Catch a firmly struck ball cleanly and securely. Set the feet early, get the body behind the line of the ball, take it into safe hands, and secure it before distributing.
A server strikes firm shots straight at the keeper from around the edge of the box. The keeper sets the feet, gets the body behind the ball, and catches it cleanly into the body, then distributes to restart. Vary the height, chest, waist, and at the feet, and insist on a clean, secure catch every time. Rotate server and keeper.
Keepers spill shots because their feet were still moving when the ball arrived, not because their hands are poor. That is the single most useful diagnosis in youth goalkeeping, and it redirects the coaching away from hand shape, which most young keepers already understand, and towards timing, which almost none of them do.
The set position has to be complete before the striker connects, not as he connects. A keeper still shuffling across is on one foot, with his weight travelling, and a ball struck in that instant will be pushed rather than held. Set early means slightly late to the perfect spot but balanced when it matters, and balanced beats perfectly positioned every time.
Behind that sits the second barrier principle. Getting the body behind the line of the ball means that a mishandled catch hits the chest rather than running into the net, and it costs nothing to do. Keepers who reach across their body for a ball they could have moved their feet to are choosing the version with no margin for error.
Hand shape is genuinely simple once the feet are right. A W behind the ball for anything above the waist, so the thumbs are behind the flight and the palms face the striker. A cradle to the chest for anything below it, scooping the ball into the body rather than trying to grip it.
The last habit is securing before moving. Young keepers begin the throw while the ball is still loose in their hands, which is where a huge number of soft goals come from.
Save it to your private drills, then change the animation, adjust positions, swap equipment, or drop it into a session block. Or start from a blank pitch and build your own.