Cricket arm pads for training protection?!

With so many goalkeepers at the elite level prefering freedom of movement at the arms for fluid glove saves, training can be a bit troublesome for balancing that with the need to not get needlessly injured. Elbow pads are usually the norm, but with so many improvements in materials etc. surely there would be further options? And when looking at goalkeepers on the international scene, Kyle Pontifex experimented with using cricket arm guards for his left arm whilst at national team training sessions, given he would leave his glove hand arm free and unpadded during games.

 

Cricket is often compared with the similar distance of a goalkeeper to the shot in hockey. Bowling speeds comparable to shot speeds of 100mph. With arm protection used by cricket players to cover the outer side of the arm, the hockey goalkeeper would need to be aware of consciously moving the arm out not to get hit on the inside of the forearm. Seems like an interesting concept, might need experimenting with to work out how best it can be used!

Pontifex's Belgian experience

Another 'foreign/import' goalkeeper to have played from overseas in the Belgian leagues is none other than the great Kyle Pontifex. Pontifex went across to play in their national league in the midst of the London Olympic campaign build up for the chance to gain exposure to a different style of hockey and test himself against some of the world's best players (don't forget how good Tom Boon is!), whilst the demands of amateur hockey in his homeland putting stresses on career and personal life (yes, athletes have that 'thing' too!). Can't remember which team it is and will have to have a root around Youtube to find clips of him in action, but this link gives a little more playing info on the man himself...!

http://tvnz.co.nz/olympics-2012/kyle-pontifex-4946544

Cachia wearing new Obo rhp design

With Obo's new rhp design, an improvement on the existing version of the Obo hi rebound rhp on its way into shops in the not-so-distant-future, Sheffield Hallam's starter Jamie Cachia has been spotted wearing the glove in the NOW Pension's premier league division. Scottish international Cachia who has experimented with using the TK rhp design previously, and making the switch over to the Obo design more recently, making good use of it in Sheffield's promotion winning season, he's giving the new version a run out having tried the new Monarch D3O design (made in conjunction with George Pinner's input) early on this season, as blogged about previously. Obo has been testing the design of late with Kyle Pontifex giving it a run out at the London Olympics before going into production stages. With the chance for more movement and wrist turning/rotation to angle rebounds up and away when saving to the right, the glove has been redesigned to allow this, going along the lines of Jimi Lewis and Tommy Alexander's mods that gave the same results.

You can see Cachia here with the glove in use against Surbiton recently:

http://adykerry.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/EHB-Picture-service-2013-2014/G0000WDa_LRS.izM/I0000H7RLrkBDJm4