Advantage...Goalie
Let me preface this post by saying that I love human balance and human performance. I have dissected and studied both for many years. It began in my college days when I received and utilized a research grant to study balance and effects of balance on nearly fifty subjects of varying ages. And I have continued that research even today. My true passion is human balance as it relates to the human foot. The picture above shows a subject getting his feet tested to find the level at which his feet sense stimulation. This test is done multiple times on the many components of the body. The body reacts to stimulation...if a person isn't stimulated then it wont react. In essense, the earlier the body senses or feels stimulation the sooner it can respond. All components of balance and performance must be in tuned individually and as a group to achieve the highest level of balance and performance. I am convinced that balance and performance can be increased dramatically (15%-30%) with the proper protocol. Although this post will focus specifically on hockey and more specifically on hockey goaltending, this protocol can be extremely beneficial to any athlete and to any person who may suffer from feelings of unsteadiness. The elderly who often limit movement because of the fear of falling can greatly benefit from this same protocol. Currently, the issue of goaltender performance and balance issues among the elderly are extremely relevant so lets dive in.
The kerfuffle continues with the issue of low scoring in the hockey world. And, while I agree that some equipment standards should be set, I don't feel that the equipment has strictly benefitted the defensive side of the game. Surely the influx of superior equipment has made for bigger coverage area but also includes easier movement and proper positioning and rebound control and/or rebound containment but the same technology has also led to faster offensive play and faster, heavier shots. Almost every player nowadays can flirt with triple digit speed with their slap shot. Todays skates weigh next to nothing and offer the comfort of a bedroom slipper with the support of a downhill ski boot. Todays sticks, while egregiously expensive to the lay folks, are basically vulcanized rubber missile launchers in the hands of the pros. It is for this reason that goalie safety is first and foremost. The individual whose job it is to let him/her self get hit by the 6 oz missile being launched at the net cannot think for even a millisecond about getting bruised. While I am all for a set of standards...perhaps a template of some kind...the same standards cannot water down the quality of the equipment.
But I also ask myself...are the goaltenders of today better?..or is some other tangible explanation available to explain why scoring is down in hockey. One thing is for sure, todays goalies are bigger than in years past. No offense to Darren Pang and Glenn Healey (both of which I still am a fan of and have hockey cards of) but they are miniscule in size when compared to Ben Bishop and Anders Lindback. Todays goalie just covers more net standing still. Todays "small" goalie stands 6' tall. Coaching has also gotten better and better...angles, puck control, footwork, offensive player tendency review... have all benefitted from technology that simply wasn't available in years past. The ability to immediately review every goal and/or save has led to subtle mid-game corrections that were unheard of in times past. Looking at the statistics for todays goaltending and we see that the high level goalie save % tends to be 93-94% while the "average" limits stay around 89-90%. Goalies who dip lower than that don't generally stay around very long. If you use a standard of 25 shots per game, than it becomes evident that on average the goalies at the high level make just 1 save more per game than the average goalie.
The rational for the title of this post "Advantage....Goalie" is that I feel that more thought, preparation and consideration go into the defensive aspect of the game...any game. In the world of hockey, much coaching goes into what to do without the puck as the majority of the time spent on the ice is spent without the puck. The performance coaching by Balance Etc, including the aforementioned protocol also leans that way. The obvious question, of course, is can this protocol help in making that one save? I really don't know. I do know that this protocol cannot help anyone become a better goalie, or a better player. What it can do is speed up reaction time. And that means better performance.
Bridge Construction at BNSF Railway
9 年Nice article. I personally have used this technique and was tested after the proper protocol. My reaction time improved by 26%. I am 24 years old... Seems like this technique would give an athlete a significant advantage in any sport. With the right ppl and development this would be valuable
State Electric Business Development
9 年very interesting. my brother AJ was a goalie for years
Remote Patient Monitoring and Digital Health in a Value Based Environment
9 年Foot speed and balance is essential in goaltending. The first thing a goalie must do before making a reaction to a shot is get in the right position to make the save. One of the equipment breakthroughs this year that has aided in this area has been the new goalie skates that companies like Bauer and VH footwear are making. Previous models of goalie skates consisted of two main pieces, the boot and the cowling (a hard plastic shell surrounding the boot along with the blade attached). The new skates are more akin to player skates, with the boot and protective shell being all one piece and the cowling being minimized to just a holder for the blade. The main advantage people talk about with these skates is the improvement on a goalie's ability to "catch an edge" while in the butterfly position. This improved ability allows goaltenders to move more efficiently while on their knees. However, I think the bigger advantage is that the goaltenders using these skates no longer lose power in their pushes and their stops are much more secure. The older models of skates often have a distinct looseness or wobble no matter how tight they are tied around the foot. The new models are now more form fitted with very rigid material that decreases loss of power and provides for a more stable stop. This not only improves performance but most likely aids in injury prevention as well. It is a similar concept to powerlifters wearing shoes with extremely dense, hard soles so that they do not lose any of their power output through their shoes. The new skates also provide for better feel because they can be secured more tightly to the foot and the stronger material gives better feedback to the goalie. This concept is similar to wearing a minimalist pair of shoes while running or working out. As you said in your post, better "feel" by the foot means better reaction time. Here is a link to an article posted on the new skates. https://www.nhl.com/news/unmasked-new-skates-giving-goalies-an-edge/c-787521
Superintendent @ Apex Mechanical| EPA, NCCCO, CPR
9 年One other coment i wanted to make is playing sports without a technical understanding can cause “inefficient flailing” (using unnecessary movements to accomplish the sport), which is a direct result of being out of balance. By improving your balance, you can also improve your sports performance and skills. So Stan, your research is much needed and I commend you on your dedication.
Superintendent @ Apex Mechanical| EPA, NCCCO, CPR
9 年It sounds like this could be the new break through in sports of all types. Seems like as a pro athlete these measures would have to be looked at, not to mention all the possibilities for the elderly.