Why are Liverpool FC Goalkeepers training in vision goggles?

Why are Liverpool FC Goalkeepers training in vision goggles?

With Liverpool’s pre-season underway, eagle-eyed fans have been hunting for clues on how the team might shape up in the Arne Slot era. At Lightning Sports, we are thrilled to see the increasing adoption of our Swivel Vision training goggles by top football clubs.

Last week, Liverpool’s YouTube channel released a short video of players returning to training, highlighting a key moment during the goalkeeper drills. New goalkeeping coach Fabian Otte asked 21-year-old Marcelo Pitaluga to wear a pair of our Swivel Vision training goggles, which limit peripheral vision and enhance visual tracking and use of audio cues.

As shown in the video, Otte was keen to encourage his players to “find angles” and “keep scanning” during their passing session. Noise-cancelling headphones were also used to manipulate sensory information, inhibiting audio cues and enhancing visual concentration.

How is this approach useful for goalkeepers?

The Swivel Vision training goggles are designed to improve players’ reactions, hand-eye coordination, and technical skills by restricting sensory input during training sessions. The principle is that greater challenges in training make matchday actions easier to reproduce.

“Throughout our training sessions, I’ve seen these goggles help goalkeepers improve their reaction times and develop superior mechanics, which are critical for their performance,” said Mostafa Dida, a goalkeeper coach at Egyptian Premier League side ZED FC. “From my own experience, repetitive use of the goggles strengthens the core muscle memory of the eyes and the mind. This helps players refine their reflexes and decision-making skills, ultimately leading to greater success on the pitch.”

Compared with some cutting-edge technology employed at modern-day training grounds, Swivel Vision equipment is remarkably simple and cost-effective and is available in the UK from leading sports training aid retailer Lightning Sports

https://www.lightning-sports.co.uk/products/swivel-vision-sports-vision-training-goggles

Germany, most prominently at Bayern Munich, where goalkeepers Manuel Neuer and Yann Sommer have been seen wearing our goggles last season. These methods were introduced to Bayern by goalkeeping coach Michael Rechner, known for his innovative methods, who previously used the goggles at Hoffenheim. Creative training methods have become more common in Otte’s native 

“Clubs that integrate such innovative tools often find their players gaining a competitive advantage, particularly in high-pressure situations during matches,” Dida explains. “When you wear these goggles, they create a challenge in your field of vision, making it harder to react quickly and accurately, similar to the resistance of a weighted vest during running. As you train with the goggles and then remove them, you feel more psychologically agile and confident, as if the challenge has been lifted and your reactions are sharper.”

At Lightning Sports, we are proud to support the development of goalkeepers worldwide with the Swivel Vision training goggles. Their effectiveness and affordability make them an essential tool for any training ground and it's not just footballers who are benefitting, any athlete can get an edge with vision training. 

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