Tip #24
Do low balls driven to your left or right have a tendency to go underneath you when you collapse???
This is a common problem that I see in keepers of all ages.
Keepers love to power dive for balls and this is all well and good when the opportunity presents itself. However, I see this as being a problem for keepers when trying to collapse for balls that may be fairly close to their bodies.
Proper collapsing technique should begin with a step towards the ball with the proper lead foot (right foot lead when going right; left foot lead when going left) NOT a two-footed takeoff.
The lead foot should point directly at the spot where you want to collect the ball, NOT forward, but at an angle. If a keeper’s plant foot is pointing forward and the ball is moving at an angle with his/her body then their hips will be going forward and their hands will be reaching at the angle of the ball. Keepers must point their lead foot at the angle of the moving ball and then drive their head and hands into the direction that their foot is now pointing. The hands AND head should be driven over their leading knee towards the ball.
Now, sometimes keepers do this initial movement correctly, but the ball is still getting underneath them; this means that the keeper is not getting his/her head down to the ball as quickly as their hands are getting there.
If keepers get their heads down to the ground as quickly as their hands get there and they are directing the leading foot properly, then the chances of the ball getting underneath them will drop drastically.
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