Summary

Flexibility is defined as the ability to move muscles and joints through their full range of motion. Research has shown that athletes who participate in a daily stretching program can increase their range of motion, reduce the incidence of injuries and increase their playing performance substantially.

Being flexible is particularly important for goaltenders since the nature of the goaltending position often requires the goalie to stretch or contort their body in ways that are not natural. A goaltender's level of flexibility can be greatly enhanced with as little as 20 minutes of stretching exercises on a daily basis. Stretching exercises that are designed to increase flexibility are very easy to complete and can produce almost immediate results. However, studies have also shown that the benefits gained from participating in a daily flexibility training program are lost just as quickly as they were acquired when the flexibility training program ceases.

Although goaltenders must stretch every region of their body, it is especially important to stretch the muscles and joints below the waist (ie; hips, hamstrings, groin) since they play such a pivotal role in the execution of many goaltender-specific save movements such as the full butterfly and half-butterfly. In fact, being flexible in the hip region is widely regarded as the greatest factor in determining the quality of a goaltender's butterfly.

Are you looking to increase the spread in your butterfly without increasing the incidence of injury?

Are you looking to increase your range of motion so that you can extend and arm or a leg further to make a save when required?

Are you looking for some unique and cutting-edge exercises to incorporate into your pre-game warm-up routine?

If you answered yes to any of these questions than Flexibility Training for Goaltenders is definitely the book for you.

Flexibility Training for Goaltenders contains 125 different stretching exercises that allow you to stretch your entire body from head to toe. Included in this total are an incredible 43 flexibility exercises for the hip region alone, the most important muscles and joint region in the execution of a technically superior butterfly.

Here is the breakdown of flexibility training exercises that appear in the book Flexibility Training for Goaltenders:

Ankles/lower legs: 20 flexibility exercises

Hamstrings: 13 flexibility exercises

Quadriceps: 9 flexibility exercises

Hips: 43 flexibility exercises

Torso: 5 flexibility exercises

Back: 10 flexibility exercises

Shoulders: 20 flexibility exercises

Wrists: 5 flexibility exercises

Chapter Listing

Flexibility Training for Goaltenders has 8 chapters. Below is a complete list of the chapters in the book, featuring a sample chapter called Hips.

Chapter 1: Ankles and Lower Legs

Chapter 2: Hamstrings

Chapter 3: Quadriceps

Chapter 4: Hips

Chapter 5: Torso

Chapter 6: Back

Chapter 7: Shoulders

Chapter 8: Wrists

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Sample 1

Chapter 4
Hips

Hips 1

Sitting on the floor, bring your feet together in front of your body. Place your elbows on the inside of your knees and push down while holding your feet together. Bring your feet in closer to your body and repeat drill.

Hips 2

Kneeling on the floor spread your knees and point your toes to the side. Place your lower arms on the floor in front of your body and lower your chest to the floor.

Hips 3

Kneeling on the floor cross one leg in front of your body and extend the other leg behind your body. Lean forward from the waist and have your partner place his hands on your upper back and push down as you attempt to touch your chest to your knee. Switch legs and repeat drill.

Hips 4

Sitting on the floor, extend one leg to the side and cross the other leg in front of your body, bending from the knee. Place your hands flat on the floor and bend forward from the waist. Switch legs and repeat drill.

Hips 5

Standing, place the outside of one foot on the back of a chair. Lean forward from the waist lowering your chest towards your foot. Switch legs and repeat drill.

Hips 6

Standing, place one foot on a chair. Lean forward from the waist allowing your hands to drop as you lower your chest to the floor. Switch legs and repeat drill.

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