Visual Training: Moving Beyond On-Ice Tracking

Elevate your goalie game with visual training

“If you’re not seeing it, nothing else matters. Your eyes are the basis of your whole game.”

Guess which NHL goalie said this? If you said reigning Vezina winner, Braden Holtby, then you’d be correct. The popularity around visual training has been on the rise over the last few seasons when headlines were made about NHL goalies resurrecting and improving their games by working on improving their eyes.

The concept of tracking the puck is one that any goalie can tell you is paramount to success, yet it seems the only time goalies get to practice this skill it is on the ice facing shots. Sure, tracking can be improved by repetitious drills involving following the puck from certain angles and learning to read the puck off the stick better, following it more thoroughly, etc, but why limit yourself to that one dimension when so many more are available?

Well, if you’re like me, growing up I had never heard of “visual training” and had no exposure to the technology available. The eyes are a muscle, and just like any other muscle, the more you work and take care of them, the better they will perform. We stretch our legs and gain flexibility, we strengthen our core and gain better balance, well when you train your eyes to adjust to different depths you gain better depth perception. Here at Midwest Goalie School we are constantly expanding our training methods to give students an all around platform to improve their game. One of those platforms we are adding to our business is partnering with Dr. Ross McKay who has a state of the art training system designed specifically for goalies.

This past summer, I had the opportunity to try out a new training system put together by Dr. McKay and worked with him for two months leading up to training camp with the Chicago Blackhawks. With the use of his state-of-the-art touch screen TV with built in vision training software, strobe light glasses, brock strings and eye charts, I improved my proactive vision from 0.91 to 0.69 seconds, reactive from 0.88 to 0.60 seconds, Right hand speed from 0.56 to 0.47 seconds, Left hand speed from 0.5 to 0.45 seconds and overall tracking objects from 0.76 to 0.47 seconds.

Now located in the Diamond Edge Academy in Willowbrook, Athletes Edge Vision Training which offers goalies the opportunity to work on all aspects of their vision.  We use a high tech computerized 55” screen that helps improve the goalie’s ability to find and focus on a puck quickly, track the puck with better focus and react to pucks quicker with their hands.  Also, we have a Quick Board that helps goalies improve their foot-eye coordination and foot speed.  These exercises, when combined with fun and challenging drills using special strobe glasses not only help goalies see the puck better, they also see and read the ice better because their peripheral vision improves.  Ultimately, after completing a vision training program goalies will find they see the puck better, anticipate better, and control rebounds better…have more fun.

It should be noted that 12 sessions are recommended to notice improvements becoming permanent.  Vision training can be performed individually or in groups.  Individual sessions cost $60 per session, however discounts are available if you prepay for 6 or 12 sessions.

As a special offer to Midwest Goalie School students, if you use the promo code “MWGS10” you will receive an additional 10% off any packages (financing is available).

Source: http://ingoalmag.com/video/position-specific-sports-vision-video-trains-biggest-muscle-goalies/