So, that is coming into play here for me, personally. 

Do you guys find yourselves leading with your feet after dropping down on your glove side knee first, or, are you leading with your stick after you cross it over from your blocker side to your glove side across your midpoint?

I am thinking of a classic wrap around on my blocker side.  My sequence is 1) drop my blocker arm and shoulder first 2) almost simultaneously but a bit behind that drop my right knee and begin my push with my left, glove side foot 3) make sure the knob of my stick is outside the post...I always hear the "clank" 4) get my skate to the post on longer plays or get my boot/shin to the past on closer plays.

I'm very good at this sequence and have a lot of confidence.  The sequence is very similar for backdoor slam dunks or close-in shots to me right foot.

I struggle with the comparable sequence on my left, glove side.  I let in some soft goals on shots to my left foot and wrap around /  slam dunk type plays on my left. 

Anyone else struggle with this? Any tips on the comparable motions or sequence -especially for the upper body and glove arm -  on down low glove side plays?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So the age-old adage is "lead with your hands and your body/feet will follow," which I believe, and probably would serve you best on the low-down/back door plays from out front.  Although always easier said than done, this is the technical solution to practice to get rid of the "flop and reach" behaviour that came up in another thread a while back.  It's not a dramatic leading with your hands, it's like leading with your hips in a golf swing.  It's one fluid motion, but there are smaller steps that create a sequence.  That's a move that I struggle with correcting for sure.

For the wrap around scenario, it's very similar, except you're leading with your stick for a purpose.  The stick blade will block the puck's path possibly before it even gets to a point where the stick can even wrap it into the net.  It also helps if the wrap around is to fire a pass out front and keeps you from having your lazy stick blade deflect the puck back to the goal line on any play.  You're essentially going into RVH (or the form of it that existed long before the RVH term was coined).  Your glove arm is probably less required to do anything specific.  You could wrap your elbow to hug the post, or lean in like RVH and create a seal, but it's really a secondary save for if the wrap fails or there's a scramble. 

The main thing is to get your pad/skate to the post while leading with the stick blade to cut off the puck's route out front.  I'm by no means a master, but when I do execute that move with the stick leading, I find I get to the post as a complete package more often and definitely notice getting the puck pretty often as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So even on the glove side , still lead with the stick to get to the post?

That makes sense on the blocker side, but seems technically more complex on glove.

Great points of active hands, I've been deliberately working on that and getting better.  Trying to keep them in front rather than on the sides as much as I can.

The hip leading is good to consider. Seems like to do that you have to be upright and in good control. 

Now that I rethink this and consider your points, i think need some repetition Goalie Dr. type work with getting my glove side knee down quicker and more efficiently so that the rest of the sequence can take shape.

I just emailed a local WHL goalie coach, in fact :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With wrap-arounds the first thing I do is get my skate to the post, (ie: lead with your feet) regardless of which side he's going (blocker or glove). Also use the stick to either cut him off /poke-check if he decides to cut in front instead (or to cut a potential pass in front). Here's how I typically play a wrap-around:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, estogoalie said:

With wrap-arounds the first thing I do is get my skate to the post, (ie: lead with your feet) regardless of which side he's going (blocker or glove). Also use the stick to either cut him off /poke-check if he decides to cut in front instead (or to cut a potential pass in front). Here's how I typically play a wrap-around:

Yep, that looks great.  I think I'm more aggressive with my stick on my blocker side as it gets to the post before my skate/pad, making a "clank" with contact just below the knob.  i think I actually make contact there and then as I finish sliding over and back get my blocker on the post, so lower on my actual stick.

I'm wondering if in my mind I feel like I need to do the same on the glove side, which obviously won't work with a push-slide on my knees.  I'm pretty sure I also bring my stick across my body to my left side in a paddle down position rather than keeping it upright, blade on ice.  This is likely negatively affecting my technique and my power and control on my glove side on these plays.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, seagoal said:

So even on the glove side , still lead with the stick to get to the post?

That makes sense on the blocker side, but seems technically more complex on glove.

Really depends on the play.

If it's a fast moving play and you're already behind, then just getting the leg out there to stop the initial scoring chance is probably the choice you're going to make. But I guess you're wanting to discuss the less panicky side of goaltending. :P

@Mroy31 is on the money though. Leading over with the backside of the stick as you slide over to seal the post is the better way to go about it. It really does negate a lot of potential headaches.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For on-ice shots in general, do you guys make as many stick blade save on your glove side as you do on your stick side?  Are you more likely to make a pad save bypassing your stick on one side or the other?

One thing of note I just thought of, I'm having no problems with pad issues on shots in the center of my body.  I can drop symmetrically just fine.  It's just on situations outside of symmetrical butterflies, I'm far strong and better on my right blocker side than left glove side.

I also probably could not kick a soccer ball into a keeper-less soccer goal with my left leg, just sayin'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, seagoal said:

For on-ice shots in general, do you guys make as many stick blade save on your glove side as you do on your stick side?  Are you more likely to make a pad save bypassing your stick on one side or the other?

I use the stick as much as possible to both sides.  It is the BEST way to control where the rebound goes.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, seagoal said:

For on-ice shots in general, do you guys make as many stick blade save on your glove side as you do on your stick side?  Are you more likely to make a pad save bypassing your stick on one side or the other?

When I was going through goalie schools growing up, it was the era right before the blocking butterfly was getting taught (or at least before it made it's way down to my level of goalie learning), so I was always taught to have an active stick blade for rebound control on shots on the ice no matter what side.  I also have some asymmetrical hip/butterfly issues, but I think it's still pretty even with those on-ice shots.

That's if the shot is straight on and I'm set and stationary.  If I'm moving into the save then it's more likely to go to my pad.  But that might just be me, not something I'd necessarily try to coach.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, seagoal said:

For on-ice shots in general, do you guys make as many stick blade save on your glove side as you do on your stick side?  Are you more likely to make a pad save bypassing your stick on one side or the other?

One thing of note I just thought of, I'm having no problems with pad issues on shots in the center of my body.  I can drop symmetrically just fine.  It's just on situations outside of symmetrical butterflies, I'm far strong and better on my right blocker side than left glove side.

If you're just referring to a normal shot scenario, I have an easier time directing shots on my glove side than on my blocker side. It's easier to reach across the body then it is to reach back to the blocker side. Granted, you should be trying to get your stick on as many on ice shots as possible.

My left pad has less puck marks due to a more active stick as well as me being able to catch pucks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Mroy31 said:

When I was going through goalie schools growing up, it was the era right before the blocking butterfly was getting taught (or at least before it made it's way down to my level of goalie learning), so I was always taught to have an active stick blade for rebound control on shots on the ice no matter what side.  I also have some asymmetrical hip/butterfly issues, but I think it's still pretty even with those on-ice shots.

That's if the shot is straight on and I'm set and stationary.  If I'm moving into the save then it's more likely to go to my pad.  But that might just be me, not something I'd necessarily try to coach.

Interesting. 

Nowadays,  let's say you drop down into a deliberately narrow symmetrical bfly. For shots slightly off to the sides, can you equally flare out your feet on both side?

I could get my right leg out powerfully and quick,  actually perpendicular to the shot line.

It'd be tough on my left without raising me knee and it'd be way more passive. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said:

If you're just referring to a normal shot scenario, I have an easier time directing shots on my glove side than on my blocker side. It's easier to reach across the body then it is to reach back to the blocker side. Granted, you should be trying to get your stick on as many on ice shots as possible.

My left pad has less puck marks due to a more active stick as well as me being able to catch pucks.

Same for me with puck marks,  less on glove side but mine are partially do to my previous post to Mroy.

So are you catching a lot of pucks at horizontal pad height?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, seagoal said:

Same for me with puck marks,  less on glove side but mine are partially do to my previous post to Mroy.

Gotcha.

I catch as much as I can. Low shots, high shots, shots to the blocker side (if I can), etc.

I'm able to flare out my legs symmetrically. Still use my stick as much as possible. The control you get from utilizing your stick is incredibly useful and extremely important in proper rebound control.

You should always strive to control each shot that comes to you instead of just making a save. It's a large difference between good and great goalies. ESPECIALLY in the beer leagues.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, seagoal said:

Interesting. 

Nowadays,  let's say you drop down into a symmetrical bfly. For shots slightly off to the sides, can you equally flare out your feet on both side?

I could get my right leg out powerfully and quick,  actually perpendicular to the shot line.

It'd be tough on my left without raising me knee and it'd be way more passive. 

Strictly speaking, I'm not dropping into any butterflies as I'm on the shelf with some issues from said imbalances :P

Are you asking about flaring both legs out at the same time?  In that case, no they're not quite the same, but that's my physical limitation.  If you're asking about dropping and then flaring out to one side or the other, that's a slightly different mechanic and that is more even on both sides because it's like transitioning to a half b-fly from a full b-fly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Mroy31 said:

Strictly speaking, I'm not dropping into any butterflies as I'm on the shelf with some issues from said imbalances :P

Are you asking about flaring both legs out at the same time?  In that case, no they're not quite the same, but that's my physical limitation.  If you're asking about dropping and then flaring out to one side or the other, that's a slightly different mechanic and that is more even on both sides because it's like transitioning to a half b-fly from a full b-fly.

Ah, sorry to hear that. 

I specifically meant one at a time, say alternating on both sides with a goalie coach or something like that but it works just the same if doing both at the same time.

The point is just to compare distance and power and quickness in the left vs. right leg.

I just need to be more ambifooted, symmetrically flexible, and get a goalie coach to help guide some repetitive technique drills. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, seagoal said:

Ah, sorry to hear that. 

I specifically meant one at a time, say alternating on both sides with a goalie coach or something like that but it works just the same if doing both at the same time.

The point is just to compare distance and power and quickness in the left vs. right leg.

I just need to be more ambifooted, symmetrically flexible, and get a goalie coach to help guide some repetitive technique drills. 

So I'd still put it in 2 categories.  1 is the static butterfly.  I don't consider widening your butterfly flare as a save selection, it's just how wide your butterfly is and can change if you do mobility training or not change if your hip structure prevents it.  In that case I am asymmetrical, often times I'll drop to a butterfly and be turned off of being square to the puck.

2 is making a save to a specific side coming from the static butterfly, which again may be all one motion, but still in stages.  In that case I am more even because I'm shifting my weight and extending my leg rather than just rotating my hip so that my foot sticks out farther.  Does that make sense?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Mroy31 said:

So I'd still put it in 2 categories.  1 is the static butterfly.  I don't consider widening your butterfly flare as a save selection, it's just how wide your butterfly is and can change if you do mobility training or not change if your hip structure prevents it.  In that case I am asymmetrical, often times I'll drop to a butterfly and be turned off of being square to the puck.

2 is making a save to a specific side coming from the static butterfly, which again may be all one motion, but still in stages.  In that case I am more even because I'm shifting my weight and extending my leg rather than just rotating my hip so that my foot sticks out farther.  Does that make sense?

Yes, it does.  Great elaboration. 

For my question, it wasn't so much about considering it as a save selection but more of a biomechanic evaluation drill.  I think we are on the same page :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you want to improve the flexibility and power in your left leg, might I suggest some power skating lessons? Gotta use both legs equally when you're out of the crease, and I know that my skating ability outside of the blue paint has played a massively beneficial role in my transition to goaltending.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Who's Online   0 Members, 0 Anonymous, 25 Guests (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • Member Statistics

    1,982
    Total Members
    2,646
    Most Online
    Molitygri
    Newest Member
    Molitygri
    Joined
×
×
  • Create New...