TDS-MN Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 Hey All, I have taken up goaltending within this past year, after years of skating out. Have had some successful outings at pick-up games, and have really enjoyed being on the other side of the game. Back-story, I'm 51, and just got back on my skates within the last 3 years, after not really spending much time on them for 20-some years. Back when I was a young kid, we used to spend afternoons at the rink sending tennis balls at each other in net. We were always so thrilled when someone would bring goalie pads, or even just a glove and blocker combo. Would all take turns trying to stop shots. So I have a decent understanding of concept and not really much fear of getting hit with pucks. After one pick-up game I skated, and seeing the level of play of one of the goalies, I thought "I can probably do that better". So I started acquiring gear via craigslist mostly. It was early 2019 when I first got on the ice with full goalie gear. It was an eye opening experience. I have played against lower level skaters so far. Have played like 8 games so far, and love it. I do seem to struggle with one thing however, and am hoping that someone more experienced might be able to offer some advice. If I need to drop into butterfly, I land well on my right knee stack, but seem to almost always end up with my face of my left pad facing the ice, not forward. Not sure what it is that I might be doing with that leg, but I am guessing that maybe I don't flare out my toe as much as I do on the right side. Would that make a difference? My pad setup: I wear my leg pads fairly loose from top to bottom. I am using the Toe Hook elastic cord system rather than tying skate laces from the toe bridge. I have been wearing hockey socks with knee/thigh pads over them. I usually do the skate straps a little tighter, thru the rear-most hole in my blade holder. I would say that both of my pads are equally tight, so I'm guessing that it must be something I am doing rather than an equipment issue. Any suggestions? Am I on the right track trying to diagnose my issue? Would love to hear your thoughts. I have been thinking of signing on for a beginner training session thru one of the local organizations that run leagues, but could use some guidance ahead of that if possible. Thanks for reading! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puckstopper Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 What kind of pads are you using? Brand, model size, etc... Just guessing but I'm willing to bet that if you loosen your heel strap you'll find better success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creasecollector Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 I would try lossening the boot straps a bit more to try that out. One side could be tighter, causing one pad to not rotate properly on your leg. But this most-likely is a technique issue. It's fairly normal to have one dominant side, or one side that "performs" better than the other. I would say pracice driving the inside of your knees down, instead of potentially 'pushing' them forward, creating one side that lands flat rather than where you want the inner pad to land. I hope this helps! Best of luck! Goaltending is one awesome position to experience. Nothing else like it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDS-MN Posted December 17, 2019 Author Share Posted December 17, 2019 Thanks for the responses. I have a set of older TPS Xceed pads, that are sized appropriately for my height (34") according to online sizing guides. They have a y-shaped lower calf strap system that was apparently supposed to lend itself to good pad rotation (in their day). But the rest of their strapping is typical of most every pad set as far as I can tell, at the knee and thigh. I would say that I do still have to work on the driving downward, I feel that I do still push outward toward oncoming shot instead. Nice to hear that working on that one aspect might in turn have effect on this issue also. Next time out, I will try and go with my heel strap looser, and pay some attention to ensuring that both sides are buckled in equally. I do feel that my right leg, being dominant, does what I want it to with less thought about it. Agree, I have had conversations with my friends that skate, and they just can't imagine the appeal of pucks coming at you all the time, but it has been incredibly fun so far. I let in some soft stuff occasionally, but I find that the scrambles when play is in close, is just a total adrenaline rush. Thanks again, I really do appreciate the input and advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc1200 Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 Over rotating on one side is common if you’re new to goaltending. Definitely check the strapping, I agree you might want to check the boot straps but if your calf and knee straps are too loose that can also cause the pad to fall flat. Trust me, this is something that happens to all goalies, 32 years in and my right leg still rotates weird sometimes. Keep dialling in the straps each ice time, don’t be afraid to change things up until you find something that works. On one set of Bauer pads I owned I must have changed the strapping 100 times before I found a sweet spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.YOUNGoalie13 Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 I am a younger goalie at 15, and notice when I watch beer leaguers with older gear, they tend to land face down. I see the same thing with little goalies with older gear. Definitely mess around with the strapping but maybe consider upgrading your pads to something newer. The investment is worth it if you love the position!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colander Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 23 hours ago, TDS-MN said: ...After one pick-up game I skated, and seeing the level of play of one of the goalies, I thought "I can probably do that better". ... So did I - that was 40 years ago - I guess I was wrong... Keeping the bootstrap pretty loose is a key part but most of all I'm a big fan of driving the knees down as opposed to just letting gravity do the work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Almost Hip Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 I think you said it when you said you feel like you are pushing out towards shots. It's not an easy position on the body. Be mindful of stretching properly before gearing up and even again once on ice. Practice your butterflies during warm up or even when play is in the other end standing on top of crease or another line and compare where you end up when it works and when it doesn't. You may also need to widen your stance. It's not the end of the world if you can't end up getting it to work, just make sure your knees are protected and keep having fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Netnewbie Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 What would be considered a "modern day" pad? How long ago did the manufactures switch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Netnewbie Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 What would be considered a "modern day" pad? How long ago did the manufactures switch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estogoalie Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 My first pads that didn't "roll" when I went in the butterfly (ie: stayed 90°) were TPS R12 pads that I bought around 2011. Before that I had some John Brown pads, that I really liked, but did roll alot. PS- I like my boot straps pretty tight, and I've had zero roll issues with all the pads I've bought (and were made) since around 2010 (Vaughn V5, TPS R12, Brian's Gnetik 2) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creasecollector Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 1 hour ago, Netnewbie said: What would be considered a "modern day" pad? How long ago did the manufactures switch? My first memory of those "butterfly pads" as I called them were the RBK Premier 1's. Soooo ...04-05 ish? I would say the modern day pad started to become a lot more boxed and squared up from there on out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.YOUNGoalie13 Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 @creasecollector has the right idea for a modern day pad. If you were talking more like modern technology advancements, I would say 2015-16 or newer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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