Switching hands?

[VAlaxgrl]

My high school just formed a lacrosse team this year, but I didn't find out until it was too late to play on it. So, I'm teaching myself to play and I'm pretty decent at catching/throwing with my dominant hand. I've tried catching/throwing with my other hand too, but my friend who played on the team this year told me I should only use my dominant hand. Should I practice with my weak hand? If so, in what situations would I play with my weaker hand in a game?

[SenatorLaX30]

Practice mostly with your less dominant hand, like cath and thore 250 times with your dominant and 500 with your other hand

[Laxordie24]

yeah its incredibly important to play with your non dominant hand. It can be useful for dodgeing defenders, switching it up to throw off the goalie, and it just helps all around with stick control to get you familiar with your stick

[laxfolife24]

yeah, you need your weak hand more than you know, it'll make a big difference in your game. do what senatorlax said.

[ques]

Yes, work on your weak side. It is very important to use both sides. Have fun, it will not take long to to improve your weak side. It will feel weird at first but soon it won't

[LTlaxfan]

YES!!! Some of the most amazing players out there that I've seen can use both hands. One of our attack girls is ambidextris (sp???) and it is AWSOME, because she can really get the ball down the field.

[CTLaxer]

When you can only use one hand in lacrosse, you'll only be half as good as you potentially can be. I can promise that if the coach has to make cuts and sees you switching hands easily, and your friend that gave you that advice can't switch; the coach will choose you over her.

Imagine playing tennis with one hand tied behind your back, or basketball, or softball.....wouldn't really work would it? So why is it that people always think it will for lacrosse?

[RYU]

Imagine playing tennis with one hand tied behind your back, or basketball, or softball.....wouldn't really work would it? So why is it that people always think it will for lacrosse?I don't understand this comparison, b/c no one switches hands in tennis. Players often grab the racquet w/ both hands, but they never switch from their dominant sides. If they did, the tennis backhand wouldn't be so critically important.

Basketball - good players dribble can well w/ either hand, but even at the NBA level, very few players (b-ball experts correct me if I'm wrong) can shoot w/ both hands (outside of layups).

Softball/baseball - The majority of players at any level do not switch hit (i.e. bat lefty & righty). And of course, all players throw w/ the dominant hand and catch w/ their weaker gloved hand. For pitchers, I've only heard of one pitcher in MLB history who would pitch ambidexterously.

Ice & field hockey - no one switches hands. In field hockey, I think there's even a rule against it.

Box lax - the majority of Canadian boxlaxers switch hands very rarely.

When you get down to it, field lax is the only sport I can think of off the top of my head that stresses ambidexterity so much. Next closest is maybe pool? In pool/billiards, adept players are competent enough w/ their offhand to use it in a pinch (i.e. situations where they can't reach a shot w/ their dom hand) but still play primarily one sided.

[VAlaxgrl]

Yeah, I thought it was weird that she said not to.
Thanks for your help everyone!
I'll be sure to go practice with both hands.

[laxfolife24]

Maybe she sees you as a threat or something and that''s why she told you that. I'm not trying to say that she is like that but you never know. Girls can get crazy.

[laxgirl0108]

^^Agreed, for lax you definitely need to be confident with both hands (except in the goal).

[VAlaxgrl]

Nah, she wouldn't do that.
It's a startup program and most of the girls can't even catch, let alone do it with both hands, so that's probably why.

[ljlax]

I don't understand this comparison, b/c no one switches hands in tennis. Players often grab the racquet w/ both hands, but they never switch from their dominant sides. If they did, the tennis backhand wouldn't be so critically important.

Basketball - good players dribble can well w/ either hand, but even at the NBA level, very few players (b-ball experts correct me if I'm wrong) can shoot w/ both hands (outside of layups).

Softball/baseball - The majority of players at any level do not switch hit (i.e. bat lefty & righty). And of course, all players throw w/ the dominant hand and catch w/ their weaker gloved hand. For pitchers, I've only heard of one pitcher in MLB history who would pitch ambidexterously.

Ice & field hockey - no one switches hands. In field hockey, I think there's even a rule against it.

Box lax - the majority of Canadian boxlaxers switch hands very rarely.

When you get down to it, field lax is the only sport I can think of off the top of my head that stresses ambidexterity so much. Next closest is maybe pool? In pool/billiards, adept players are competent enough w/ their offhand to use it in a pinch (i.e. situations where they can't reach a shot w/ their dom hand) but still play primarily one sided.


what about soccer, u def need both feet for that.


swtiching is hands in games is never helpful. soo become comfortable with ur non dom hand..

[laxfolife24]

haha good, just checking.

[CTLaxer]

I don't understand this comparison, b/c no one switches hands in tennis. Players often grab the racquet w/ both hands, but they never switch from their dominant sides. If they did, the tennis backhand wouldn't be so critically important.

Basketball - good players dribble can well w/ either hand, but even at the NBA level, very few players (b-ball experts correct me if I'm wrong) can shoot w/ both hands (outside of layups).

Softball/baseball - The majority of players at any level do not switch hit (i.e. bat lefty & righty). And of course, all players throw w/ the dominant hand and catch w/ their weaker gloved hand. For pitchers, I've only heard of one pitcher in MLB history who would pitch ambidexterously.

Ice & field hockey - no one switches hands. In field hockey, I think there's even a rule against it.

Box lax - the majority of Canadian boxlaxers switch hands very rarely.

When you get down to it, field lax is the only sport I can think of off the top of my head that stresses ambidexterity so much. Next closest is maybe pool? In pool/billiards, adept players are competent enough w/ their offhand to use it in a pinch (i.e. situations where they can't reach a shot w/ their dom hand) but still play primarily one sided.

Tennis: backhand is what I was refering to. I saw plenty of tennis hopefuls have a weak backhand, especially once who utilized a one handed back hand. They didn't get far in the tennis world.

Hockey: backhand again is what I was refering to. It's not so much anymore, but you used to have to have just as good a backhand shot as a regular shot. A lot of my goals were scored backhanded because of my old school hockey ways I learned from my dad. If you look at any top hockey player, they can ring the bell just as well with a backhand as with their regular "forehand" shot

Box: they switch hands just as much. After spending the past 2 years watching the Sting, and having them come out and run practices with us and meeting the guys (great group of guys by the way, Dan Dawson and Noah Talbot especially! Thanks guys)

The hockey and tennis references were a bit of a stretch, but the same thinking behind it is sound. Only being proficient with one hand/side or having one side stronger than the other (weak forehand, strong backhand for example) is detrimental to any athlete.

You have to be able to go left and right, up and down, back and forth, high and low etc etc in everything. If you can't, you're only shorting yourself and you're not playing up to your potential. I've seen hockey guys on the ice with a killer wrist shot, but no snap shot and no slap shot....coach wouldn't even give them a second look.

In any sport, and especially lacrosse, you have to be able to do it all or you won't be the best you can be. I teach my girls to go lefty. The girls that played before I got there hated it. But you can bet your butt that they thanked me when they scored lefty, or when they deked a girl out and made a sweet cut, or when they D-'d up on a girl and stripped the ball away cause they know she couldn't go left. That's the general point I was making.

Most coaches say to their teams that they're only as strong as their weakest link/player....the same can be said about individuals. You're only as good as the weakest part of your game. Can't go left? Guess what...a few touches of the ball and the other team will know and pounce! Can't skate backwards and turn at the same time? Guess what....you're burned.

And I'm now rambling...sorry. Geez RYU....always gotta pick things apart :banghead: :nahya: