Chest pad/Body saves

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[Grim_D]

Q: When would you actively choose to block the ball with your body?

Instead of getting a glove on a shot, when would you let the ball hit you for an easy block?

With a simple chest save, you can let the ball hit you and then drop to the floor; after the save you can then kick the ball clear to safety, using the time to find somewhere open to put it out to safety. With a passive shot blocking style, you can effectively control your rebounds; stopping the ball and then controlling where the ball ends up on the rebound. A lot like the save-clear method that Ian Taylor pioneered in the '80s.


Similarly, when would you bring your body into the play to use it for a barrier save; covering as much shooting space as possible, rather than trying to react to the ball?

[dave711]

I have had a couple shots where i have been closing the player down who is going for the shot and he struck it, and it came at me just below head height. I had my hands down at that time so i lifted up my right shoulder and got a deflection off my shoulder pad and it went off for a long. Unfortunately, nobody in my team gave my a pat on the back or "nice save." Maybe they didn't see it!
But basically, i would only use my chest to block the ball from the goal. I would just make sure that i kept it between the ball and goal when closing down a 1v1 situation. I wouldn't try to make a save with my chest as i would always go with the hands, but it is nice to have something behind your hands in case you foul up. The above situation was a last resort, which paid off! I wouldnt use it to save something, but it adds a little extra area to stop the shot.

[Grim_D]

But basically, i would only use my chest to block the ball from the goal. I would just make sure that i kept it between the ball and goal when closing down a 1v1 situation. I wouldn't try to make a save with my chest as i would always go with the hands, but it is nice to have something behind your hands in case you foul up. The above situation was a last resort, which paid off! I wouldnt use it to save something, but it adds a little extra area to stop the shot.

The modern keeping style is based on actively getting everything with the hands, so the chest is considered a back up option if you can't get your glove on it.

However, the topic of discussion here is central to "when would you willingly block with the body" for a save. As has been said, it offers rebound control opportunities for passive shot blocking/stand-up style keepers...

Going with the technique of 'putting as much of your body in front of the ball' and 'getting behind the shot', if you bring your arms out to your sides to present a bigger blocking shape, you bring your gloves out of the play and therefore effectively can't make a save with them. Like you say, this is normally in breakaway plays and situations when closing down the shooter.

The other times would be when intentionally blocking a low deflection or strike by coming out right in front of the player and getting behind it.

I have taken a few hits off my chest when blocking shots unsighted behind a screen; if you get behind the shot and block it with all of your body, then it's going to be a save no matter how ugly it is..

[Snoody]

... it's going to be a save no matter how ugly it is..

Absolutely. Would love to make every save look like it's from the pages of a keeping manual, but when necessary you have to keep that ball out of the net somehow.
Currently have the bruise just below my right collar bone to prove it. Stung a bit (through my BA), went some lovely colours, but it was a save.

[Grim_D]

I think the other times you'd use the body would be when charging down an open player (who's just received the pass), coming out to challenge a shooter, or when blocking with a slide tackle/going down on the shot.

I take it the art of the passive block is dead then? No more letting the ball hit you and then drop to the ground for a strong kick clear?

I would've thought it would still have its uses though...

[AndyGaut]

Well I've not seen any chestpad thats had "Great" or "Good" rebound usually hits and drops or bounces straight back into play!

Surely its:
1. Better to control with one of your gloves and then clear. - OR -
2. Deflect the ball away from the goal to an area where the attackers aren't.

Well thats my 2 cents

[gnarlygk]

Call me old school but I occasionally use a chest save in 2 situations both of these upright:

!. When there is a lobbed or flicked shot at goal in a rather congested circle where using your glove will give away a shortie either due to obstruction (by getting your hands up to the ball) or will result in a dangerous raised deflection. In these cases I find its better to take the ball on your chest.

2. Again with a lobbed or flick shot at goal where you are off balance for whatever reason and covering the ball with your body / chest is a better percentage play (larger surface area) than trying to get your smaller glove to the ball whilst off balance.

I find I use it most in the scenario with a lobbed shot at goal - congested area here I try and meet the ball with fwd momentum and chest block the ball whilst moving through it then clear with my kicker.

[Grim_D]

Well I've not seen any chestpad thats had "Great" or "Good" rebound usually hits and drops or bounces straight back into play!

Surely its:
1. Better to control with one of your gloves and then clear. - OR -
2. Deflect the ball away from the goal to an area where the attackers aren't.
Fair point, but there may be times where you 'put the body' in the way to block, such as setting out against a deflection, or getting behind the shot on a 1 on 1.

As for chest pads with 'good' rebound you're right that there aren't really any! The foam in the body armours made for hockey absorbs the shot, dissipating the impact and therefore simply letting it hit you and then drop.

From personal experience, ice hockey goalie body armour offers the best rebound for chest pads. The armour has plastic block inserts rather than foam, so instead of absorbing the shot, it deflects it, bouncing off. A hard shot struck straight at you simply pings right back out!

!. When there is a lobbed or flicked shot at goal in a rather congested circle where using your glove will give away a shortie either due to obstruction (by getting your hands up to the ball) or will result in a dangerous raised deflection. In these cases I find its better to take the ball on your chest.

2. Again with a lobbed or flick shot at goal where you are off balance for whatever reason and covering the ball with your body / chest is a better percentage play (larger surface area) than trying to get your smaller glove to the ball whilst off balance.

Sounds like two good ideas. If playing the ball with the glove would lead to a dangerous play, then blocking sounds like a suitable option. Playing the percentages as well to cover with a large area. I suppose it's being creative and making intelligent use of your kit to make the save.

Seems like it's a technique used at the top level of the game, though. This is Christian Shulte making a block with his body against a flick during the Hamburg Masters:

http://www.thehockeynut.co.uk/hamburg07/pages/hamburgmasters24_JPG.htm

[Zip!]

The only situation I can think of where using the chest pad as a means of making a save is in a situation where the ball is hit with high velocity into the circle for a deflection directly in front of me. If it is too quick for me to react with my hands I could see myself tucking my arms into my body and figuratively presenting a big 6ft x 2.5ft blocking surface.

[floz]

personally I always see the chest pad as a secondary stopping surface... I only really aim to use it if i have missed with a hand... I'd always try to get my body behind any shot if I can though. Just i case I screw it up.
Having said that I try to aim up forwards to take the ball on my chest when running out: That way if they shoot, even a raised shot has a good chance of hitting me in the head or chest or glove and if I tackle them I can get the stick involved too.

all in all - chest is a good backup if you can't react in time or screw it up, but even in a busy D i recon a glove gives you more control. (afterall you can always defelct straight down or behind in most cases.

F

[GK-NT#1]

using your chest thighs arms or helmet is hardly ever an advisable way of making a save. even when you go to meet a player in a one on one you are aiming to take the ball with the leg or gloves as you can direct where they are going more effectively and so you have more rebound force behind the ball. only ever time i would use my body even half intentionally would be in a down low smothering positiong when my arms are by my side, even then im aiming to close down the attacker with my legpads and kickers.
as for the part about the danger in the circle bit, how is lowering the ball with your gloves at the same height as your chest less dangerous than allowing it too rebound off of your chest?
also if the circle is cluttered and the ball comes down from a height inside of it, it is going to be called danger anyway and the free will be given accordingly, but if you reach up and dont allow the ball to come down to a dangerous position you can pop the ball up over the back line or over the crowd out into the field of play

[silky]

An interesting point is that Mercian call their kit a 'chest protector' and 'deflectors'....indicating their proposed intentions.

[Snoody]

Well my definition when I play is 'goal-keeper', indicating that my proposed intention is to stop the ball entering the net.

So, frankly I really don't give a damn what part of my body or kit keeps the ball out.

As I said higher up, we'd all love to make textbook, picture-perfect saves, but the reality is that just isn't going to happen every time.

So rather than try to explain to my team-mates that the reason I let the ball pass me into the goal was that my chest guard is actually meant to be a purely protective piece of gear, rather than high-rebound save item, I'll make the stop, thanks.

 

[MrVaepOr]

Idealy you dont want to use your chest its there for your protection, but i use it for charging down drag flicks???

[Ninja GK]

Logging - The body is a big part of getting big.