How to Save Wing Shots in Handball
When we are working with young goalkeepers on how to save wing shots in handball, then the first thing we need to work on will be the wing stance. The wing stance of a handball goalkeeper is used as a preparatory proper position for saves of shots from the wing position.
Before you start to work on wing saves with your young goalkeepers, it’s important to understand that there are different ways to position and to react on wing shots depending if the wing shot comes from a different width of a shooting angle. In my work, I like to split it on work on 3 different shooting angles: small, normal, and a big angle of wing shooting.
Now, it’s very important for me to say right away at the beginning that this is not the only way to work on saves of wing shots! Every coach has own coaching philosophy, own way of understanding the whole concept of goalkeeping, and own way to coach different aspects of goalkeeper game. Also, in my work – I will not always apply the same principles and the same steps of teaching, it will always depend on many other aspects, but mostly on what kind of a goalkeeper am I working with. So please take all ideas that I share with a “grain of salt”, knowing that there are always different approaches and different ways, and that I share some parts of my work, just so that other coaches, goalkeepers and parents can find an additional understanding and inspiration to discover their own coaching (or goalkeeping) genius!
The Wing Angle of Shooting
In this article I will speak about the wing stance and about the basic principles of positioning for saves of wing shots.
The wing stance is a preparatory position of a goalkeeper before saving the shots from a small or a normal wing shooting angle. Because when we speak about the big wing shooting angle from which wing players can shoot – then a goalkeeper would take a normal basic goalkeeper stance, since the angle of shooting would be very big to use the wing stance.
Having that in mind the next logical step, which many coaches neglect or just ignore, is to show to your goalkeeper the angles from the wing position. You can use any kind of rope or elastic string for this.
In this photo you can see the preview of the wing shooting angle from the perspective of a ball (and that angle is changing together with the change of position of shooter’s arm, hand, body, and jump) and you can see where in the goal the ball can go from that shooting position.
This means that if the wing shot comes from a small angle- the goalkeeper has to just position properly, observe and wait for the shot! There is NO NEED to make a step forward when the shot comes from a small angle! This is where even many senior level goalkeepers make a mistake when it comes to reactions to the wing shots – in stepping forward unnecessarily when the wing shot comes from a very small angle. By stepping forward in that situation, we are opening the goal and opening the angle of shooting for the shooter, thus making it easier for them to score.
The next important thing to understand is the wing stance, which is a little bit different than the basic goalkeeper stance.
The Wing Stance of a Handball Goalkeeper
The main difference between the wing stance and the basic stance is that we use the arm closer to the post to cover the space above and in front of the head (as shown in the photo below).
NOTE: if you have very young goalkeeper who is not tall enough yet, then you will avoid this position of arms, and you will use higher basic stance position of the arms.
Another difference between the basic stance and wing stance is position of the foot further from the post-that foot should be little bit “open” towards the player.
Features of the wing stance of a handball goalkeeper
- The legs are slightly separated (for example: not more than the size of handball ball).
- The body weight is on the leg that is closer to the post.
- The other leg is freed of weight so that it is easy to move it during the save reaction. Hip of this leg is in external rotation, so that the foot is slightly rotated towards outside.
- Hand closer to the post is bent at the elbow and raised above/in front of the head, so that the forearm that is movable protects head and defends the upper corner of the goal above goalkeeper’s head.
- The other hand (the one that is further from the post) is raised and bent in the elbow at around 90°. This hand controls the upper back corner. This hand also serves to defend together with leg middle high shots in back corner.
Please remember: from my experience of working with beginners goalkeepers for 15 years, it will be much easier for a young goalkeeper to understand the whole concept of how to save complex and “dangerous” wing shots, if you split the wing shots in 3 segments, depending from how big angle the shot is coming:
- a small
- a normal or
- a big shooting angle.
Also, to each of these segments you want to add 3 different levels of shots:
- high
- middle and
- low shots.
And in the end you want to work with each level of shots depending on whether the shot comes to the front or to the back corner of the goal.
A very important thing (if we are speaking about the shot that comes from a normal wing angle), is that a goalkeeper should start the preparation for the wing save from the basic wing stance by going forward – by making a step forward, towards the player. This step forward should be made first with the leg that is closer to the post, and then joining the other leg (not right next to it, but placing it on the floor approximately in the shoulder width apart from the other leg) and then reacting to the shot, or (if needed) following the flight / movement of the wing shooter with small side steps, and then reacting to the executed shot accordingly.
But please keep it in your mind – making a step forward towards the player IS NOT THE ONLY, THE EXCLUSIVE WAY to position or to react to the wing shots! There are many varieties and things that have to be considered and worked on when it comes to reacting on wing shots!!! What I shared with you in this article is only one way of how to work on it when starting to work on this topic with young goalkeepers.
In the video below you can find a short description and example of the way how I start working with young goalkeepers to understand how react on wing shots that are coming from different angles:
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6 Responses
Vanja is the best ! *
Hvala ti, Coki! :*
Hello,nice share.
Thank you!
Being a keeper for +30 years I fully agree with your views. As a coach I have had some problems explaining to the young people what they should do – your posts have helped me in that. Many thanks!
Hello Peter,
I’m glad that I could help! 🙂 Enjoy reading! 🙂