All beginning lacrosse players need to learn how to cradle the ball with their stick. Cradling involves a rhythmic moving of the arms and hands in order to protect the ball and keep it in the center of the mesh pocket, allowing for a quick pass or shot at any moment. While many might overlook its importance, cradling needs to be drilled with the same attention as all other stick skills.
Wall Drill
Many lacrosse drills involve passing or shooting repeatedly off a wall to improve skills, but a wall also can be helpful for improving your cradling. Stand with your back to the wall and the ball in a vertical cradle. Now touch the stick head against the wall above your right shoulder and cradle it across your body to touch the wall above your left shoulder. Continue cradling back and forth to touch the wall without losing the ball, remembering to keep the stick vertical and the ball properly secured.
Line Drill
In this team drill, station six or more players in a line with about four yards between each player. Now weave through the line while cradling the ball, cutting in and around each player while they all apply token defensive pressure. Remember to cradle the ball away from the defender, cradling left or right to create as much distance as possible between the defender and the ball.
Pivot Drill
Lacrosse requires short, explosive movements with plenty of starts and stops and quick changes of direction. All these sudden cuts can cause you to lose control of the ball unless you practice cradling while making sharp pivots and changes in direction. A simple pivot drill involves running 10 yards straight ahead, planting your left foot hard and then pivoting into a new direction, either sliding to the right or spinning and returning the way you came. Keep running straight sprints and pivoting at the end of each leg, or run in a square pattern using a hard pivot at each corner.
Cradle Tag
A fun game for younger players, cradle tag teaches cradling technique and proper defensive positioning. Cradle tag requires at least two players. The player with the ball must run around and protect the ball from all other players, who attempt to “tag” the ball carrier by touching their stick head to the ball carrier’s stick head. This simple game gives players a chance to practice cradling while running, dodging and guarding against defenders.
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