Goalie Training Tips: Flexibility vs Mobility

As a goalie, you know that you require a lot of mobility.  And often, people don’t understand the difference between mobility and flexibility.  Throughout these exercises, I’m going to show you the difference and the importance of mobility over flexibility.

Flexibility vs Mobility

Flexibility is basically how long and how stretchy your muscles can get.  Mobility, is how strong in those positions you are.

Range of Motion

What I mean by this:  Right now, I can take my leg and put it up on this seat.  I can take it there on my own.  I can not take it off the seat and hold it up at the same position using my own strength.  The level that I can maintain my leg at is called my usable range of motion.

Extending my leg too far past my usable range of motion can cause an injury.

Stronger Range of Motion

What we want to do throughout these exercises in order to get you strong in these positions so that this (extending my leg past my usable range of motion) becomes your new range of motion and enabling you to put your foot up there on your own.

The equation that I like to use is FLEXIBILITY + STRENGTH = MOBILITY

What mobility will do for you is it’s going to make you stronger in these positions and help to prevent injury.