By Eli Wilson /
A good butterfly slide is one of the most important tools a goaltender can have in his repertoire. It allows him to move quickly while keeping his body on the puck.
The butterfly is a great style because it allows the goaltender to fully cover the lower and middle portions of the net. With most shots being taken at these two areas, it makes sense for goalies to drop down with their heels flaired out, upper body erected as much as possible, and their hands close to their body. This forces the shooters to beat them with a tough shot in one of the corners of the net. It only makes sense that in situations such as a quick lateral pass, a pass out from the corner, or a deek that the goaltender tries to replicate the butterfly position.
The butterfly slide can be broken into four phases: the step, the drop, the push, and the butterfly itself.
The Step
Goalies have to keep in mind that if they are forced to use a butterfly slide it is because the puck is quickly changing direction. With the puck changing direction, the angles the goaltender must cover are different. Therefore, the goalie has to adjust his body position. In order to do this he has to “step back.” Leading the way should be his head and shoulders. If the goalie keeps his eyes on the puck as it is moving, his upperbody will automatically turn.
Next he must adjust with his lower body. He does this by slightly lifting the back part of his inside skate. As he does this, his back leg (the pushing leg) will also change position, and will now be facing back (with toe pointing towards the puck). The step is the most important part of the slide, especially for young goaltenders. Beginners often make the mistake of not stepping. Their skate blade stays on the ice and they end up doing a T-push followed by a butterly drop. As a result they expose the middle of the net for too long.
The drop
After the goalie has stepped back it is time for her to bring her inside knee down to allow the inside of the pad to get on the ice, making a slide possible. This is probably the easiest part of the slide. Right after she has lifted up her lead skate the goalie has to quickly bring her knee down. These two steps are done almost at the same time. Goalies must be careful not to get too wide as they bring their inside knee down.
The goalie’s power comes from under her body. Therefore, if she gets in a wide position when she drops her inside knee, it will be hard for her to push with power towards the puck. So the goalie has to make sure that she drops her knee close to her body. This will also allow her to close her five-hole more effectively.
The Push
Just like a goalie does when executing a T-push or a shuffle, they have to make sure that when they slide they push through their entire blade. The goalie should finish his push with his toes, allowing his ankle to give him extra power. “quick feet” are essential to a successful butterfly slide. Right after the goalie has pushed he has to bring his power leg down under his body to cover the five-hole.
The Butterfly Position
When facing a shot from the slot or the perimeter, the goalie does not want to drop her hands down into a blocking mode. Only on a shot from a close range (about the distance of a stick length) does she want to bring her hands in tight along her body in order to create a big “wall.” On shots from far out, the goalie has to be ready to react since the shooter has net available to shoot at.
When they start their slide it is important that goalies stay in control of their hands. They have to keep them in front of them, and both hands have to be facing the puck. Their elbows should be tucked into their ribs in order to make sure that the six- and seven-hole (behind arms and body) are closed. In addition, the catcher should also be facing down at the puck. Young goalies have the tendency to lose control of their arms and hands when they slide. As a result they are not ready to react if they have to and their stick gets in a bad position behind them.
In situations where the goalie has to use a blocking butterfly, it is imporant that she does not drop her hands until she has body position. Until she has body position it remains a reactive buttefly. Only when her body gets in position is it time to create the wall.
Keep training hard and check back next issue for more of my goalie tips and techniques.
And remember… Keep your eye on the puck!!
Eli Wilson is the goaltending coach of the Ottawa Senators and is also president of Calgary’s World Pro Goaltending school. |
