One Drill to Rule them All
Fine, I'll give you three.
Believe it or not, it’s almost time to haul out the nets, buy the balls, and line the fields. For some of us, it’s the most exciting time of the year, and for others, it’s just jamming more stress into our overloaded nerve clusters until we shut down. For me - it’s both.
So I figured, “Why not try to alleviate some of that planning-based trauma and make my subscriber’s practice plans a tad easier?”
Two of these drills work for any level from youth to high school - maybe even college if you’re really trying to nail down fundamentals. The other drill will change how you look at setting up fast breaks.
Here are three drills that helped transform my entire team last year.
Pickups
Let’s start by saying that the kids are going to hate this drill. I stole it from my podcast partner Jack Piatelli, who uses it to train younger lacrosse players to get better at picking up ground balls.
Every player gets two balls. If you don’t have enough to go around, one ball can work. Set a timer for one minute. Have each player drop the ball at their feet and then have them pick it up with proper two-hand technique. Rinse. Repeat. One FULL minute of this each time.
Now have them do it with their off-hand up top (ignore their grumbles - it helps them to focus on the proper hand positioning).
Close with one more minute of them tossing the ball a few feet in front of them and picking it up with the dominant hand once again.
It’s almost TOO simple of a groundball drill. I know most people will want contact to go with their GB work - but this drill is about building confidence.
Flat Break
Everyone runs the same fast break drill. The attack sets up in a triangle, the middie runs from half field down the right side and hits the high-side point man on the left, who then has to decide to shoot or hit one of the other attackmen with a pass.
Well, in this version of a fast break drill, everyone starts on Goal Line Extended. This allows the middie to pick whatever side he is most comfortable with and the attack has to respond accordingly. The benefits of this are threefold:
No more lefties sailing passes into the woods
The attack has to react to the midfielder’s position instead of sitting there for the entire drill waiting for the ball. Attackmen wait enough, don’t they?
The defense has to react to the attack positioning, and it results in a more even slide distribution and adaptability to game-like situations.
This small change makes the drill more engaging for everyone because they all have to move to the right spots - just like they do in games. It allows for more adaptability, more agency, and more creativity. All while enforcing the importance of spacing on a break.
Denver Drill
My favorite drill of all time and I just learned/stole it last year. Matt Brown, the head coach of current No. 1 ranked Denver University, developed a stick work drill for improved technique and focus.
To start, have players pair up by skill level and line up facing one another on each side to the crease perpendicular to GLE/facing each sideline. You want to have the entire field available, but half will do in a pinch.
One player in the pair starts with the ball in their stick with their dominant hand, but the shaft has to be resting on their shoulder to start. The other player has their stick pointed out to exaggerate the cushioning of the ball into the pocket.
Once the first pair throws the pass, they both start to shuffle upfield and the next pair goes. As the player catches the ball, they also bring the stick all the way back to touch their shoulder before throwing the ball again.
Once the general idea of this drill is grasped by your players (which might take a while depending on the skill level) - you can add in a small cradle fake before the throw, switch the weak hand, or have them go cross-body. The most important thing with this drill is to go slow. Make sure to emphasize the focus and technique needed for this drill to work. They should be throwing the ball accurately and with minimal torque. They should be catching without snapping.
If you do this drill every day, your entire team’s ball-handling abilities will increase regardless of their current level. It’s hard to just “go through the motions” on this drill because it’s not about quickness or explosiveness- it’s about reinforcing proper technique, focus, and - most importantly - control.
Thank you for reading and subscribing. A new Office Hours is in the works and there are finally some stringing questions. As a reminder, send in your lacrosse-related questions to LacroCity@gmail.com to get into the next episode.
And if you really like what you’re reading, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Every little bit helps me keep my kids’ sticks strung, gas in my tank, and lacrosse balls in the paint bucket.
#GoHawks