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| In The Crease: Steve McKichan - Keep A 'Burning, Intense Visual Focus' On The Puck |
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Many things in life are obvious but overlooked. Many technical coaching tips are complicated and difficult to master. Many athletes master some very difficult multi-layered skills to excel in their sport. However, as in all projectile-based sports, there is one simple yet universally under-valued and under-stressed requirement—watching the projectile. In our case of course we are referring to the puck.
You might assume that because goalies are playing the game and having varying degrees of success they must be watching the puck. Wrong! They are watching the puck but not WATCHING the puck. Hmmm?
In this article, I will explain exactly what I mean and why there is no single more important attribute than watching the puck.
OFF THE STICK
In the milliseconds before the puck leaves the stick and in the milliseconds right after it leaves the stick blade, the puck reveals itself for what it is.
The stick-puck relationship announces trajectory, height, direction and to some degree potential velocity.
If the goaltender does not have a burning, intense visual focus on the puck in these crucial moments, they get a late read on the puck. Saves become imprecise and generators of unnecessary rebounds and sometimes the puck gets a head start before detection on its way to igniting the funny little red light.
Use every puck in practice to intensely record that mental snapshot of the exact moment the puck leaves the stick.
IN FLIGHT
Many outside factors can affect the puck during flight. The puck can be tipped, redirected or even dip on its own. So clearly maintaining a continual focus after launch through flight makes good sense. It can also reveal one aspect of puck flight that is rarely discussed. Pucks, like footballs, fly with a spiral. While the football has a horizontal spiral, pucks have a vertical spiral. New pucks with fresh knurls of rubber on the edges will fly typically in a tight spiral if struck cleanly with a well-taped stick. Conversely, old pucks and pucks struck funny with the blade tend to wobble in their spiral on the way to the net. This information is crucial because it will be a much easier puck to control rebound wise if it is spinning in a tight spiral. Wobbly pucks still can have a great degree of velocity and can be difficult to control.
Stand behind the glass at a high level game of hockey during warm-ups and note the varying spirals on the pucks as they are launched.
IN AND OFF YOUR BODY
Clearly the first two stages of the puck’s flight are very important. Following the puck in the final inches before it strikes and in the first inches off your body are the most important in my mind.
Many goalies lose the puck after it hits them and they spend important moments trying to locate the puck post-save. The best NHL goalies see the puck into the body and if a rebound does occur they see it right off their body.
I have dozens of high-resolution photos at my disposal to do pre-scouts on NHL goalies. It is stunning to see freeze frame photos of Ed Belfour and Vesa Toskala at the exact moment a save happens. It is stunning because in the vast majority of cases there is actually photographic evidence of dual eye contact with the puck as the 100 mph puck is striking their leg pad or upper chest.
Too many goalies worry about developing complicated areas of their games.
If you can head towards perfection on your puck watching abilities, you will be driving a Lamborghini... not a Zamboni. |
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