Goalie Question for Left Handed Players

[hkstylez]

Bascially this is how it is. I am a lefty at everything I do except for when I eat and write. In baseball I catch with my right hand and throw with my left so my question is should it be the same for hockey?

One of my friends who I usually play hockey with mentioned this to me and I never actually realized it before until now. My current gear I have is a left Catcher and a right hand blocker.

I have been struggling with the catcher a lot and no matter how much I practice, people who I play against seem to find that as a weakness right away and go top shelve on catcher side everytime. I don't know many left handed goalies in person as most are all right handed.

If I did switch, it would probably be for the better as its probably what I should have had, but on the other hand I've been getting use to the gear that I have now.

Please Help.....

[saskflames69]

Lefty for everything, ehh?

I'm a goalie in lacrosse and I throw right handed but I hold my stick with my left hand. I tried switching to a right handed stick, but my positioning was all screwed up. Sometimes it's better if you just do what feels natural. Best if you just sell those or exchange them at a goalie-specific shop for an opposite set of gear.

[DropIt]

I think your first step is to take your goalie stick and see which way you shoot the puck.

If you catch right handed and naturally hold your stick left handed, then it sounds like you're a southpaw and should probably look into swapping mitts.

Even if you have to get used to it all over again, it wont take nearly as long and doing some basic catching drills should speed you up.

[Gravitykillr]

I"m the same way and I find it just takes time, keep working on it, I got a big rubber ball and bounced it in my basement and caught it to get better. I catch with my left hand in goal and with my right in baseball. Whatever feels natural is how you should do it.

[kirant]

I don't think there's a guarantee for any of that in regards to the first question. I'm a right handed catcher in hockey but catch with my left in baseball. To make things worse (better?), I shoot right handed, so in hockey I'm in the opposite scenario most goalies are: I shoot forehand when I'm passing the puck.

I think the best way to find out would be to try. It should feel instantly problematic if you're using the wrong set up. I was once bugged by a coach to use field hockey equipment "how it should be used" (right handed goalie set up), and I was lit up in the span of 30 minutes after posting a shutout for 30.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

I'm a lefty, and played goal in my younger days (haven't laced the stakes in far too many years to count).

My very first year I played with the glove on my left, blocker on my rights (aka the normal way). It was ok, I didn't catch much (although part of that being I was in novice and the net was HUGE in comparison to my body).

The next year I switched and caught like a southpaw (glove on right, blocker on left). For the rest of my playing days my glove was probably my strongest asset. One more than one occasion I saw a player come in on a break away and give me a confused look at their 'go to move' was now backwards and they didn't know what to do.

Playing floor hockey I'll sometimes put the pads on and use the glove on the left, blocker on right as it's the only option available. I play fine, but catching is awkward.

Your best bet if you're worried about paying for new gear, pick up an old ball glove and street hockey blocker, go out and play in the yard for a bit (surely somewhere someone's willing to play street hockey with you). Give it a go and see how it feels.

[GrrlGoalie33]

Give it a try...www.goaliemonkey.com has fantastic clearance deals on gloves and most of the time (really all of the time) the gloves are Full Right (the technical term for a southpaw goalie).

I've read of Full Right goalies getting new pro-spec gloves for under $100 for the set.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally Posted by Frankster

Give it a try...www.goaliemonkey.com has fantastic clearance deals on gloves and most of the time (really all of the time) the gloves are Full Right (the technical term for a southpaw goalie).

I've read of Full Right goalies getting new pro-spec gloves for under $100 for the set.

The technical term for a southpaw goalie is Full Right? Seriously?

That would be like having the official term for a heterosexual couple being Full Gay

[sec304]

My brother is a lefty at everything as well, he even played higher up baseball as a first baseman and caught with his right hand.

Somehow he plays goalie catching with his left hand and is very confortable that way.

So I would say it depends on what feels natural for you, borrow a set and play some road hockey goalie and see what's comfortable for you.

[GrrlGoalie33]

Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout

The technical term for a southpaw goalie is Full Right? Seriously?

That would be like having the official term for a heterosexual couple being Full Gay

I didn't come up with it, just use it! It can be helpful for the OP when shopping for new equipment as most online sites use FR or Full Right to describe a catcher on the right, blocker on the left.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally Posted by Frankster

I didn't come up with it, just use it! It can be helpful for the OP when shopping for new equipment as most online sites use FR or Full Right to describe a catcher on the right, blocker on the left.

Oh I know, I meant no disrespect to you, just laughing at the absurdity of the technical term.

[Drury18]

Originally Posted by hkstylez

Bascially this is how it is. I am a lefty at everything I do except for when I eat and write. In baseball I catch with my right hand and throw with my left so my question is should it be the same for hockey?

One of my friends who I usually play hockey with mentioned this to me and I never actually realized it before until now. My current gear I have is a left Catcher and a right hand blocker.

I have been struggling with the catcher a lot and no matter how much I practice, people who I play against seem to find that as a weakness right away and go top shelve on catcher side everytime. I don't know many left handed goalies in person as most are all right handed.

If I did switch, it would probably be for the better as its probably what I should have had, but on the other hand I've been getting use to the gear that I have now.

Please Help.....

SWITCH! And catching in baseball I find is very similar to catching in hockey so if you are better catching right handed, get your trapper on your right hand.

I'm dominantly left handed, I can't even write slightly legibly with my right. I have a right catcher and left blocker and its the only way I am comfortable in net. Catching left is incredibly awkward for me, despite it being the stronger side.

For the record, I also pitch far better and catch only with my right hand in baseball. I golf left, shoot with a stick left, bat left and pretty much every other sport left. Hockey and Baseball are my anomalies.

[hkstylez]

Thanks for the tips, I'll definitely try and switch up my gear. Is there a place in Calgary where I can donate extra hockey equipment and/or exchange them at a specific shop?

[GrrlGoalie33]

Don't know about donations, but maybe Play it Again Sports. The Goalie Shop does consignments, but generally you have to have purchased the equipment from them in the beginning.

I'd say hang onto it until you get your new stuff, but seriously check out goalie monkey's clearance section.

[hkstylez]

Originally Posted by Frankster

Don't know about donations, but maybe Play it Again Sports. The Goalie Shop does consignments, but generally you have to have purchased the equipment from them in the beginning.

I'd say hang onto it until you get your new stuff, but seriously check out goalie monkey's clearance section.

I've bought a cat eyes cage from goalie monkey a couple months ago. I'll for sure check them out again. It's been a while but I bought my goalie gear at Hockey Experts (now Sportschek once again) at Deerfoot mall, I highly doubt they'll have the same style as I bought a full set to match anyways. Haha.