Strategical Thoughts:

A water polo goalkeeper cannot touch the bottom of the pool. Unlike a soccer goalie who can rely on the ground to push off, a WP goalie must rely entirely on their legs to provide vertical support and explosive motion in any direction. This makes leg positioning and leg movement essential—not just for staying afloat, but for readiness, reaction, and recovery.

The leg motion serves as the foundation for explosive lunges, quick adjustments, and balanced body control. That means two critical things are always mandatory:
- The knees remain slightly wider than shoulder width
- The feet stay always outside of the knees

Preparation:

To start the water-treading motion pull up both knees (slightly wider spread than shoulder width) as high as you can and keep your feet slightly outside of your knees with toes pointing outwards.

Execution:

From that high knee position start pushing down with one knee and finish the leg extension with a powerful whipping or scooping motion with the inside of your foot diagonal outward until the full leg including the foot are fully extended. Now execute that exact motion with knee and foot of the other side and bring the first foot and knee back into the original position. Keep on repeating that motion in a constant rhythm.

The resulting-motion is an alternating breast-kick where you can increase the power of the motion by lifting up the knees higher to increase the range of motion, pushing the legs more powerful downwards to maximize the force, or simply speeding up the motion (time per kick).

Practice Clips:

Eggbeater against the wall *

Eggbeater with changing intensity *

* the description of those clips uses the term eggbeater because of its widespread usage in english speaking countries

Strategical Thoughts: A goalie has multiple motion tasks that need to be executed in defensive situations and can’t be securely predicted when they have to be executed, for example quick lateral movements to adjust the goal-position, explosive lunges for shots, or explosive jumps out of the goal for steals. Therefore, the goalkeeper needs to be aware of three focus points: 1. The eyes have to focus on the ball at all times. 2. The legs have to be in a position that guarantees perfect balance, stability, as well as to work in an intensity that provides maximum explosiveness without tiring them out too much. 3. The hands have to be available and flexible to react at any given time to any given position where the ball needs to get blocked or taken (steal).

Preparation: The legs have to tread water with the knees constantly spread slightly wider than shoulder width apart and in their upper position higher at least on hip level. For a perfect balance and effective support of the legs the upper body is slightly leaned forward so that the shoulders cover half of the thighs (when looking downwards the goalie should be able see the full triangle of the thighs). The elbows are spread diagonal outwards and slightly ahead of the shoulder-line with forearms and hands pointing forward and slightly under the surface (not more than a thumb length).

Execution:The ready-position is a combination of a fast and steady water-treading with the legs so that the elevation of the shoulders is with arm pits touching the surface, and a mirrored arm-support motion with the hands without creating strong waves or even white water. Important for the water-treading is, that the thighs start each kick with the knee kicking downwards from the highest point and the feet always pointing outwards with the inside of the foot creating a powerful push diagonal outside and downwards. The hand motion should be independent from the leg rhythm and a short mirrored inwards and outwards motion with angling the hand slightly upwards in the direction of the motion (like spreading butter on bread).

Practice Clips:

Ready-Position with eyes following the ball

Eggbeater against the wall

Walking the goalie arch

* the description of those clips uses the term eggbeater because of its widespread usage in english speaking countries

Strategical Thoughts:

In contrast to breaststroke swimming, where a streamlined horizontal position of the extended legs is important to minimize water resistance, this is not the case with the vertical Water Polo breastkick. Here, a powerful push-off is required to lift the upper body—and thus the hands—out of the water. After that, however, stability, balance, lateral flexion of the upper body, and either a quick resumption of water treading or an additional short breastkick are essential.

Preparation:

To start the Water Polo breastkick motion pull up both knees (slightly wider spread than shoulder width) as high as you can and keep your feet slightly outside of your knees with toes pointing outwards.

Execution:

From that high knee position start pushing down with both knees and finish the leg extension with a powerful whipping or scooping motion with the inside of your feet diagonal outward until the full leg including the foot are fully extended but still spread diagonally outwards (like a V). Once you reached the highest elevation and the body is sinking back downwards, bring feet and knees back into the original position to be quickly ready for the next leg motion.

Practice Clips:

Vertical Breastkicks

Strategical Thoughts:

A goalie must always react to the shooter’s decision. The exact direction of the ball remains unknown until it leaves the shooter’s hand, but the intention of the shot can be anticipated by closely tracking the ball and with this arm motion and body language of the attacker.

A successful block is not just about reacting fast—it’s about being in the right position, at the right height, with the right energy. And at the foundation of all this is a quick and powerful breastkick.

The breastkick is the starting point of nearly every explosive goalie movement. It doesn’t compromise hand flexibility or visual processing—in fact, it enhances both by lifting the body and the hands out of the water at the precise moment a block is needed. This elevation allows the body to bend and shift toward the shot direction, giving the goalie’s hands a reaction without water resistance, greater reach, and a stronger blocking presence.

Additionally, the breastkick creates a delay window: it gives the hands time to wait for visual confirmation before reacting. And when the eyes send the signal, the hands—if trusted—will always beat the ball to the spot, even from close range.

Preparation:

The goalie begins from a strong ready-position with high knees, feet outside the knees, and toes angled out. As the shot builds, the goalie executes a powerful breastkick:
- The legs push outward and downward from the high position
- The body rises vertically while maintaining balance
- The arms stay neutral and reactive—ready to follow the eyes

Unlike a swimmer’s breaststroke, the water polo breastkick does not finish in a streamlined position. Instead, it ends with the legs fully extended, knees still wider than shoulders, and feet outside the knees. This maintains balance, prevents legs and hip slipping away, and allows immediate follow-up with:
- Another breastkick (if needed to support or extend the block)
- A quick recovery with ready-position for the next action
- Sustained elevation with immediate water-treading in case of an off-speed or deflected shot

This structure contradicts the idea that a breastkick limits follow-up movement. In reality, it provides the exact platform needed for continuous goalie performance.

Execution:

As the shooter commits, the goalie uses the explosive push of the breastkick to lift the body into the blocking position. The torso slightly bends toward the shot, and the hands extend only once the ball’s direction is visually confirmed. The hands lead the block, but it’s the breastkick that makes the reach and timing possible.

A correct breastkick ensures that:
- The body is lifted and balanced
- The goalie can block in any direction
- The hands remain reactive, not pre-committed
- Additional leg motion is possible immediately after the kick

Every block starts with the legs. And the breastkick—done right—is the key to controlled, explosive, and confident shot-stopping.

Practice Clips:

Headkicking to goalie caps

Head-kicking goalie caps 2

Touch the cross bar

Strategical Thoughts: The challenge of a lob shot is, that it needs a completely different way to block the ball compared to a hard shot, and the shot itself is often very difficult to anticipate for a goalkeeper. The ball turns out to come in an high trajectory out of reach for the goalie and drops down diagonal or straight behind into the goal. Therefore, the spot to block the ball must be close to the goal - slightly ahead or even on the goal-line.

Preparation: Since players usually try to hide their intention of shooting a lob with extreme fakes or a powerful elevation, the goalie should start in a regular ready-position (see above) as if expecting a hard shot. Additional to that the mental awareness of the actual goal-position and the likelihood of a lob shot option is important.

Execution: “JUMP - TURN - KICK (- KICK - KICK)” - Although the blocking motion for a lob block eventually needs to be diagonal or straight backwards in direction where the ball drops down, reality in games proves that it is difficult to identify the lob in the moment of the shot. Therefore, a leg reaction to shoot the body out (JUMP) allows the goalie either to block a hard shot or to get into the specific lob motion (TURN). This TURN happens in the moment when the goalie realizes that the ball is coming in an arch, and gets started by swinging the ball sided hand as far backwards as possible in direction of the block spot, and at the same time reaching over with the opposite hand in the same direction to block the dropping ball. To make more distance backwards if the lob is longer then the goalie can reach, quick breast-kicks need to get added (KICK) in direction to the blocking spot.

Practice Clips:

Quick Lob Jumps

Lob Blocking

Lob Breastkicks Siedwards

MIZE says: “Excellence isn’t magic — it’s mastery of the basics.”

Every great goalie starts with the same movements: legs, balance, hands, eyes. What separates the good from the great is not how advanced their drills are, but how deeply they understand and repeat the fundamentals.

Parent Feedback:

“I can walk into a tournament and tell immediately which goalie was trained by you. You’re the only one that teaches fundamentals.”

“He had some incredible blocks that looked unblockable. He’s so much better since working with you.”

That is what excellence looks like — repetition turned into instinct, discipline turned into flow. Every save, every decision, every win begins with the basics done right.

Call to action:

Don’t chase complexity. Master simplicity. The fundamentals are the foundation of every champion.

MIZE says: “The eye sees before the body learns.”

Most goalies train without ever really watching themselves. They repeat motions and behaviors but don’t notice small mistakes — a late hand, an unbalanced body-position, a too late decision to adjust their goal-position, a lack of awareness of the whole game situation. But the best goalies see and observe what they do — and that changes everything.

Parent Feedback:
“This is the first time anyone has reviewed video with her. She has never even cared to watch herself play before... It was great you were able to show her exactly what she needs to work on to improve.”

Awareness turns practice into progress. When you can see your movement, you can shape it. When you understand your own habits, you can control every detail of your game.

Call to action:
Don’t just train harder — train smarter. Watch yourself. Learn from yourself. That’s how real growth begins.

MIZE says: “A perfect drill isn’t the one that looks beautiful or spectacular — it’s the one that develops the skill.”

Some goalies and specifically coaches chase the coolest device or latest technology. Others chase success. The best know that solid technique and calm focus will always outlast flash and lead to excellence.

Parent Feedback:
“He really enjoyed the time with you and walked away saying he got more from those hours than all 3 years at his club - when it comes to goalie training..”
“I just wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for the incredible training and guidance you gave both of my sons this past weekend. Your dedication, energy, and attention to detail truly made an impact—not just on their technique, but also on their confidence and love for the game.”

That’s what works — not the highlight clip, but the habit of doing things right. The ones who train for results, not attention, become unbeatable.

Call to action:
Focus on doing what works. Repeat it until it becomes your second nature. That’s the real beauty of athletic development, specifically as a goalie!

MIZE says: “Be seen. Be still. Be now.”

When you are truly present, your body and mind speak louder than any move you make. Your eyes stay locked, your breathing steady, your motion grounded. You do not try to guess the next shot – you make the shooter feel that you already see everything.

Visual and physical presence shape the reality around you. A focused goalie affects the shooter’s decision before the shot even leaves their hand. The moment you drift into thoughts about what might happen, you lose control of what is happening.

Parent Feedback:
“He blocked a lot of one-on-nobody shots he normally wouldn’t have. He used to fall after fakes.”

That is presence – calm attention that influences the quality of the opponent’s execution.

Call to action:
Don’t think of the outcome – recognize the presence.

MIZE says: “Your reflexes can be lightning fast. Without patience and timing they will still appear to be slow.”

Everyone wants to be the fastest – fast reactions, fast blocks, fast passes. But quick is not the same as precise. A rushed move loses control. Precision means the combination of timing, direction, and speed exactly aligned with the target.

Parent Feedback:
“You wouldn't believe it, but he played so much better in this last game today. He looked like he had a great instinct toward the ball, and he blocked a lot more. Amazing.”

Precision means preparation, awareness, and recognition before reaction – no wasted motion, no rush – just the right move at the right time.

Call to action:
Slow your mind to sharpen your skill. Because being first means nothing – if you are not right.

MIZE says: “When the game speeds up, slow yourself down.”

Every fake, every fast pass, every drive tries to drag you into impatience and rushed actions. Great goalies do not chase the storm – they stand at its center. Calm goalies are the eye of the tornado.

Parent Feedback:

“Your input has been amazing. The coaches said she had the best 4 games this past weekend they have seen her play”

“I think you really helped him mentally gain his confidence back, so I really appreciate that. The first session you had with him turned everything around.”

That’s the power of calm. It is not stillness – it is control. It is the space between action and reaction, where confidence lives.

When you breathe, when you focus, when you trust your training – the storm slows down. And in that quiet moment, you succeed.

Call to action:
Don’t rush through movements and motions. Timing is everything! Allow your body to react with precision at the right moment, instead of trying to be there too early.

MIZE says: “Power without control is just noise.”

Many goalies believe stronger legs or harder blocks will make them better. But raw power without precision only creates chaos. Control is what turns strength into skill.

Parent Feedback:
“Finally got to see him at practice for the first time since the camp and holy moly!! He was good before but dang he is definitely better now. He gives your camp credit and so do we!!”

“Thank you for all your time and work with her - it is making a difference. Bravo! (…) The best I have ever seen her play. She crushed it. (…) Thank you so much - it‘s working!”

Getting faster and stronger should be the side effect of training, learning to control your powers must be the intention – knowing when to move, how much to move, and why to move. The strongest goalie in the pool is not the one who kicks the hardest, but the one who decides exactly where their energy goes.

Call to action:
Do not waste your strength. Guide it. Real power is not what you feel — it is how you can control.

MIZE says: “Confidence is what happens when repetition meets trust.”

Confidence is not something you wake up with — it is something you build. It grows from showing up, thinking about your actions, training them with precision … simply said, doing things right every single day.

Parent Feedback:
“He has made big strides in just the two times you worked together. He faced over 200 shots in eight games — and saved five of six five-meters.”

Trusting in yourself begins with understanding how to act right and repeating it again and again! Confidence is the side effect of awareness, precision, and consistency.

Call to action:
Do not search for confidence — build it. Do things right so often that doubt runs out of space.

MIZE says: “Emotions are energy – you are in charge of the direction.”

Every goalie feels pressure. Every goalie feels excitement. Every goalie feels fear, frustration, or adrenaline at some point. The difference between good and great is not whether you feel – it is how you use what you feel.

When emotions run wild, recognition and precision get drowned out by pure will and rushing. This is not always bad – but unshaped energy becomes noise. When you learn to channel that energy, to turn anger into readjustment, fear into focus, excitement into motivational support, you become the calm force that controls the moment.

Parent Feedback:
“He was on fire yesterday at the tournament. Love the comments from the other teams parents when they are talking in the background saying we aren't going to win this game with a goalie like that against us. All the hard work with you is paying off.”

Emotional mastery is not suppressing your feelings – it is steering them; not fighting the intensity – but using it with purpose.

Call to action:
Feel everything. Direct it the right way. Great goalies do not remove emotion – they refine it.