The STA MATRIX is secured on the ground, it covers an area of 14.4 square meters and has 89 deflection pods to deflect low and dipping shots up at various directions and angles. Key feature Safety Safety is our first concern and these products were originally conceived and later designed with safety in mind. Any object knocked towards the goalkeeper is a danger and can be a distraction that effects technique development. With ProDeflect you can train at full pace with confidence and focus 100% on the ball knowing it will only be the ball heading the goalkeepers way. Unpredictability With many products of a similar nature when the ball is aimed at the product the goalkeeper knows the ball will be taking a deflection, there is no doubt. It is predictable and in some cases over time the goalkeeper can learn what is going to happen. We were keen to remove the opportunities to anticipate the deflection and type of deflection that would be encountered. To ensure this the MATRIX and its pods are spaced at a distance so not every ball that travels in to it will be deflected. Our research shows that on average 50% of shots bounced in to the MATRIX will be deflected. Also the MATRIX pods move when impacted so every time a pod is hit the set up changes and increases or decreases the density of pods in an area, changing the challenge every time. Effectiveness Another issue identified with many deflection products was the poor level of versatility in terms of percentage of deflections and useful deflections. To achieve a deflection that the goalkeeper could deal with needed very accurate service in terms of pace and direction. If the pace was too much it would often result in a deflection so big the goalkeeper would be watching the ball fly past the goal. Equally there is a very small target area to achieve a useful deflection and more often than not there is no deflection or a deflection too big. The result is service that is so slow the deflection is easily predicted. The MATRIX doesn’t need accurate or a specific pace of service to achieve a deflection that the goalkeeper will have two deal with, just kick as you like and something will happen to challenge the goalkeeper. Psychology As mentioned previously the ability to anticipate a deflection must be minimal. We want to avoid the goalkeeper being able to anticipate the server aiming at the equipment and know with 100% certainty that a deflection will happen. We want uncertainty, just like in games. Yes the chance of a deflection is increased when the ball travels towards the equipment but a deflection is not a certainty. The goalkeeper must adjust to the initial strike and react to a deflection if and when it happens. Practicality Storage. The MATRIX is stored in a tube bag that measures 40 cm x 40 cm making it easy to store and carry from session to session. In use It is supplied with snap hooks to allow you to secure it to an object, ground spikes to secure on grass, and we now also supply sand bags which can be used to secure the MATRIX on any surface. Moving The MATRIX can be moved easily so you can very quickly change the position of the MATRIX with minimal disruption to the session.
