Hockey Goalie Warm Up Before Game
If you're a hockey goalie, you know how important it is to be warmed up and ready to face off against the other team. A proper warm-up is crucial for warming up the muscles and preventing injury during the game. In this article, we'll explore some of the best goalie warm-up techniques that you can use to prepare for the game.
Stretching
Before any physical activity, stretching is necessary to prepare the body for the game. This is particularly important for goalies as they need to have good flexibility in their hips, legs and back. Stretching allows for better mobility, flexibility and helps to prevent injuries.
Goalies should start with some dynamic stretches to warm up the muscles. This can include leg swings, arm swings, hip circles and lunges. Next, static stretches can be done to hold in positions for at least 15 seconds. These stretches can include hamstring stretches, calf stretches, and quad stretches. Goalies should also stretch their back and core muscles using spinal twists or upper and lower back stretches.
Stickhandling
Stickhandling is an important part of a goalie's warm-up routine. This involves handling the puck with the stick to improve coordination and reaction times during the game. Goalies should start with basic stickhandling drills such as moving the puck from left to right, or forward and backward while staying in place. This can be followed by more advanced stickhandling drills such as skating while stickhandling to improve their mobility and balance.
Butterfly Drills
The butterfly is a common technique used by goalies to block shots from the bottom of the net. To warm up the muscles needed for this technique, goalies can do butterfly drills. This involves sliding from side to side while dropping into the butterfly position. The goalie should focus on keeping their upper body stable while moving their legs to cover the net. This drill helps goalies to improve their speed, agility and balance.
Reaction Time Drills
During the game, goalies need to have quick reaction times to block shots. To improve their reaction time, goalies can do drills such as rapid-fire shots. This involves a coach or teammate shooting pucks quickly at the goalie from different angles. The goalie should focus on staying balanced and reacting quickly to each shot. This drill helps goalies anticipate shots and improve their reflexes during the game.
Conclusion
Warming up properly is crucial for a goalie to perform well during the game. Goalies should focus on dynamic and static stretching, stickhandling, butterfly drills and reaction time drills to prepare for the game. With consistent practice, a goalie can improve their strength, mobility, and agility, which will ultimately lead to a better performance on the ice.
