plyo or isometric training

[keeper508]

i asked this ? in another area of this forum but got no response. which would be better for a goalkeeper plyometric or isometric training ? or should we do a little of both

[BigGuy]

i asked this ? in another area of this forum but got no response. which would be better for a goalkeeper plyometric or isometric training ? or should we do a little of both

You did get a short response from me I guess you did not like it.

[Twenty26Six]

You did get a short response from me I guess you did not like it.

Link us. I know I'm interested in any discussion on this.

[BigGuy]

Go to the High School soccer part of this site. He is not specific enough to be helped.

[masshysteria]

The original thread for those who are curious (or too lazy to track it down): http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=613889

Reading the original post and this one, I can only deduce that you have a female highschool (age 14-18) goalkeeper.

So I ask why do you ask? What needs improvement?

It seems to me you are looking for this player to "get stronger", but why? Do her volleys only go 20 yards? Do her goal kicks barely clear the penalty area? Does she have problems punching the ball away on corner kicks? Does she have difficulties making quick runs to get into position when play changes rapidly?

I ask because all the things above point to more practice and not time spent in a gym.

If she is recovering from an injury, then it is best to ask a medical professional. Pylometric training may aggravate the injury and isometric training could keep the injury from healing properly.

So, I'm back to the why? What are you looking to accomplish?

[J-Rod]

I am more familiar with boys but here is my vote: place a priority on plyometrics. Or at least 80% plyo, 20% iso. Of course in the best of all worlds, you would do both a lot. It sucks to be a keeper because of the myriad of training requirements to play at your best. Don’t focus solely on jump plyometric training but incorporate the speed-agility ladder in order to perfect the forward and side to side shuffle step and footwork. Work first on doing each footwork drill perfectly and then work on increasing the speed. I like to incorporate the ladder into catching and diving training, for example having the keeper do a side step on half the ladder (singles to the side) and catch a ball or dive at the end. For more advance training, our club’s GK director uses hurdles in different ways to add to the difficulty. For example, side shuffle step over 3 cones, hop over 2 hurdles, diving catch to the right, get up, diving catch to the left. It is a demanding workout. I mostly follow his training techniques to maintain consistency and because I think it works best. Plyometric work and ladder work seems to be a staple of keeper training nowadays. I laugh when I hear the term “footwork” session because what they should really say is “stepping and jumping over cones, hurdles, and ladders until you can barely walk” training.
But, this is a generalization. If you are concerned about individual keepers it would depend on their needs and body type. Much of goalkeeper fitness training consists of getting those big and tall kids to develop quick feet as well as quickness and power in their movements, hence the focus on plyometric and ladder work. If you have a smaller girl who is already quick, their priority might be to develop arm and hand strength to hold the ball, as well as strength to win challenges for the ball. More isometric training would be better in that circumstance.
Let me know if you would like more info or more specific info.

[keeper508]

Thank you all for getting back to me i now see me thread was to general . so what I'm looking to to is get her to the ball faster and to be able to jump higher she is average height but her vertical leap is not that good she has okay speed to the ball but i don't feel it fast enough for high school ball also she would love to improve her punts and goal kicks her punts reach the fifty yard line but not every time

[J-Rod]

I think the speed agility ladder 50% plus 50% incorporating plyometric jump training would be my recommendation. It is my understanding that this type of training was originally developed by the East German sports science experts to prove that white men can jump.
Regarding punting. IMHO there is no substitute for practice and a lot of it. As well as isometric and dynamic exercises to develop leg strength and just as important, range of movement. All the punting practice helps the keeper develop the muscle memory to find the sweet spot on the ball as well as consistency in punting. I have the keepers practice punting and dropkicks 10-20 minutes before every practice session. The best ones do at least 2 more kicking sessions per week before their goalkeeper specific training.
I can’t help with suggestions on goal kicks.
Anyone else with training suggestions for goal kicks?

[keeper508]

Thank you j-rod i will let you know how it works out

[BigGuy]

I guess I was right you want plyo's

first step speed great for soccer.

Again not everyone has the muscle type for speed off the first step. Tab Ramos had this gift very fast off the first step, but I would not call him fast over a long distance. He was just fast enough off the first step to beat most first defenders 1 v 1. He also had great quickness, but not great over all speed.

Do plyometrics for first step explosive speed.

1. Skipping
2. Striding
3. Side Shuffling Right
4. Side Shuffling Left
5. Back Peddling
6. Skipping for Height
7. Skipping for Distance
8. Sprinting
9. Bounding Right
10. Bounding Left
11. Backwards Sprinting
12. Bounding from the left foot to the right foot
13. Broad jumps
14. Sprinting
15. Walking Lunges
16. High Knees
17. Butt Kicks
18. Straight Leg Run
19. Sprinting

Rest and Stretch in between the above mentioned

The one I like the best is (hurdling sprinting Hurdling sprinting hurdling) alternating feet on the jumps. Do not use regular hurdles until your 17 yrs old. In the mean time lower the height of the hurdles.

==================

There is a training device called an "acceleration ladder"
that can be very useful to train against over striding,
especially during the first few steps. You could buy, but
it is also feasible to make or reasonably simulate yourself.

An "acceleration ladder" is a cousin of the more common
"agility ladder."
-Here's a website where you can, with a little searching,
find an image of both an "agility" and an "acceleration"
ladder. - http://www.humankinetics.com (http://www.humankinetics.com/) - look for "speed",
"quickness", "agility". (You can also find a link here
where you could purchase one of either, if you wish - but
you can "roll your own").

The difference between the two is that while an "agility
ladder" typically consists of a sequence of parallel, flat 1
inch-wide vinyl slats set a constant 18 inches apart laid
along the ground, in an "acceleration ladder", the first
pair of slats start spaced only 9 inches apart, and the gap
between successive slats progressively increases by 4
inches, until the last pair of slats is 33 or even 37 inches
apart.

Start each time with a stationary start at the
narrow-spaced end of the ladder, taking the "first step" of
the accelerating run into the gap between the first and
second slat (BETWEEN the slats, NOT ON THEM), the second
step into the gap between the second and third, etc. and so
on until the runner's steps move beyond the ladder...keep
running and accelerating past the end of the ladder for at
least 25-30 yards past the end of the ladder (DON'T HAVE THE
PLAYER STOP OR TRY TO CHANGE DIRECTION OVER AT LEAST THIS
DISTANCE!)

What this does is to force players to accelerate
efficiently, without over striding.

Note: Though the cheap n' dirty way to make a reasonable
facsimile of an acceleration ladder is to simply lay the
slats as directed, without any attempt to structurally link
them, it is more convenient that they be linked at the
proper spacing with a continuous length of strapping on each
side, which is the way such devices which you can buy from
sports specialty suppliers come, or you can add this feature
yourself using brads to secure each slat to each strap.
(Which also truly gives these devices the appearance of a
flat "ladder" laid along the ground).
=============

I think I got this from Dr. Frankensteen. No not Dr. Frankenstein but Frankensteen.

to increase power (and consequently vertical jump), an athlete must train to improve both strength and speed.Strength can be increased using traditional strength training (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strength_training), with emphasis on the posterior chain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posterior_chain) (or "p-chain") which consists of the hamstrings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamstrings), calves (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calf_muscle), lower back (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_back) and glute (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluteus_maximus_muscle) muscles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscles). Studies have shown that the majority of force generated during a vertical jump is generated by these muscles, and most importantly the quadriceps (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadriceps) which are not part of the p-chain but rather the anterior chain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anterior_chain).
Therefore, arguably the two most important max strength lifts for improving vertical jump are the full back squat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squat_%28exercise%29) and the deadlift (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadlift).
Speed in the vertical jump is a measure of how fast one can exert force. In the vertical jump, there is a very short time period in which force can be generated to use in a vertical jump(0.2s). Hence, it is very important for an athlete to be able to exert the maximum force possible in the shortest amount of time. Speed training reduces the "time" portion of the power equation, resulting in more overall power.
Speed training consist of two elements: Plyometric exercises (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plyometrics) (exercises which allow you to absorb the more energy during the countermovement, or eccentric contraction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_contraction#Eccentric_contraction), of an explosive movement such as jumping (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping) or sprinting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprinting)) and explosive training such as jump squats (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squat_%28exercise%29) or power cleans.
An important fact to note is that plyometric (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plyometrics) and explosive exercises are not necessary until an athlete has built up a fairly strong strength base (commonly set between 1.5 and 2 times an athlete's bodyweight in the full squat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squat_%28exercise%29) and deadlift (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadlift) exercises). The reason for this is that even if the time portion of the power equation is reduced significantly, the overall power will still be a lower number if the force portion of the equation is neglected.
Flexibility of the Achilles Tendon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achilles_Tendon) has also been known to increase the vertical jump of an athlete. Caution must be used, though, since tearing of the tendon can occur.
Exercises used by professional trainer Joe DeFranco (http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/archive/article_fab15.htm)

Toe curls
Box squats with resistance bands
Static hip flexor stretching
50 rep "rhythm" squats
Snatch Grip Deadlifts
Depth Jumps
Reverse Hyperextensions
Dumbell Swings
Bulgarian Split Squats
“Pogo Jump” Warm-up
Trap Bar Deadlifts, off a 4” box
Standing Backward Medicine Ball Throw
Power Clean/Power Snatch
Weighted Ab Work
Push Jerks
Vertical Jumps

[keeper508]

Thank you Bigguy thats alot of info and i will us some of it and let you know how it works out for us Thanks again