In soccer, the goalkeeper sacrifices their entire body to save, stop or block the ball, forbidding the opposing team of scoring a goal. This team player stays focused on the ball at all times and prepares to make a save by accurately positioning themselves between the ball and the goal. A goalkeeper’s success relies greatly on their athletic ability. Opposing teams will bring different situations. Therefore, a goalkeeper must be able to move in all directions with agility, control and explosive power.
Goalkeeper Training with Kinetic Bands
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Players in this position need to be physically and mentally trained to acquire proper goalkeeping technique, as saving the ball at all costs can take a physical toll on the body. A poor technical keeper is a danger to themselves, their teammates and opposing players. To avoid jeopardizing the safety of others, reduce the risk of personal injuries, and increase goalkeeping efficacy in later stages of training, players should have a solid body conditioning routine in place. However, traditional exercises are not the answer for goalkeepers who wish to attain optimal athletic development and drastically improve their overall performance at the goal.
In such a physical demanding sport, it is important for goalkeepers to perform a training method that combines different exercise modes (e.g., weight training, plyometric training, and sport-specific force-based actions) and involves different movement patterns. Fortunately, the Myosource Kinetic Bands were created with this exercise science in mind and provide athletes with this combined style workout described, inducing gains in muscular strength, muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness. Too good to be true, right? WRONG!!! But for those skeptics out there, we’ll discuss in detail just how the Myosource Kinetic Bands access neural and morphological adaptions in players who take advantage of them to up their ante on the field to make more saves, develop better technique and distribute the ball better. In addition, we will follow up with some areas of focus goalkeepers should keep in mind if they wish to achieve superior defense at the goal-body positioning, quick feet.
The Myosource Kinetic Bands are a training tool that athletes can wear while practicing sport specific skills without any restrictions to their natural movement. For instance, soccer players in the position of goalkeeping can wear the resistance bands just above the knees while practicing skills like lunging, diving, running, kicking, jumping and turning without any restriction to their natural movement. The resistance bands target the neuromuscular system and meticulously challenge the muscles in the legs, hips and core being utilized with every move the player makes to support improvements in both strength and range of motion. Training with the Myosource Kinetic Bands not only increases muscle strength but also increases the strength of a player’s connective tissue and tendons for improved motor performance and decreased risk of injury. As a result, goalkeepers can maximize practice time and incorporate a high volume of goalie-specific power-based actions to their training. Goalkeepers who use the Myosource Kinetic Bands will quickly acquire better control over their body for swift, balanced movement in all directions.
The main objective for goalkeepers is to reduce the target available to the attacker by covering the largest area of the goal as possible. In order to achieve this, goalkeepers should be aware and in tune with their body and how it is positioned in relation to the goal. It is only when a keeper is prepared for a shot and ready to move in any direction that they are in a “ready” position. The basic ready position changes according to the distance between the keeper, opponent and the ball. For this reason, goalkeepers have to be alert with their undivided attention on the ball at all times, rather than on the player in possession.
When it comes time to make a save, goalkeepers should move towards the ball rather than wait for it to come to them. As the shooter gets closer to the goal, the chance of the ball being chipped over the keeper lessens. With this in mind, goalkeepers should become more compact by transitioning into a lower “ready” position. A keeper will lower their center of gravity as they work to become closer to the ground by bending at the hips and knees. Keepers need to be careful not to sit back and place weight on the heels, as doing so removes their ability to react quickly to the ball. Players can perform such alterations in body positioning while wearing the Myosource Kinetic Bands to access a greater number of muscle fibers for the generation of both strength and muscle memory while also ensuring correct absorption and distribution of forces during all movements. Firing up the specific muscle groups through effective mechanics in this way will greatly enhance a goalkeeper’s chance of making a save as they are better able to stay balanced on their feet even during rapid shifts in body positioning.
Goalkeepers should only go to the ground to make a save if they HAVE to and should wait until the very last second to do so in order to force the attacker to make a decision. If a goalkeeper goes down with a dive to make a save, this does not mean the play is over. A parry or deflection may keep the ball in play, and perhaps send it right to an attacker! For this reason, quick recovery after a save is imperative. There is no set method or technique for doing this. However, goalkeepers will benefit from wearing the Myosource Kinetic Bands as they practice getting back up on their feet quickly without the use of their hands, keeping them free and ready to make a stop if necessary.
Goalkeeper Training with Acceleration Speed Cord
Footwork is the foundation of solid goalkeeping. If a keeper has quick feet, they can easily get themselves into position to make the easy catch, rather than having to dive at balls at the edge of their reach all the time. When we see a goalkeeper making a diving save it is usually because one of two things has occurred: the shot was hit away from the keeper with power and accuracy or the goalkeeper was out of position. Good goalkeepers make every save look easy, and the key to that is good footwork. When focusing on the mechanics of catching or deflecting the ball, footwork is a large factor for success. Footwork is also the basic foundation for other advanced techniques, which will be difficult for a keeper to learn if they do not have the basic goalkeeping fundamentals, such as proper footwork. If a keeper's feet can't get them to the ball, their hands are useless. A major objective of goalkeeper training is for players to execute the movement sequences involved in goalkeeping techniques as automatically as possible.
Goalkeepers can possess a quick first step by utilizing the Myosource Kinetic Bands during drills. Because soccer goalkeepers spend a great deal of time shuffling their feet and performing spins and turns to prevent a goal from being made, players should be able to move forward, backward, laterally, and at a variety of angles to be in proper position to block the shot. Goalkeepers can access drills to perform with the Myosource Kinetic Bands by watching the video provided at the top of this page. May the goals be ever in your favor!
Goalkeepers need to be alert and alive at all times. The feet of a good goalkeeper are constantly in motion. Steadily moving around the perimeter of the goal line on their toes allows a goalkeeper to be better prepared for manhandling the ball from any direction it may come. Goalkeepers that are easily defeated tend to have their weight back on their heels. Not only does bearing weight in the heels keep a keeper from moving quickly to save a ball, but it also reduces their ability to dive and jump.
In order to get the body positioned for a save, a goalkeeper’s hips and shoulders should always be square to the ball. A common problem for keepers who lack technique is that they turn sideways when collecting balls that are not in front of them. It is easiest to make the save when the ball is directly in front of them, so its very important for keepers to use their feet to get behind the ball every time. Many times, the difference between a save and a goal is just half a step. Use the feet to get the body behind the ball!
Executing a proper catching technique is also important, as a poor catching technique in training will almost always transfer into poor catching in game play. The ability to handle the ball cleanly and consistently can be done through proper training of hand and arm technique. It is very difficult to catch a round object with two flat surfaces. When fielding a shot, the goalkeeper must prepare his or her hands by spreading the fingers wide and flexed in a shape modeling the contour of the ball, which is also known as a "Contour Catch". Initial contact to the ball should be done with soft hands, using the tips of the fingers (not the palms) to outline the ball and provide a pocket for it to fit into comfortably. If the ball loudly slaps the hands, the keeper is not giving enough with the ball. A quieter sounding catch usually means good fingertip contact by the keeper.
Alignment of the arms impacts a keeper’s ability to properly place the hands on the ball for a contoured catch. If the arms are bent too close to the body, the elbows are pulled apart, turning the thumbs up. This makes catching the ball difficult, as the thumbs are the key to solid catching. Poor placement of the thumbs will result in the ball going through the hands, off of the face or worse, into the GOAL! Technically, the thumbs should be about an inch to an inch and a half apart.
Occasionally a skillful diving attempt must be made to catch or deflect difficult shots While diving is an important part of the keeper's abilities, the keeper must have sound fundamentals to perform a dive safely, effectively and successfully. Diving should only be used as a final choice to save a ball.
"The goalkeeper is the last line of defense, and the first line of offense."
After receiving a ball, a goalkeeper who is aware of his teammates positioning and movement can quickly start the attack, which gives the offense an opportunity to penetrate the opponents defensive third. After a save is made, the keeper must quickly look to move out and start the counter. Goalkeepers must locate and distribute the ball to his/her teammates within 6 seconds. In most cases, this is plenty of time to start the attack. When a goalkeeper needs to distribute the ball, it can be done in two ways; throws and kicks.
Both ways of distributing the ball have advantages for certain situations. To develop proper goalkeeping technique, it is important for players to know which one to use and how to use each approach most effectively. Today's keeper is truly the 11th player and must be comfortable starting the attack in an organized and effective way. To allow a keeper time to discover which distribution technique is best, a keeper can distribute the ball in small sided games, shooting activities, and any other activities requiring the keeper to receive the ball during team training time.
