Goalie Glove Position – A Lesson for Goalies and Shooters Alike
So many goalies hold their glove up high. Why is that? For many it may come from baseball. After all, a goalie’s glove is a lot like a first basemen’s glove, and so many of us played baseball as a kid. So it seems like the right thing to do…except goalies are not trying to catch a ball coming across the diamond from shoulder height as first basemen do. Rather, they are trying to catch a puck that is coming from ice level. So big deal. What’s the difference you may ask? Well consider the angle. This makes all the difference in the world.
In the picture above, Pekka Rinne has his glove up high. If the puck is being shot from the blue line or the top of the circles, he is likely protecting the top corner of the net. But if the shot is coming from in closer, say the dots or bottom of the circles, then he is more likely protecting the guy in the 18th row of the stands. In other words, if the puck is coming from in close, the angle is steeper. The puck is rising, so any puck shot from in close that goes into his glove held that high was likely going over the net anyway.
In the picture below, Carey Price has his glove down low and in tight. It looks like he is giving away a lot of room in the top corner of the net, but when you consider the angle the puck is coming from, there is probably just a tiny window of space. How many guys in your beer league can hit a small window top cheddar? Not too many, and if they can, good for them. They deserve the goal. Goalies, by keeping your glove down low and in tighter to your body, you are covering more of the net, and making it very difficult for shooters to beat you on the glove side. Plus if they do shoot high, there is nothing cooler than catching the puck in that upward, highlight-reel worthy, classic “flashing the leather” move.
Shooters Take Notice
So if you’re a shooter, think about this. And don’t wait until you have the puck and are ready to shoot. When you are on the bench, take notice of how the goalie holds his glove. If he keeps it low and tight like in the Carey Price photo, I would look for another place to shoot the puck. But if he holds it way up high, you’ve got a lot of room to shoot above the pad and below the arm/glove. Take that shot!
If you would like to learn more about playing goalie or scoring on goalies, then get yourself to one of our great camp locations this spring or summer!