Ratcliffe using Brabo LHP

Another kit geekery spot this season was George Ratcliffe (former Wales junior, ex-Univerity of Birmingham starter, and HWHC no.2 - presumably in the senior Wales setup now - going on assumptions...) using the Brabo super pro catch glove; their top of the range LHP.

Interesting to see him making use of the Dutch brand glove given its lack of commonality in English goalies and I suspect the only piece of Brabo GK gear used in the Nat Prem this season. And I'd go on the educated (this time!) assumption that he uses it for its rebound properties and for further clearance on the save when making glove saves.

You can also see him make an intelligent clear with the glove to get rid of the ball after the low block covering the right baseline in the video, thanks to the rebound and 'ping' on the lighter foam glove.

Interestingly, it seems he's been trying out the Mercian LHP redesign, wearing it when backing up Kettle at the Playoffs for the Euro spots, and may be using it instead this upcoming season.

Gryspeerdt switches to Brabo lhp

Another kit sighting of slight interest, I've seen within the national leagues overseas, is Gryspeerdt, who I've mentioned before on the blog, and been following his is progress, is his switch of glove brands for his lhp choice. Gryspeerdt playing in the Belgian national league for Antwerp as a capable youngster coming through the ranks, as seems to be the case in the Belgian league with about 3 goalkeepers in the early years of their 20s being given the chance to play and shine, has switched over to a Brabo lhp. Previously, a season ago at least, he was in full Obo foam and presumably game experience at this level has inspired the change.

The profiles of the gloves are very different, with the Obo being curved and shaped to push the rebound into a controllable place (like away to the sides or down and away from a player to stop another shot straight after the save), whereas the Brabo is a flat square profile that relies on the goalkeeper controlling the rebound through directing the save accurately. The lightness of the Brabo foam can also give a bit of 'ping' on the rebound as shown in play, to get the ball further away.

At the least, it's interesting to note that he has made the switch after presumably using Obo for so long and being comfortable with it being the core of his style in game play, and as one of the few Belgian goalkeepers using an Obo glove, that he is sticking with the stereotyped lhp, for its saving purposes, relying more on technique to get more out of the glove and incidental save.