How to hold a lacrosse stick properly. What are the key factors in determining your grip. How to protect the ball while carrying it. What techniques can improve your stick handling skills.
Understanding the Basics of Lacrosse Stick Grip
Lacrosse is a sport that demands quick reflexes, precision, and stamina. However, before you can excel on the field, mastering the proper handling of your lacrosse stick is crucial. While there are general guidelines for gripping the stick, you’ll likely develop a personalized grip that feels most comfortable and natural to you. With practice, your lacrosse stick should become an extension of your body, allowing you to focus on gameplay rather than grip technique.
Determining Your Top Hand
The first step in mastering your lacrosse stick grip is determining which hand will be your top hand. For right-handed players, the right hand typically serves as the top hand. The top hand is positioned closer to the head of the stick, while the bottom hand grips the end of the shaft. Can you switch hand positions during play? Absolutely. Skilled players can quickly adjust their hand positions based on shooting angles and available passing lanes to teammates.
The Importance of Proper Glove Usage
Before practicing your grip, it’s essential to put on your lacrosse gloves. Why are gloves crucial in lacrosse? They are a vital piece of protective gear, and you should never play or practice without them. Gloves not only protect your hands but also provide a better grip on the stick.
Perfecting Your Lacrosse Stick Grip Technique
To achieve the optimal lacrosse stick grip, follow these steps:
- Place the shaft of the stick against the base of your gloved fingers on your chosen top hand.
- Gently close your fingers around the shaft.
- Leave a space of 6 to 12 inches between your top hand and the bottom of the stick’s head. This spacing is a matter of personal preference and can be adjusted as you become more comfortable.
- Grip the shaft lightly with your top hand’s fingers, avoiding the urge to adjust your hand so that the shaft sits directly across your palm.
Why is it important to keep the stick at the base of your fingers? This positioning allows for quick manipulation of the stick, enabling you to make and receive passes and shoot the ball with greater ease and precision.
Mastering Stick Protection in Lacrosse
Ball security is a critical aspect of lacrosse, much like in football. While turnovers are more frequent in lacrosse, minimizing them through proper stick protection can significantly impact the game’s outcome. How can you improve your stick protection skills?
Proper Stick Positioning
The fundamental rule of stick protection is to keep your body between the stick and the pursuing defender. A practical way to check your positioning is to practice cradling in front of a mirror. If you’re doing it correctly, you shouldn’t be able to see the head of your lacrosse stick in the reflection. This visual check helps you understand what your defender sees and allows you to adjust accordingly.
Hand Placement for Optimal Control
To support your stick effectively and absorb checks, position your top hand near the plastic part of the stick and your bottom hand by the butt end. This hand placement provides better control and stability, making it harder for defenders to dislodge the ball.
The Art of Cradling in Lacrosse
Cradling is a fundamental skill in lacrosse that plays a crucial role in stick protection. Why is cradling so important? It serves two primary purposes:
- Keeps the ball secure in the pocket of your stick
- Makes your stick a moving target, challenging defenders’ ability to execute effective stick checks
Novice players often make the mistake of running with their stick held flat, causing the ball to rattle around in the pocket. By mastering the cradling technique, you can maintain better control of the ball and make it more difficult for defenders to dislodge it.
Enhancing Stick Protection Through Movement
Beyond proper grip and cradling techniques, your movement on the field plays a significant role in protecting your stick and maintaining possession. How can you use movement to your advantage?
Changing Speed and Direction
One of the most effective ways to protect your stick is by incorporating changes in speed and direction into your movement. Running in a straight line or remaining stationary makes you an easy target for defenders. By varying your pace and changing directions unpredictably, you make it challenging for defenders to time their checks and anticipate your movements.
Rotating Hips and Shoulders
When a defender attempts a check, either from the front or behind, it’s crucial to turn your hips and shoulders in response. This rotational movement takes the head of your stick away from the check while maintaining your body position between you and the defender. How does this improve stick protection? It creates an additional barrier, making it more difficult for the defender to reach your stick and dislodge the ball.
Advanced Techniques for Lacrosse Stick Handling
As you become more comfortable with basic stick handling and protection techniques, you can start incorporating more advanced skills into your gameplay. What are some advanced techniques that can elevate your lacrosse performance?
One-Handed Cradling
One-handed cradling is a skill that allows players to maintain possession while using their free hand to fend off defenders or maintain balance. This technique requires excellent stick control and is particularly useful when navigating through tight spaces on the field.
Behind-the-Back Passes and Shots
Behind-the-back maneuvers can catch defenders off guard and create scoring opportunities. These techniques require a high level of stick control and spatial awareness. How can you practice these advanced moves? Start by practicing the motions slowly without a ball, then gradually increase speed and incorporate a ball as you become more comfortable.
Developing Ambidexterity in Lacrosse
While it’s natural to have a dominant hand, developing ambidexterity can significantly enhance your lacrosse skills. Why is ambidexterity important in lacrosse? Being able to handle the stick effectively with both hands allows you to:
- Adapt to various game situations more easily
- Create more passing and shooting angles
- Become less predictable to defenders
How can you improve your off-hand skills? Dedicate practice time specifically to using your non-dominant hand. Start with basic cradling and passing drills, then gradually incorporate more complex movements and game-like scenarios.
The Role of Strength and Conditioning in Lacrosse Stick Handling
While technique is crucial, physical conditioning also plays a significant role in your ability to handle a lacrosse stick effectively. What areas should you focus on to improve your stick handling skills?
Forearm and Grip Strength
Strong forearms and grip are essential for maintaining control of your stick, especially during intense gameplay. Incorporate exercises like wrist curls, farmer’s walks, and plate pinches into your strength training routine to enhance your grip strength.
Core Stability
A strong core helps maintain balance and control while cradling, passing, and shooting. Include exercises like planks, Russian twists, and medicine ball rotations in your workouts to improve core stability.
Overall Body Coordination
Lacrosse requires whole-body coordination. Incorporate exercises that challenge your balance and coordination, such as single-leg exercises, agility drills, and plyometrics, to improve your overall body control and stick handling abilities.
By focusing on these physical aspects alongside your technical practice, you’ll develop a more comprehensive skill set that enhances your lacrosse performance.
How to Grip a Lacrosse Stick With the Top Hand | Woman
i Zedcor Wholly Owned/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
Lacrosse is a game that requires lightning-fast reflexes, accuracy and endurance, but before you can light up the scoreboard for your team, you must get used to correctly handling your stick. Although following general grip guidelines will put you in a position to succeed on the field, you’ll quickly develop your own grip based on what feels most comfortable for you. In time, your stick should become an extension of your body and you won’t have to think about your grip as you play.
Step 1
Determine which hand will be your top hand when gripping the lacrosse stick. Although you’ll use one hand as your default top hand, skilled players must be able to quickly change the position of their hands on the stick based on their shooting angles and the available passing lanes to their teammates. If you’re right-handed, hold the stick with your right hand as your top hand. Because you hold your lacrosse stick with the head elevated, your top hand is the hand closer to the head, while your bottom hand grips the end of the shaft.
Step 2
Put your hands into your lacrosse gloves before you practice gripping your stick. Gloves are an essential piece of the sport’s protective gear, and you should never play or practice without wearing your gloves.
Step 3
Lay the shaft of the stick against the base of the gloved fingers on the hand you’ve chosen as your top hand, and then gently close your fingers around the shaft. The space between your top hand and the bottom of the head of the stick is a matter of personal preference, but leaving between 6 and 12 inches of space is a suitable starting point.
Step 4
Grip the shaft of the stick lightly with the fingers of your top hand and avoid adjusting your hand to make the shaft sit directly across your palm. Keeping the stick at the base of your fingers allows you to quickly manipulate the stick to make and receive passes and shoot the ball.
Stick Protection – Lacrosse Tips
Lacrosse Video Tip
Presented by Brian Lalley, Camp Director
Baldwin Wallace University – Boys Lacrosse Overnight & Day Camp
Xcelerate Nike Lacrosse National Program Director, Brian Lalley, goes through the keys of stick protection:
Stick Protection
Ball security is something you hear talked about all the time in the sport of football. The importance of field position and not giving up possessions to your opponent. This is so important in football because it doesn’t generally happen at a high frequency, so a big turnover can be the biggest difference in the game. It not only gives the possession to the other team, but it generally is partnered with a big momentum boost. There are naturally a lot more turnovers in a lacrosse game than a football game. But where are they occurring? We should be able to minimize personal and team turnovers with good stick protection.
Stick Position
The basic rule in protecting your stick is to keep your body in between your stick and your pursuing defender. A great way to see if you’re doing this correctly is to practice cradling in a mirror. While looking in the mirror, you should not be able to see the head of your lacrosse stick. What you see in the mirror is what your defender sees. Make sure you have your top hand up by the plastic and your bottom hand by your butt end which will allow you to support your whole stick and absorb checks between your hands.
Cradle
Our cradle is also very important to stick protection. New players tend to run around holding their stick flat and the ball rattles around in their pocket. Cradling not only keeps the ball in the pocket of our stick, but it also makes our stick a moving target, making it harder on the defensemen with crafty stick checks.
Change of Speed and Direction
The next most important piece to protecting our stick is change of speed and direction. If we are just running in a straight line, or even worse, not running at all, we become a much easier / predictable target for a defender. Throwing and landing a good stick check requires good timing and anticipation of the ball-carrier’s movements. Changing our speed and direction will make that timing and anticipation much harder for the defender trying to dislodge the ball.
Rotate Hips and Shoulders with the Check
As a defender throws a check, either in front or behind you, it is important to turn your hips and shoulders with it. This will take the head of your stick away from the check while still keeping your body between you and your defender.
Xcelerate Nike Lacrosse Camps
Building confidence is an essential component to a young person’s development and a very important step in achieving success both on and off the field. Our goal at Xcelerate Nike Lacrosse Camps is to provide the leadership necessary to help build this confidence and to help each camper reach their full potential. We want everyone that spends a week with us to leave camp knowing they can achieve anything!
An Illustrated Beginner’s Guide – Lacrosse Pack
You’ve developed an interest in lacrosse, but you don’t know where to start. Right now, picking up this sport as a beginner probably seems like a massive undertaking. Fortunately, simplifying this challenge into attainable short-term goals makes this process a whole lot easier.
You can learn how to play lacrosse by following these basic steps:
- Learn the basic fundamentals.
- Familiarize yourself with the rules of the game.
- Get to know the equipment.
- Decide which position you want to play.
We will explore exactly how to accomplish each of these steps for the remainder of the article. Read until the end to jumpstart your lacrosse journey and avoid wasting time by making unnecessary mistakes.
Step 1: Learn the Basic Fundamentals
There are a few universal skills in lacrosse that every single player must be familiar with in order to thrive. The very first thing you want to do as a lacrosse beginner is develop a basic grasp of these skills. Learning these fundamentals will take time, but it is essential for your growth as a player.
Before you delve into these skills, however, it’s necessary to know the three basic components of a lacrosse stick:
- Lacrosse Head – The hard plastic located at the top of the lacrosse head that acts as the structural framework for the stick’s netting.
- Lacrosse Pocket – The woven assemblage of stringing threads where the ball physically rests in the lacrosse stick.
- Lacrosse Shaft – The long, sturdy pole that makes up the majority of the lacrosse stick’s length.
These various parts of the lacrosse stick will be referenced regularly in the subsequent sections. This terminology will help to more clearly convey the instructions on how to perform specific lacrosse maneuvers.
Learn How to Hold a Lacrosse Stick
All of the skills described below involve the same relative hand orientation for gripping the lacrosse stick.
First off, you should know that players can only grip the lacrosse shaft and the end cap (attached at the shaft’s bottom end). Players cannot touch the plastic of the lacrosse head or the strings of the lacrosse pocket during live gameplay. Players are also forbidden from contacting the ball directly with their hands. They can only contact the ball indirectly with their lacrosse stick.
Your hands should be oriented so that they’re “mixed” or “alternated” whenever you hold a lacrosse stick. In other words, one hand will be gripping in an overhand fashion, while the other hand will be gripping in an underhand fashion.
Your dominant hand should be oriented in an overhand fashion, whereas your non-dominant hand should be oriented in an underhand fashion.
As a general rule of thumb, your non-dominant hand should remain close to the bottom of the lacrosse shaft for virtually all of these basic lacrosse maneuvers. Your dominant hand will typically hover around the middle of the shaft, but this position may change depending on what lacrosse maneuver you intend to perform.
Learn How to Cradle
Cradling is how players keep the ball in their lacrosse stick as they move around on the field. This movement takes advantage of the centripetal force by holding the ball within the netting of the lacrosse stick.
You can perform this basic maneuver by doing the following:
- Place your dominant hand at the top of the lacrosse shaft (just underneath the plastic of the head) in an underhand fashion.
- Place your non-dominant hand at the bottom of the lacrosse shaft in an overhand fashion.
- Lightly grasp the lacrosse shaft with your non-dominant hand, holding it in the same position in space.
- Use your dominant hand to curl the lacrosse stick toward you and then away from you.
- Repeat this process. Gradually work on curling the wrists (in addition to the arms) as you make progress.
A visual demonstration of these steps is shown in the clip below.
Learn How to Pass
Passing is how lacrosse players move the ball from one teammate to another. Players can do this by tossing the ball through the air, bouncing it on the ground, or rolling it along the field surface. Though, passing the ball directly through the air is by far the most prevalent method.
Basic throwing mechanics consist of the subsequent steps:
- Place your dominant hand just below the middle of the lacrosse shaft in an underhand fashion.
- Place your non-dominant hand at the bottom of the lacrosse shaft in an overhand fashion.
- Orient your body sideways, so the shoulder on your non-dominant side is pointing toward the target.
- Lift the bottom of the lacrosse shaft upwards with your non-dominant hand until the end cap is facing your intended target.
- In one swift motion, push the lacrosse shaft toward your target with the top hand while concurrently pulling the lacrosse shaft toward yourself with the bottom hand.
- Follow through by snapping your top hand’s wrist toward the target.
A visual demonstration of these steps is shown in the clip below.
Learn How to Catch
Catching is how players ensure that a teammate’s oncoming pass successfully reaches the pocket of their lacrosse stick and stays there.
Similar to passing, a push-pull mechanism is the basis of the catching motion. The only difference is that it’s in the inverse order of passing:
- Position your dominant hand up near the top of the lacrosse shaft in an underhand fashion.
- Position your non-dominant hand near the bottom of the lacrosse shaft in an overhand fashion.
- Orient the lacrosse stick so that it’s aligned vertically relative to the ground.
- Turn the open face of the lacrosse head in the direction of the oncoming pass to take full advantage of its catching surface area.
- Slant the lacrosse head slightly forward in the direction of the oncoming pass.
- As soon as the ball makes contact with the pocket, use your top hand to pull the lacrosse shaft inward while concurrently using your bottom hand to push the lacrosse shaft outward.
- Maintaining a light grip on the lacrosse shaft is key to preventing the ball from inadvertently bouncing out of the pocket.
A visual demonstration of these steps is shown in the clip below.
Learn How to Scoop
The art of scooping is how players pick up loose balls on the ground that have yet to be possessed by either team. This skill is much harder than it looks, since it’s difficult to both judge a ground ball’s direction and navigate through the throng of players competing for possession.
You can scoop up ground balls more effectively by doing the following:
- Place your dominant hand at the top of the lacrosse shaft (just below the head plastic) with an underhand grip.
- Place your non-dominant hand at the bottom of the lacrosse shaft with an overhand grip.
- Sprint to the loose ball.
- Step next to the ball with the foot on your dominant hand’s side.
- Bend at the knees, sinking your bottom low to the ground.
- Orient your lacrosse stick so it is aligned horizontally, parallel with the ground.
- Scoop through the ball in one fluid motion.
- Bring your lacrosse head up toward your head once you’ve gathered the ball for added stick protection.
- Sprint to open field.
A visual demonstration of these steps is shown in the clip below.
Learn How to Shoot
Shooting is how players combine both power and accuracy to sneak the ball past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net for a score. The mechanics for passing and shooting are slightly different, so that offensive players can generate additional force behind the ball.
To enhance both your shooting power and accuracy, do the following:
- Position your top hand an inch or two below the middle of the lacrosse shaft with an underhand grip.
- Position your bottom hand at the bottom of the lacrosse shaft with an overhand grip.
- Line yourself up sideways so that your non-dominant shoulder is pointing toward the goal.
- Broaden your foot stance slightly beyond shoulder’s width.
- Extend both arms out and away from your body.
- Look at the goal and tuck your chin into your non-dominant shoulder.
- Engage the core and forcefully rotate your upper torso toward the goal.
- Step toward the goal with your non-dominant leg as you start to rotate.
- Heave your arms in a top arc towards the goal.
- Follow through by snapping your top hand’s wrist toward the goal.
A visual demonstration of these steps is shown in the clip below.
Learn How to Check
Checking is the means by which defensive players dislodge the ball from an opponent’s stick to turn the ball back over to the offense. Although strong body positioning takes precedence over checking, it is a useful skill to apply pressure on the opposing offense.
There are two main types of stick checks:
- Body Check – Used to shove an opposing ball carrier off of their path toward the goal.
- Stick Check – Disrupts an opposing players stick handling ability by applying pressure to either the hands or the lacrosse stick itself.
The basic steps of throwing a defensive check are outlined below:
- Assume an athletic stance with bent knees, a wide base, and a low center of gravity.
- Match feet with your opponent, keeping an eye on their hips as opposed to their lacrosse stick.
- To perform a body check, slide your hands close together on the lacrosse shaft and forcefully push the ball carrier away on the front or side of their body.
- To perform a stick check, thrust the head of your lacrosse stick toward the opposing player’s gloves or lacrosse stick to interfere with their cradling ability.
You can find helpful beginner tips on how to better perform these basic lacrosse maneuvers by visiting 7 Fundamental Skills That You Need to Play Lacrosse.
Step 2: Familiarize Yourself with the Rules of the Game
Once you’ve mastered the universal skills needed for lacrosse, it’s time to move on to improving your lacrosse IQ. You may feel overwhelmed at first by all the underlying rules that govern this sport, but you will begin to develop a feel for the game as you continue to expose yourself to lacrosse.
Without further ado, let’s delve into the rules!
The Object of Lacrosse
The primary goal of lacrosse is for your team to score more goals than the opposing team. Whichever team scores the most goals wins.
How Lacrosse Players Score
Players score by shooting the ball past the opposing goalkeeper and into the back of the net. Goals only count if the ball completely crosses the goal line. One goal is equivalent to one point.
Players do not need to hold the ball for a specified period of time or pass the ball a certain number of times before attempting to score. Whenever a player has the ball, they’re always a threat to score.
There’s an area encircling each goal where offensive players are not permitted. This restricted area is called the crease. Only defensive players may enter this area.
Offensive players can shoot from anywhere on the field besides the crease. Players can also shoot the ball in any manner that they prefer. They can shoot high or low, underhand or overhand, standing still or on the run… it’s ultimately up to preference!
How Lacrosse Games are Formatted
The standard format of a lacrosse game is four quarters, with each quarter lasting a total of 12 minutes in length and a halftime intermission.
Lacrosse games always begin with a face-off. During a face-off, two players square off at the center of the field with the ball centered between them. When the referee blows the whistle, each of these players attempts to win possession with their physical strength and quickness.
Face-offs also occur after every scored goal and at the start of every quarter, so they’re fairly prevalent during a game.
Additional information on face-off procedure can be found here at The Lacrosse Face-Off: Everything That You Need to Know.
If regulation time ends with both teams tied, the game continues with an overtime period to settle the victor. Each overtime periods last four minutes. The first team to score wins the game.
How Lacrosse Teams are Organized
Each lacrosse team is only authorized to have 10 players on the field at any point during the game. These players are classified under the following positions:
- 3 Attackmen – These players typically remain on the offensive end. Their primary responsibility is to score goals.
- 3 Midfielders – Players at this position run all over the field, since they have been assigned the laborious task of playing both offense and defense.
- 3 Defensemen – Occupying the defensive end, their job is to keep scoring to a minimum and shift possession back to the offense.
- 1 Goalkeeper – This player verbally organizes the defense and blocks opposing shots from traveling into the goal.
Additional information on the main responsibilities and functionalities of each lacrosse position can be found at The 4 Major Lacrosse Positions: A Beginner’s Guide.
Along with the 10 players on the field, lacrosse rosters also have several reserve players. A standard lacrosse roster consists of 22 to 23 players, with backups at each position.
How Offense Works in Lacrosse
The primary objective of the offense is to put the ball in the back of the opponent’s net.
Ball carriers have the capacity to pass the ball to teammates whenever they like. On the other hand, ball carriers may also keep the ball for as long as they please. They can cradle the ball and run around the field freely.
Although players don’t have to pass the ball, it is to their benefit to do so. Not only does it reduce the amount of checks that a player takes, it also keeps the defense guessing as to what the offense will do next. Most offenses emphasize a balanced mix of passing between teammates and dodging past defenders to create open scoring opportunities.
How Defense Works in Lacrosse
The primary objective of the defense is to prevent the opposing team from scoring on their goal. Defensemen do this by obstructing the intended path of offensive players and applying physical pressure to ball carriers.
Lacrosse is a contact sport and defensemen take full advantage of this contact legality. We analyzed the basic mechanics of body checking and stick checking earlier, but you should know that there are certain rules governing this physical contact.
Players may only check the front or side of an opponent’s body. Any check to the head, neck, back, or legs will be penalized. Furthermore, any particularly reckless or violent checks will be met with penalty. Defensive checks are meant to be technical in nature, not vicious.
In addition to body checking and stick checking, players may also block passes and shots with their lacrosse stick or their own body.
How Penalties Work in Lacrosse
There are three main ways that a player can be penalized after a foul has been committed:
- possession is turned over to the opposing team
- offending player is briefly suspended from play
- offending player is disqualified for the remainder of the game
Typically, a player that violates the rules is temporarily suspended from play. Their team is forced to play without them in a 9 versus 10 situation, more commonly known as man-down.
The length of this temporary suspension is contingent upon the severity of the violation itself. The severity of the violation also influences how strictly this suspension from play will be enforced:
- Releasable Penalty – This penalty is reserved for minor infractions. If the opposing team scores while the offending player is still in the penalty box, the time remaining on the penalty is voided and the player is free to re-enter the game.
- Unreleasable Penalty – This type of penalty is issued for more severe violations. The offending player must serve out the entire duration of their penalty time, without any opportunity for early release. It doesn’t matter whether or not the opposing team scores.
The subject of lacrosse violations is explored in greater detail, with in-depth analyses of individual fouls, at How Penalties Work in Lacrosse: A Helpful, Illustrated Guide.
How Substitutions Work in Lacrosse
Player substitutions are done much in the same way as hockey, with bench players replacing active players on the fly in a designated substitution area. In other words, the clock does not need to be stopped for reserve players to substitute on the field. Though, it’s important to know that substitutions can be made during dead-ball situations, such as an injury time-out.
It’s also worth noting that teams can make as many substitutions as they want, so long as they enter and exit through the designated substitution box during live gameplay.
More advanced concepts, including complex substitution tips and strategies, are discussed further in How Substitutions Work in Lacrosse: A Detailed Guide.
Step 3: Get to Know the Equipment
Now that you’re well acquainted with the basic rules of the game, you can shift your attention to learning both the function and importance of each piece of lacrosse gear.
With lacrosse being a contact sport, there’s a fair amount of mandatory protective equipment involved, as depicted in the image below.
- Helmet – Safeguards against concussions and other head-related injury.
- Mouth Guard – Protects the teeth, tongue, lips, and jaw from injury.
- Shoulder Pads – Cushions the upper torso from defensive checks.
- Arm Pads – Shields the elbows from forcible contact.
- Gloves – Protects the hands from hard defensive checks.
- Lacrosse Stick – Primary means by which players interact with the ball.
- Cleats – Provides superior traction on grass and turf.
- Pinnie – Scrimmage vest that visually indicates to other players what team you’re on.
- Protective Cup – Shields the groin area from severe injury.
Special Goalkeeping Equipment
Lacrosse goalies must use special equipment to further protect themselves from fast-moving shots.
For one, the head of their lacrosse stick covers a much larger surface area, which assists with shot saves. Furthermore, goalies must also wear a throat protector attached to their helmet to cover their neck region. In place of standard issue shoulder pads, goalies wear padded chest protectors to better absorb the force of oncoming shots.
Goalies have the option of forgoing elbow pads to better react to opposing shots. Since most goalies choose to go this route, they technically wear the least amount of protective equipment out of all the lacrosse positions!
Not All Lacrosse Sticks are Built the Same
If you’ve ever watched a lacrosse game before, you may have noticed that some lacrosse players carry short sticks whereas other players carry long sticks. Since each lacrosse position has different tasks and responsibilities, the specifications of these lacrosse sticks vary to reflect these differences:
| Lacrosse Position | Total Stick Length | Shaft Length | Head Length | Head Width |
| Attack | 40 – 42″ | 30″ | 10″ | 6 – 10″ |
| Midfield | 40 – 42″ | 30″ | 10″ | 6 – 10″ |
| Defense | 52 – 72″ | 60″ | 10″ | 6 – 10″ |
| Goalie | 40 – 72″ | 40″ | 16.5″ | 10 – 12″ |
This may be a bit difficult to mentally visualize, so here’s a picture of the different lacrosse sticks compared side-by-side:
If you would like to know more about how lacrosse sticks differ from each other, read through Are All Lacrosse Sticks the Same Size? (Actual Measurements).
Step 4: Decide Which Position You Want to Play
Since lacrosse positions have different equipment needs, it is critical that you take the time to choose your desired position before purchasing your lacrosse gear. Otherwise, you may just end up wasting money on equipment that you don’t necessarily need.
To help streamline this process, check out the following pros and cons of each lacrosse position to see which type of play style appeals to you most.
Attack
| Pros | Cons |
| receive a high volume of touches on offense | constantly hounded with body checks and stick checks |
| control the pace of the game | matched up against skilled long stick defensemen |
| rarely have to play defense | long stints of inactivity if your team is losing the possession battle |
Midfield
| Pros | Cons |
| can have an impact on both ends of the field | run the most out of any lacrosse position |
| greatest opportunity to earn playing time | must be well-versed at virtually every lacrosse skill |
| given the most opportunity to fight for extra possessions | difficult to keep track of all the offensive and defensive concepts |
Defense
| Pros | Cons |
| allowed to use physicality to push around opponents | takes time and effort to truly master defensive footwork |
| can legally slap opposing players with a metal stick | matched up against the most talented offensive scorers |
| play an integral part in delivering the ball back to the offense | not given many scoring opportunities |
Goalie
| Pros | Cons |
| have the privilege of commanding the entire team’s defense | left battered and bruised by hard lacrosse shots |
| can turn the tide of the game with a few quality shot saves | under a considerable amount of pressure to make saves |
| not nearly as run-intensive | competition for the singular starting spot can be stiff |
If you’re still undecided as to which lacrosse position you want to play, you should know that the majority of newer lacrosse players start off at the midfield position to get a taste of both offense and defense. Plus, the midfield position allows newer players to obtain an all-around knowledge of how the sport works.
Once you’ve explored the midfield position and developed a firmer grasp of your lacrosse interests, then it will be considerably easier to make this choice.
Full disclosure, I started off at the midfield position myself. After a brief stint at attack for a season, I returned to the midfield position and have been playing there ever since.
Lacrosse positions aside, just make sure you get out of your comfort zone and pick up a stick! You won’t regret it.
Lacrosse 101: Cradling — WINNERS Lacrosse
During a lacrosse game you see players running all over the field – dodging checks, getting hit, shooting, passing – and yet the ball seems to never fall out of their stick. How is this possible? The answer is “cradling”. Cradling is using the movement of the stick to maintain possession of the ball without it falling out. Cradling is essential to being able to move around the field while protecting and handling the ball. After throwing and catching, cradling is one of the most important skills that young players need to learn to become successful lacrosse players. Here is a quick how-to guide on cradling a lacrosse ball.
First, use your dominant hand to control the stick by holding it near the head of the stick, while your other hand loosely grips the bottom of the stick. Hold your stick parallel to your body, with the bottom of the stick resting near your hip and the top of the stick above your shoulder. Next, use your dominant hand to curl the stick towards you (by curling your wrist), and then away from you, all in one smooth rhythm. Start slow at first, and then slowly speed up as you become more used to the cradling motion. The curling motion creates the centrifugal force on the stick head, which keeps the ball in the pocket. The repeated curling of the stick should be kept as tight and efficient as possible. The wider your cradle is, the easier it will be for the ball to fall out or for a defender to knock it out.
After cradling while standing still, try to practice cradling while on the run. Your arms should move similar to the natural movement of one’s arms when running, and running while cradling should feel natural after you get the hang of it. This will be essential for moving the ball down the field without it falling out of your stick.
And that is how to cradle! Cradling is an important skill to becoming a good lacrosse player and it takes time and practice to perfect it. Stay tuned for more how-to guides from WINNERS Lacrosse! See below for cradling in action, it’s a bit different in the boys and girls game!
Training in the pandemic: QuickSTX helps you practice stick skills; GBs, cradling, passing, shooting, dodging, catching
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/10/21
From Press Release
QuickSTX, by Twig Sports, is the only lacrosse training device with a fully retractable ball attached to the lacrosse head, allowing players to play wall ball without the wall wherever they go.
QuickSTX lets you not only cradle the ball, but also throw and catch the ball repeatedly using quick motion to enhance your dexterity, speed, and control. You no longer need a partner or lacrosse wall – QuickSTX lets you practice outdoors, indoors, warm up before games, in the off-season and more.
Using proprietary technology not found anywhere else, QuickSTX gives you different levels of technique and difficulty for short poles, long poles, and goalies. QuickSTX is perfect for goalies, defenders, mid-fielders, and attackers.
QuickSTX can be attached to the lacrosse head using just the ball or with an additional length of cord that allows multiple different techniques to be used.
Practice all your basic and advanced skills – scooping, cradling, passing, shooting, dodging and catching.
The price is only $29.99 – click here to order
Here are some drills that closely replicate drills one would do with a rebounder. The good news is you can now do these drills with QuickSTX wherever you are – on vacation, in your hotel room, on the field before games, and more. Just twenty minutes a day could improve your game.
1. Basic Throw Drill – Throw and catch the ball 50 times on the right and 50 times on the left. Don’t cradle the ball. Visualize a spot in front of you where you are throwing and focus on catching the ball in the “box” around your head.
2. Single Handed Throw Drill – Hold the lacrosse stick in the middle of the handle. Throw and catch the ball 50 times with the right hand and 50 times with the left hand. Don’t cradle the ball. Make sure you snap your wrist.
3. Throw/Cradle Drill – Throw and catch the ball 50 times on the right and 50 times on the left. Catch and cradle the ball close to your ear and focus on catching the ball in the “box” around your head. Cradle but do not spin your stick.
4. Single Handed Throw/Cradle Drill – Throw and catch the ball 50 times with each hand with a brief cradle on each catch.
5. Dodge Drill – Throw and catch the ball 50 times on the right and 50 times on the left. In between each catch, imitate a dodge/deke without changing hands and then throw the ball.
6. Split Drill – Throw the ball on the right and catch on the right. Perform a split dodge switching the stick to the left with a hand change and then throw and catch the ball on the left. Repeat 50 times on each side.
7. Advanced Split Drill – Throw the ball on the right and catch on the left. Repeat 50 times on each side.
8. Behind the Back Drill – Throw the ball from behind your back and catch. Repeat 50 times on the right and 50 times on the left.
9. Basic Cradle – Cradle the ball on the left and right side 50 times each to focus on ball control and wrist movement.
10. One Hand Cradle – Cradle the ball on the left and right side with one hand on the shaft 50 times each to focus on ball control and wrist movement
How to Attach QuickSTX
QuickSTX may be attached to the head of the lacrosse stick at the scoop, on the mesh near the shooting string or in the pocket, based on your preference.
There are three different options for attaching QuickSTX to the head of the lacrosse stick. Each option allows you to practice different skills.
Without elasticized cord: attach the lacrosse ball directly to the head of the lacrosse stick. This set up is for improving your close in speed and agility, as well as shooting skills.
With the elasticized cord: attach the cord to the lacrosse ball and then attach the cord to the head of the lacrosse stock. This set up is for practicing different throwing and catching techniques, as well as cradling and shooting skills.
How to Use QuickSTX
- Start off in an athletic stance
- Cock back arm as if you were about to throw the ball
- Throw the ball with force like a regular pass (don’t worry, you can throw it pretty hard)
- After ball is at full extension quickly catch in the same position you started from
- Repeat over and over again and get better and better! *** The lacrosse ball comes with an embedded retracting device and two different cords that allow you to use the ball in a ton of different ways. The product does not include lacrosse stick or the basket/head. ***
Twig Sports’ Vision
At Twig Sports, we are focused on helping athletes achieve their performance goals. We believe we can help enhance your athletic capabilities by offering a variety of effective and unique training equipment and devices. Our experienced team is focused on skill development and offering great products that help you train to grow your game.
Our premier flagship athletic training products include the Twig Handle and QuickSTX. Browse our store for these great products and more!
Stick Handling and Ground Balls – Human Kinetics
This is an excerpt from Lacrosse Essentials by Jack Kaley & Richard Donovan.
Mastering fundamental lacrosse skills is vital to keeping your team in the game. All are skills a team can control and none requires special athletic skills. This chapter covers stick handling and ground balls.
Holding the Stick
The first thing a beginner must learn is how to hold the stick. Right-handed players should hold the stick with the left hand on the butt of the stick and the right hand on the shaft of the stick about the distance of the length from the elbow to the fingertips (see figure 2.1). The left hand on the butt uses a full grasp. The thumb on the right hand stays on the side of the stick, guiding the shaft. From proper stick holding, we can proceed to ball-handling techniques.
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Proper stick grip for a right-handed player.
Cradling the Ball
After learning how to hold the stick, the player must learn how to cradle the ball. The object of the cradle is to keep the ball out of the throat of the stick and in the pocket. The easiest way to teach this to a beginner is to demonstrate it. At first you can teach a beginner to get the feel of the cradle by putting the stick in a horizontal position. Then demonstrate the cradle in a vertical position showing how the upper hand controls most of the action. Many beginners have a tendency to overcradle. You only need enough cradle to keep the ball in the pocket of the stick.
Teach beginners to cradle from a stationary position. Once they get the feel and are able to maintain ball control while cradling, let them jog. Once they can jog and maintain control of the ball, they should try running. Every time they jog to the field or around the field as part of their warm-up before practice, have them cradle, switch hands, and roll-dodge while jogging. A roll dodge is discussed in chapter 3. The best way to master the cradling technique is through repetition.
Throwing the Ball
Like cradling, the best way to introduce of the mechanics of throwing is by demonstration. Have the players stand sideways. Right-handed players put the left foot forward. Hold the stick up at about a 60-degree vertical position. To throw the ball, they should step with their left foot and throw the ball with their upper hand. This action is similar to throwing a baseball, but with a lacrosse stick. They throw and aim with the upper hand and pull and follow through with the bottom hand (see figure 2.2). For beginners, emphasize that the lower hand ends up at the elbow of the other arm on the follow-through. We call this cracking the elbow. This ensures that the passes are made overhand. To throw, slightly cradle the ball and then step and follow through during the throwing motion. If the ball comes out low, the player is probably not cradling the ball to get it out of the pocket. When learning the mechanics of throwing, players should start from a stationary position under the supervision of the coach. Once they have mastered the fundamentals of throwing from a stationary position, they can throw from a jog and then while running during drills. Like all skills, this is best learned through repetition. This skill can be learned through individual practice at the wall. For a list of wall drills, see chapter 12, Special Situations.
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Follow-through when passing the ball.
Catching the Ball
Catching the ball is somewhat similar to catching a baseball. You reach out with your stick and eye (watch) the ball into your stick. As the ball enters your stick, you give back slightly to receive the ball as you would do with a baseball and glove. In lacrosse, we call this a soft stick so that the ball doesn’t bounce out (figure 2.3). In baseball you do it for the same reason but also to reduce the sting of the catch. It’s important that you catch the ball in front of your body so that you can better eye it into your stick. If your stick is out to the side, it is difficult to catch the ball.
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Using a soft stick to catch the ball.
When beginners catch and throw in pairs, players should be 10 to 15 yards apart, and each pair should have its own ball. Coaches should diligently observe and correct fundamental errors in catching, throwing, and stick handling. It is important that beginners learn the correct technique from the start.
Scooping Ground Balls
The skill of scooping is simple, but it must be performed correctly every day to master it. The amount of time spent in practice depends on the level and ability of the players. The younger and less experienced they are, the more time they should spend perfecting scooping. Even high-level teams should drill it every day for a short period.
Scooping is by far the most important skill beginners must learn. The more inexperienced the player and the team, the more the ball will be on the ground. Before a player is able to catch and throw, he must first get possession of the ball, which will be on the ground. As the player approaches the ball, he must have two hands on the stick (see figure 2.4a). The stick should be held to the side of the body with the upper hand held loosely near the throat of the stick. As he approaches the ball, he should bend with the knees and the back. He should focus on the ball, stay low, keep his head over the ball, and place the stick on the ground 6 to 10 inches in front of the ball. As he scoops the ball into the stick, the player should come up, cradle slightly (see figure 2.4b), sprint for 10 yards (see figure 2.4c), and circle as he keeps his body between his man and his stick (see figure 2.5).
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Ground ball scoop: (a) approach the ball, (b) scoop, and (c) explode.
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Circling to the outside.
Learn more about Lacrosse Essentials.
Individual Lacrosse Stick Skills – CreaseRoll
These individual lacrosse stick skills can be done on one’s own or with friends in the backyard or playground to improve basic stick fundamentals and ball familiarity. They are most applicable to younger beginner or intermediate players.
Toss and Catch
Each player has a ball. Hold the stick in one hand, 1/3 of the way down from the head, with knuckles up. Follow the progression as applicable to age and skill by completing sets. Repeat the progression with the other hand.
Basic Toss and Catch – With the ball in the pocket, using the stick, toss the ball up and catch the ball in the pocket.
Catch on Back – Toss the ball up, turn the stick so the pocket faces down and catch the ball on the back of the pocket. Flip the ball up and turn the stick to catch in the pocket.
Toss and Spin – Toss the ball up, spin the stick and catch back in the pocket.
Catch and Spin – Basic toss and catch, but after the catch, spin the stick with the ball in the pocket and toss and catch again spinning in between each toss and catch.
Toss Across – With the ball in the pocket, toss the ball across the body, move the stick over (in front) and catch the ball. Keep the stick across the body and flip back to the original position.
Toss Across Catch Behind – Toss across the body, but move the stick behind the back to catch the ball.
One Handed Passing
Set up rings (hula hoops) or targets at least 15 yards away. With one hand on the stick (near the middle) toss into the rings or target using a stick rotation from the wrist. After a series of repetition add the bottom hand so they can feel the mechanics they have been forced to use with one hand and also gain greater accuracy and distance with the bottom hand. For fun, keep score for balls in the ring or closest to the pin.
A common technical flaw among new and young players is to keep their arms in too tight and throw with a “pushing” motion. This exercise helps eliminate the “push” motion and get the player used to the desired lever-action throwing mechanics. The rings need to be far enough away that it is impossible to reach with a “push” so they can see the effect of proper stick motion. This will also encourage dropping the top hand down. Keeping the top hand too high limits the range of motion and causes passes to go into the ground.
Cradle and Dodge Cones
This is a basic cradle and dodge drill that focuses on cradling on the move, protecting the ball, and getting past a defender. Set out a series of cones in a line 5 to 10 yards between each cone. Players take a running start before the first cone and cradle on the move. Upon reaching each cone execute an evasive dodge using the two common dodges described below.
Pull Dodge (also called Split Dodge) – Plant the same side foot that the stick is held, pulling the stick across the face to the opposite side, swing outside foot in sync,and turning the shoulder to the defender to protect the ball, switch hands and step with new outside foot and regain line.
Roll Dodge – Plant the same side foot the stick is held on the opposite side (away from the stick). The easiest way to teach and remind is if a player is right hand dominant she will plant her right foot on (near) the defenders right foot. “Right foot on right foot” is a simple reminder trigger. Bring the stick across the face in sync with the plant step away from the defender (to opposite side shoulder). Box out the defender with one’s rear end, pivot off the plant foot counter clockwise, and continue on a right side line to the goal. (Reverse steps for left handed players).
Wall Ball
A player can’t do enough wall ball. While a rebounder is ideal to simulate more realistic passing and catching velocity, often a wall will have to do. Here are links to two wall ball routines with videos.
Beginner Wall Ball Routine with Video
Advanced Wall Ball Routine with Video
Printable Wall Ball Routine
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How to hold the club correctly
Starting to play hockey, every young player is faced with the need to master a number of skills, one of which is the correct grip of the club, allowing you to use this tool as confidently and accurately as possible. From the outside, this may seem like a very easy task, but here it is far from so simple.
Before deciding how to hold your club correctly, it is important to choose the model that suits your height. It is also worth starting from your dominant hand.There are no restrictions here, the player can be both left-handed and right-handed, and he does not have to retrain. Let’s take a closer look at the correct placement of each hand.
Correct grip and basic control
For both right-handed and left-handed people, you need to hold the club with your dominant, stronger and dexterous hand by the upper part, that is, the handle, with an upper grip. In this case, there must be a small indent from the edge, no more than a few centimeters, so that during active play the club itself does not fly off onto the ice.In doing so, your main arm should be bent at an angle of 100 to 120 degrees, forming a lever for control.
The second arm is extended. It grips the hockey stick with its lower grip in its lower third, securing it securely and providing greater stability and precision in strikes. As for the legs, they should be bent and your body weight is distributed evenly on them in a calm position. The body is tilted slightly forward, so as to improve aerodynamic properties when riding on ice, and have more leverage for bumps and clicks.
How to hold a club in different game situations
A strong hand in this setting holds the stick firmly, but the second is not particularly tense and can move freely along it in order to regulate the force of the blow and make complex maneuvers. A firm grip on both hands is only required when you are preparing for a strong and powerful blow.
However, holding the stick in this way is only correct if the puck is at an average distance from you, comfortable for playing.If the projectile is far away, you can straighten your dominant hand and grab the other one closer to the top of the stick to take the puck away from a far away opponent. If the puck is directly below you, you simply increase the angle of your dominant hand and lower your other hand closer to the hook. It should be remembered that in order to avoid injury or loss of the club, you should not intercept it during the game, and having worked out the correct grip, it is important to stick to it in the long term.
Goalkeeper (boxing lacrosse) – gaz.wiki
In boxing lacrosse, the goalkeeper is usually more armored than the field lacrosse goalkeeper. Lacrosse goalkeeper boxers are known for their massive upper body gear, large shin guards known as “irons” and ice hockey-style helmets. [1]
Sticks and Gloves
Diagram of the Mitchell Brothers wooden lacrosse goalkeeper stick.
Today’s boxing goalkeepers use three types of lacrosse sticks.Traditional wooden sticks that are made from long strips of wood and pockets woven from leather and lace. [4] This variation dates back to the roots of the game and is still popular with amateur goalkeepers (senior, junior and junior), but is expensive with new clubs priced between C $ 250 and C $ 400. [5] Another type of golf club that has been used for a long time is the NCAA stick. [6] Much smaller and takes up less leg space, the NCAA head has a lot more control over the ball. [7] The newest golf club brand is the Angle Triangle. [6] NCAA-style stick-like materials, angular triangle is sized to mimic the finish of a wooden stick, but NCAA-style lightweight. This style becomes very popular at junior and junior levels, but is banned in the National Lacrosse League. NLL goalkeepers usually use NCAA sticks. [8]
Although many goalkeepers traditionally wear hockey gloves to protect their hands from high velocity impacts [9] [10], many goalkeepers have switched to specialized gloves made specifically for boxing lacrosse.On the goalkeeper’s free hand, there is a risk of injury to the back of the hand, finger joints and wrist as a result of a strong impact. Lacrosse goalkeeper gloves have an extra layer of padding on the outside of the glove to ward off dangerous shots. This extra padding is found on both gloves and also serves to protect the inside of the hockey wrist, which is often exposed in a squat position when wearing hockey gloves as a lacrosse goalkeeper.At the same time, lacrosse goalkeeper gloves are essential to give the goalkeeper wrist mobility when he has to hold the ball. [11]
Helmets
Box goalkeepers wear two different types of helmets. One type is a standard field lacrosse helmet, the other is an ice hockey mask. Field Masks [12] have heavily reinforced face masks that are as thick as the crossbars on a football helmet and offer a wider range of vision than hockey masks.Field helmets provide little protection to the throat area. Hockey mask padding [13] can be molded on the user’s head for comfort. Very easy to remove, quick to remove and shaped specifically for shock absorption. In addition, despite the narrowing of the user’s field of view, it actively protects the throat area from direct impacts. In recent years, baseball catchers-style masks have been proposed as a medium between two types of helmets. [14]
At a secondary level, most goalkeepers must wear throat guards or “cow traps” [15] which are attached to the helmet to provide additional coverage for the throat and neck area. [16]
Leg protection
Examples of legs. The left one is typical for the 2000s and 2010s, the right one for the 1990s.
Leg guards or shackles [17] for lacrosse have undergone a significant evolution since the early days of the sport. Early goalkeepers wore cricket courts made of thin but stiff padding and thick fabric material. [18] They eventually morphed into a cross between a cricket foot guard and a baseball catcher. [ citation needed ] Like cricket, the irons are closed above the knees, but have an exoskeleton of molded plastic caps and shin plates to deflect shots and leave less or no bruising like baseball. In the 2000s and 2010s, the rule of thumb for these last sizes was put to the test as the market for new lacrosse goalkeeper equipment emerged. Irons grew in width until it was argued that they were no longer intended to protect the shin, but mainly to cover more mesh.In the end, there was a retaliation: the Canadian Lacrosse Association and its partners set limits on the width of the shin guard. [19]
Top and Pants
The goalkeeper trains, demonstrating modern boxing shoes.
Until about 2005, the distribution and price of lacrosse top cushions were extremely restrictive. Prior to that, goalkeepers were mainly engaged in “build-up”. Build-ups were common practice, with the goalkeeper buying a set of hockey hats and complementing them.Hockey tops generally do not have sufficient padding to protect against downward shocks or upward bounces in rebound shots, so materials and other equipment were often added to protect against these, [20] at including: football lineman’s shoulder pads, hockey shoulder pads, kidney pads, baseball belly pads, PVC sectional tubing (also used in old lacrosse pads), and thick chunks of styrofoam. These improvements were added not only to increase the size of the goalkeeper’s upper body, but also to increase their safety, comfort, and still have to remain mobile. [20]
Ice hockey goalie pants commonly used in boxing lacrosse.
Since about 2005, the Canadian Lacrosse Association has required one-piece, unmodified chest protectors for all of its goalkeepers. Because of the price, a lacrosse team or small organization often pays the bill for this expensive piece of equipment. The permissible top should protrude from the shoulders at any point only three and four inches in the arms. [21]
In terms of pants, the goalkeeper boxer usually wears hockey pants or a specially modified version of the hockey pants to accommodate airflow. [9]
Other equipment
- Goalkeeper Athlete: Because of the danger of rebound shots, goalkeepers usually wear goalkeeper sports equipment and a bowl for protection. The Goalkeeper Athletic Shorts provide ample padding to the lower abdomen and genitals while still providing sufficient undercarriage protection to ward off the most dangerous rebound hits.
- Shoes: Most goalkeepers wear regular trainers. Goalkeepers need mobility to run and grip to stay on the floor in a stance, which can be provided by a good pair of shoes.Toe guards are generally not required as leg shackles provide very long and wide leg guards.
- Underwear: As in ice hockey, wearing underwear under your playing equipment reduces the likelihood of skin infections in cuts and scrapes. It also provides a layer that protects the skin from damage when a strong shot finds a “exposed patch” of skin. Traditionally, goalkeepers have worn shorts and T-shirts or long underwear, but in recent years, sweat-soaked clothing has been designed to better suit the needs of athletes.
A lacrosse boxing goalkeeper may play in any area of the playing surface and is not restricted to any area. [22] Despite this, the boxing goalkeeper has a crease all over the net. Defenders can enter this area to pick up a loose ball, but cannot enter it while in possession of the ball. The attackers cannot enter the penalty area. At minor levels and some minor leagues this includes the vertical crease plane, but at junior A levels, high and professional levels, the player is often allowed to enter the vertical plane while shooting or bouncing, as long as his feet or body are not touching the paint creases on the floor. …Such a performance is called “fold dive”. [23]
Occasionally, a lacrosse boxing goalkeeper runs up and joins the offensive zone on a slow whistle or delayed penalty, but the goalkeeper is usually pulled out and replaced by an outfield player. Boxed lacrosse goalkeepers are known to sometimes score goals for their team in power play or slow whiz situations. In addition, due to the unique lack of offside rules in boxing lacrosse, it is not uncommon to see a goalkeeper lead his scoring team on the tables through multiple passes, usually through long passes to teammates trying to pull away from unsuspecting defenders.Boxing lacrosse goalkeepers are also advised to aggressively play checkers around the ball and, if necessary, violently cross checkers (in boxing lacrosse, cross control is allowed). [24] If the goalkeeper leaves the court in possession of the ball, the opponents are allowed to cross-control the goalkeeper unless there is an attempt to inflict injury.
Boxing lacrosse goalkeepers play in front of a four-by-four-foot net at most levels, as opposed to a field goalkeeper who plays in front of a six-by-six net. [3] The National Lacrosse League, Major and Junior A levels use a net four feet high and four feet nine inches wide. [25]
The boxing goalkeeper challenges the corner shooter in the main stance. The equipment is typical of the early 2000s.
Goal playing in box lacrosse is more like playing goal in ice hockey than playing lacrosse on field. [26] The goalkeeper stance is similar to the ice hockey goalkeeper. The goalkeeper crouched down, but his knees were apart, and not pinched, as in hockey.Heels are shoulder-width apart, and the toes are usually pointed outward so that you can enter the frame. One hand sits on the top of the thigh, holding the club in a position that covers the five holes (the area between the legs), and the other hand rests or is propped up in the area between the waistline and the outside of the top. hip. The elbow is pushed forward, ready to swing towards a high kick. [27] [28]
The two main styles of goalkeeper play in boxing lacrosse are stick play and stem play.Club play or positional style is to stay at an angle with the shooter’s stick, challenging the shooter by going up to him to limit the amount of net he can see and use his size to his advantage to block the shot. [29] [30] Kickback or rebound is when the goalkeeper stays on the inside of the post on the same side of the shooter as the shooter, deliberately giving him the opposite side. This gives the shooter a shot from the wrong angle, which the goalkeeper tries to get him to take.When a player shoots, the goalkeeper will move quickly and cover the other side of the net and block the shot. [29] This style can be very effective but can fall prey to fake shots. [29]
National Lacrosse League (1987 – present)
The best goalkeepers of modern NLL.
Lacrosse Basic Series (1932-1987)
The best goalkeepers OLA and NLL (1974-75) before the founding of modern NLL. These listed goalkeepers have either won top honors in their Major Leagues or have led their team to the Mann Cup Final.
- Pete Anthony
- Pat Baker
- Tim Barry
- Grant Brick
- Wayne Collie
- Doug Favell
- Ted Jerney
- Ted Hall
- Freep Harrison
- Bill MacArthur
- Merv Marshall
- Barry Maruk
- Bob McCready
- Ernie Mitchell
- Bill Moreau
- Ray Mortimer
- Wayne Platt
- Gary Pauless
- Bob Romer
- Dave Russell
- Bob Savage
- Ron “Ham” Thomas
- Jim Thompson
- Joe Tomchishin
- Sean Quinlan
- Bill Whittaker
- Harry Woods
- Lloyd “Moon” Wootton
Western Lacrosse Association (1933-1987)
The best goalkeepers of the west coast before the founding of modern NLL.These listed goalkeepers have either won top honors in their Major Leagues or have led their team to the Mann Cup Final.
- Bill Andrews
- Pete Anthony
- Henry Baker
- Rod Banister
- Skip Chapman
- Joe Como
- Herb Delmonico
- Dave Evans
- Barry Forbes
- Fred Fulla
- Jack Green
- Don Hamilton
- Geordie Johnston
- Ed Johnston
- Stan Joseph
- Walt Lee
- Gary McLaughlin
- Norm Nestman
- Les Norman
- Gordy Pogue
- Harry Preston
- Sean Quinlan
- Merv Schweitzer
- Bill Scooby
- Alf Shuker
- Larry Smelzer
- Hap Smith
- Bill Thomas
- Greg Thomas
- Doug Zack
How to choose a hockey stick
Hello everyone again! In the last article, we figured out which hockey sticks have parameters, and now we will consider how to choose a hockey stick for yourself .
First, you need to understand which side you are playing on. Left or right. There is a very simple way to check. Whichever hand you have upper when you vacuum, mop the floors or dig a hole with a shovel (which is preferable to whom) – that hand will be the upper one on the stick.
So let’s define what exactly you need?
First, let’s figure out the growth of the club. This point is the most important of all of the above. Sticks are: YTH – 45 inches (115 cm), JUNIOR – 50, 52 and 54 inches (127, 132 and 137 cm), INT – 57 inches (144 cm), SR – 60 and 64 inches (152 and 162 cm).The club is measured from the heel of the feather (base of the stick) to the top end. To understand how long you need, you need to: bring your feet together and stand up straight and put the club in front of you on the tip of the feather. The stick should be strictly upright.
Depending on the length of the club, the fit and manner of play change. There is one regularity: the lower the stick, the better the technique. But then the area of your influence on the field suffers first of all. How far from your current body position you can interact with the puck in the 360 areola.Secondly, the effective throw range is reduced. That is, the further you are from the goal, the less accurate and weak the shot will be.
Conversely, if the stick is long, it will be easier for you to knock it out of your opponents, give passes, and click more conveniently. It is also very accurate and strong to give long passes. In this case, it is better not to resort to beats, fast dribbling and feints. As a rule, such clubs, regardless of the pen, are chosen by those who know what the defenders want.They clearly limit their responsibilities, but perform them perfectly.
I recommend that you always cut your club based on your current height. For beginners, I recommend sawing the club along the bridge of the nose. So they will not have to bend too much when the club is in two hands, respectively, the riding technique is mastered without flaws. In children, it is not necessary to saw off too much with a margin (often the clubs are sawed off for growth), a maximum of 2 centimeters, otherwise this may negatively affect the teaching of the technique.It’s easier with adults. Growth is already stable and you can gradually pick up the club using different options. The best option is if a knowledgeable trainer tells you, taking into account your data and riding technique, coupled with the technique of hand control and movement. It is widely believed that the club should be sawed off under the tip of the nose. My opinion is that it is necessary to saw off, especially for beginners, up to the chin. In this form, the club, when moving, does not hinder the movement of the hands, and the technique will “lie down” more correctly.
It was not in vain that I paid such attention to the length of the club, as I believe that this is the most important thing for a hockey player.For a professional, even millimeters matter. A small deviation and you will no longer get exactly the same throw that has been practiced for a long time. I personally have played for many years so long that the tip is exactly at the level of the upper lip line (yes, so picky), or 58.7 inches. But I recommend starting with a little longer than necessary, because you always have time to saw off, the main thing is not to be afraid to experiment.
In the next article we will look at what feathers are. That is, their forms are options for bends, and at the same time we will understand their numerical designations.
Features of hockey sticks
Hello everyone! Today I would like to talk about golf clubs. Yes, yes, it would seem, what’s wrong with that, a curved stick and that’s it. Well, there is, cheaper and more expensive. That is how it is, but, as you know, God exists in small things.
There are a huge number of parameters that most simply do not pay attention to, but would be worth it.
Let’s first analyze what you can see in stores. I’ll first list the options that the clubs have, and then I’ll break down each one individually.
There are several age categories: YTH (Youth), JR (Junior 7-12 years old), INT (Intermediate, teenage) and SR (Senior – adults). They differ from each other, first of all, in the height of the stick and the width of the girth – Shaft .
Next comes the most common parameter, which everyone has heard – FLEX , which is also conditionally “flexibility” of the club.
Basic parameters of a hockey stick
And now the parameters that few people think about when buying, or even playing with a club because, basically, these parameters are either not written on the clubs at all, or very rarely.
GRIP – that is, what the stick is covered with. Grip – means that it is “rubberized” with a special coating that does not allow the hand to slip. The very degree of GRIP is also different, depending on the manufacturer.
CLEAR – it means that the club is not covered with anything and the hand glides over it freely. Last but not least, my favorite is MATTE . This special matte finish is somewhere between GRIP and Clear, but very pleasant to the touch.
SHAFT is not only the width of the hand girth of the stick, but also the shape of the tube itself.They come in several types, mostly rounded (oval) and with more acute angles. I prefer rounder leggings, so the leggings stay alive longer.
LIE is a parameter that indicates the angle of the pen in relation to the stick. The standard Lie for Bauer and CCM is 5.5. But they, like other brands, have golf clubs with different angles. I always recommend, especially for children, to select LIE as low as possible, that is, 4.5 or 5. The lower the parameter, the further you will keep the stick and puck away from you, which is what you need for beginners.
TOE is the shape of the feather at the end of the club. Feathers come in different lengths and shapes. They also have different bends, but we’ll talk about that later. The nibs are generally round and square. And one more important point, which depends on the model of the club, is that the feathers also have their own FLEX. Yes, it is the flexibility of the pen that is an important factor for me when choosing a club.
Another important parameter when buying is the thickness of the heel, that is, the place where the stick passes into the feather.The thinner it is, the better.
In the next article we will analyze how to choose the right hockey stick “for yourself” and consider the difference between hooks and feathers, and how not to get confused among them and choose what is right for you.
90,000 Monaghan is not going to slow down
CALGARI – Little Sean Monaghan smashed one board after another on the fence of his home in Bramton, Ontario.
His father patiently repaired one plank after another.
“About 8-9 a week,” Monahan said with a sly smile. “Throwing the lacrosse ball and throwing the puck made the boards crack or fly out of the fence. I just liked to practice my throw. Since I was a kid, I loved holding a hockey stick, as well as a lacrosse stick.”
His father’s labor of replacing the fence paid off in full.
In his second season, the 6th overall pick in 2013, Monahan scored 29 goals, leading the Calgary Flames to their first playoff entry since 2009.
Sean became the first hockey player in the 2013 Draft to score 50 goals in his career. Now he has 51 goals. Monaghan scored 88 points, behind Colorado Avalanche’s first-pick Nathan McKinnon with 101 points.
With 22 goals last season, Monaghan became Ogonyok’s first rookie since 1996-97 to score 21 goals. Then it was done by none other than Jerome Iginla. Since then, the 20-year-old hockey player has not slowed down.
“I don’t understand what is the“ repeater crisis ”that is so much talked about,” the hockey player, who is tenth in the list of snipers, shrugged his shoulders.”I always felt like the second season should be better than the first because you get more experience and you know what to expect.”
Monaghan’s continued progress, who will only turn 21 in October, did not come as a surprise to the “Lights” mentor Bob Hartley.
Sean grew up in front of Hartley, literally and figuratively.
“He is not an adult and is completely devoted to the game,” the coach said. “He wants to be the best, but he doesn’t catch Zvezdnyak. In the offseason, Sean worked hard, gained muscle mass and became physically stronger.I give him a lot of playing time because I believe in him. To score so many goals at this age is very difficult. But Sean has already become a real professional, to whom I have no complaints. “
Hartley is not the only one who speaks flatteringly about Monaghan.
Newcomer Johnny Goodro, playing in conjunction with Monaghan, shared his opinion on the reason for his partner’s progress.
“He works great with the puck,” Goudreau said. “Sean’s shot is fine-tuned to perfection. He is a natural born sniper.The reason for Monaghan’s success lies in his fast hands. ”
Sean made only 15.7% of his shots last season. In this season, he scored 29 goals, hitting the target 168 times, which is 17.3%.
Goudreau has been an assistant to Monaghan’s 9 goals this season, and 3 of the last 4.
Johnny now understands why the fence in Bramton didn’t have any
“He’s just unstoppable with the puck,” admitted Goudreau, who has scored 20 goals himself and leads the rookie top scorer list with 57 points.”At the same time, Sean knows how to open in front of the gate. He just needs to deliver the shell, and then everything is brought to automatism.”
90,000 How to Teach Children Lacrosse – Other 2021
Lacrosse is a fast-paced game that uses net sticks and a rubber ball to try and score into the opponent’s goal. Players need to know basic skills such as cradling, throwing, catching, digging, and shooting the ball. Teaching children these basics gives them a solid foundation to develop their skills, making the game more fun and possibly keeping them interested in the sport for years to come.
Show the children how to hold the ball by placing your dominant hand on the top of the lacrosse stick with the palm facing up and the other hand with the bottom of the palm facing the body. Teach them to hold the stick with their fingertips and keep their lower hand slightly open. Ask them to position the stick so that their head is over their shoulders, and have them twist their wrists back and forth.
Teach the children how to overhand by keeping their dominant hand near the middle of the stick and their other hand at the base.Have them line up their body with the sideline, but look at the target. Bring the stick to the outside of their shoulder, parallel to the ground. Ask them to rotate so that their hips are right in front of the target. Move the stick back with your upper hand and pull the stick towards them with your lower hand.
Catch the ball by holding the stick near your ear, with your upper hand near your head and your lower hand just below the middle of the shaft. Move in the direction of the person passing the ball. They must gently catch the ball into the net, pretending to be a balloon that they do not want to knock out.
Roll the ball to the children and ask them to come up to it for cleaning instructions. When they get to the ball, ask them to place their dominant foot next to the ball. Let them drop to the ground with their knees bent. Their upper arm should be close to their head and their lower arm at the base of the shaft, positioning the handle so that it is parallel to the ground. Ask them to quickly extend the club head and collect the ball. When the ball is drawn, they should bring the club to their chest.
Practice shooting the ball to learn the correct technique. Have them face the sideline with their upper hand near their head and their lower hand just below the middle of the shaft. When they are ready to shoot, have them rotate their torso and top forward to force the ball into the target using a low kick or bouncing on the ball.
90,000 Andrey Svechnikov introduced the fashion for lacrosse goals in the NHL, others are trying to repeat, video
And defenders and goalkeepers are already trying to figure out how to resist a fantastic trick.
Michigan, in lacrosse style, Granlund’s goal and, finally, Svechnikov’s goal Just a couple of months ago it seemed that this was not an ordinary event at all, but now this beautiful feint burst into the hockey world with a wide gait and began to conquer it with amazing speed.
Svechnikov opened the way for the rest?
The goal is believed to have started in 1996 when a University of Michigan player scored in a lacrosse style against the University of Minnesota. In 2011, this trick was repeated by Mikael Granlund in a match with Russia at the World Cup, and in our country the feint was immediately called “Granlund’s goal”.Lacrosse-style attempts have been made (and sometimes have been scored) on both sides of the ocean before this season. For example, a couple of years ago Sergey Shumakov distinguished himself in the KHL. In general, several such pucks could have been accumulated in the whole world during the season.
But it was only in 2019 that this was done for the first time at the NHL level. When Andrey Svechnikov did this trick in the match against Calgary, everyone gasped. When he created the second such masterpiece a couple of months later, the NHL Twitter invited the Russian to patent this goal, and many even decided to rename Granlund’s goal into Svechnikov’s goal.
The video can be viewed on Twitter from the NHL.
It is noteworthy that on the day when Svechnikov scored his first lacrosse goal, the young striker Nils Höglander scored the same goal in Sweden. In December, he repeated this goal at the World Youth Championship.
Suddenly, a lacrosse goal no longer seemed so impossible. Players around the world have tried to score like this before, but now they are much more active. And in principle, when you see one striker behind someone else’s gates, you involuntarily begin to expect what he will do next.“I used to think it would never work, and I never even tried it. And when he scored like that for the first time, I caught myself thinking that I couldn’t even raise the puck like that, ”said Rangers striker Pavel Buchnevich. Maybe now Buchnevich and other players in the NHL will work out this trick more often – it happens often in training, the question is how to do it in the game. Höglander, Vancouver’s prospect, has attracted the attention of his future teammates. “I feel like I can do such a trick, maybe I’ll try to score like that when the chance presents itself,” said Elias Pettersson after his compatriot distinguished himself at the 2020 MFM.Svechnikov and Höglander seemed to have opened the way for everyone – it’s possible to score such a goal even at the highest level, go for it! And everyone dares, with varying degrees of success.
Of course, to score such a goal, you need not only skill, but also the correct timing, and the favor of Lady Luck. Therefore, not everyone succeeds. But the NHL goalkeepers have already taken note of this feint.
“If I notice that Svechnikov is driving outside the gate, now I will think about what he can do that. Perhaps it will be possible to keep my head closer to the bar or something, but I will not change my game due to the fact that he is on the ice.Fortunately, we will no longer play against Carolina this season, but the goalkeepers of the Eastern teams can worry about this, ”said Calgary goalkeeper Cam Talbot, who watched Svechnikov’s first masterpiece from the bench.
Forsberg’s goal
It turned out that you need to be on the alert not only when Svechnikov appears on the ice. A day after Andrey’s goal against Winnipeg, Tyler Ennis made such an attempt in the match with Nashville – it didn’t work, defender Dante Fabbro quickly guessed the opponent’s intentions and knocked the puck off his stick.By the way, Ennis, by the way, back in 2017, playing for Buffalo, already tried to excel in this style – the goalkeeper outplayed, but the puck fell off the hook. Then his feint hit his teammates. “We looked at each other -” Was he really trying to do this? ” – said Jack Eikel. “It was a revelation, like a skill level,” Coach Dan Bilesma enthused.
A month passed, and Svechnikov made a third attempt, this time unsuccessful. As in the case with Ennis, the defenders worked well – Braden Coburn hit him on the stick and hacked the lacrosse goal in the bud.Obviously, defenders in the NHL have already begun to pay attention to this trick and have adopted a working scheme.
The video can be viewed on Twitter from the NHL.
But it does not always work, and the attackers can slightly modify the trick to make it harder to see through. Svechnikov, like Höglander in the Swedish Championship, scored their goals while standing outside the goal. Philip Forsberg went further – he rolled behind the endline, while holding the puck on an uncomfortable hand (maybe he spied on this technique from Höglander, who also scored on the move at the MFM?).Perfect crime and perfect execution.
