Stick Skills
Foundation of every complete player. Master these fundamentals and everything else gets easier.
Hands away from body, top hand snaps through, soft hands on catch.
Notice how the stick stays in the "box" — head above shoulder, butt end at hip.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Catching with stiff arms. Dropping the elbow below the shoulder on throws. Standing flat-footed instead of stepping into the wall.
Protect your stick with your body. Strong top hand, cradle tight to helmet. Off-hand pushes defender's stick away.
Situational Breakdown: Ground Balls to Cradle
On every ground ball, explode through the ball with two hands, immediately transition to a one-hand cradle to protect. First 3 steps = full speed away from pressure. Then look to outlet. This is the difference between winning a ground ball and possessing the ground ball.
Catch and release in one motion. Hands stay high, elbows up. Target partner's stick-side ear every time.
Stick Skills Mastery Checklist
Shooting
Score from anywhere. Develop a complete shooting arsenal — on the run, time and room, inside finishes.
Hands away from body. Step toward the target. Follow through pointing at the cage. Hips and shoulders generate power — not arms.
Ball release point — should be out front, not behind the head. Watch how the bottom hand punches through.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Winding up too far behind. Dropping the back elbow. Not stepping to the target. Throwing with all arms and no hip rotation.
Quick release from tight spaces. Shovel shots, backhand, inside rolls. Read the goalie's position and finish opposite.
Shooting Mastery Checklist
Defense
Shut down, communicate, and dominate. Team defense is built on individual fundamentals and relentless effort.
Nose on hip, feet chopping, stick out in passing lane. Never cross your feet. Stay low — hips below shoulders.
Weight on balls of feet, not heels. Short choppy steps — never lunging. Head stays level even as feet move.
Adjacent defender slides first. On-ball gets beat → D2 steps to the ball carrier → D3 rotates to cover D2's man. Communication: "I'm hot!" / "I'm 2!"
Communication Script
"Hot! Hot! Hot!" — Adjacent defender calls this pre-slide to alert he's ready.
"I'm 2!" — Crease defender calls his rotation responsibility.
"Recover!" — Once the ball is passed, everyone resets to their original matchup.
Rule: If you don't hear "Hot!" from your adjacent, YOU are the slide. Communication is defense.
Defense Mastery Checklist
Offense
Move with purpose. Every cut, dodge, and pass creates an advantage — the question is whether you see it.
Three core dodges every player needs: split dodge, roll dodge, face dodge. Attack the top side, change speed and direction to beat your man.
Ball movement initiates all cuts. Maintain two interlocking triangles (middies + attackmen). When the ball goes to the wing, the opposite crease cuts through. When the ball goes to X, clear out and re-set.
Motion Offense Keys
Wheel: Players rotate like a clock — pass and follow your pass, or pass and cut opposite. Never stand still.
Triangle: Two interlocking triangles give the ball carrier two outlet passes at all times. When dodging, adjacent players fill and float.
Dodge & Pop: When the middie drives, the crease man reads: if the slide comes from the crease, pop out high. If no slide, seal and cut backdoor.
Pass Down Pick Down: Top passes to wing → immediately sprints down to set a pick on the wing's defender. Wing uses the screen to attack or shoot. Picker rolls to the crease for the dump-off.
Offense Mastery Checklist
IQ & Film Study
The best players see the game before it happens. Build your lacrosse brain through situational study and film breakdown.
Before you dodge, read the defense. Where is the slide coming from? Who is the weak-side help? Make the defense wrong before the ball moves.
Film Study Checklist: What to Watch For
On every possession, ask yourself:
1. What formation is the offense in?
2. Where is the on-ball defender positioned?
3. Who is the first slide? Where is he coming from?
4. When the ball is passed, does the defense rotate or recover?
5. Where does the shot opportunity come from — and was it the right decision?
IQ & Film Mastery Checklist
Athleticism
Speed kills. Conditioning wins. Build the engine that powers everything else — agility, explosiveness, endurance.
First step explosiveness. Low center of gravity on direction changes. Arms drive the legs — pump hard.
Lacrosse is interval-based: repeated short bursts with brief recovery. Train the way you play — not long slow distance.