Defense 1 v 1 trouble

[laxar106]

I play lsm in high school and I'm having trouble with 1v1 up top. I dont know what check to use when he comes at me with a lot of speed, or if i should use body while running with him. Can anyone help me out?

[BurnSomeRope]

when someone is running towards me i break down like i would in football. I read their hips and get a feel for what direction they'll move to next. When the person gets close enough i step into it, get low, and throw a solid body check. If they break it, call for a slide.

[LiquidMercury16]

I throw a very nasty poke check into their stomach, basically letting them impale themselves on the end of my stick. It stops them clean right there.

[smooth87]

The offenseman wants the defense them to slide. When the D slides, it leaves gaps and where there are gaps, there are opportunities to score. So a D that constantly slides, is just unhealthy.

Alright, so I'll tell you want I do if my guy dodges from up top. This is where you need to know your abilities. I'm not the fastest guy, but I def can keep my own, so I mark my man up about 1-2 steps above the restraining line. Don't stand squared up, you dictate where the attacker goes. So do that by taking away top side. After you get squared up, don't stand flat footed -get on the balls of your feet. Sometimes I'll even do some quick foot fires, just so I remember to move my feet at all time. Try it, it might work. Ok, so now you're in position you took away top side, ect. When my attacker is dodging, I usually throw a poke when he is about 7ft out... most attackman/middies will start their dodge earlier than normal just because they see the poke check and don't want to get tangled up in it. Now basically at this point you just have to keep up with your man. As he runs down the sideline stay on his hands. Lifting works better than coming down on this hands because he can still follow through. The only time I use my body on an attacker is when I know he is semi-close to the goal or when he comes close to my body. After I push him away, I like to throw a slap or wrap on the hands at the same time. I use mostly speed until he gets 1/3 through the box and then I'll body him more and more up the closer he gets to the cage.
I know this is a long post, but I hope it helps.

[BurnSomeRope]

I throw a very nasty poke check into their stomach, basically letting them impale themselves on the end of my stick. It stops them clean right there.

another favorite of mine

[Jesse]

I throw a very nasty poke check into their stomach, basically letting them impale themselves on the end of my stick. It stops them clean right there.
Another good thing about it is that they may switch hands in front of themselves. If you can connect with their stick it can dislodge the ball.

[LiquidMercury16]

Once you jab them, pop back into stance and continue your ride. Eventually they will try and come at you at an angle than you just work on your power V and force them back. Forget the takeaway checks and all that unless you know 100% you will get it. Make them make the mistake and than destroy them.

[Jesse]

Forget the takeaway checks and all that unless you know 100% you will get it.
Just dont use them.
They should only be done behind the cage, and only if you wont lose your position.

[BigguhPlease25]

If your playing a wing, force them outside in that direction by giving them the outside, push them out if they fight back in. Most guys aren't smart enough to try to go around and force you to play them in the middle. Give it a try.

[LAXNIXONKIL3R]

dont ever coem at him and always only allow 3 to 5 yards so he cant build up speed id go with 3 just to be safe...also throw pokes unless he tries to get fancy and cradle fancy or swim then use body

[stegmakk]

dont look at his hands/feet/shoulders as hes coming at you...watch his jock...he aint going anywhere without it...

I ALMOST do what mercury does...
I prefer and tell LSMs to go slightly higher up...2 things about aiming at the stomach...its low and might look to the ref to not be aiming for stick (look like a cheap shot)...the other is if the do run through the check, think physics...your stick will slide down not up risking getting tangled in his feet (trip call) and just getting in a bad position...
If you aim up a little more into the chest with that first poke...this is where their stick crosses their body in most any dodge/setup move and is more excusable looking...the other is that if they run through your stick will slide up...if your hands are not like cement you can effectively throw a slap coming right out of it...just dont let your stick slide into their head...

After this initial check/move IF he runs through it, you would most likely be doing a drop step and running next to him coming down the hole...NOT the time to throw any checks...stay with him and keep your stick on his bottom hand...he'll have to pass/shoot and if you can keep up, throw the lift

[LiquidMercury16]

To elaborate on Steg....
If he actually manages to get past the massive poke to his stomach/zyphoid process area (I prefer stomach and have never been called for a cheap shot) he will be out of breath for 1, and if you drop step you can always put him into a V hold and push him back out and let him try running in again....more than likely he will pass it off instead of taking another poke to the gut.

[D4LIFE]

just remember, never lung while impaling or they will torche u. if i do it right and its the right time to use it them u wont need to lunge out at them.

[Upintheclouds]

Don't stand squared up, you dictate where the attacker goes.


This is really good advice, when you start dictating the direction that he has to go in it takes away the number of moves that he can actually use now and that makes him more predictable. If you are just standing squared up to him he can go either way and make you lose your balance and its just too hard to try and keep up with a good player when he can go either way.

[LiquidMercury16]

To continue on that, point your shoulder to him to force him to go the opposite way, i.e. point your right shoulder to force him to your left.

[MadCowDisease]

Move your feet diagonally backwards... if he goes one way go backwards but stay with him and keep your feet at an angle. I would go for slap checks/poke checks to the hands when your not in shooting distance, but if you are I would play more aggresively.

[singsingallstar]

make your man go to his weak hand. and once you've got him going to his weak side, get his bottom hand off of his stick so he can't pass, then check him, but only if you have enough time to make up for your mistakes, just incase.

[shortydanger125]

Most defenses will have you forcing your man outside as such.
http://content.imagesocket.com/thumbs/Outside_dodge3c7.GIF (http://imagesocket.com/view/Outside_dodge3c7.GIF)
X=Offense
Dark Lines=Offensive movment
Pink=Shuffle/Backpedal
Green=Throw checks
Red=Critical moment
Orange Lines=Ball movement options

You should start a few feet outside the box and begin with a short shuffle/backpedal, maintaining a posture (stick and feet) that gives your opponent a one-way go to the outside. You should throw your first check when he is most vulnerable (the first red dot in the picture). This will be as he is coming out of his dodge. You should land a hard slap or poke on his outside arm/hand. This will further persuade him to head right where you want him.

You've done the hardest part now. What you do next depends on your abilities. The following should all take place during the green line in the picture. You can either just run with him, throw harassing checks or you can try and take the ball away. Throwing harassing checks just means putting some metal on his hands with pokes, slaps and lifts. To take the ball away, you are going to want to do as follows. Land a punch on his hip, and as you do, watch his stick. He will either pull it in or extend it. Repeat the same motion of going for a punch, but now consider what he did the first time. If he extended, throw a wrap check as he flinches in anticipation of your contact. If he pulled it in, fake your punch and throw an over the head check. Only try and take the ball away if you are a superior athlete (speed) or if he is not dodging to go to the cage (you should know this from how they have run their offense earlier in the game). It is a risky gambit either way.

Assuming he still has the ball, the dodger needs to do something with it. To this point, he will not have been running at the cage, but rather at a slight angle away from it. He will now curve back towards to cage. He is trying to do one of two things, either take a shot or drive and draw a slide. Shooting is straightforward. Get on his hands with a lift and don't let him take any kind of shot. Deny him the middle of the field, ride him out and send him straight to your slide if it comes. If he doesn't shoot, he will he will try and feed the ball to either a high C cutting crease man, or swing it through X. Get on his hands and try and time your last check to get his wrist/glove right as he is moving the ball. This may force a bad pass.

Some defenses will try and funnel guys to the middle. I'd be happy to explain this style if someone needs it.

[LiquidMercury16]

good tutorial right there shorty, even though the pic is a little hard to understand

[shortydanger125]

good tutorial right there shorty, even though the pic is a little hard to understand
I added a key of sorts to help out a bit.

[LiquidMercury16]

yah that helps

[MC Escher]

if someone runs out 10 yards about to dodge, follow him out there, don't allow him to get a 10 yard head start while your just standing there flat-footed waiting for him...

[LiquidMercury16]

Why would I follow my man 10 yds out? That is a decent bit outside of the key and if he wants to shoot from 10 yds out i'd rather have that than the possibility of being pulled out far away from my slides and possibly getting beat with a slide that is too slow because of the distance I went out.....

[CharI3Y]

poke his lower cuff then take a step back, wait for him to make a move and push him to the side.
your job isnt to get the ball from him its just to make sure he makes a bad shot so that your goalie gets an easy save

[ccslax6]

I throw a very nasty poke check into their stomach, basically letting them impale themselves on the end of my stick. It stops them clean right there.

I did that during camp to a pole who was running up the ball. I hit his throat and he dropped the ball. He threatened to come in my room and kill me in my sleep.

[LiquidMercury16]

you're not supposed to poke them in the throat, you poke them in the goat not even the chest, just the gut. Otherwise, even though it's legal if your stick comes up and hits them in the throat, some refs will still call unnecessary roughness.

[ccslax6]

It was an accident. I tried to hit his gloves then his chest, but my stick was deflected up, into his throat.

[LiquidMercury16]

Well it's still a legal check but not a nice thing to do haha.

[WinnytheSully]

make sure to force the guy weak hand, and then push with two hands when they split

[.:RebelSlashr:.]

what i do is get nice and low, heels up, and wait for the right time and do a check i sorta made up myself, where you basically spear your shaft trying to hit his shaft and through the area in between his dominant arm and body, and while throwing the check come up in his face and go for a nice body check, and if that doesnt work use your stick to sorta chop his stick out of his hands or at least the ball

[LiquidMercury16]

and if that doesnt work use your stick to sorta chop his stick out of his hands or at least the ball


Haha do that enough and you'll get called for just excessive slashing away at a person. Even if it's not at the head I've seen people who take big wind ups trying to do wrap checks get called for it.

[Upintheclouds]

make sure to force the guy weak hand, and then push with two hands when they split

This is good advice here, but I know with me personally I like to force a guy to his left hand even if thats his strong hand because I prefer to play against a lefty. Sometimes it's better to force a guy where you think you can best set up your checks. Don't get me wrong pushing a guy to his weak hand is always a good way to go but also you want to set yourself up where you are most comfortable to hit your checks.

[BwineLAX42]

Not to highjack the thread, but sometimes if the middie has quick hands they get a semi swim move and go over top of your stick, at this point you have lunged. So you have to make sure to get contact on the stomach check.

[LiquidMercury16]

If they go over top of your stick you slide into a power V and lock them up.

[D_Pole2010]

I play lsm in high school and I'm having trouble with 1v1 up top. I dont know what check to use when he comes at me with a lot of speed, or if i should use body while running with him. Can anyone help me out?

keep light and bouncy on your feet. as he gets close, take a step towards him, then run/shuffle backwards with him, so he can dodge around you. then give him good solid poke checks to slow him down a bit. it youre not poking him, wave your stick and keep it high to block passes and potentially distract him. and if he's still coming and hes getting too close, lay a hit on him, but never lose your positioning b/c he could spin off of you. never give him an inside lane. always force him where YOU want him to go. keep him to the outside and dont give him alot of room to dance around.

[dgeorgeNY]

Learn to just hate the guts of the other team and wail on him like he's h!tl3r or something then lay him out

[laxar106]

Thanks everyone, I have been practicing a lot of your techniques and tutorals with my friend and they have been helping a lot. :worship: