Best stretches to even try and do butterfly?

PensHockeyFan

Ok, I've played a few games in net now, and I realize that i CAN'T butterfly at all. And there have been some goals let in that I know a butterfly would have stopped. I'm working on stretching, but I just can't get my feet to turn out when I go down. I either go down on both knees with my feet under me, or I go down on 1 leg and stick the other leg out to my side as close to the floor as possible, but there is space under my pad. I will have to try and take some pics, but it looks awful, unless you're shooting low on me! I've read the stickie about doing the butterfly, and it mostly talks about what a good butterfly should look like, not how to actually teach yourself or stretch muscles to get the technique down. Or, am I pretty much doomed to stay a stand-up goalie? I am 34 and just starting out playing again after 15 years not playing goalie. I'm having fun, but would definitely like to better myself.
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Ebywyld · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:11 am Post subject:

From what I've heard around the boards, it's all about flexing your hips, not your groin. Focus on those, and it should help you out. I see a lot of people, fully suited, stretching by laying on their stomach on the ice, with their knees out wide, if that makes sense. It seems to work for me.
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puckstopper135 · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 12:48 pm Post subject:

I think you're the first person I've heard of who can't do a full butterfly at all. I'm not really sure what advice I can offer. Maybe some of the older guys on here can chime in.

The hips are mostly to do with how wide/narrow your butterfly is. I don't think they really affect the turning of the feet. For that... I'm stuck Confused

Maybe try standing legs together with your feet pointed out? Might make it happen more naturally when you drop?

Returning2MyNet · Minors Joined: 09 Mar 2009 Posts: 379

and 90% of the time a 1/2 buttlerfly is the kiss of 5 hole death.
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PensHockeyFan · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 8:58 pm Post subject:

PensHockeyFan · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 10:55 pm Post subject:

Ok, here goes with some pics. First try, so don't bite!

These are my pads from a side angle. I am 5'8" and have 32" pads.

This is my feeble attempt at a butterfly. Where are my feet? Mostly behind me and under my butt!

Don't laugh, this is my very BAD HABIT, go-to drop down and pray save. I'm working on not doing this anymore. Sometimes though...

Here is my attempt at a half-butterfly. I have been told that my stick paddle is too long, and I would tend to agree after seeing these pictures. I'm going to try to use some different sized sticks at pick-up tomorrow night. Hopefully I can find something that works well. I think an intermediate stick would work well.

These are the pics I have. You're not going to offend my any with critiques, I'm a grown man! I'll never get better if I don't put myself out on the line!

Thank you in advance! (I think...) LOL![/img]
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maverick42 · College Joined: 06 Jun 2008 Posts: 33

I am not an expert but you may just be someone who has a narrow butterfly. but from the pics it looks like your pads are strapped pretty tight, try loosening them up to improve pad rotation.

if you want to try and get your butterfly wider the problem is most likely in your hips. how often do you stretch?

Two stretches I do for my hips are:

1. lie flat on your stomach with your legs straight behind you. now raise your legs so you have a 90 degree angle at your knees(keep your knees together). next have some one else push GENTLY on your ankles so that your legs are in a butterfly position. have the person stop pushing and hold as soon as you feel a stretch.

2. same as before lie flat on the floor. now spread your knees out kinda like you are doing the butterfly stretch. raise your shins up and cross them while keeping the knees spread. now have your buddy push down on your ankles towards the floor. again make sure you do this gently. stop when you feel a stretch.

it is very important not to overstretch or push yourself too far in these stretches.

any questions just toss me a PM.

Vigier · Minors Joined: 29 Mar 2008 Posts: 270 Location: Manitoba

This might just be me, but your pads look pretty tight. If you have the top straps tight, your not going to be able to butterfly as effectively.
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PensHockeyFan · Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 12:21 am Post subject:

My top strap completely dangles, not tight at all. My second strap is a little tighter, but pretty loose. I'm going to try and loosen everything up tomorrow night and see how the pads rotate. I just don't want to have to straighten out my pads every time I stand up!

As for the stretching, I'm going to try some techniques I found on the other forum and see how those work for me. I know it's not a matter of the pads not letting me get my feet right, even when I try and do it on the floor with socks on and no pads, I can't get my feet to go parallel to the floor. Hopefully some good adductor and hip flexor stretches will help.
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puckstopper135 · Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 2:12 am Post subject:

Hard to judge your butterfly when you're not in full gear. So some of this could be way off Smile

Paddle definitely seems too long. What size is it?
Open up your glove, and try rotating your wrist, so that the netting part is at an angle with the ice.
Your arms seem too far from your body, bring them in a bit and you could close off some holes.

But like I said, some of that could just be the off-ice version, and be completely different on ice.

I'd say you just seem to have a very narrow butterfly Confused

Ebywyld · Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 7:27 am Post subject:

Try the following, with a buddy or somebody to help.

Get down on your knees like you did in your first shot, with your feet under your butt. Balance so you don't fall forward, and then SLOWLY have your friend (or 2 is better) SLOWLY SLOWLY SLOWLY push your ankles away from each other, until you're in a full butterfly. If you CANT do it, then go as far as you can until you stop, and then tell us WHERE it hurts so that you can't keep going.

If you can point to the places on your legs where it hurts, thus stopping you, and show us a picture of all the muscles/joints that seem stretched by it, then we can definitely help you with stretching ideas, or perhaps, you'll find that it is possible. One of the two Smile

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Think YOUR goaltending is bad? Mine is so bad, I made a blog about it. I should rename it 'inspirational blog for anybody ELSE between the posts...'

http://eebs-rookiegoaltender.blogspot.com/

PensHockeyFan · Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 11:43 am Post subject:

Scottish · Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:27 pm Post subject:

Rev Conditioning on either Youtube or the Goaliecrease.net. Maria offers amazing advice and videos for Goalie specific stretching. She has gottne my hips opened and I am def more aware of my stretching techniques to open my hips and groin up.

make sure you dont have the strap under pad through the skate too tight. I was making this mistake and was putting alot of preasure on my knee by not allowing my ankle movement!! so make sure you can move your foot/ankle when your down in butterfly

http://www.goaliecrease.net/showthread.php/549-New-Groin-Exercise-for-Hockey-Players.

http://hockeytrainingpro.com/wordpress/2010/02/new-groin-exercise-for-hockey-players/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1RQ0PWhXSM

There are some of Maria's vids!

Returning2MyNet · Minors Joined: 09 Mar 2009 Posts: 379

Ok, so what Im seeing in your pics. One those bauers will never rotate the way you want, they just are not a b-fly specific pad. Your knee is also awful high on the stack meaning the pads are about 2" to short.
As for your butterfly...guess what your in one, a very simple one. Now from there push your feet forward to broaden your butterfly...then move your knees apart to widen it.
As for stretches, anything you do for groin will help from hurdlers and splits on, for the hip flexor look for images of the yoga pose "pigon".
Those are nice pads, I just dont think they are right for you.
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wilkesbarregoal · Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 6:40 am Post subject: my opinion

i am 42 and put on my brown leather Cooper pads after 15 years in my house to butterfly...WOAH.. i had to pt off my comeback until i got some nice offset toe/ knee cradle sty;e pads... i ordered tps $400 set in gunmetal...anyway.. i am thinking you must have a pad big enough to bfly with thigh/legs wide enough and still close the 5 hole and have a wide stance.... i also think that strengthening your core and inner thighs will allow you to not be so straight up...example..imagine lowering your a$$ closer to the ice like your taking a dump.... try it...just an inference here.......

i have played from a child till almost 30ish when kids, jobs, etc took precident..
I am looking forward to my return next friday.......