EDITION 6

Welcome to the sixth edition of the Keeper Newsletter.  At the request of one of the subscribers, I will now have a title in the subject line along with the edition number so that it will be easier to keep track of. Past issues.     Please feel free to send in any suggestions for changes or ideas for future editions.  Scott Arrington gave this idea to me and if I am willing to listen to a U14 player from the state of South Carolina, I will listen to anyone!

In two weeks, I will be doing an edition on camps for keepers.  Please send in camps you would recommend.  I certainly have my own ideas but would like to include other people’s experiences as well.  Send them to comments@finesoccer.com

Today’s topic is on catching versus punching balls.  I would like to start off by talking a bit about the technique of punching.  There are two types of punches.     The first one is the two fisted punch.  This is used primarily when it is your intention to return the ball in the same general direction that it came.   An example would be a ball served in from the midfield into a crowded box.   Assuming the ball is dropping in front of the keeper, she would want to punch it with two hands and return it high and far back to where it came (although ideally at a different trajectory).   The proper technique is to ball your hands into fists with the middle joints of each hand touching (I assume there is a better term for this but hopefully everyone understands what I mean).  Have your elbows close together (within six inches) and your wrists straight.  A very important thing to do is make sure your thumbs are not tucked into the fist, as that is a great way to break them.  By taking this position, you will be able to maximize the area of your hands to make contact with the ball.   As the ball approaches, you would go to meet it and then extend your forearms making contact with the ball as squarely as possible.  A common mistake made in punching is to take a hard swing at the ball.  The reason this is unnecessary is you will use the momentum of the ball to take care of the power and your main function is to make solid contact and change the trajectory of the ball.

The second type of punch is the one fisted punch.  This is used primarily on crossed balls from the side served into the box.  If the ball were served in a way that will cause it to be over your head, you would use the one fisted technique to continue the flight of the ball in the same direction that it is coming but with a different trajectory.  To do this, you would use the near fist (if the ball is served from YOUR right side, you would use your right fist).  Again ball it up with the thumb on the outside and the idea is to make contact with the ball while turning your upper body in the direction you are punching the ball. The idea is to try to maintain contact with the ball as long as possible.  This will also prepare you to receive the next cross since the ball will most likely still be live.

Since the real subject of this newsletter was the decision making of when to catch Vs cross, I will now move on.  I apologize if this has not been very clear but without pictures this is very difficult to describe (especially with my limited writing ability) you will just have to wait for my book to come out to get a clearer description with pictures!

The basic rule of thumb for deciding whether to catch or punch is if you think you can catch the ball, then you should punch it.  Only when you KNOW you can catch the ball should you actually attempt to catch.  The reason for this is if you try to catch and are unsuccessful it most likely results in a great scoring opportunity for the opponent.     If you punch a ball that you should have caught, it most likely will result in loss of possession but not a great scoring opportunity for the opponent.   In other words, the general rule is to err on the side of safety.  Having said this, I feel far too many balls are punched without a good reason.  While I stand by the belief that you should only catch when you are 100% sure you can, the truth is that not enough time is spent on receiving high balls and with proper training you should be able to expand your range and catch many more balls then are being caught currently.  

Keep in mind, keeping the ball out of the back of the net is just a small part of goalkeeping.  Keepers are also required to initiate the attack and the best way to do this is by getting the ball in your hands.  The only way to improve in this area is through constant repetition first uncontested and then gradually going against attacking and defending players.  Think in terms of safety first but also see what your comfort level is and then work on expanding your comfort level     Each keeper will have a different range and different comfort zone and only you can know what you can punch and what you can catch. 

It is very rare that I see keeper’s train enough in this very important part of the game.  It’s actually one of the easiest things to work on outside of an organized training session because all you really need is a field player to serve balls in.  This is the best time to remember the adage from the first newsletter that Proper Practice Prevents Poor Performance.

Remember to send in any information on camps for keeper that you would like to share with everyone.  Send it to comments@finesoccer.com . 

Good luck to everyone this week and please encourage others to join this free newsletter by going to www.finesoccer.com/subscrib.htm