Goalkeeper Diving and Body Control Session

Here’s a session with the coaches in action! 

Today we prepared the keepers to see A LOT of shots from the team in finishing drills, so lots of handling and diving to get the body ready! The main focus here was to build on our set positioning from earlier in the week, but in a more aggressive session.

The Activities!

1. WARM-UP – CORE AND BODY CONTROL:

This warm-up sees the keepers saving low balls, getting the hands warmed up, and engaging the core to recover upright, working both left and right sides, but the main purpose was to get the keepers to be aware of body control and proprioception (awareness of how their body moves in the space around them).

2. CORE AND RECOVERY TO FEET:

The same technique is used for a low ball, but the keeper recovers to their feet for a volley. Things to note here are two distinct ways of recovery: 1. Two hands planted and pushing off the ground, and 2. Keeping the top hand free for a possible save.

3. CONTROLLED SHAPE DIVE:

Keepers activate with a volley and a return one touch, then work across the goal for a mid-level dive. The keepers should focus on slowing everything down after some dynamic action, focusing on soft hands, eyes on the ball all the way in to the hands, and a controlled, relaxed landing. A coaching point in the video addresses a common mistake that inhibits power and drive.

The keepers got an outrageous workout in the team training, seeing 3 full circuits of a variety of shots. They worked hard, so the need to have a warm-up that didn’t overtax them physically, whilst also preparing them for the team functional training, was paramount.

Enjoy the session and see you next time! Hit subscribe so you don’t miss out