Footwork and Handling with Christian Benjamin of Keeperstop.com
Here, Christian Benjamin goes through a series of progressions in footwork and handling with a high school goalkeeper. The progressions are simple to follow and will ensure your goalkeeper improves their footwork, handling, concentration and overall game.
Click here for the YouTube video!
Here are the main focus points of the session:
Proper balanced goalkeeper ready position
- Slightly bent from the knees and back to load muscles
Hands relaxed and slightly in front to create a connection between eyes and hands
Feet get body and hands to the ball.
- Step behind the ball
- protect head and hands forward.
Inside Leg is the elevator:
- Low ball bend from the knees to get body behind and over the ball.
- Don’t just bend over at the hips
Once movement is introduced goalkeeper has to be ready and balanced prior to service. No movement. Loaded and ready!
- Encourage cross over steps with longer distance and shuffle for shorter distance and to preparation steps.
- All movement is done in an athletic position to be close to the ready position in the event of an early shot. In other words don’t stand all the way up to move. More like sprinters posture off the starting line.
- Better to be slightly out of position and ready than in position and still moving.
- Balance helps the goalkeeper react high, low, left, and right.
- If a goalkeeper is moving the goalkeeper is favoring a direction and will not be able to stop their momentum to change direction.
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