How to Be a Good Goalie

Playing goalie in hockey requires superb reactions and excellent positioning, in addition to quickness, skating ability and an understanding of the game. A good goalie can keep his team in a game when it is getting outplayed by its opponent, and must be able to keep his wits about him when other players on the team are starting to panic. A goalie is the hockey team's last line of defense. In the end, it doesn't matter how he does it, but he must find a way to keep the puck out of the net.

Step 1

Play the angle and square yourself to the shooter. When a skater comes toward the net on a scoring chance, make the net look as small as possible by facing the shooter directly and coming out of the crease. This will give her a smaller target to shoot at, making the net look extremely small to the shooter.

Step 2

Kick your pads out toward the corner of the goal when a shooter fires the puck at the far corner of the net. This is a prime scoring area, and if you are going to have any chance of stopping this shot you must be quick and decisive with your kick. Fire your glove hand out when a high shot comes towards the upper corner. This requires excellent hand-eye coordination.

Step 3

Learn the tendencies of the shooters on the opposing team. Some shooters tend to fire low wrist shots, while others prefer quick snap shots toward the upper portion of the net. Additionally, some shooters make two or three fakes before shooting, while others fire the puck quickly. Knowing each shooter's preferred method of shooting will make it easier for you to keep the puck out of the net.

Step 4

Work diligently on your skating. A goalie has to be able to skate out of the crease and make plays with the puck to start the attack for his team. This requires decisive and quick skating. When you have a chance to retrieve the puck and pass to a teammate, you can blunt your opponent's offensive attack. If you fail to skate after the puck, your opponent can retrieve it and try to create a scoring play. Skating confidently gives your team an added dimension that can lead to success on the ice.