Got Reflexes

Think stopping free kick blasts struck at 75+ mph is hard? Parrying shots from point-blank range? Okay, how about saving footballs and tennis balls in rapid-fire succession?

There’s a reason goalkeepers are hardly envied by their peers, but at the same time, the very best at the position possess traits coveted by all athletes, most notably their unrivaled reflexes and resolute focus.

Chelsea keeper Petr Cech - winner of three UEFA Best Goalkeeper awards — demonstrated both these skills in a recent Chelsea training video, dubbed the “ultimate goalkeeping drill:”

In the exercise, Cech is alternately ambushed by footballs kicked from both sides while tennis balls are struck at him from just a few feet away with a racquet. Incredibly, Cech doesn’t fail to catch a single one. 

COURTESY FOX SOCCER THOMAS HAUTMANN (TWITTER)