Butterfly save vs Blocker save in Sports - What is The Difference?

Last Updated Feb 2, 2025

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Table of Comparison

Feature Blocker Save Butterfly Save
Description Goalie uses the blocker to deflect shots, focusing on quick hand movements. Goalie drops to knees, spreading pads wide to cover lower net area.
Primary Use Deflecting mid-to-high shots along the ice or glove side. Stopping low shots close to the ice on both sides.
Key Advantage Fast reaction and control over rebound direction. Maximum coverage of lower net, reduces scoring area.
Common Sports Ice hockey, inline hockey. Ice hockey, inline hockey, field hockey (goalie technique).
Body Position Standing upright, blocker hand extended. Kneeling with pads flat on ice in "butterfly" shape.
Effectiveness Best for fast lateral saves and redirecting pucks. Highly effective against low, powerful shots.

Introduction to Hockey Goalie Save Techniques

Blocker save and butterfly save are fundamental hockey goalie techniques essential for effective shot-stopping. Blocker save uses the padded glove on the dominant hand to deflect pucks away, offering quick reaction and controlled redirection. Butterfly save involves dropping to the knees with pads spread to cover the lower net, maximizing protection against low shots and rebounds.

Overview of Blocker Save

Blocker save is a goaltending technique where the goalie uses the rectangular blocker primarily worn on the dominant hand to deflect shots away from the net, emphasizing quick hand-eye coordination and precise stick positioning. This method enhances control over rebounds and allows the goalie to channel the puck into less dangerous areas, reducing scoring chances for the opponent. Compared to butterfly save, which relies on dropping to the knees to cut down low shots, blocker save maintains a more upright stance, offering better coverage for mid-to-high shots.

Overview of Butterfly Save

The Butterfly save technique in baseball focuses on positioning the goalie with both pads flat on the ice and knees spread outward, creating a wide barrier to block low shots. This method enhances coverage of the net's lower area, reducing scoring chances from ground-level attempts. Butterfly saves demand strong leg strength and flexibility for quick lateral movements and effective rebounds control.

Key Movements: Blocker Save Mechanics

Blocker save mechanics involve positioning the pad vertically to deflect pucks away from the net, emphasizing precise wrist and forearm control for angling shots toward the boards. This technique contrasts with butterfly saves, where goalies drop to their knees, using the leg pads to cover the lower net, relying on hip flexibility and quick lateral movements. Effective blocker saves combine upper-body positioning with reactive hand movements, optimizing puck redirection and minimizing rebound opportunities.

Key Movements: Butterfly Save Mechanics

The Butterfly save mechanics rely on key movements where the goalkeeper drops to their knees, spreading their legs sideways with the inside edges of the feet flat on the ground to cover the lower goal area and increase blocking surface. This positioning contrasts with the Blocker save, which emphasizes lateral movement and quick hand adjustments to deflect shots using the blocking glove. Efficient Butterfly saves depend on strong hip and knee flexion to achieve rapid descent and stability, optimizing coverage against low and close-range shots.

Situational Use: When to Employ Blocker Saves

Blocker saves excel in one-on-one scenarios, particularly for close-range shots where the goalie must cover tight angles and maintain strong puck control. This technique is crucial during breakaways or odd-man rushes, allowing quick, controlled redirections to prevent rebounds or secondary scoring chances. Butterfly saves, while effective for low shots and covering the lower net area, are better suited for situations with multiple shooters or when the goalie anticipates shots coming from wider angles.

Situational Use: When to Use Butterfly Saves

Butterfly saves are most effective in close-range shots aimed low and near the center of the goal, allowing goalkeepers to quickly drop and cover the lower part of the net with their body. Unlike blocker saves designed for deflecting high or angled shots using the forearm, butterfly saves minimize rebound chances by sealing the bottom corners. Goalies often employ butterfly saves during penalty kicks or one-on-one situations to maximize control and reduce scoring opportunities.

Advantages and Limitations of Blocker Save

Blocker saves provide goalkeepers with superior coverage against shots aimed at the near post, utilizing the arm positioned closest to the goal post to block the ball effectively. This technique offers advantages in close-range situations due to faster reaction times and increased body compactness, but it can limit reach toward shots directed at the far post or high corners. The primary limitation of blocker saves is reduced lateral mobility, which may hinder the goalkeeper's ability to fully extend for wide or crossbar-bound attempts.

Advantages and Limitations of Butterfly Save

The Butterfly save technique in goalkeeping offers superior coverage of low and mid-height shots due to the wide leg positioning and low center of gravity, enhancing reaction time to close-range attempts. However, its limitation lies in reduced mobility and vulnerability to high, aerial shots, often requiring quick transitions to other save styles for optimal defense. Compared to the Blocker save, the Butterfly save provides greater control over ground-level shots but compromises flexibility in handling shots aimed at the corners or above the shoulders.

Blocker Save vs Butterfly Save: Performance Comparison

Blocker save offers superior lateral mobility and quick reflexes, making it highly effective against close-range, low-angle shots, while butterfly save provides enhanced coverage of the lower net by flattening the goalie's legs and maximizing surface area in front. In high-intensity game scenarios, butterfly save tends to excel with its ability to cover more net space and block powerful, low-driven shots, whereas blocker save is favored for rapid glove-side reactions and deflecting shots away efficiently. Performance metrics indicate butterfly saves demonstrate higher save percentages against shots on goal below the waist, whereas blocker saves register faster recovery times for subsequent saves after initial deflections.

Blocker save Infographic

Butterfly save vs Blocker save in Sports - What is The Difference?


About the author. JK Torgesen is a seasoned author renowned for distilling complex and trending concepts into clear, accessible language for readers of all backgrounds. With years of experience as a writer and educator, Torgesen has developed a reputation for making challenging topics understandable and engaging.

Disclaimer.
The information provided in this document is for general informational purposes only and is not guaranteed to be complete. While we strive to ensure the accuracy of the content, we cannot guarantee that the details mentioned are up-to-date or applicable to all scenarios. Topics about Blocker save are subject to change from time to time.

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