If you're hoping to become a top goalkeeper someday, or even if you'd just like to play more for your local team, it's important to put in the work to be the best you can be.

As a goalkeeper, your skills are a bit different than the average soccer player, so it's important to know what drills you can do to maximize your skills.

These drills can give you a good start toward building your shot blocking skills so you're ready to get on the pitch. Learn what you can do to maximize your skills as a goalkeeper when the game is on the line!

Deflect and Dive

For this drill, have one friend shoot low to one side, where you'll dive and try to block the shot. As soon as you make contact with the ball, another friend will toss a ball toward the opposite corner of the goal, so you'll need to jump toward the post and try to deflect or catch the ball. This is meant to quicken your reflexes so you can quickly get back in position if you need to make two saves on one attack.

Cross Judgment

One of the best ways to block a shot is to prevent it from ever happening in the first place, and that's where judging crosses can help set you apart. For this drill, you'll want a friend to cross the ball in to another friend from different positions on the pitch. Your job is to accurately predict where the ball is going and decide whether you should punch the ball away or try to catch it.

Hand-Eye Coordination

When it rains, you can still improve your goalkeeper skills. For this drill, get a reaction ball (a ball that has rounded edges so it can bounce randomly) and a clear, empty space inside so you don't risk a bounce into something fragile or expensive. Then, toss the ball at the wall and try to catch it each time. It's a great way to improve your speed and recognition.

Moving With the Ball

In this drill, a few friends will pass the ball between themselves, and you'll need to position yourself along with the ball. After five passes, anyone can take a shot at you, so you'll need to ensure you're in good position and ready to react to either a pass or a shot. If you've followed the ball well, you should be ready to show your shot blocking skills.

Footwork

Any goalkeeper needs top footwork to succeed, and this is a simple drill you can do anywhere. Place four or more cones in a shape and have someone call out a random number. You'll then run to whichever cone they called out, touch it and then return to the center of the shape. This can build both your reaction time and your agility.

Any good goalkeeper needs quick reflexes, good recognition skills and top movement abilities to block shots, and these drills are a great way to build that mix of skills. You can even record your shot blocking on Veo and get a sense of where you're progressing. If you're serious about being a top goalkeeper, putting in the work and viewing your practice tapes are a great way to take your skills to another level!