Response to a Goalkeeping Question

Goalkeeping, like playing any other position is about skills and ideas.  Whether it is your positioning, handling, diving, dealing with crosses and high balls, or distribution, you can learn these skills and ideas either by yourself against a wall or in small-sided games.
For example, to begin learning diving technique, I like to have GKs start out from their knees to avoid fatigue and pain from multiple repetitions of hitting the ground. This is especially important when technique has not yet been perfected. Toss the ball against a wall and practice the collapse dive in this order:
1. Hands to the ball.
2. Ball to the ground (to help break your fall).
3. Body to the ground (using the ball to break your fall).
(Diving to your right, your right hand should be behind the ball and your left hand on top of the ball.)
4. Ball to the body (tuck it in to be sure you have it).
5. Knee to the ball (the knee of your top leg when diving to the side).
(Diving to your right this will be your left leg. This helps stop you from rolling over toward the goal.)

I hope this helps. Good luck with your training.

Mike