Slinky needs your tips!

[slinkyspine]

Hello all,


I have have a recent stint of hospitalization, and some personal problems. I havent really had any activity and I recently have started exercising and playing lacrosse.

Thats not the problem, Im doing fine on the defense side of the ball; As, I always have. My offense however, while it was never great, has suffered greatly. My father agrees, it looks like im just out running around trying to kill someone. Never goin for loose balls, which isnt true I go for them but I have no confidence in my offense so I let him pick it up beat on him and then make a quick pass.

So, basically what I need is some drills, tips anything I can do to increase my offensive flare. I have good stick skills; I just don't use them well. I like drills I can do on my own, since the nearest laxers is quite a ways.


I do wallball alot, hence good stick skill. I just dont have an offensive touch

I can't really fake players/goalies, and I never shoot I always try to playmake. When my shot is hard and accurate, which I know I just dont use it


Any advice on what I can do?

[ND14]

Well, good offensive instincts are hard to teach I think.

If you can shoot it hard and accurately, you'll go a long ways just by not giving away your shot before you take it. Practice a quick release and try not to stare at your spot before you shoot. Keep your fakes short. Watch what good offensive players do to fool the goalie, and imitate.

There are few "drills" that will help you become a better offensive player, other than those that improve your stick skills. So much of offense is in your head. I try to improve my offense by watching what other players do in certain situations. Watch and learn.

[WHEELAX2]

wall ball, though very good for all levels of play, doesn't help simulate game speed... try wall balling to a slight jog... moving towards and away from the wall, and side to side as you throw and catch... same thing with simulating loose balls... roll the ball to the wall, then run up to pick up the loose ball as it bounces back towards you...

try simulating game speed with shooting as well... work a lot on shooting on the run, and shooting in tight while moving toward the cage, or across the cage... always use something in the goal to simulate a goalie's presence...

[#15Roadies]

Wall ball is the best loner practice there is to improve your offensive game, there are no substitutes, the more you train on the wall, the better offensively you will be. The best wall ballers own a piece of chalk! :chuckle:

Whatever you do in any drill, always aim for form and technique first and speed or velocity second and accuracy last. If you are patient and dedicated, the results will come sooner than you think.

Find a wall, chalk a cage on it. Chalk tiny little dots on the corners, hips and 5 hole. For every return ball that you miss, that doesn't count as a rep. Always wear your gloves and helmet and always warm-up and stretch before you start!

1. Crank Shot - learn to blast the ball with your hands close together near the butt end - about one fist apart. Start with easy shots to get used to hitting the wall, then move toward increasing the power, then once you are comfortable, go for accuracy.

Remember that when you crank, most of the power of your shot is generated by your hips and shoulders when you turn and transfer your weight from back to front and snap your wrists to let the shot go. Also remember that where the stick of the head ends up, so too will the ball.

High Overhand Crank (50 reps) this will get you comfortable with raising the stick high over your head to crank over the defenders shoulders.

3/4 Crank (50 reps) will get you shooting around a defender or on the run.

Underhand Crank (50 reps) is like a golf swing and will allow you to skip the ball along the surface when you tuck your elbows in.

150 reps will take you about 15 minutes if you want a real workout. But go slow at first so you get the technique and comfort down. Remember to add that little skip step when you are setting up your shot.

Now... once you are ready and have a decent amount of accuracy, you want to be able to add 'game' to the drill - so you will want to run at your chalk net and quickly learn to stop, skip, setup and crank in about 3 Mississippis. Remember, run & shoot to get comfortable with the technique first, then work on velocity, then work at hitting those dots. When you are on the run, don't worry about retrieving the return because when you get it right, you won't be able to.

Pass & Crank - instead of running toward your target, you will want to make some 6" chalk circles about 6' up the wall. These are your 'passers.' You will want to stand, bounce the ball off the circles, catch the return and then stop, skip, setup and crank. Do it stationary so you get the feel for the return and set up. Bounce the ball back to yourself to start. Then, once you are comfortable with the idea, then put some game into it.

With using the passing from the wall come at the pass from as many different angles as you can.

Loosies... trying to get returns from the wall will make you better at hand-eye coordination and this translates into better scoops. But you also want to do two extra things with loosies: anticipate and scoop & pass.

Loose balls in box means bounce (ah, that second bounce is always the toughest!) and direction. I would suggest that you roll the ball from different angles and then see how it goes - generally in box the ball will go in straight lines. What you need to do is figure out where a ball will end up and get there first. Far too many kids try to go where the ball is going, whereas the good scoops out there always go where the ball will end up. The best loose guys are necessarily the most courageous, but usually smarter than your aver-age bear.

To put some game into it, roll the ball at the wall while you are coming toward it (50 reps), then roll it away (50 reps). Slow at first (comfort & technique) then increase the speed. Once you can snag loosies with your brains, then we add the killer O aspect to it: scoop, protect and then accurately pass the ball within 3 Mississippis. Remember those passers you drew on the wall? Mix up your passes to them.

If you want to add pressure, fake pump the ball one way and try and pass within 2 Mississippis the other way.

Scooping loosies might not get you many goals, but it sure can get quite a few assists if your team mates know YOU are going to get the ball. If they know you are a Hoover because you are excellent at anticipation, they will learn when to break to the net for a pass.

That should give you a good start for now. I have a couple of other things to help you along, but I am going to PM them to you. Trade secrets as it were... don't want to tip off your (or mine) opposition do we?

[PCO6]

Excellent post Roadies! Wall ball has always been the standard for personal improvement as a lacrosse player. As Coaches we all tell the youngest to the oldest players to ... "go to the wall". After saying that to my players for many years I realized that unless I showed them what I meant they might not be getting all that they could out of wall ball. I make a point of spending about 20 minutes of a practice early in the season (usually 3rd or 4th practice) to show the players what I mean. It was clear that some of the players were basically just playing "catch" with themselves which is OK for the little guys but there is so much more to learn as you have clearly pointed out. Well done.

[OldPtboBoy]

Chalk your wall and chalk the parking lot. If you can't pass and shoot on the move you're a step behind. Five lines directly out from the wall with two to four feet between them. Five dots on the wall in the center of those lines.

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l l l l l


Practice moving quickly between the lines as if these are your shooting lanes. Go through skipping one and passing skipping one and shooting. You can vary the height of your wall dots for passes and shots. Then practice skipping lines and returning to the previous to get your footwork solid. Two forward, one back, three forward, two back. Don't look at your stick or your feet. It's good conditioning, good strengthening for your ankles and increases your ability to pass, accept a pass, and shoot on the run. Pass quickly between every line or fake quickly between every line. Make another set of lines further out from the wall to simulate longer passes and shots.

Wear you gloves and armpads. Make your own game of it. As was said above you'll improve faster than you think if you practice consistantly.

[boxpimp66]

if you have a few sticks ask your buddies to try and hammer on you wile you rag the ball and make moves, they dont have to be laxers just show them how your supposed to hit and cover people on D, no good buddy would turn down an oppertunity to beat on his friend like that. if you have a dog that likes to chase balls roll one off a wall and race him to it, he'll probly go straight for the ball like your supposed to insted of playing the boddy and he'll be real quick should make a good ground ball partner. (2 hands on the grounders)

[boxpimp]

Chalk your wall and chalk the parking lot. If you can't pass and shoot on the move you're a step behind. Five lines directly out from the wall with two to four feet between them. Five dots on the wall in the center of those lines.

. . . . .
l l l l l


Practice moving quickly between the lines as if these are your shooting lanes. Go through skipping one and passing skipping one and shooting. You can vary the height of your wall dots for passes and shots. Then practice skipping lines and returning to the previous to get your footwork solid. Two forward, one back, three forward, two back. Don't look at your stick or your feet. It's good conditioning, good strengthening for your ankles and increases your ability to pass, accept a pass, and shoot on the run. Pass quickly between every line or fake quickly between every line. Make another set of lines further out from the wall to simulate longer passes and shots.

Wear you gloves and armpads. Make your own game of it. As was said above you'll improve faster than you think if you practice consistantly.

By skiping do you mean like a side shuffle??? because although it is winter i am going to florida for 2 weeks and are condo down there has a great concrete wall meant for squash. Sinse it has walls on both sides and a wall right in front it is good to work on bouncers

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and whats more important wereing gloves and a helmet or wearing gloves and arm gaurds

[OldPtboBoy]

By skipping I mean alternating lines. Throw at one, skip the second line ( go straight to three) /1/2/3/4/5, /1/3/5, /1/3/2/4/3/5, the last is the most difficult as you will have to pass behind you and use your footwork to retain the ball for the remainder of the drill. I always tell my guys to practice in gloves, arm guards just give you more of a game feel and if they are coming into contact with your body alot tell you if you're getting Gator arms.

[boxpimp]

By skipping I mean alternating lines. Throw at one, skip the second line ( go straight to three) /1/2/3/4/5, /1/3/5, /1/3/2/4/3/5, the last is the most difficult as you will have to pass behind you and use your footwork to retain the ball for the remainder of the drill. I always tell my guys to practice in gloves, arm guards just give you more of a game feel and if they are coming into contact with your body alot tell you if you're getting Gator arms.

Gator arms??

[laxdaddy]

your arms are too close to your body. in other words they look shortened, much like the arms on an alligator.

[LaxNut5]

depending on what style you play(ie. feeder, goal scorer) it really comes down to good floor vision.also, if you want to improve your shooting, make a net of some sort and just shoot, shoot, shoot.