The Proper Way to Practice   It is very important that you practice the same way that you play in a game-- to the extent that you can. This sounds simple enough, but in reality, many goalies don't do this.   It is very easy to become a "practice goalie" during practice. You face shot after shot in practice, and it is easy to slip into a habit of looking up ice at the next shooter before you finish with the shooter you are facing.   Remember, there is only one puck in play at a given time during a game. It is very important that you give that one puck 100% of your focus and concentration. You must learn to do this in practice as well.   You need to make sure that you play each shooter in practice as if they are the only shooter you are facing. You must focus on that puck as if it is the only puck on the ice. Put all your focus on that puck and don't take your eyes off of it until it is either in the goal, behind the net, or in the net. Make sure you are looking at the puck as it goes into the corner, into your glove, or into the net. Only then should you set yourself for the next shooter.   By practicing this way, you will begin to improve your focus and concentration to the point where they need to be in order to play your best in a game. It is perfectly fine to let the next shooter score while you are finishing with the previous shooter.   Some drills will make this very difficult, but you need to "play your game" in practice. Control the pace of the drill as best you can, but whatever you do, don't give in to the practice drill.   Make sure you follow this rule in pre-game warm-ups as well. You need to work on your focus and concentration as if every puck is the game puck. Don't ever take your eyes off of a puck until you are completely finished with it.   This sounds like a very simple rule to follow, but you will need to really work at it to make it a habit. Do this and it can make a significant difference in your level of concentration in a game.   The one exception to this rule is when the coach is doing a drill specifically for the goalie, such as a rapid fire drill. The drill is meant to get you moving very quickly and stopping shot after shot with little or no pause between each one. In this case, you will not be able to effectively focus on one puck at a time and still get the most out of the drill.