Some call it a style, some say it’s overused, but we know it’s a way to make a save. It sounds like we’re cooking something up. What makes a good butterfly?

Currently, the butterfly is the preferred save choice for most goalies. From this position, your goalie can make a variety of saves: blocker, chest, glove, stick, and pad saves. Here are a few notes to pay attention to when in this save position:

• The chest should remain up with the shoulders leaned slightly forward. Do not let your goaltender’s butt sink towards their heels, as this will create an imbalance to make lateral movements and saves.
• Controlled movement down to the ice, it should not be a flopping and slamming of the knees to the ice
• Leg pads will be flared outward and flush with the ice, with the knees close together; pads may slightly overlap to secure the five-hole.
• Hands will remain out in front of the body, and the stick will remain roughly one foot in front of the goalie at an angle.

And probably the most common issue or question with the butterfly is the equipment. Why aren’t your goalie’s leg pads flaring out? A topic for another Knowledge post, but for now, let’s briefly dive into a couple of potential problems.

• The first simple one is that they’re not flaring their legs. Feet should remain wide and land on the insides, not the top of their knees.
• Second, the equipment: the straps are too tight, especially around the tops of the goalie’s legs near the knees. Keep these loose enough for rotation.
• Third is check how your goalie’s toe of the pad is secured to their skate. If this is too tight, whether it’s lace, bungee, etc., it will not allow the pad to rotate.

The video above is a great demonstration, but it also raises another important point about any save selection. The movement to the ice, especially for a butterfly, should be driving the knees straight down to the ice, NOT sliding forward or backward. Lateral movement is acceptable if that’s the adjustment you need to make. Notice it was “drive” the knees. Not flop down. Watch to make sure your goalie isn’t flopping to the ice each time. It should be a controlled movement.

Now that we’ve covered a lot of aspects of the butterfly, let’s try to neatly wrap it up into a few key points that make a good butterfly:

• Controlled, no flopping and butt sagging. Active thighs
• Upper body and hands ready for saves
• Pads flared, and the five hole closed

Three points to focus on with your goalie to ensure every butterfly is a successful save selection and has them prepared for follow-on movements. Thanks for reading, and let me know what questions or comments you have!