Field Hockey Keeper Drills

Make yourself a better goalie by practicing these field hockey keeper drills. In field hockey, the keeper, as in many other sports, is the last line of defense between your team and a goal. The nuances of the keeper position are different than those of any other field hockey position, so you'll need a separate group of exercises to hone your skills. Some of these field hockey keeper drills will require the assistance of a partner.

1. Mobility Drill. Place four balls, cones or markers in a semi-circle around the field hockey goal. Have the keeper run out to the first marker, then run backwards toward the goal without turning his head around. Repeat for each marker. This field hockey drill is designed to improve a keepers ability to get back into position without having to turn his head around, so his eyes can always stay on the ball.
2. One on One Drill. The most simple field hockey keeper drill on our list, simply have a partner stand in front of the goal and take shots on the goalie. The specific distance between the partner and the goal as well as the velocity can vary to throw a variety of looks at the keeper.
3. Diving Drill. While a field hockey goal is not as big as a soccer goal, a keeper still needs to know how to dive properly to deflect shots. In this field hockey drill, have a partner roll or shoot field hockey balls to the left and right of the keeper—shots should not be on center. For added variety, the keeper can practice standing up or on his knees as well as using his hands and/or his stick.
4. Give and Go Drill. You will need two partners for this field hockey drill. Have the two partners move in from midfield and attack the keeper, as they would in a real game. They should be regularly passing the ball back to one another, eventually taking a shot on goal. Each give and go should be different and who attacks from what part of the field is completely dependent on the creativity of the two partners.