HOW TO BE A GOOD LACROSSE PLAYER

With the steady growth of lacrosse as a fast moving sport, many people are becoming interested in the game. What is lacrosse, and is it difficult, or easy, to play this sport? As with all sports, training is of course necessary to learn playing it. But for those who are just interested to know something about the game short of having an actual training, the procedures below outlines some bits about lacrosse.

A lacrosse team is composed of 10 players in a field, so a field has a total of 20 players. Each lacrosse team players are further subdivided into teams of 3 attackmen, 3 middies, 3 defensemen and 1 goalie, for a total of 10 players.

A game is divided into 4 quarters like basketball, and like all other games, the team qualifying the most points at the end of the game is declared as the winner.

A player earns a score point by shooting the ball from his stick’s pocket into the opponent team’s goal.

The lacrosse ball is a solid rubber ball about the size of a baseball.
An opponent team can take away your ball as an offensive either by hitting you with their stick or with their body. For defense, a player has to cradle to prevent the ball from falling out.

Outside shooting is important for a middie to make.. The defense can shift their game completely if threatened by a good outside shooting.

A player holding the ball can get past the defenseman by using different dodges such as face doge, split dodge, and bull dodge.

The procedures below outlines step by step the proper way of playing lacrosse.

CHOOSING A STICK. A branded lacrosse stick is quite expensive. If you're just learning how to play, go to your local sporting goods store, where a basic stick won’t cost you as much as a branded stick. There are three main components of a stick. The Head- this is the piece at the top of the stick used for controlling the ball. The Mesh- this is the rope suff inside the head, also known as the stringing. Finally, The Shaft- it was traditionally made out of wood, but nowadays they are made of strong metal alloys and have varying weights and strength. If your right hand is your good hand, put your left hand on the bottom and right hand on top. Switch for your left hand.

LEARN HOW TO CRADLE. Cradling is a necessary skill in lacrosse, it is the equivalent of dribbling in basketball. It is the technique of getting past the defense man without him taking the ball out of your stick. You have to use centripetal force to keep your ball in place by a curling motion with your wrist. This is best done in front of a mirror while starting. Place the ball in your pocket (the area where the ball sits in your mesh) and hold your dominant hand a few inches below the head. Begin with the head facing the mirror so you can see the ball. Now bring the head across your face while curling the wrist. Keep practicing until you are get used to it. If you find it hard to get the hang of it, try watching some lacrosse training dvds until you are familiar with all the game’s moves and techniques.

LEARN HOW TO PASS. In playing lacrosse, passing is one of the most critical skills to succeed in the game. Passing is used to move the ball up field, catch your opponent out of position while hitting your teammate for an assist, or get yourself out of pressure. Make the head next to your ear and ruffle your wrist of your top while pulling your bottom hand towards you. Don't allow it to hook around your neck. Be sure to go through with the motion. Eventually, you will get used to how your stick throws and can then adjust the way you throw to be more accurate. You can imp[rove your skills in lacrosse by is getting to a brick wall and playing "wall ball." stand a few feet from the wall and throw the ball against it. Practice catching as the ball bounces back towards you.

LEARN HOW TO CATCH. Catching is about hand-eye coordination. Catch the ball in your stick and make sure you don't cradle as it enters your stick. This is called cradle catching and is done by beginners. Instead of cradling, just release your grip on your top hand and as the ball enters the stick give and ease the ball into the stick. Again, wall ball practice is recommended.

Games are won and lost in ground balls, it is a fact. While approaching the ball step to it place your foot near the ball. Sink your hips and put your head parallel to the ground. The butt of your stick have to get down low as well. Scoop through and bring the head to your face. Immediately look for an outlet to a team mate.
Pass, catch, cradle and shoot with BOTH hands. Using both hands requires patience, and you have to practice over and over again to learn this skill. A good way to improve your off-hand skills is to look at what your dominate hand is doing. Mirror the way you are passing. Go through the same motions. After doing this, spend a week of practice using nothing but your non-dominant hand. During line drills, 6v6, fast break, only use your off-hand. This will be very frustrating, but keep doing it. It will go a long way in improving your skills