Ian Clark Hand in Support Drill Progression Part 2
- Add a lateral trigger in Part 2: the shooter's moving feet signal the goalie to push, rotate, and activate the backside edge.
- Keep the lead-side hand 'in support' above a flush lead pad to build coverage from the ice up on in-tight plays.
- Follow Clark's five-step coverage priority: cover middle, cover low, keep flush, lengthen, then cover vertical.
- Distinguish hand movement from foot movement — each demands a different goalie response in this drill progression.
- This drill builds toward Part 3, which addresses the technical keys to sprawled-out desperation save moments.
Thatcher Demko photo: Derek Cain, Icon Sportswire
by Kevin Woodley with Ian Clark
Last week, we introduced the first of a three-part drill series featuring fast-rising Vancouver Canucks start Thatcher Demko and goaltending coach Ian Clark called Hand in Support that was designed to build coverage from the ice up on plays in-tight and around the net.
The third part is the fun one, with Clark sharing important technical keys to what many might simply see as a desperation save moment. But before we get to those specific tips on how to improve your odds — and coverage and access to the puck – in those sprawled out moments, we need to work through the second drill in the series, which adds a bigger lateral move to the in-tight back-and-forth stickwork of the first progression in the series introduced last week:
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