Goaltenders play a crucial role in ball hockey, and refining their positioning, awareness, and recovery can be the key to shutting down opponents. In this blog post, we’ll break down the core objectives of a Post Awareness and Rebound Control Drill and how coaches can use it to improve their goaltenders’ performance. Watch the embedded video for a full tutorial with step-by-step demonstrations.
Drill Objectives: Building Key Goaltending Skills
This drill focuses on teaching goaltenders critical techniques for mastering positioning and rebound management.
- Post Awareness: Developing a strong sense of where the goaltender is in the net by using the posts as tactile reference points.
- Rebound Control and Recovery: Positioning the body to handle rebounds and quickly recovering to block second-chance scoring opportunities.
- Post Recovery: Training the goaltender to return to the post quickly for better net coverage using tactile cues.
- Post Knee-Up Position (Post Load): This technique is used when the ball is in the defensive zone corner, helping the goaltender maintain stability and readiness.
Step-by-Step: The Post Awareness Drill
- Starting Position:
- The goalie begins by hugging the post to establish proper positioning.
- Player 1 pivots from forward to backward at the hash marks and receives a pass from Player 2.
- Ball Movement and Shot on Goal:
- After receiving the pass, Player 1 pivots and drives toward the far cone, then heads to the high slot for a shot.
- The goaltender follows the ball and squares up to make the save.
- Rebound and Recovery:
- After the shot, Player 1 positions themselves for a rebound attempt, while the goalie quickly returns to the post.
- Player 2 drives around the middle cone with the ball and takes another shot.
- If the rebound is within reach, Player 1 attempts to play it. Goaltenders should stay aware but avoid chasing rebounds that are too far out of position.
- Rotating Roles:
- After Player 2’s shot and rebound, Player 1 returns to the end of the line.
- Player 2 positions themselves for Player 3’s rebound as the drill continues, with roles rotating throughout the session.
Why This Drill Matters
This drill ensures that goaltenders develop the muscle memory and awareness needed to handle rebounds, recover to the post, and maintain optimal positioning. By continuously rotating roles, players stay engaged, and goaltenders learn to anticipate different scoring scenarios in real game situations.
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