A blog for and about hockey goalkeepers and goalkeeping, trying to expand their coverage, given what a niche market it is! Was a little disappointed that there is nothing like this around so thought I'd have a bash at remedying that! Written with a slightly Gonzo journalistic approach.
Thoughts and analysis of the elite. All opinions are my own; can't be bothered with anyone else's after all!
Another convert to TK foam of recent times seems to Ben Cowling at Havant. Staying on at the coastal side, the former Canterbury shot stopper will be keen to lead his side out of the divison and back to the national league. Wearing the rebound enhancing TK Synergy pads he can get the best out of his reactive style of shot stopping dealing with corners.
Again, David Kettle joins Paddy Smith in switching from the rhp he had been using for a number of seasons for the Obo Hi Rebound rhp. Offering a larger blocking surface to standing saves getting behind the ball, it will be interesting to see if Ketts uses a different approach to save making or different technique as he makes use of the glove. Using a modified TK rhp for maximum effectiveness for such a long time, it will be of interest to know the reasoning and if sponsorship ever factored in...
Just to break up the posting to offer something a little different, thought I'd make note of any kit changes I could spot at the Commonwealth Games. I've always been a massive kit nerd, so can't see why not! If any other crop up, I'll add them...
Anyway, there aren't many, although Amy Gibson seems to have switched back to the older version of Obo's elbow pad (still only wearing it on her right arm), and obviously has new foam, including the redesigned Obo Robo Hi Rebound rhp. I'm not sure if the 'blinders' produced by Obo now are being worn (look like tape, so hard to tell!), but Andrey Rocke seems to be wearing one, and I expect Maddie Hinch will be too.
An interesting point to make note of, is that Cachia's taping of his stick goes up much further, with it beyond the mid-point of the stick shaft, for extra control presumably for using a 'shorter' stick in save making.
With international games and friendlies on the way and going on at the moment, there's a chance to see what kit goalkeepers are using in the run up to serious competition. Reading's James Bailey, who has been benching for the England international squad in place of Patrick Smith, is noticeably sticking with his TK P1 foam kit. An upgrade on the TK Soft range, it will be interesting how they match up to the standard of elite level and the regular beating they'll receive in training sessions. I still think it would be good to have more competition for the first team spot, for the sake of work ethic etc. but kit wise, Gucassof was also seen wearing them having switched for the Euro Hockey League KO16.
Just to prove I wasn't imagining things (still concerned !), I managed to track down some more action photos of Brighton's games, which does show Dave was wearing an elbow pad just on the right arm, after ditching the left one. This probably just verifies how much of a pedantic obsessive I am more than anything, but still feel the need for ! Otherwise reporting on kit for elite level goalies and getting it wrong looks more than Internet hellacrazy!!
Courtesy of SP Action Images, you can see Dave with just an elbow pad on the right arm, with a tubigrip covering it, before he made the switch to no arms:
With the Euro Hockey League playoffs taking place this weekend alongside the Promotion tournament for the Premier league, it was noticeable that George Pinner was adding a little flair to his kit. Perhaps wanting to make a statement about his new status as England first choice, the Beeston 'keeper was wearing a dashing pair of leg guards with a whitewash design to give the appearance of an England flag. Although that being said with the orange underlying foam colour look a little more tangy than strictly red!
With the new isoblox and D3O based updated version of TK kit reaching the hockey goalkeeping community and hitting the shelves, it's no surprise that TK sponsored goalkeepers will be making the switch. Whilst changing over right at the end of the season might be difficult for mere mortals (read that sarcastically!), those with the elite muscle memory to play at the highest levels should be able to make the change seamlessly, although it could have an impact on psychology and confidence levels. Jeremy Gucasoff seems to be the only one in the Belgian national league to have made the switch, using the kit in the playoffs for the Euro Hockey League in the last couple of matches for Racing Brussels.
Making the switch all apart from his lhp (left hand glove) though, so he obviously prefers the rebound levels of the TK plus glove:
Although I fear for readership this is as boring as watching paint dry (maybe I shouldn't say that, but I do care about I write and as/how it's read, even though I know I think too much!), but given that members of the football goalkeeping union would readily keep abreast of pro level goalkeepers changing their gloves and SMU alterations (i.e. bespoke specially made designs), I think it's good to keep a track of any kit changes in the English national hockey league.
And with Monarch pushing their D3O powered new range with a lot of endorsers and elite level players signing up for sponsorship helping expand the brand's image, more goalkeepers are changing up their gear set-up. And Monarch user Ben Dudley has finally made the changeover to a Monarch produced lhp this side of the season. Even before the changes, Dudley was using Monarch leg guards and kickers but was making use of Obo gloves; the Hi Control rhp (which he is still using) and the Hi Rebound lhp.
As well as aesthetic changes (i.e. visual look of the kit!), there are big practical implications. Obo gloves are curved and designed to help push the rebound down with more control to put the ball into a controlled area on the save. But a flat glove like Monarch's pushes the ball away with greater ping but needing greater technique and control from the user of the glove. And D3O will create an even bigger rebound to get the ball as far away from the D as possible (i.e. limiting straight-away-rebounds for an instant goal after the save).
Though not particularly earth shattering, keeping up with "gear sightings" as with other sports and their goalie forums, one of the things to notice kit wise from the recent indoor games was Canterbury's Stubbings, starting in goal for the squad, wearing an ice hockey mask. Normally seen wearing a "helmet/cage" set-up, it is a bit of switch considering he has worn that type of head gear for his entire playing career so far, as much as I know (as long as it's him in goal, if I'm not mistaken!).
George Pinner was also wearing his new Monarch rhp design that he had prototyped and suited to fit his style of play. Pinner has been wearing it recently in outdoor game action for his club Beeston and is obviously more comfortable in it now having made the switch from the new style Mercian rhp. The glove will be on sale soon according to the Monarch website, with the new design hitting shelves soon for retail.
Another sighting is Canada's starter Kevin Pereira, wearing the new Obo chest pad. Kevin, who has also been involved with the full men's squad set-up recently, being around as a reserve goalkeeper for the World Cup qualifying tournament, is sponsored by TK as far as I know, so this is a ninja style sneaky observation. Obviously a lot of companies prefer to have their sponsees wearing all of their kit, but I really think they should stick with the bespoke approach as seen with Nick Brothers, George Pinner etc. so that the goalkeeper can still use equipment that fully corresponds to their own style of play, physioliogical differences, personal preferences and so on! The redesigned Obo chest pad has received good reviews, with a lot of the Australian internationals also using them, with its beefed up protection around the ribs and shoulders.
It's noticable here, by the padding protuding under the stylish tight fitting (not gym style though!) goalie top:
Having seen Smith star for Cannock in a recent game away against East Grinstead (which I should probably do a write-up on at some point!), it's safe to say he has made the switch to Mercian's new rhp design in the trivial pursuits of keeping track of gear worn by the elite level goalies in our beloved game! Having switched from the Obo larger profile hi rebound rhp to thinner hi control to Mercian tube style rhp, he has since made the recent switch back to a more blocking style rhp. Showing signs of interest in developing his technique and evolving and growing it (which is key to staying at the top!), it's interesting to see him go back to a more blocking style of rhp that also offers key ground work skills for a hybrid style (which is definitely important at this standard of competitive play). And you can see him using it here, pointing away at his defence!
Not exactly another groundbreaking (or not as the case may be!) equipment sighting, but it's noticable that Belgian goalkeeper Gucasoff has changed up his arm padding again, moving to the current Obo elbow pad design.
Gucasoff has gone from a "Dutch" approach (with no arm padding at all for maximum movement at the arms possible for those reflex glove saves etc.) playing for Brucelles, as seen here:
And played like this as he was involved in the international set-up in the build-up to the London Olympic games:
And then moved to an elbow pad on the right arm only, which he moved to in the
latter point of last season, wearing a Mazon elbow pad (which seem quite
popular in Belgium interestingly, though they're made by an Australian company!):
And is now wearing the Obo elbow pad, again, still just on the right, with the left unpadded for more freedom getting across uninhibited by padding, as seems to be the most popular kit style in Belgium:
The Obo pad gives more padding at the inner and outer elbow, with more padding at the elbow joint, giving more substantial protection, which is important, from protecting against shots to these areas, which could be disastrous for the goalkeeper in question.
In Holland, another kit sighting for the season so far, for switched kit/changes, is Pirmin Blaak using a new TK Plus lhp rather than the Brabo one he switched to previous (presumably using the Brabo after international training sessions and competition involvement with Stockmann). Interesting to see as it seems to be a glove that's more easily available in Germany, with Reuss and Weinhold and co. using them. With all three of Blaak, Stockmann and Jenniskens all having used the Brabo left hand quite recently, it's interesting to see the change, even if it's not a huge scale! Not totally insignificant, as these style of gloves are seemingly harder to come by these days (although Kindler is using one over in Canada!) and offer different saving properties to the generic square shaped TK lhp. But it will be interesting just to see over the course of the season whether or not he will stick to the equipment change, or whether he'll change his mind! Obviously with Stockmann being sponsored by Brabo and presumably as well (assuming!!), would be interesting to know if it's also due to the saving style offered (more rebound, more downward direction on the rebound due to inner curve), although they are all still using the Obo hi rebound rhp for its blocking properties, which says something about its advantages and the Dutch style of patient, upright goalkeeping and their reactive approach to save making.
