Question: Hey Jonathan,
Great blog! I’m a girl freshman goalie, and I was wondering whether there was a specific depth that my pocket should be.
I know that with normal girl pockets, the ball has to be able to be seen over the head’s sidewalls, but do you have any idea
if this is still a rule when it comes to girls’ goalie pockets? Right now I have a hard-meshed nemesis that’s about 2 balls deep,
is this about right, or do I need to modify the depth of my pocket?
Thanks so much!
LS
Answer: Hey there Alexa. There is no pocket depth rule. It can be as deep as you’d like it to be. I’d keep this in mind though:
1) You want it deep enough so that you can cradle the ball effectively.
2) You want it shallow enough that you can make a decent outlet pass to a teammate.
3) The stronger you are physically the deeper a pocket you can have without compromising your ability to clear the ball.
Good luck Alexa. Let me know if you need anything else.
Jonathan – The Goalie Guru
www.inseasonhome.com
Hello,
Any off the shelf stick I have seen – needs to be restrung due to lack of pocket and giving up too many rebounds.
Deep pocket down by the neck – so that the head’s plastic helps hold the ball in on a shot and a gradual tightening as you get to the shooting strings.
Hard to explain in words – but that is my take.
Thanks Jillian. I totally agree. When store bought sticks are strung at the factory they tend to “sit” for a long time prior to actually being broken in. Strings and mesh get what’s called a “memory”. That is why it is tough sometimes to restring a stick while trying to save the mesh.
I agree too on the deep pocket towards the throat. Tightening up towards the scoop. I find this gives the best release for most goalies, and the best chance to hold on to rebounds.
Check out http://www.LadyTHawks.com. Good luck this year!
Jonathan – The Goalie Guru
http://www.inseasonhome.com
hi guys.
i was wondering what you think about shooting strings.
i usually play with one straight and 2 v’s but i have a friend (hes a boy: im a girl) who swears by 3v’s. whats the difference? and should it be different for girls and boys games?
hey everyone,
i also have a question about the strining of a girls goalie stick. i currently have three srtaight across shooting strings but the other varsity goalie i partner with has the two straight and one v. I heard that one accounts for better accuracy and the other for farther thwows, is this true and which one does each go to?
msgvl
Julia the V shooting string would help to channel the ball to the middle of the stick as you go to throw it.
The release point on both sticks would be the same of the tension on the shooting strings was the same. So farther throws would be a result of which athlete was stronger not necessarily whether there is a V in there or not.
The V can help younger/smaller/weaker athletes channel the ball for more consistent passing. Female goalies typically have weaker hand and forearm strength so the V can be helpful for accurate passing. Ultimately accuracy comes down to being able to feel the ball in the head of the stick as you go to pass. You can do just fine with straight shooting strings over time.
Personally I’m not a fan of the V. I think it takes away part of your pocket making it tighter possibly give up more rebounds. I have played with a V a few times and found that sometimes after scooping the ball the ball would get stuck between the second shooting string and the string that made up the V. I had to pop the ball out of the stick slightly and refocus on catching the ball in the center of the pocket just so I could throw.
Hope that helps Julia.
Jonathan – The Goalie Guru