South Windsor Girls’ Lacrosse
Individual Skills
[How to use: click on “Slide Show” above. Next
click on “From Beginning.” Finally use the "page
up" and "page down" key on your keyboard.
Handling the Stick and the Cradle
• Emphasis: wrists and fingers, with the top
hand doing most of the work
• “Triple Threat” (shot/fake, pass, run)
• Switching the stick
– “Across the face” (similar to a “face dodge”)
– “V” switch (drop the butt end of stick)
• “Snake” Drill: slalom course with cones works “across
the face” (see next slide)
• “V” Shape Drill: D puts stick at O’s chest level. O
practices “V” switch
“Snake Drill”
Xo
Xo
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Handling the Stick and the Cradle (cont.)
• Protecting the stick (when cradling in tight, in
traffic)
– “Protection Drill” (“shoulder, shoulder, ball”): O
has 1 foot “nailed” to floor; D may go anywhere to
check. Give O a direction that her team’s attacking
– Technique: drop the head of the stick down. Front
elbow leads vs. the front check; the back elbow
leads vs. the back check. Cradle is almost nonexistent; no spazz cradle. Move the body with the
stick
Passing and Catching
• Start most skills without the ball. Do a # of
repetitions this way. No D; build confidence
• “Sweet spot” (ball rests in at top of the
crosse)
• “Stick flat”—horizontal position; ball’s in the sweet spot
– “Sweet Spot” Drill: stick below your knee/on angle. Control with
wrist (see video with Jen Adams)
• “Wall Ball”: [see video at
http://teacherspace.swindsor.k12.ct.us/staff/educlos/WallBallPage.htm]
“Partner passing”
• #1—kneel facing partner. “Stick flat,” back
elbow’s up, and follow through
• #2—kneel perpendicular to partner; forces pull
across, emphasizes upper body
Possibility: use a heavy stick (weighted=fill the shaft with
sand)
• #3—on feet with movement numerous variations
(work on velocity, length, etc.)
Passing and Catching (cont.)
• “2 lines” passing: start at midfield, use
“square” (lateral passes), shot at 6-8 meters (if
the ball goes wide, go to the end of the line—
no shot on goal)
• “3 person weave drill”: wings are always
cutting back to the ball. Once you pass, you
cut behind the person you pass to. (see next
slide)
“3 person weave drill”
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“Post Drill”
• Both “posts” have a ball; player in middle goes
towards one post, pivots and catches from
opposite post; throws the ball back, and recuts for the next post’s pass (30 seconds—use
a variety of catches and throws; mix in GBs,
fakes, dodges, etc.) [see next slide]
• Coaching Points: Teach the pivot step; ball
should be in the air on the pivot
“Post Drill”
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X
X
“Asterisk Shuttle”—chaos
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Players cutting to their left after pass
Passing and Catching (cont.)
• “3v2 Find Space”
• 1st—put down 4 cones in a square; 3 players on 3
cones (an “L” shape) Emphasis: calls, catch inside
the shoulder box, throw with the outside hand]
Add a defender (teach defensive calls); add a 2nd
defender (additional calls) [see next slide]
• 2nd—remove the cones—drill becomes fluid; they
must “find space.”
• Progression: “3v2 FS” to “5 Lines” (see GB drills)
to “3v2 Fast break” to “3v2 Change” (see
Transition drills)
“3v2 Find Space”
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D
D
“3v2 Find Space” with Defense
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Ground Ball
• “2 lines” (“with” and “without” help)
• “3 lines” (“with” and “without” help)
• “5 lines”: 5 lines—two teams: 1, 3, and 5; 2
and 4. Roll out ball. Each team must
successfully pass the ball to each of its players.
Ball goes back to coach, and the next group
begins. Use skills from 3v2 Find Space drill
[Players need to anticipate and “find space”—
see 2 moves ahead] (see next slide)
“5 Lines”
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X
D
D
C
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D
D
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Transition
• “3v2 Fast Breaks”: Defensive calls: “Break” (they
have #s=the advantage), “Ball,” “Got two” (player left
with 2 players) [see next slide]
• “Bobcat”: D on sideline; attack and midfield at
center draw) C calls out #; D sends out one less (see
slide)
“3v2 Fast Breaks”
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D
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D
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D
“Bobcat Drill”
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C
G
D
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D
Transition (cont.)
• “Clump”: 7 standing in a huddle at center draw
circle. On whistle, they must move the ball full
field. (Teaches spacing, getting ahead of the ball,
speed/pace of ball, cutting, levels, and reversing
the field, plus many others.) Adjustments: Do not
allow person with the ball to run the ball up. Stop
play on the transition. Have players close their
eyes, and ask the player with the ball, “What do
you have?” Ask a player off ball, “Where do you
fit into the scheme of moving the ball?” etc.
Clears—Clump Drill
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G