Muscle-Memory – The Key to Reaction Saves

 I get asked all of the time about putting goalkeepers through reaction save situations. This is obviously a very key part of goalkeeping but there are a lot of things that go into being successful at it. Almost anyone can “stop shots” as the basics of this are pretty simple and easy. However a true goalkeeper is very efficient and clean technically. So when they are forced to react and make a save, they will do it smoothly and either hold the ball or deflect it out of immediate danger

But being a shot stopper is only one element of being a quality goalkeeper

Simply put you can be good stopper of shots but not a very good goalkeeper!

So what are the other elements that make a good goalkeeper? Angle play, Cutting out crosses / through balls , communication etc. The goalkeeper will eliminate these opportunities before the opportunity arises for a player to shoot.

To create an example of this …put an outfield player in goal during one of your sessions and they will be able to save many of the shots but they will probably not hold the ball or deflect it into the proper areas or use the angles to limit the space in the area of the goal. The answer will be No! The reason that they will have moderate success is that they will throw their hands / body / legs at the ball to save the shot. But they are unlikely to have the body control to be efficient at it. They siply do not train their body to perform in this way on a day in day out basis like a goalkeeper.

I certainly do not expect my goalkeepers to save every shot, but I would expect them to deal with things a lot better and make the saves look easier. This is why professionals at any sport make the game look easy and simple… they have very limited wasted movement and their body moves effortlessly because it knows exactly how to move efficiently.

How Does The Body Know How To Do This?

 

 Technical Training is Key

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The reason?

It is ALL about creating proper “Muscle Memory”.

Static technical training needs to be an essential part of the daily training, you will never grow out of this type of training if you are going to have a long career. The repetition after repetition of simple activities will activate not only the body but also the mind. For this reason I am not a great believer of what is sometimes called advanced training. Quality goalkeeper training should for this reason be kept very simple!  Having watched professional goalkeeper train there exercises were extremely simple in nature but the difference that could be noticed between the professional and the amateur was that the professional was able to carry out this training at a very high level and control their bodies at every moment. At the professional level it is about maintaining sharpness and confidence.

Your body and mind are not very intelligent unless you tell them to perform. The repetitions of perfect technical work will allow the body and mind to begin to know what to do and when to do it when it is called upon to do so. The body needs to learn “how to react!” This technical training will program your body and mind to keep the proper shape of your hands, body head etc. So when you are forced to react, then your muscle memory will kick in and you will be able to react better and make save look easier and cleaner

That’s Goalkeeping!!!!

I do not want you to think that goalkeepers will only conduct static technical work in their sessions. That is definitely not the case at all, there has to be reaction saves in their regime as well. For that is what goalkeeper’s encounter all of the time in a match and they must see the situation and react!

Our training should certainly replicate match situations, there are hundreds of different reaction type exercises and I will let you investigate these on your own

What I would recommend to you is always start out with some static / technical work during every training session to maintain sharpness with your Muscle Memory.

Gradually bring in your reaction exercises and make sure that you are continuing to be successful with it and have full control of your body when in these situations. We want to get to the point that you make a great save and you get up, brush yourself down and say to yourself “How Did I Do That”.

Then you will know that you mind and body are working together because Muscle Memory is instinctive.