A goalkeeper is an essential part of any hockey team; they need to be alert, swift and always ready to move.
Below are a few drills to keep you on the go.
Drill #1:
Splay out a lot of pucks about the edge of the circle. The drill begins with one of the players taking shots by moving about and the goalkeeper has to save as many shots as possible. You can also up the game by making two players take shots from a variety of angles. Also a range of different shots can be taken like pushes, slaps and flicks.
Drill #2:
This drill revolves around an essential skill for a goalkeeper: dive-save.
The player making the shot should line up six pucks, a bit off-center, at around eight yards away from the goal. The goalkeeper stands alert right beside the left post and has to glide sideways about the goal to save as many shots as possible. While doing so, he also hits the pole with a stick which generates a sound that acts as a cue for person taking the shot to shoot one of the balls at the lower left-hand corner. The goalkeeper has to move near the left post and make a dive to save the shot.
Make the goalkeeper repeat this six times, then allow a bit of rest and then repeat the same thing again but now starting from the post at the right.
Drill #3:
The goalkeeper should kneel down at the center of the goal. Someone should slide golf balls on the ground to the extreme (right and left) corners of the goal. When the balls are rolled out, the goalkeeper has to make a dive to shove off as many balls as possible, from getting in the goal.