How can you improve your lacrosse skills without leaving your house. What are the most effective indoor drills for enhancing your game. Which exercises help develop crucial lacrosse techniques in limited space.
Indoor Dodge: Perfecting Your Evasion Techniques
Indoor dodge is an excellent way to refine your lacrosse dodging skills within the confines of your home. This drill not only improves your agility but also enhances your ability to maneuver around opponents effectively.
Setting Up Your Indoor Dodge Course
To create your indoor dodge course:
- Choose the largest room in your house
- Arrange furniture, toys, or chairs as “defenders”
- Ensure there’s a clear path between obstacles
- Set up a timer to track your progress
Starting at one end of the room, navigate through the obstacles, practicing various dodge techniques. Time yourself and aim to improve with each attempt. Regularly rearrange the course to challenge yourself with new scenarios, mimicking the unpredictability of real game situations.
Types of Dodges to Practice
During your indoor dodge sessions, focus on perfecting these key moves:
- Spin dodges
- Roll dodges
- Split dodges
- Face dodges
Remember to practice these dodges in both directions, holding your stick as you would in an actual game. This versatility will make you a more formidable player on the field.
Hand Transition: Mastering Ambidexterity in Lacrosse
Developing the ability to seamlessly switch your lacrosse stick between hands is crucial for becoming a well-rounded player. The hand transition drill is an excellent way to hone this skill indoors.
Executing the Hand Transition Drill
- Kneel on the floor with your stick in your right hand and a ball in the pocket
- Twist the stick a few times
- Switch the stick to your left hand
- Twist again
- Return to your right hand
- Repeat the process, gradually increasing speed
Can you perform this drill without dropping the ball? Challenge yourself to maintain control while transitioning between hands at various speeds. This exercise not only improves your dexterity but also enhances your overall stick skills.
Incorporating Hand Transitions into Daily Activities
One of the advantages of this drill is its versatility. You can practice hand transitions while engaging in other activities, such as watching television or during short breaks throughout the day. This multitasking approach allows you to maximize your skill development time without requiring dedicated practice sessions.
Pillow Target Practice: Enhancing Shooting Accuracy
Accurate shooting is a fundamental skill in lacrosse, and the pillow target practice drill provides an excellent opportunity to refine your aim within the safety of your home.
Setting Up Your Indoor Shooting Range
To create your indoor shooting practice area:
- Place a pillow in the center of your couch
- Position yourself a few steps back from the target
- Use a soft indoor lacrosse ball (like Swax Lax) to prevent damage
Begin by shooting at approximately 50% of your full power, focusing on accuracy rather than speed. This controlled approach will help you develop precision without risking damage to your surroundings.
Varying Your Shooting Angles
To maximize the effectiveness of your pillow target practice:
- Experiment with different starting positions
- Vary your shooting angles
- Challenge yourself to hit the pillow consistently from each position
How many consecutive shots can you make without missing the target? By mastering this drill, you’ll significantly improve your shooting accuracy, giving you a competitive edge in real game situations.
Timed Scoops: Perfecting Ground Ball Retrieval
Efficiently scooping ground balls is a critical skill in lacrosse, often determining possession and game momentum. The timed scoops drill allows you to practice this essential technique indoors while adding an element of urgency.
Setting Up Your Scooping Course
To prepare for the timed scoops drill:
- Gather several soft lacrosse balls
- Find a stopwatch or timer
- Place a bucket or bowl as your collection point
- Scatter the balls around your living room or largest available space
Executing the Timed Scoops Drill
- Start your timer
- Run to the first ball and scoop it up
- Carry the ball to the bucket and drop it in
- Repeat for all scattered balls
- Stop the timer once all balls are collected
After completing a round, reset the balls and try to beat your previous time. Focus on maintaining proper scooping technique even as you increase your speed.
How quickly can you collect all the balls while maintaining perfect form? This drill not only improves your scooping skills but also enhances your agility and speed, crucial attributes for any lacrosse player.
Cradle Around the House: Developing Stick Control
Cradling is a fundamental lacrosse skill that requires constant practice to master. The “cradle around the house” drill offers a creative way to incorporate this essential technique into your daily routine.
Integrating Cradling into Your Daily Activities
To practice cradling throughout your home:
- Carry your lacrosse stick and a ball as you move around the house
- Cradle while walking around furniture, up and down stairs, or in hallways
- Vary your speed from slow and controlled to quick and dynamic
- Practice switching hands regularly
This drill helps you develop a natural feel for cradling, making it second nature during games. Can you maintain control of the ball while navigating tight spaces or sudden direction changes?
Challenging Yourself with Cradling Variations
To further enhance your cradling skills:
- Practice one-handed cradling
- Attempt to cradle while multitasking (e.g., carrying objects)
- Incorporate sudden stops and starts into your movement
- Try cradling with your eyes closed for short periods (in safe areas)
By consistently practicing these variations, you’ll develop superior stick control and ball retention skills, giving you a significant advantage on the field.
Wall Ball: The Ultimate Solo Lacrosse Drill
While not explicitly mentioned in the original text, wall ball is a cornerstone of indoor lacrosse practice and deserves inclusion in any comprehensive guide to at-home drills.
Setting Up Your Wall Ball Practice Area
To create an effective wall ball setup:
- Find a suitable wall (garage, basement, or exterior of your home)
- Ensure the area is clear of obstacles and breakable items
- Mark a target on the wall with tape or chalk
- Use a soft lacrosse ball to minimize noise and potential damage
Essential Wall Ball Drills
Incorporate these wall ball exercises into your routine:
- Quick Stick: Throw and catch without cradling
- Cross-Hand Catching: Throw right, catch left (and vice versa)
- Behind-the-Back: Practice unconventional throws and catches
- One-Handed: Improve individual hand strength and control
- Ground Balls: Incorporate scooping into your wall ball routine
How many consecutive throws and catches can you make with each drill? Challenge yourself to improve your streak daily, focusing on both speed and accuracy.
Footwork and Agility: Enhancing Your Lacrosse Mobility
While stick skills are crucial, lacrosse also demands excellent footwork and agility. Incorporating these elements into your indoor practice regimen can significantly elevate your on-field performance.
Creating an Indoor Agility Course
Design a compact agility course in your home using:
- Agility ladders or tape markings on the floor
- Cones or household items as markers
- Jump ropes for additional cardio and coordination exercises
Key Footwork Drills for Lacrosse
Practice these essential footwork drills:
- Lateral Shuffles: Improve side-to-side movement
- Quick Feet: Enhance overall foot speed
- Crossover Steps: Perfect for changing direction rapidly
- Backpedaling: Essential for defensive positioning
- Sprints and Stops: Simulate game-like bursts of speed
Can you complete your agility course while maintaining proper lacrosse stick positioning? Combining footwork drills with stick handling exercises creates a more comprehensive and game-realistic practice session.
By incorporating these indoor lacrosse drills into your regular practice routine, you’ll be able to maintain and improve your skills regardless of weather conditions or field availability. Remember, consistency is key – even short, daily practice sessions can lead to significant improvements over time. As you progress, continue to challenge yourself by increasing the difficulty and complexity of these drills, ensuring that your skills are constantly evolving and improving.
How to Practice Lacrosse Inside
Everything You Need to Know About Girls Lacrosse on Long Island
How to Practice Lacrosse Inside
With cold weather and rain on the horizon, we started thinking about all the ways to practice lacrosse at home. There are actually a lot of different lacrosse drills you can do in your home, helping improve your game even on days when you can’t be out on the field.
Take a look at our favorite indoor lacrosse drills then go grab your stick!
Top 5 Way to Practice Lacrosse at Home
How can I practice lacrosse at home? There are so many ways! These are our five favorite indoor lacrosse drills that will help you practice scooping, cradling and even shooting. Go through all five and you are sure to get a great lacrosse workout even when stuck inside.
- Indoor Dodge
Want to practice your lacrosse dodges? Indoor dodge is a great way to do this. It is also super easy to do and will get your heart pumping even though you are inside.
Set up some furniture, toys or chairs across the biggest room in your house. These obstacles are the “defenders” from the opposing team that you need to dodge. Just make sure there is a path in between each obstacle. Then, grab your lacrosse stick and start at the far end of the room.
Start a timer and time how long it takes you to get through the obstacles and to the other side of the room. Practice all different types of dodges. Spin, rotate and turn around different obstacles and don’t forget to practice going in both directions. Be sure to hold your stick as you dodge just as you would in a real game. Check your timer and then try again, getting faster and faster every time!
Once you master the dodge, rearrange your obstacles. You can switch this drill up every single time which is great since every real girls lacrosse game will be different. You need to master all different dodges in all sorts of positions. Check out this awesome video that explains how to dodge and then give it a try!
- Hand Transition
Lacrosse players need to be able to use the lacrosse stick in both their left and right hand.
This can be tricky especially for young girls lacrosse players who are use to using predominantly on hand. This indoor lacrosse drill really helps with hand transitions.
Start on your knees with your lacrosse stick in your right hand and a lacrosse ball in your stick. Twist the stick a few times then switch hands to the left. Give the stick a little twist then swap back to the right side. Do this again and again without dropping the ball.
This drill is not only perfect for focused indoor lacrosse practice time, but it is also great to do when you are watching TV. It’s always awesome when you can practice lacrosse while doing other things!
- Pillow Target Practice
Having good aim is essential to shooting and scoring in lacrosse. Not only do you need to be able to shoot the ball hard, but you also need to be able to control where it goes. Indoor pillow target practice is one of our favorite ways to improve your aim.
First, grab a soft indoor lacrosse ball.
We like Swax Lax balls because they have the same weight as a regular lacrosse ball but are much softer. If you miss the target and hit a wall by accident, these are less likely to cause any damage inside your home (but please be careful!).
Set a pillow in the center of your couch then take a few steps back. Grab your lacrosse stick and ball then aim at the pillow and shoot the ball. Try to shoot at only about 50% your full speed and strength- you are inside after all! And this drill is more about accuracy and aim rather than speed.
See how many times you can hit the pillow in a row. Try standing in different starting positions and at different angles. Can you hit the pillow every time? If you can, you will be a girls youth lacrosse star in no time!
- Timed Scoops
Scooping the lacrosse ball is an essential, basic skill for girls youth lacrosse. The better you are at scooping, the better you will be in a real game. Scooping is something you can easily practice inside your home and it is pretty easy to do.
First, grab a few lacrosse balls, a stopwatch and a bucket or bowl. We like to use soft lacrosse balls for this drill just to be safe while playing inside the house. Scatter the balls around your living room then start the timer. Run to the first ball, scoop it and then run it to the bucket and drop it in. Scoop all the balls, bringing them back to the bucket each time. Stop the timer once all the balls are in the bucket. Then do it all over again! Try to beat your fastest time and get low on those scoops!
- Cradle Around the House
Grab a lacrosse ball and your lacrosse stick and just cradle as you walk around your house. Cradle the ball around your kitchen table, around your couch, as you walk up the stairs- anywhere! Go fast, go slow and definitely practice switching hands and cradling on both sides. The more you cradle, the easier it will be once you hit the lacrosse field.
While a regular lacrosse ball is great for cradling, you can also try using a Cradlebaby.
This fun lacrosse training tool is essentially a lacrosse ball on a lanyard. You can attach it to your lacrosse stick and then you do not need to worry about the ball falling out of your stick and causing indoor damage. The cradle baby is great for helping to develop wrist strength and also will help you practice dodges. You won’t need to chase the ball and you don’t have to worry about tossing a ball through a window by accident!
Easy Ways to Practice Lacrosse Indoors
No matter where you are, try to always have a stick in your hand. The more comfortable you are with the lacrosse stick, the better. These indoor drills will definitely help you improve your game and they let you play lacrosse even when you are stuck inside! Give a few of the drills a try and let us know if you come up with any other great indoor lacrosse games to try!
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At Home Lacrosse Drills: Make Recruiters Notice You!
Practice your favorite sport in the comfort of your home. You likely already spend long hours practicing with your team each week, but did you know that lacrosse is one of the few team sport that you can practice alone? If you really want to improve your skills and get picked up by a recruiter at-home practice could easily be what sets you apart from everyone else you are competing with for that spot at your favorite school.
So, what does it require to be able to practice lacrosse at home alone?
- Stick
- Ball
- Wall
- Space
The use of protective gear like a goggle and a helmet are also highly recommended.
Skill and technique checks
After you gather all of the needed items, check on the fundamental skills needed to play lacrosse. There are four basic skills necessary to execute better lacrosse plays. These are:
1. Cradling
This skill is done to maintain control of the ball in one’s stick while the player moves around the field. The two most common styles are the full cradle and half cradle.
- Full cradle – A player does a full cradle when he holds the stick close to the side of the face and cradles it from ear to ear. This is commonly seen as a play that is about to set.
- Half cradle – A player moves the stick from one ear to the middle of his body. This is ideal when the player goes full speed on the field.
2.
Scooping
This action is done when picking the ball from the ground using the stick while the player’s knees are bent as he comes running towards the ball. The ball recovery technique requires sturdy legs and a good sense of balance. He must be able to scoop the ball before his opponent does.
3. Throwing
This very crucial skill needs one hundred percent eye and hand coordination. To develop the correct technique a player should place their leading hand at the top and non-leading hand below the stick. The pushing forward and pulling down actions is similar to that of a lever. To get more leverage and to increase the distance of a throw, players must slide their top hand down the stick.
4. Catching
Eyes on the ball, all the time. A player must be able to catch the ball and quickly transition to cradling. Pay attention to your front elbow when catching the ball. Maintain a good form when cradling a catch.
Practice! Teach! Practice!
With the gears ready, skills, and techniques understood, we are now ready to practice playing lacrosse at home, alone.
The space to practice plays an essential part. Lacrosse involves throwing, catching, and a lot of running. The bigger the space, the better. An empty garage or a yard is preferred instead of practicing inside a bedroom. Bigger space will give more opportunity to practice throwing and catching a long distance.
Here are some drills that can be done at home alone.
- Pick the Corners – Shoot the corner from another corner. The objective is to get a perfect aim at the opposite corner. Switch dominant hand after ten shots.
- Turning the Corner – A good way to practice to score. Create an improvised goal or use a rebounder and a stool, which will serve as your defender. Place the stool beside the improvised goal. Run around the goal, get past the stool, and as quick and accurately as you can, fire a shot.
- Sweep Shooting – This drill requires a bigger space to practice proper cradling while running from side to side.
Place a stool in line with each other. One stool is 12 yards away from the left pipe and the other 10 yards from the sideline. Sprint side to side of two cones and fire a shot. - Quick Hitch Shooting – Place a stool 10 yards from the side of the improvised goal. Run towards the stool and stutter step. Continue running towards the goal, pick a corner, and fire a shot.
- Shadow Shooting – This drill is shooting without a ball. This drill focuses on how the stick is handled. Attention should be on the footwork, the techniques on how the stick is handled, the placement of the dominant hand, and the forward and backward swings.
Place a stool in line with each other. One stool is 12 yards away from the left pipe and the other 10 yards from the sideline. Sprint side to side of two cones and fire a shot.Focus and Execute
Lacrosse is a huge sport of speed and skill. The basic skills require an enormous amount of discipline and dedication. Focus and improve each skill to become a well-versed and exceptional lacrosse player!
Svechnikov in Kazan: met with a children’s coach, showed a lacrosse goal, shared his dream to bring the Stanley Cup to Kazan – Hockey news
The Carolina star held a master class for the Ak Bars academy.
This week, the students of the Ak Bars Hockey Academy, born in 2010, had a chance to train with the NHL star and, no less important, the student of Ak Bars Andrey Svechnikov. The forward spends the off-season in Kazan and responded to the request of his children’s coach to work with the guys.
Svechnikov tried to teach his signature goal, and also shared the main formula for success: 10% talent and 90% work.
Andrey Svechnikov / photo: Ak Bars press service (hereinafter)
“At 12 he was tall, ungainly…”…
Last season was the best in his career for Svechnikov. In the regular season, the striker scored 69 (30 + 39) points in 78 games, becoming the second top scorer for the Carolinas. The team took second place in the Eastern Conference, but again flew out in the second round of the Stanley Cup, losing in seven matches to the Rangers Artemy Panarin and Igor Shesterkin. Andrei does not have to worry about his future and contract. The agreement with the club was extended a year ago, and for a period of eight years.
Soon Svechnikov will have to prepare for the new season and go back to the USA. And he traditionally spends the rest of his vacation in Kazan. The idea to hold a master class for the pupils of Ak Bars arose by itself. Kazan is not a foreign city for Andrey. After all, he himself is a pupil of the Kazan club, for which he played from 10 to 16 years old. And his youth coach Airat Mirkhanov still works at Ak Bars and is now raising guys born in 2010.
“At 12, he was tall, ungainly. But you can’t take one away from him – the thirst for victory. For him it was very important. In training, it somehow turned out that during a two-way match his five lost. He was upset and even a little freaked out. I said that it doesn’t happen that you win everything. And he said he only wants to win. This says a lot about his attitude,” Mirkhanov said.
Andrey Svechnikov (left) and Airat Mirkhanov
“The Ak Bars school had a very big influence on me. I came here when I was 10, there was a very good team.
Airat Talgatovich gave us a lot in these five years, taught us a lot. I always, like a sponge, absorbed his words, always listened. This is one of the best schools in Russia. We went to the coolest tournaments. After all, this is a strong rivalry – you have to play with CSKA, Dynamo. Some do not have such a chance, but we had all the conditions to develop in hockey, ”Svechnikov told BUSINESS Online.
So it turned out that the usual everyday training the day before the start of the school year became a real holiday for young hockey players. Although the appearance of a star hockey player in front of them was not a surprise either. It was known that Svechnikov was in Kazan. A few days earlier, the striker took part in the Golden Puck hockey festival, where he played on the same site with the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Oleg Matytsin, Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin, as well as famous hockey players Danis Zaripov, Alexei Morozov and others.
“I always had the idea in my head to come and make children happy, to share experience, to teach something.
Of course, you can’t learn much in one session. But still, the most important thing is that you motivate the guys with your participation, cheer them up. Taking a photo or just driving around is still nice,” Svechnikov told BUSINESS Online.
“We need to make more use of our NHLers when they come to Russia. Show the boys that there are no unattainable goals. If you have a dream, then you can achieve it. Here’s a living example, you don’t have to go anywhere. It’s good that he agreed to this. This says a lot about him. Today’s training can give the boys a serious boost. The boys are delighted, ”Mirkhanov shared his opinion.
Entering the ice, the 2nd number of the 2018 NHL Draft of the year greeted the boys, beating their fists. Svechnikov was dressed in the Carolina tracksuit. After training, one of the youngsters literally begged Andrey to exchange caps with him. But the star hockey player politely refused, explaining that he himself had only one at the moment, and would need more in the near future.
The joy of lacrosse goal
The training itself was divided into several blocks. First, the guys warmed up, having trained the dribble and beat the defender. This was followed by a passing, opening and throwing exercise. After that, the guys circled the racks with a snake, making a circle for each one. Svechnikov demonstrated everything by his own example. He practiced each element, showing the children his perfected technique. While waiting for his turn, Andrei drove up to the boys and showed how to pick up and then mint the puck with a stick.
“I arrived an hour before the start, we discussed the lesson program. Airat Talgatovich gave a couple of exercises, then I showed them. They were on the tech. There is a new game – showed to the left, removed to the right for sharpness. Because it doesn’t matter when you enter the zone, you don’t have enough space, and you need to make a small U-turn, remove it on the snail, ”said Svechnikov, who constantly exchanges opinions with Mirkhanov on various issues during training.
“We discussed which exercise is better to do. He asked why I do something. I explained how I lay the body to the left, put my shoulder a little and turn to the right. There is a small moment that when you enter the zone, you lay it half aboard to the left. The defender is still next to you, and you turned around, shook him a little, ”added Andrey.
The training ended with a real art – the boys practiced a lacrosse goal. This element is already a real feature of Svechnikov. After all, he was the first in the history of the NHL to score a goal in this style, picking up the puck on the hook behind the gate and bringing it over the ribbon. And he did it at the age of 19. Mirkhanov himself asked Andrey to teach the children some hockey magic. Of course, during training, when the goalkeeper knows exactly what the striker will do, it is more difficult to score, the element of surprise disappears. But, when one of the guys still managed to get the puck into the goal, he was so happy that, throwing up his hands, he lay down on the ice.
Svechnikov explained a couple of details, and then observed, periodically assessing and encouraging the children. After all, the star forward himself began to learn lacrosse from a young age, and thanks to his older brother Evgeny Svechnikov, also a graduate of Ak Bars and an NHL club player. “Always coached. We skated somehow in the summer, then my brother was in training. He got out and threw it that way. I drove up and said, they say, come on, bro, teach me. Since then I have been practicing,” Andrey said.
“Talent is ten percent of success, and work is ninety”
It was no less interesting after the ice. Svechnikov with Mirkhanov, as well as with another team coach Roman Vildanov, gathered the children in the locker room and held something like a press conference. Andrei started the conversation with the importance of hard work: “I got into Ak Bars at the age of 10, I trained, tried, tried to be the best. But for this you need to work tirelessly. As they say, talent is ten percent of success, and work is ninety.
Andrey talked about adapting to the speed of the NHL, about the need to pay attention to additional training and recovery. Emphasized the importance of education. In conclusion, the forward shared his dream to win the Stanley Cup next year, bring him to the Tatneft Arena, and also train the children with his brother.
How to replace the playground during self-isolation
Use a small ball to play with your child at home. Photo instagram.com/missstrawberrymay
Use a small ball to play with your child at home. Photo instagram.com/missstrawberrymay1/4
Today, during self-isolation, it seems that not only children began to notice the lack of a children’s playground. Many parents simply do not know where to put the irrepressible children’s energy, which is not spent at home or even develops into quarrels, disobedience and tantrums. Dmitry Khamin, a physical education teacher at GBOU School No. 648 and a lacrosse coach, helped us figure out the problem.
He picked up several mobile and useful games for children.
Ball games.
“There are some non-standard ball games. For example, pillowball, blanketball and tubball. The names “pillowball” and “blanketball” contain the English words pillow (pillow), blanket (blanket) and ball (ball). Hence the rules of the game. In the first case, the ball is thrown from participant to participant using a pillow. The second game is a team game, with a minimum of four players. The ball is thrown with the help of two blankets, each held by two participants. The name “tubeball” is also derived from English words. Here, instead of a pillow or blanket, a tube is used (for example, the one in which chips are sold). A ball is placed in the tuba. Ideal for tennis. When you drop your arm sharply, the ball will fly out of the pipe and bounce off the floor. Your task is to catch him. These games are not as easy as they seem. They develop coordination, agility and attention.”
Use a small ball to play with your child at home.
instagram.com/missstrawberrymay
Car games.
“You can do a lot of exercises with a toy. For example, eight. Let the child take a small car in his hand and take the position of the emphasis lying down. Changing hands, the typewriter needs to display the figure eight on the floor. You should alternately “pass” the toy around one or the other hand.
Physical education teacher, school No. 648 Dmitry Khamin shows the exercise.
Channel “On air 648”, Youtube screenshot
Another exercise is called “bear step”. You need to get on all fours with a typewriter on your back. The emphasis is on the hands and toes (the knees are slightly raised). In this position, you need to move to the right and left with side steps so as not to drop the machine. These exercises are designed for older children and develop coordination, abdominal muscles, core, front and back of the thigh.
“Bear step” with a typewriter on the back.
Channel “On air 648”, Youtube screenshot
Obstacle course.
