This one is all about giving you power out of your butterfly position as you move toward the next shot and recover to your skates.
We have talked about it before, but driving from the bottom up (from the butterfly up to your skates) is a lot different from loading top down – starting from a standing position, going to a low position.
This subtlety gets missed in almost all your training programs. Except for those of you smart enough to hang out here 🙂
You see, most programs will have you training power from the top down where you start out standing, drop down into a low position (squat, split squat, whatever) and then explode back up.
Physiologically, this is very different from what you need to do when you are moving from your butterfly or your VH or your RVH.
Not to say those other drills are BAD – I program them into your workouts pretty regularly. But those movements are different and you need to specifically train your body for those other positions too so you can battle hard and find the puck for that next brilliant save.
That’s what commentators who have never put on the goalie gear and stepped in front of a puck label an “athletic goalie” (as opposed to all those unathletic goalies out there – ugh), but we know what they mean. They mean a goalie who finds a way to get in front of that next shot no matter what.
So, here’s what I want you to do and you don’t need much space to do it, the first push is the important part:
It is just about power
The only purpose of this drill is to develop that initial pushing power – so keep the volume very low. Pay close attention to your form – does your body move with you or do you side bend your torso AWAY from the direction you are going. That is one of the most common errors I see on and off the ice and it is costing you goals against.
If you can clean up just that habit, your SV% will get a bump.
Start with 2-3 sets of 4 each way (yes, only 4) and rest at least 45-seconds between reps please.
Go get it!
Cheers,
Maria
PS – think about speed as a skill, you need to practice it with intention rather than just trying to hammer through. That is how you get faster. That is how you get more ‘athletic’.