Goalies’ Reaction Time

Thanks to http://elitegoaltending.wordpress.com/ for this tip:

Of course the reality is that a goalie’s reaction time and reflex movements are completely different beasts. Goaltenders making seemingly impossibly quick saves are doing so on reflex – bypassing the normal systems by which we react. Much like if you were to accidentally touch a hot surface – you can pull your hand away by reflex far faster than reacting – as measured in the ruler experiment at the end of this video.

With the fastest score anyone can get on the ruler test you’ll still not be reacting fast enough to pick up an NHL shot from the top of the circles. Only reflex movements can do that. So try the ruler experiment for fun, but it really doesn’t matter what you score on it. To be a great goalie the key is to train so that you make your saves by reflex, without thought. That’s when you’ll move the fastest.

For more on this topic see our previous post on reaction time.