Learn the goalie T-push: head first, lead foot toward the target, push with the back leg, glide and stop on the lead foot. A progression for goalies.
In a T-push you turn the front foot in the direction of travel, push off with the back leg, glide across the crease and stop on the front foot. The feet form a T. It is the standard movement for longer distances when you have time to reposition before the shot. Hockey Canada gives as an example a puck traveling from defenseman to defenseman along the blue line [1].
The honest answer to "when do I use a T-push, when a shuffle?": T-push for longer distances, shuffle for short ones. The shuffle is a sideways step with toes pointing forward for short distances when time is short and you just want to stay on angle [1]. The T-push is bigger, more powerful and needs time because you have to set up again afterward.
The most important point is inconspicuous: you stay in the basic stance during the movement [1]. Hockey Canada says goalie skating should above all train the inside edges so that you move quickly, efficiently and in balance [1]. And the stop is not only technique but also joint protection: in a measurement of 14 goalies, hip internal rotation when decelerating during skating, when the blade was shaved across the ice, was 54 percent greater than in the butterfly and 265 percent greater than in the recovery [2]. A clean, controlled stop is worth it.
Prerequisites you can check yourself (practical standard, not a study):
Start in the athletic position [1]: feet slightly wider than shoulder width, weight on the inside edges. Milestone: you stand calmly for 10 seconds.
Turn your head to the target; the body follows the gaze the whole way [1]. Milestone: your head points to the target before the feet move.
Turn the front foot in the direction you want to go, toe to the target point [1]. The back foot stands slightly behind, across — that forms the "T" [3]. The blade lies fully on the ice. Milestone: you place the lead foot on a marked point 5 times in a row.
The back leg tenses and pushes off over the inside edge; the weight moves from the back to the front foot [1]. Stay low, the stance is preserved. Milestone: after the push you glide at least an arm's length farther than with a shuffle.
Glide in the basic stance, the upper body stays calm [1]. Stop on the lead foot, not on both blades. Milestone: you stop on the target point without sliding beyond it.
Right after the stop you stand in the basic stance again, shoulders and toes pointing at the puck [1]. Repeat everything on the other side. Milestone: post to post in one push, 10 repetitions in each direction, without your head bobbing up and down.
The stop in the T-push loads the hip: in a measurement with 14 goalies, hip internal rotation when decelerating during skating was greater than in the butterfly [2]. Warm up hips and groin thoroughly, practice in both directions and increase distance and speed step by step. Do not force a position your body does not allow, and stop at pain. Wear a helmet with face protection or a goalie mask with throat protector. This guide explains and motivates; it does not replace supervised training — with a goalie coach the T-push becomes clean faster and with less joint stress.
Count "push — stop". Practice the movement with a command: "push" in the drive phase, "stop" when the lead foot lands. That separates two phases that beginners like to blur, and prevents you from straightening up while gliding. This is coaching practice, not a study, but it fits the sequence in the Hockey Canada material [1].
The T-push is the sideways movement for longer distances: turn the front foot to the target, push off with the back leg, glide and stop on the lead foot. The feet form a T [1][3]. You stay in the basic stance throughout.
The T-push is for longer distances when you have time to position. The shuffle is a small sideways step with toes pointing forward for short distances when time is short [1]. Both belong to a goalie's basic movements.
That depends on strength and technique. A good goal is one push from post to post, around 1.83 m. More important than the distance is that you stand stably in the basic stance afterward [1].
You straighten up while pushing. Stay in the stance throughout, push off sideways with the back leg, not upward, and keep the knees bent [1]. A phone video from the side shows you the movement.
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