Special Handball Practice 3 - Training units and drills for goalkeepers

Goalkeepers are an integral part of the team and may have a great impact regarding the successful outcome of a game. In the daily training routine, however, it is not easy to support goalkeepers adequately. This can be achieved through special training units or exercises for goalkeepers in the second half of the court. Moreover, the team training should also include exercises that focus on the goalkeepers.

The first two training units in this book focus on goalkeeper training in particular. The field players do the exercises in parallel and serve as shooting players for the goalkeeper training. You may also integrate individual exercises of this training units into your usual team training.

The third training unit deals with fast break initiation and is suitable for the whole team. The units 3 and 4 may be used for team training, and individual exercises are also suitable for goalkeeper training (e.g. on the other half of the court), with only few shooting players needed. The exercises in the last chapter can be integrated in every training unit.

The individual exercises have intermediate to higher requirements and are suitable for groups aged 12 years and older.

This book contains the following training units:
Saving shots at the bottom of the goal
This training unit focuses on goalkeeper training and on saving shots at the bottom of the goal in particular. The exercises may be used for other shooting variants as well. Following warm-up and a short game, there will be a coordination run, in which legwork will be combined with passing and catching. The three subsequent goalkeeper exercises include a coordination task and two shots at the bottom corners of the goal. As an intermediate exercise, the players do somersaults before catching the ball. This training unit is suitable for four goalkeepers and four shooting players.

Saving shots at the top and middle of the goal with the feet
This training unit focuses on the saving technique of the goalkeepers for shots at the middle and top of the goal. Good agility is prerequisite for this. Following warm-up, there will be an exercise which combines the basic goalkeeper movements with coordination ladder drills. In the ball familiarization phase, the goalkeepers do short coordination exercises and play passes of medium length to the field players. Afterwards, the goalkeepers do a quick series of basic movements on the balance pad before they try to save shots while standing on the balance pad in the subsequent exercise. Following this, there will be series of shots in which the goalkeepers initially practice how to save balls shot at the top of the goal from the wing positions as well as a series of 3 shots with subsequent saving of a ball shot at the bottom of the goal.

Initiation of a fast break by the goalkeeper
This training unit focuses on the initiation of a fast break by the goalkeeper. Following warm-up and a short game, the players combine passes and coordination exercises during the ball familiarization phase. The goalkeeper warm-up shooting includes series of shots and fast break situations for the goalkeeper. Two offense exercises deal with fast break initiation following preparatory exercises and are followed by a small group exercise in which the players have to switch from defense to offense play immediately. A fast break game with an outnumbered defense completes this training unit.

Goalkeeper training with series of shots at the top and bottom of the goal and shots from the wing positions
This training unit focuses on goalkeeper training. The key elements are saving shots at the top and bottom corners of the goal, with the goalkeeper having to work against a Deuser band, as well as practicing saving variants for shots from the wing positions. Following warm-up and a coordination run and long pass exercise, there will be a goalkeeper warm-up shooting. In the subsequent three series of shots, the goalkeepers practice saving shots at the top and bottom corners of the goal and shots from the wing positions. A shooting contest at different targets completes this training unit.

Intensive goalkeeper training with series of shots and fast break initiation
This training unit focuses on goalkeeper training with series of shots and long passes for fast break initiation. Following warm-up and a short game, there will be different goalkeeper exercises that include series of shots with additional tasks and initiation of fast breaks alternately.

As well as 10 additional individual exercises (Effective goalkeeper warm-up shooting)