Tendy Tips
"There is no position in sport as noble as goaltending"
- Vladislav Tretiak

As part of our development program, our development team will provide our members with comprehensive inline tips provided by veteran Brampton goaltenders. Throughout the season, new tips will be added to ensure our members are provided with tips to develop their skills. Send all your questions to our development team!

Attitude

•  Keep your head. When you make a huge save, act like it was nothing. When you let in a bad goal, learn from it and move on. Do not let the other team phase you – a frustrated goalie will never win.
  
• Learn from your mistakes, it is the only way you will stop making them.
   
• Don’t blame others, it is a team game.
   
• One way isn’t always the right way, learn from your superiors.

Advanced Tips:

• When guys are going hard to the net and poking you and getting in your face do not take it personally and throw a fit or try to fight. If a team pest cannot get to you it hurts the team. Let your players deal with the goons.
   

Goaltender as the Third Defenceman

• The game of inline allows goaltenders to act as a third man back since they have the ability to move to puck. With the absence of blue and red lines, you can play the puck, for both short and long passes. This is a great strategy for a team.
   
• You don’t always have to play the puck – analyse the situation and decide for yourself.

·         Advanced Tips: 

• Take your time when playing the puck, keep your head up and know where your team and the opposing players are. Tape to tape passes, fire around the boards to a player, or leave it to be picked up. Do not blindly shoot it away. Also if a player is speeding in on you do not panic. Use the boards, they are your friends.
  
  

Positional

• Know where you are at all times.
  
  
• Pretend there is a string on the puck attached to the middle of your chest. Doing this will help you stay square and in the right position.
  
  
• Ensure that your stick is in front of your 5 hole – do not life your stick of the ice (court).
  
  
• When heavily screened don’t get low and small to see the puck. Instead, get big and aggressive, demand your space. If you cannot see the puck, use your ears to hear when the shot is released and get big.
  
  
• Try to stay at the top of the crease.
  
  
• After making a save, recover and return to the ready position.
   

Preseason Tips

•  With the start of the season just around the corner players should start preparing and checking their equipment.
  
  
  
• Clean your inline skates. Check your wheels and bearings. Wheels should be free of blisters and not be worn down. It is important to change your wheels every season to get the most out of your playing ability. Good wheels are the key to a good game. Also check the grease in your bearings. A winter in the basement can cause your bearings to seize up and result in slower skating speeds. Fast bearing equals fast skates. If any of your gear doesn’t seem in game condition now is the best time to find good deals on skates and wheels etc.
  
  
• Make sure all your protective equipment is in good playing condition.
  
  
  
• If interested in the Rep/Tournament program be sure to check the website as to who is the coach of your age level.
  
  

Stance

• Keep your hands in front of your body (chest) as it will make you bigger.
  
  
• Bend your knees, not your hips.
   

Stopping the Puck

• Read the play as much as you can and know the options the player with the puck has.
  
  
• If you are good at something, use it.
  
  
• Watch the puck and follow the shot into your equipment. This will ensure the save and help with rebound control.
  
  
• When heavily screened don’t get low and small to see the puck get big and aggressive, demand your space. If you cannot see the puck, use your ears to hear when the shot is released and get big.
  
  
• Don’t be afraid to poke-check!
  
  
• Never quit on a play, dive; do a flip, the splits. If the puck stays out of the net then you are doing it right.
   

Advanced Tips:

• Inline is not like ice where one can butterfly slide, and recover with easy, try to stay on your feet for as long as possible. Without sliding ability learn to dive, pad stack, shuffle on your knees and hop-butterfly (instead of slide ‘hop’ into a butterfly blocking save).
   
• Learn when you can block and when you must react. A block type saves, is generally a butterfly, with arms tight, shoulders up, where a player doesn’t really have anywhere to shoot. A reaction save is when a goalie has to move (react) to the shot. Learning this will help rebound control and stop the ugly goals the squeak between the arm and chest.
   
• Try to use power leg technique. For those who do not know it further articles will be written and google.ca or youtube.com will have answers.
  
  

Stretching

• Stretch often and properly.