The Set Position
The (very simple!) keys to a solid and consistent set position
Picking up where I left off with my previous post; the set position is the foundation of the goalkeeper. A good set position makes for a steady keeper, a bad set position makes for a shaky keeper. Everything that a goalkeeper does always comes back to their set positioning
The focus here is how to achieve the perfect set position stance and to make it second nature. Where should our feet be? Where should our weight be leaning?
The two main things to focus on when getting into the set positioning. These are the width of your stance and keeping your weight leaning forward.
The Stance
The stance should not be too narrow nor should it be too wide.
An overly narrow stance will affect the keeper’s balance. If the keeper is off balance, it’s going to affect the quickness of motion.
If the stance is too wide, it’s going to affect the keeper's range of motion. If the keeper stands with their feet spread far apart, the ability to move laterally is greatly impacted. Try spreading your feet really wide and then taking a lateral step in either direction. It’s impossible without narrowing the stance.
While the wider stance might make the keeper feel that they are taking up more of the goal, they lose the quick first step. Now you are basically putting yourself in a position where you’re hoping to just be hit with the ball/shot as opposed to making a save.
By finding a strong middle ground, the keeper will find themself well balanced and with the ability to move quickly and decisively across goal.
The optimal set positioning is achieved by making sure that your feet, hips and shoulders are all in line, or very close to it. By having your feet in line with your hips and shoulders, the keeper can now make a quick step in either direction, increasing their speed and range of motion.
Positioning Your Weight
The other important part to focus on is weight distribution. More specifically, keeping your weight leaning forward.
Keeping body weight forward allows the keeper to attack the ball and actively reach towards it. We want to intercept that ball at a point out in front of us.
As the ball travels toward goal, more often than not it is driven in a direction away from the keeper. If the makes an active attempt towards the ball, they can make the save while limiting ground they need to cover.
I personally recommend having about 70% of your weight leaning forward. Just enough to start feeling like you might fall forward without actually doing so.
Keeping your weight leaning forward prevents flat footedness and allows for a much quicker first step. This improves the range of motion of the keeper and allows for more decisive movements and decision making.
A good mnemonic device I like to use is “nose over toes”. Quite literally meaning that in order to ensure your weight is leaning forward, make sure that the position of your nose is directly in line with your toes.
Practice on Your Own
A really simple drill I like to do starts with putting a cone in the center of the goal. The keeper will side shuffle to the cone and get into their perfect set position. The server will then drive a low ball to either side of the keeper. The keeper will attempt to side shuffle and collect the shot without diving.
This gives a great visualization of the increased range of motion created by a good set position. Every keeper I’ve done this with is amazed at how much of the goal they are able to cover while staying on two feet.
It really hammers home how a good set positioning vastly improves the ground the keeper is able to cover. The more often the keeper is able to stay on two feet the better.
Last Thoughts
The best keepers are very conscious of making sure to constantly be adjusting their set position as well. The more aware the keeper is of their positioning the better off they will be. Make sure to always stay light on your feet and pay attention to the width of your stance as well as your weight distribution.