From Hanover with Data: Rethinking Handball Coaching Through Analytics

At Steazzi, we love seeing how coaches turn data into real impact. In Hanover, Germany, Daniel and his coaching partner are doing just that — using Steazzi to modernize their approach to grassroots handball. We spoke with Daniel about how stats help shape their game plans, develop players, and bring pro-level insights to the amateur court.

Can you introduce yourselves and explain how you started using Steazzi?

Daniel: René and I have been a well-coordinated coaching duo for about three years. René is our head coach, while I serve as assistant coach, focusing mainly on statistics and goalkeeper coaching. My passion for data-driven handball coaching stems from my Bachelor of Science in Sports Engineering and my background in sports science. This education taught me the value of basing decisions on objective facts rather than emotions or gut feeling.

Looking for a tool that would truly add value during games, I came across Steazzi. We wanted to move away from the old-school pen-and-paper method, where two people had to simultaneously track basic stats and shot charts. With Steazzi, I can now do this efficiently on a tablet by myself. What excited me immediately: every player receives individual statistics, something typically reserved for professional teams — a huge advantage for us. In-game coaching also became much more efficient since we can quickly access data on the last five offensive sequences and their outcomes. This helps us objectively choose the right moment for timeouts or tactical adjustments.

Regarding our playing careers: René played as a winger up to the Lower Saxony Oberliga, and I played as a goalkeeper up to the Verbandsliga — back then the fourth and fifth tiers. We still play actively, but our true passion has shifted to coaching.

Our training philosophy emphasizes holistic player development. We focus heavily on reflection and analysis so that players can better assess themselves and grow personally. Steazzi has been a fantastic tool for this over the past two years and continues to evolve. We particularly value that our suggestions for improvement are taken seriously. For example, we pushed for defensive actions like "stop fouls" to be recorded as important, neutral game actions. This now lets us see, for instance, that our defensive leader executes over 20 stop fouls in a game, consistently disrupting the opponent’s attack — a crucial contribution that previously went unnoticed in the stats.

We’ve competed in the regional top league for the past three years and were promotion contenders each season. Next season, we’re joining a new club in the Lower Saxony Verbandsliga, again coaching a women’s team. We’ll continue using Steazzi and will likely upgrade from Premium to Max, as we plan to incorporate video analysis. Being able to sync stats with video will elevate our work to a new level. I’m excited to see how it enhances our prep and follow-up, giving players an even bigger boost in their development.

How do you use Steazzi to break down games and identify key performance stats?

Daniel: With Steazzi, we can precisely identify from which shooting zones opponents are most effective and where we excel or struggle with our own finishes. We work heavily with percentages. For example: if 8 out of 10 shots from the left wing go in — an 80% rate — that’s excellent. We’ll then focus on using that zone ourselves. If the opponent only has a 40% success rate from there, we’ll strategically allow those shots while shutting down other options like breakthroughs between wing and half-back.

We also analyze opponents’ shot behavior: do they rely on backcourt shots or prefer one-on-one breakthroughs? Especially in women’s handball, where shot power is often lower, long-range shots are not always ideal. The slower and more distant the shot, the better chance our goalkeeper has to save it. So our defense often aims to push opponents into taking backcourt shots from outside the 9-meter line. We’ve also allowed more wing shots, as our goalkeepers have a high save rate from there and we’ve won many balls that way.

The number of turnovers and the goalkeeper save rate have emerged as our two most important metrics for evaluating performance in amateur handball at our level. Of course, shot accuracy is also key — winning becomes unlikely with a rate below 60%. A mid-season analysis of the first half revealed: if our goalkeeper save rate was below 20% and we had over 15 turnovers, we basically couldn’t win. Conversely, a save rate above 30% combined with significantly fewer turnovers — and forcing 15+ turnovers from the opponent — almost always led to victory. That became our focus.

We also aim to get into our most effective shooting zones. We now take fewer backcourt shots because they had lower success rates and led to many misses. The feature showing the last five offensive plays — successful or not — is particularly useful for in-game coaching. It allows us to quickly decide on tactical adjustments. We also shape our training around these insights, using lots of pressure drills to improve passing accuracy and efficiency in key metrics.

What insights does Steazzi give your goalkeepers, and how do you use that in training?

Daniel: The value of Steazzi’s shot analysis for our goalkeepers is huge. During a game, I can track in real time where shots are taken from and where they land. Clear patterns often emerge. For instance: 4 out of 5 shots from a certain sector hit the same spot in the goal.

A specific example: a right-hander in the right backcourt drives towards the baseline under pressure. These situations often end in low or mid-height shots. Generally, we’ve observed that the shooter’s movement direction heavily influences their shot direction, especially with feints or simpler shots. I’ll discuss with our keepers: if a player shoots from center back but shifts to the right, their shots often go straight to the right side. So our keeper can pre-position half a step left in anticipation. Or if the attacker breaks left, the ball usually goes low or mid-right — and we adjust accordingly.

When backcourt players cross through the middle and shoot with their movement, our goalkeeper can again move slightly early to where the analysis predicts the shot. Sometimes, this even allows a direct catch rather than just a save.

We integrate these patterns and movement cues directly into training. In the week before a game, we simulate these specific shots, develop strategies, and practice reaction movements. Since we have three different goalkeeper types, each is allowed to set their own tactics and perfect their approach through focused coaching.

How has Steazzi changed your coaching approach and post-game reviews?

Daniel: From a coaching perspective, we work very intensively with Steazzi’s data. Even before halftime, we thoroughly analyze the stats to focus on key areas for the second half. Generally, we’ve seen continuous team improvement — especially when players are fit and fully committed. This is clearly reflected in the stats.

It’s been especially rewarding to see how interested players are in their personal stats. They could track exactly where they improved and where they had room to grow. Watching players develop consistently over half a season or longer — reducing turnovers from eight to three or four, improving shot or save percentages — has been extremely motivating.

Our post-game analysis lets us verify whether our tactical plans were effective. Did we force more turnovers? Did we successfully allow certain low-risk shots? If we changed tactics mid-game, the data shows whether it helped. These are insights you simply can’t get without detailed stats. Without data, you’re left with subjective memory — often clouded by emotions and interpreted differently by various people. Steazzi gives us everything in black and white — an objective foundation that takes our coaching to the next level.

Voices from the Players: Personal Experiences with Steazzi

Player 1: The shot zone analysis helped me see exactly how effective my different shots were. It showed me whether a particular shot made sense in certain situations or if I needed to adjust my technique. Sometimes I saw that one type of shot worked really well, while other variations weren’t as effective. I could also identify weak spots in opponents' goalkeepers to target the next game or avoid unsuccessful shots.

Player 2: As a center back, I worked closely with the data and developed significantly. I compared my stats from game to game and focused on reducing turnovers by avoiding technical errors and risky passes. The result was more assists with fewer mistakes. I also diversified my shot selection and paid more attention to the keeper’s positioning. That helped especially under pressure, where I began making better choices and played more effectively. I also improved defensively by using stop fouls strategically or focusing on steals.

Player 3: I used the Steazzi app after every game and was really impressed with what it could do. The clear display of shot accuracy and errors was valuable both personally and for the team. Seeing good stats in black and white is super motivating — but it’s just as important to reflect on poor performances and learn from mistakes. The data helps me move on from bad games without dwelling too much. One thing I’d like to see is deeper analysis of defensive actions. I’ve been playing more defense lately and would love to track that more precisely — not just stop fouls, but things like blocks, steals, or pressure-induced errors. Also, it would be great if good defensive work could be noted in general, even if it’s hard to quantify.

What features would you like to see added to make Steazzi even better?

Daniel: Yes, there are two main areas we’d love to see developed further. First, more detailed shot logging, and second, a timeline showing past goalkeeper saves, similar to the last five attacks view.

When I select a shot zone, it would be great to also specify whether it was a jump shot, overhead, or hip shot. Marking the run-up path would also add value — like whether the player ran from left to center back and then shot to a specific spot.

We’d also appreciate finer categorization of missed shots. Instead of just "over the goal" or "left of the goal," we’d love options like "high center miss," "low right miss," "half-height right miss," and so on. This added detail would make our shot analysis more insightful and improve both prep and review. Then we could better assess whether we defended as planned or if opponents adapted their strategy mid-game.

And as our players mentioned, broader defensive stat tracking would be a huge boost — recording blocks, steals, and forced errors would help us better appreciate and train defense.

A big thanks to Daniel for giving us a behind-the-scenes look at how he’s using Steazzi. It’s coaches like him who show how powerful data can be — not just for winning games, but for helping players grow.

We’re proud to be part of the journey.

You can follow Daniel and René on their instagram page @handballcoach.hannover