Training from home: reaction balls

Another quick tip is another "train from home" idea. As a goalkeeper you need to have great reactions to be able to make the save. The faster the shot coming at you, the less time you have to react, so the quicker you have to react. Both in moving across to save and in decision making! In game terms, redirections (ball changing direction) and unsighted shots where you have to react at the last second to stand a chance of making the save, like at free kick situations or corners, where the ball could hit the wall and move unexpectedly to a different angle. So it's worth practising to be able to make those last ditch saves.

And another work-from-home training method is: a reaction ball. Popular in other sports like cricket, the oddly shaped ball helps you work on your reactions as it gets your hand-eye co-ordination going.

A basic drill to do at home is to find a wall (possibly in doors, but don't wake the neighbours!) and bounce the reaction ball to one side of you. It'll rebound and then you can catch it with the matching hand. Because of it's shape it shouldn't be an obvious catch, forcing you to react more when catching than otherwise. This should help to work on your reactions.

To make it more difficult, you can close your eyes when you throw the ball/in between the process, so that you have to react unsighted, further pushing yourself to react instinctively.