LEARN HOW TO PUNCH LIKE MARC ANDRE TER STEGEN

In November, I had the opportunity to watch Marc Andre Ter Stegen play against Borussia Dortmund in a thrilling 3-1 victory for Barcelona. Ter Stegen is one of the best, if not the best, goalkeeper in the world as he possesses a mastery of every technique required to be successful. Today we will focus on Ter Stegen’s punching technique. As seen below in the video, when a cross comes from the side of the pitch, he opts to punch one-handed with the hand nearest to the ball. This technique offers several advantages over using the further away hand or two hands in this situation. Firstly, by using the closest hand, Ter Stegen can punch the ball at the earliest possible moment clearing the ball away from danger. If the other hand was used, then it would give the attacker an opportunity to jump in front of Ter Stegen and contact the cross before the punch. As a rule of thumb, it is best to intercept the ball at the earliest possible position and at its highest trajectory to beat the attacker to the ball. Secondly, by using one hand rather than two when the cross comes from the side, it is easier for Ter Stegen to redirect the ball into a safe area up the field while generating maximum power. If two hands where used, then the ball would simply be punched straight back to where it originally came from.

An excellent way to work on this punching technique is to have the goalkeeper coach stand at the corner of the six-yard box with a ball in hand. The goalkeeper coach then underhand tosses the ball in front of the goalkeeper slightly above their head and on a line. The service is important as the best time to punch a ball in a game is when the cross is driven on a line. Additionally, crosses that are looped or lofted are best to catch with this drill reflecting that principle. The goalkeeper is standing in split stance about three-four yards from the near post. If the toss comes from the left side of the six-yard box (the goalkeepers left), then the goalkeeper steps forward punching the ball with their left hand. The ideal zone to make contact on the ball is slightly below the center in an upwards motion, exhaling when contact is made fully following through with the punch. This drill is repeated 10-12 times per side. To make the drill harder a manikin or obstacle to obstruct flight of the ball can be placed in front the goalkeeper. A short demonstration of this drill can be seen below.

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