Quality goaltenders do not overuse the butterfly. © BBS

Each season I devote a column or two to your questions and my answers.

I�m a 16-year-old high school goalie who has always used a lie 13 goal stick. I am having a terrible time trying to find a 13. What�s going on with the stick manufacturers?

Not that many years ago you could find goalie sticks ranging from lie 11 (yes, 11 was the lowest you could get) to lie 15. The lie was very precise because the heel of the stick came to a �point� further defining the lie, or angle of the blade.

Today, things are very different. First, most sticks are not marked with a lie, but rather the manufacturers use a pro goalie�s name to identify the stick. Richter, Belfour, Hasek, Roy�but most end users really do not know the lie. It is clear that utilizing a pro name is a marketing approach that really works. It seems that kids, and parents, often purchase a stick based on name, not size.

Secondly, stick construction has changed. Most sticks have a rounded heel, some much more rounded than others. The more the heel is rounded, the less defined the lie. While it is a bit more difficult to keep the entire blade on the ice, the rounded heel makes it much easier to fire the puck. As a result, lies are less critical to the goalie. Rather, stick height is the more significant dimension.

With the ongoing changes in patterns, brands, etc., find a stick that you like and buy a dozen!

It used to be where a 90% save percentage was great. Now, it�s closer to 92%. Are goalies that much better today? Can you explain it?

Yes, goalies are better today. They are bigger, stronger and smarter. They have had better training and their equipment is far superior. The game has changed a bit also.

Let�s start with equipment. Even the legal width of a goalie pad (12 inches) is wider than the 1977 rule of 10 inches. The arm and body pads, along with the gloves and pants, are lighter, wider and far more protective. The �fear� of the puck is gone, and the ability for the the goalie to move without the restriction of heavy, bulky equipment is a reality.

Goalies are far more athletic too. No longer is the �fat kid� put in net. Their flexibility and muscle tone are better than ever. The average size has increased as well; they simply fill more space.

Growing up, these goalies have had more training than ever before. The advent of goalie schools, regardless of who runs them, provides the netminder with a great edge. Goalie coaches at all levels help youngsters and parents with valuable training and feedback. As a result, styles are different. Goalies use their pads more, close holes better and scramble more efficiently.

Television, whether satellite or cable, has brought an increased number of games into a goalie�s home. Now, a youngster is exposed to more goalies, more styles, more situations and more saves. This can only help a youngster become better at �reading the play� and developing mentally.

Finally, the game is different. Power plays are fewer, the goal crease is larger and protected by video replay, and there is a greater emphasis on overall defensive team play.

I�m a 14 year old goalie. I am a standup goalie, and that always worked well for me. Then, over the past summer I learned the butterfly technique. I�ve started to use it and I�m having some trouble with rebound control. I was wondering if you could help me with that. One more thing, what are some alternatives to using the �stack pad� save in a desperate situation, i.e. the sliding butterfly I think it�s called, anyway, well how do you do them as well?

A mistake many goalies make is that they overuse the butterfly. They just drop and really do not react to the puck. I promote the �half-butterfly� which indicates that the goalie is reading and reacting to the puck and not just guessing with a �butterfly�. A true butterfly should be used to close the 5 hole, or on screens and very quick plays when you are attempting to cover the maximum space. Otherwise, the half is more effective.

Rebounds can be controlled or directed by getting your stick more involved in the save. This is the surest way to keep the puck from becoming a dangerous rebound. The goal pad construction and the angle at which you get your pad down determines how far and in what direction the puck bounces.

One last point, many rebounds also occur because the puck comes off the goalies body, not pads. Work on trapping pucks on your chest.

Finally, regarding a substitute for a two-pad slide on the back door, I teach a 1/4 turn half butterfly, which on most occasions, if executed with a good push and a brisk turn to square up, may be better than two pads.

Mitch Korn is the goaltending coach for the Nashville Predadors. He is also an administrator at Miami (Ohio) University and directs the eight-week summer hockey school. Miami plays Division I ice hockey in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.