Hockey drill

Goaltender Conditioning #1

Five conditioning drills for goalies: T-pushes, C-cuts, slides and butterfly, then glove, blocker and pad saves. For goalies from U7 through U17+.

Category: Goalie drills
Levels: U7 · U9 · U11/U12 · U13 · U15 · U17+

Hockey drill diagram: Goaltender Conditioning #1

Drill contributed by Martin Payette · AHMDM

goalie
conditionning

How it runs

This is what your players need to understand before the puck moves.

#1 - Use T-pushes to move between each cone from left to right. Repeat the course using C-cuts.

#2 - Start at the post and use a T-push to reach the first cone. Make a save while staying on your feet, then return to the post. Slide to the second cone and make a butterfly save. Repeat on both sides.

#3 - Use a T-push to move between the cones, finishing each movement in the butterfly position. Repeat on both sides.

#4 - Start by skating backward. Pivot forward and skate around one-quarter of the circle. Skate backward around the half-circle, pivot forward for the final quarter, then continue backward to the boards.

#5 - The coach shoots pucks at the goaltenders to practise three types of saves: glove, blocker, and pad saves.

Coach Steve's take

A goalie has to move before he blocks. T-pushes and C-cuts look simple, but they take repetition. Match the intensity to the age: at U7, keep it short and fun. At U17+, you can raise the demands. Watch fatigue: a tired goalie picks up bad habits. It is better to stop the set than to let the technique fall apart.