Mentality and Equipment

[LacrosseRob]

I started playing goal in the last few months after having played middie for about a year and I was wondering what people thought about how much equipment you should wear and why. The most common things I've read (and found) is that it's generally a balance between protection/mobility (and sometimes heat).

But I've rarely heard anything about how it affects your thinking in net (besides some obvious grandstanding by 13 year olds calling other people pussies).

In terms of my mentality i've always thought I'll never wear football shinpads/d elbow pads/padded shorts because it's things I don't strictly need which will affect my mentality, that is, if i'm wearing this stuff it's because i'm afraid of the ball and because i think i won't get to it in time. If i don't wear it i'll get used to getting hit (you can never cover your entire body obviously so it's going to happen) and I'll build quicker reflexes and won't flinch at those cannon shots you get sometimes.

What's people thoughts on this? Does more equipment build confidence or reduce it?

[plainnash]

It's great for someone just starting out in goal, pad up as much as you want then remove the pads as and when you feel comfortable.
Personally I find it gives me a negative mentality, like I don't want to be hit, which is entirely the wrong thing to think IMO. I always tell shooters to shoot hard at goalies with extra padding, because it usually means they're afraid of being hit.

One thing which can help is to get someone to hold a ball in their hand and hit you on the mask with it, hard and lots. It stops the flinching from a shot and I've found it helps my mentality loads.

Also, shots hurt less on muscle ;D. So I've heard...

[DanSawyer]

I don't play in goal except in training if our goalies aren't there. This is in no small way because I'm scared of being hit...

I find that more pads make me less scared and I definitely keep better with shin pads etc because I then get behind the ball more.

It's the same in cricket: I'll get my head over the ball more for drives if I have my helmet on.

[samaleyo]

I don't think shin pads slow you down enough to make a real difference. And if not wearing them at all means that you can't make the save then it's fairly irrelevant anyway right?

Bottom line: Wear whatever you feel comfortable in to get the job done, and f**k anyone who says any different.

John Marr, who has now retired, was one of the best goalies in the country in his prime and he had a very unusual style of play. He was padded head to toe, I think he used carpet lining to stuff in the gaps so he was completely covered. He would keep his stick at his feet ready for low shots and so used his body to save every shot that was going high. It was a really unusual style, but it worked for him and he played in the Prem for a long time with Brooklands, played for Scotland for a long time too.

Anyway, I'm sure someone else can tell you more about his life story. Point is, wearing pads has nothing to do with whether you're scared of getting hit. John Marr was a great goalie, was certainly not afraid of getting hit, and wore padding all over.

It's human nature to not want to get hurt by a lacrosse ball, but you don't get over it by telling yourself that if you're not wearing padding then you're not afraid. You get over it by realising that it doesn't hurt that much (usually) and by developing better technique so you can save shots with your stick.

[webby]

I've never understood how lacrosse goalies can wear so little padding.

In ice hockey, the fastest recorded shot is approximately 106mph (Chara at the 2011 Allstar Game). In lacrosse, the fastest recorded shot is approximately 111mph (Rabil at 2010 Allstar Game).

Both sports use a solid rubber projectile, yet lacrosse goalies wear minimal padding.

Chris Sanderson (Canada)


Martin Brodeur (Canada)


Is it because you are less likely to face a rocket of a shot in lacrosse during a game? Or are less likely to make a save with your body? Why do box goalies play with more padding than field goalies?

[Mort rotu]

Ice hockey pucks and LaX balls weigh roughly the same (the puck is abt 20g/1oz heavier according to wikipedia), maybe its to do with the force applied, as the puck will make contact with a smaller area?

Or LaX goalies are all nuts. (and we love them for it)

[LashBro]

Wear what you feel comfortable in. I guess that the top goalie's wear minimal padding for a reason, other than being nuts. Football shin pads really don't limit your movement, I wear them under my trackies. I do tend to make a lot of shin saves though. I once wore thigh pads (we were playing Durham) and they make little difference to movement, they're just very hot! They also do little to protect shots from that Sieverts lad.

You do tend to look at a goalie before a game and if he has huge shin guards on, thigh guards and even arm guards (never seen those myself) then you automatically believe he is weak. If you wear huge shin guards you will get a lot of shots down at your feet, as attackmen will know you hate getting hit there. Nonetheless, if you wear loads of pads and stop loads of shots, who cares?!

In light of all this, wear what you feel confident in. If you can take the "pussy" banter from other teams (and your own team!) then pad up :p If it slows you down then take it off, simples. Besides, that ball hurts less once you've had a couple of seasons between the pipes!

[LacrosseRob]

It's interesting to see what other people think. I think I'll stick with the chest/box/gloves for now (and a pair of baggy sweats if that counts as goalie 'equipment' :p ). Some shin guards might be worth investing in but I think for the most part I have more to worry about trying to get quicker than being hit since it doesn't really bother me 90% of the time and there's definitely some more saves I should be making. Thanks for the responses!

[LPierce]

I have to confess to wearing padded shorts. If you're likely to be taking a lot of in close shots against inexperienced shooters they're a sound investment.
Nothing wrong with wearing some protection for training and taking it off for a match.... Before my first game I'd always worn shin pads and then just made the random decision not to play in them and it was fine.

As others have said wear what makes you confident. If you think getting hit in the shin will hurt and so you move your leg then get a shinpad and make the save. If someone says that only wimps wear shinpads explain that actually you don't like having slight dents in your shin.
I've got them, they feel funny.

And that ain't cool.

[jacob]

Wearing shin pads and padded shorts as well as a decent chest pad can only help your game as a new goalie. A baggy pair of joggers hides it all, and makes you a bit wider anyway, which can help in stopping shots. You can easily run with all the above on and you'll be warm on those cold winter days when our attack don't let the defence, or goalie, get a look in!

http://lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com/ this blog is a great resource for goalies. It covers basically everything you need to know including a few articles on what equipment new goalies should wear, dealing with fear of the ball and the mentality a goalie needs. I would recommend reading every article on it.

[Mmk]

ice hockey goalies need to make more body saves. look how small broedeurs blocker is compared to the net. most of the shots he saves are with gloves and shin pads. also its a lot colder on the ice if your not moving much. lax goalies fully padded up out in the sun will overheat quicker.
at the end of the day its down to personal preference. ive never played in net but if i did i would be padded up cos ive been hit on the legs in d before.

[finners@chich]

Our new goalie wears shinpads. I don't think people care providing he makes saves. I've seen him stick a leg out and even header the ball when he can't get his Stick there. If pads gives someone that sort of bravery does it matter that they are wearing them?

[DanSawyer]

It also prevents him from adding to his fierce collection of injuries! I'm not convinced he'd have stopped quite so many shots at Pompey 8s had he not had the pads to cover his chipped shinbone. The one he got when keeping without pads...

[jsgi]

You should not wear shinpads or any other additional padding because you are afraid of the ball. If you are afraid of the ball you should not be in goal.

I used to not wear them till a few years ago when our nice LDO destroyed my left shin in a series of 80+ mph shots in dim light in training. Missed 3 weeks with badly bruised and swollen leg and have worn shinpads ever since. Not sure it made much difference to my reactions or speed but I hobbled a lot less in the last few years.

If you are worried about the abuse just wear a baggy pair of trackie bottoms and no-one is to know.

[Rotisserie]

I just don't understand the mentality behind abusing people who wear pads? It's an obvious decision if it doesn't affect your goalkeeping reactions, why would anybody prefer to get hurt more unless they were a genuine masochist?

Surely this is similar to telling people not to wear helmets on a motorbike because it's "not as cool"? (for example)

[DanSawyer]

Because you look cooler and harder and you get to abuse those who choose to be different?

[Mmk]

not wearing a helmet on a motorbike really messes your hair up. you get all sorts of stuff in it - dust, dirt, dead flies/bugs... not cool.

if you can wear more padding without it affecting your game then go for it. anyone gives you **** for wearing pads offer to swap positions for a few games.

[BenUEA]

Our Goalie was a fresher this year, never picked up a stick before and on the odd occasion wears the thin padded shorts made by Warrior. He's a bit of a nutter really, doesn't like shin pads or elbow caps and you can usually find him charging up the pitch and unleashing a ridiculously good underarm shot.

[Wezalmighty]

Size of the goal makes a difference I'd have thought.

Ice hockey goalies are taking advantage of the small goal by trying to fill as much of it as possible.
Our goalies will never be able to fill the space effectively and still remain dexterous enough to cover whatever net is still exposed.

In contrast, look at box lacrosse goalies who have taken the ice hockey route because the rules allow for it.
(though in fairness, they see a lot more shots than field goalies so I don't blame them)

[Dining Room]

Size of the goal makes a difference I'd have thought.

Ice hockey goalies are taking advantage of the small goal by trying to fill as much of it as possible.
Our goalies will never be able to fill the space effectively and still remain dexterous enough to cover whatever net is still exposed.

In contrast, look at box lacrosse goalies who have taken the ice hockey route because the rules allow for it.
(though in fairness, they see a lot more shots than field goalies so I don't blame them)

Some goalies up north do a good job at filling the goals!