Lacrosse is a team sport that involves catching, shooting and maneuvering a small rubber with the help of a specially designed lacrosse stick. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, more than 250 men and women’s lacrosse teams are sanctioned by national organizations, making college lacrosse a popular sport within American campuses. Becoming a successful lacrosse player requires mastering a unique skillset of catching, cradling and shooting the ball with the lacrosse stick.
Catching
Catching a lacrosse ball requires considerable concentration and dexterity. Familiarize yourself with the mesh “net” of the lacrosse stick and try to focus on anticipating the movement of the ball so that it enters the net and becomes caught. Loosen your grip slightly on the moment of impact to prevent the ball from bouncing out of the net once it makes contact. Train your ability to relax on the point of impact by imagining that you’re catching a water balloon or egg with your lacrosse stick.
Cradling
Once the ball has been caught in the net of your lacrosse stick, you must make sure it stays there as you run. This skill is called cradling and requires a tremendous amount of concentration and attentiveness to the ball as you travel from one end of the field to the other. Twist your wrist and forearm back and forth as you run, allowing the ball to stay in the net of the lacrosse stick through the addition of centrifugal force. Beginning players tend to practice this skill while holding their stick directly in front of them as they run.
Dodging
Once you have the ball in your possession you must successfully deliver it towards the goal of your opponents. Due to frequency of high-impact blows, the Simply Lacrosse website recommends familiarizing yourself with a variety of dodging techniques. Perform the face dodge by crossing your lacrosse stick in front of your face as you accelerate towards them, clearing a small path and removing the net of your lacrosse stick from reach. The roll dodge involves turning your shoulder in so that your back collides with the opponent as you spin in a 360-degree fashion, literally rolling around their body.
Shooting
College lacrosse players have a number of shooting varieties at their disposal for scoring goals. The shot that may require a full-power wind up at 50 yards may only need a gently flip at close distances. For best results, aim your shoulder at the goal with the toes of your back foot planted facing the sideline. Place the hand closest to the goal on the bottom of the stick with your opposite hand roughly 12 inches up the shaft. Keep your eyes focused on the target as you reach your arms back and launch them forward, flicking your wrist slightly to propel the ball out of the net.
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