5 Goalkeeper Training Tips

#1 First of the goalkeeping tips – Decide on the purpose of your training session
Sounds simple enough right? I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve seen goalkeeper training sessions with no purpose. Often times it is just a random mixture of unrelated drills. Are you planning on working on handling? Looking to deal with crossed balls? The key goalkeeping skills you must master is a good place to start.

#2 Focus on attacking the ball
Goalkeepers often have a habit of not attacking the ball during a training session. By ‘attacking’, I mean forward motion. When diving, you cut the angle down more effectively if you have forward momentum in your dive. Whenever you are making a save or dealing with a crossed ball, look for an opportunity to steal a step or two forward.

#3 Dynamic stretches for warm up & cool down
There is a wealth of research on the benefits of dynamic stretches online. For some of you it will be stating the obvious; never neglect a cool down. Sometimes after a heavy GK agility session, a cool down is the last thing on your mind.

#4 Stay in the goalkeeper set position
The goalkeeper set position is the stance you should be taken up throughout a match. It gives you the best combination of balance and fast movement. Following this goalkeeping tip means that even when you aren’t needing to make a save (for example, during a footwork drill), you are forcing good goalkeeping habits and ingraining a fundamental GK skill.

#5 Work on your first touch as much as possible
The fifth of our goalkeeping tips is probably the most neglected. If you can’t control a ball, you cannot play football. At the highest levels, goalkeepers are now making more touches with their feet than their hands during 90 minutes. You must work hard to ensure your feet are as sharp as your hands. There is no excuses. Ask to participate in your team mate’s passing drills.