Glove Work: Building a Reliable Catching Hand

By Eldon 'Pokey' Reddick | Hockey Horizons Mentor & Former NHL Goaltender

A good glove hand is one of the most exciting things to watch in goaltending, and one of the most satisfying things to possess. When you reach out and snag a shot that looked like a sure goal, the rink goes quiet for a split second before it erupts. There's nothing like it. But the great glove saves you see on highlight reels are the result of years of deliberate training — not raw talent.

Your glove needs to be in the right position before the shot gets to you. Too many young goalies hold their glove too low, too far from their body, or in a position that requires a long movement to get on the puck. The catching hand should be in front of your body, at a height that allows quick coverage of the upper portion of your glove side, and relaxed — not tense. Tension slows your hand down. Relaxed hands react faster.

The other thing I tell every goalie I work with: practice your glove hand off the ice. Lacrosse balls, reaction balls, wall catches — any repetitive hand-eye training you can do on your own time is building the neural pathways that make saves happen automatically. Elite goaltenders put in off-ice hand work consistently. It's one of the clearest separators between good goalies and great ones.

Don't Neglect Your Recovery

After a glove save, the job isn't done. Get the puck under control, cover it if there's traffic, or direct play quickly if the zone is clear. A glove save that turns into a scramble in front of your net is not a clean save — it's a delayed problem. Practice your glove save with an immediate follow-through decision every time.

At Hockey Horizons, we understand that goaltending is its own world — technically, mentally, and strategically. Pokey Reddick works directly with goaltenders and their families to navigate development, team selection, and the junior and college recruiting process. If you're serious about your goalie's future, reach out to us at hockeyhorizons.com.

For guidance on the complete development picture, visit us at hockeyhorizons.com.