Following are famous and great saves I believe you should study and use as a learning tool in order to develop your goalie game.

Dancing on The Goal Line

This is the winning formula of Jerzy Dudek in the CL final 2004/2005 against Milan where he danced on the goal line and saved 2 penalty kicks.

By running from side to side you will confuse your opponent and he/she will not have an idea where to shoot.

This will force you opponent to fire a poor shoot which will hopefully give you some time to react and save it.

As a soccer goalkeeper you have nothing to lose and this way of acting especially during a penalty kick has become very popular.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=3cnbhHh1-Po%3Frel%3D0

Performing a Fast Reflex

A reflex is not just about touching the ball fast. When performing a reflex you need also to send the ball away from the goal.

It doesn’t matter if you perform world’s greatest reflex save if the ball still finds a way into your goal.

Here is a video that you should study that contains 10 great reflex saves. My advice to you is to watch every reflex save and then imagine how you are performing these during your soccer matches.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Zy-ZQ8NP_j0%3Frel%3D0

Preventing Return

Never punch the ball directly back to where it comes from. This because you want to prevent unnecessary rebounds that will give your opponents a second chance to score.

The last thing that you want to do is put yourself in a position to give the opposing team any more help.

The best way to avoid rebounds is to send the ball to the side. It will also give you time to jump up and prepare yourself for the next attack.

Watch how the goalkeepers in the video below (especially in the beginning) do it and try to imagine yourself doing same things in a real soccer game.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=oEUiKTtR5SM%3Frel%3D0

Higuita Scorpion

This is a very special save and you should not perform it during important matches or when the score is 0-0.

However, if the result is 5-0 you could try it out but keep in mind that you will need great precision while executing it and you must also jump exactly in the right moment.

If you feel that you cannot pull this move off and the pressure’s on, skip it. You can always practice on your own or with a small group of friends.

You cannot either see the ball which makes it ever more difficult to actually hit it with your heel.

But I can ensure you that the crowd will be impressed but the coach may get angry at you so watch out 🙂

https://youtube.com/watch?v=reFGJ1enZDs%3Frel%3D0

Summary

If you put into practice at least half of the tips in these saves, you will without doubt improve your soccer skills and performance on the field!