Basic catching and handling skills can go a long way for youth and novice goalkeepers and are a great foundation to build off of. A great philosophy for starting out as a goalkeepers is to become consistent at a range and then expand that range. In other words, make it a goal to save everything between a foot to your left and a foot to your right. Then try to make it two feet in each direction. Once you have that down, try for 3 and 4. Obviously, the further you expand your range the more difficult it will be. Goalkeeper’s should be most consistent in the smaller range because that’s where more shots go. The main two techniques are a basket catch and a contour (or “W” catch). These techniques will cover all shots directly in front of a goalkeeper, from a ball on the ground to a ball shot over the goalkeepers head.
Shot on the ground – Basket Catch
A basket catch is the most reliable technique for catching the shots on the ground. A common mistake is for a goalkeeper to just stop the ball with his or her palms, but that habit tends to give up costly rebounds. To do a basket catch for a shot on the ground – slightly bend your knees and turn your palms towards you/facing the sky. Keep your elbows straight and pinkies together. Keep your chest low to the ground and reach out for the ball with your hands and guide the ball into your chest.
Shot in the air, but under the goalkeeper’s chest – Basket Catch
The basket catch technique is used for both balls on the ground and balls in the air that are under the goalkeeper’s chest. The technique doesn’t change whether the shot is in the air or on the ground. You still want to use your hands to guide the ball securely into your chest. Remember, as you reach out try to keep your pinkies and elbows together and attack the ball – don’t try to catch it as it hits your chest.
Shot at the goalkeeper’s chest or higher - Contour or “W” Catch
There are two primary techniques for catching a ball above your chest. Your hands will either make a “W” shape – the tips of your thumbs will be close to each other and your index fingers will be pointing towards the sky. The contour technique is slightly different, your wrists turn slightly in and your thumbs are almost pointing directly at each other. Your index fingers will not point directly at the the sky or directly at each other, but right in between. You’re almost making a diamond or triangle shape with your hands. With both of these techniques, the majority of the work is coming from your thumb and index fingers. The rest of your hand is used to support those fingers.
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