Goalies: Need Ball Hockey Tips!

[MattyTendy]

Hey everyone, I recently got back into hockey (ball hockey to be specific) with some of the new friends I've made in college. I mentioned being a goalie before and they invited me out right away.The last time I played net was when I was around 11-12 (21 now). Our team is currently 2-9-0 and we're in second last place, we earned 2 wins in our last 3 games. I've been reading up non-stop on tips and advice on how to approach shooters and taking off the angle and it's worked for the most part. I'm only 5'7" 135 lbs so I rely heavily on my reflexes to make my saves, and it works for me 90% of the time. Last game we were out shot 25-5 going into the 3rd period losing 2-0 and the game finished 6-0 with the shots 32-5. I know my team is bad but is there any advice someone can give me to keep the ball out of the net. Most of the goals against me come from the corner into the slot and beat my blocker (I catch right).

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[Hoser]

Are you mostly being beaten high on passes coming from the corner to your right (catcher)?

 

[JMecc]

Take note early on who their good players are and if they mostly like to score or setup others. A lot of teams will have only a couple guys who can pull moves but often these are the same guys who won't pass when they should and who get frustrated and off their game when you make the save when they're showing off. You can challenge more against guys who always shoot and cheat toward the pass for guys who are always trying to get their teammates some goals.

For passes across, if your D aren't blocking these you'll have to yourself. The wide paddle of a goal stick will stop anything low down and in the unlikely event they bat it out of the air you still have your pad on the ground (leave your back leg flat on the ground close to parallel to the goal line, not behind you into the net nor face down). If the guy in front bats the floating pass over your pad he deserves the goal and at that point it's up to your D to move him from there (refs allow quite a bit of shoving in BH).

 

[MattyTendy]

No Hoser I rarely get beaten glove side. And Jmecc that's exactly what I'm talking about, I've got a game this Monday coming up and I'm going to try and play with my paddle in everyone's way. I keep my position well when I'm in net but I just wish I could get over soon enough to stop that pass across for the one-timer.

 

[PK Cronin]

Inline or dek hockey?

 

[Fanned On It]

Playing hockey with a ball seems like the worst experience ever. Playing hockey with a ball and sneakers is something I don't think I would enjoy at all.

 

[Jets]

Hey everyone, I recently got back into hockey (ball hockey to be specific) with some of the new friends I've made in college. I mentioned being a goalie before and they invited me out right away.The last time I played net was when I was around 11-12 (21 now). Our team is currently 2-9-0 and we're in second last place, we earned 2 wins in our last 3 games. I've been reading up non-stop on tips and advice on how to approach shooters and taking off the angle and it's worked for the most part. I'm only 5'7" 135 lbs so I rely heavily on my reflexes to make my saves, and it works for me 90% of the time. Last game we were out shot 25-5 going into the 3rd period losing 2-0 and the game finished 6-0 with the shots 32-5. I know my team is bad but is there any advice someone can give me to keep the ball out of the net. Most of the goals against me come from the corner into the slot and beat my blocker (I catch right).

Interesting. I am 5'9 145 and I'd say I rely entirely on angles/positioning/agility more than anything to account for lack of size.

As for ballhockey tips, well my team won our division and I was named top goalie last spring. Its a very different beast compared to ice. First of all, the shots can have some crazy spin on them and dive from top left to bottom right in the span of about ten feet. This can make it very challenging to track the ball through traffic. For that on a good team I'd say to tell your d to close off the angle quickly and not allow them to get the shot away but with a weaker squad in front of you I'd suggest telling your dmen to clear the net for you rather than pressuring the ball carrier to allow you the most time to see and adjust to the shot.

For being able to move quickly to account for the passes out front is tough. I bought pad covers with slide plates online that work surprisingly well, but they are pricey.

http://mitchellhockey.com for those.

Essentially with those I get about 75% of the range in butterfly I would have on ice.

If you don't get them then I'd suggest taking one step back towards your net than where you'd normally play to reduce the angle you cover, but allow you an extra step to the middle of the net to make the save.

 

[McDrailers]

Going from ice hockey to ball hockey as a goalie is one of the most ****ed up things ive done. A ball does all sorts of crazy dips and dives. My advice to is as i'm only a few inches taller but about the same size, is to do what others have said. Study the players, if you know the guy is likely to shoot. Cut off the angle the absolute most possible. It's interesting that relying on reflex is working for you, in ball hockey I found that incredibly hard. To track the ball and accurately know where your glove/blocker should go.

Like was said, try to get your D to cut off the passes and clear the net, and you yourself focus on cutting off the angle

 

[Hoser]

No Hoser I rarely get beaten glove side.

I was asking if the passes were coming from your glove side, not if you were getting beaten glove-side. I was trying to ask diplomatically, because...

I keep my position well when I'm in net but I just wish I could get over soon enough to stop that pass across for the one-timer.

... that's what I was getting at. You're getting beat on your blocker side because you can't move over quickly enough. Your mobility is limited compared to ice hockey because you can't slide (well).

My first suggestion would be to say if you're playing butterfly, don't. Or at the very least stay on your feet much longer than you would on ice. Again, you can't slide over fast enough, so you'll be quicker if you stay on your feet.

Second suggestion: play further out and challenge the shooter in the slot. If you make yourself bigger you'll have a better chance of making the save. If the shooter is going for a one-timer and realizes what you're doing he'll have either take the shot (which will be easier for you to save) or slow the ball down to attempt dekeing around you. The time it'll take for him to slow down the ball will give you and your teammates time to reposition.

Third, pretty much everything JMecc said. Don't be afraid to use your own stick to break up the play. And don't be afraid of telling your d-man where to position himself to stop a pass in the first place. If your d-men are positioned properly they'll cut off the passing lanes between the guy in the corner and the guy in the slot. The guy in the corner will have to go around the back of the net, pass to the point or take a crappy-angle shot that you'll probably save.

 

[nightfighter]

If you don't get pad covers, you can buy these to tape onto your knee landings, calf wrap and basically anything that touches the ground in your butterfly to get a little more sliding ability.

I would highly recommend AGAINST constantly using your paddle to intercept passes. It sounds good in theory but turning your stick open like that will open up holes in your stance and good shooters will take advantage of that. Do have an active stick, but don't just lie the stick down. It traps you in that position and once a shooter sees you like that they probably will change the play anyways.

If shooters are constantly looking for the backdoor play you will have to communicate with your defense. If your defense continues to allow this play, you can try to cheat a bit towards the pass but this will often leave you getting burned shortside.

In the end, there is no cure-all tried and true method to prevent these kinds of plays. It's a high percentage scoring opportunity and your team just shouldn't be giving up that kind of play on a consistent basis; it doesn't matter how good you are.

 

[TribalPhoenix]

I've been playing net in ball hockey for quite a while in a league in Toronto - recreational, co-ed, but as a result you get a lot of people who have no idea about defence while playing against people who know how to score.

One big piece of advice I can give you is that if you're going to use your stick to intercept or block a pass, only do it within your crease and while you're trying to stop something cross crease. That way you can still hug the post, and if you can't stop it you'll never slide across in time anyways (depending on the surface you're playing on.)

Oh, and definitely watch the spin on the ball - sometimes it can have a slider/curveball motion which can have a shot going high and wide finding it's way into your top corner.

 

[Hounsy]

Do you look for the glove save? Seen lots of goalies get so focused on the glove they are slow to react in other areas. Though that said most goalies have an issue getting to the that one to two foot high shot inside the post blocker side.