How Can I Shoot The Lacrosse Ball Faster?

Question: hey, I've been playing lacrosse for a while now, and I always wonder how come my shot isn't as speedy as it should be. I have the right stance perfect angles when shooting, but I still can't get the ball 2 go as fast ...help me..I would really appreciate it...thank you


My Answer: Hey there Iz. You know this is a great question. And it is extremely complex. But I'll give you a few things to think about that may help you.

1) Your core strength. You can have all the best technique, but if you are weak at the core then you aren't going to be able to transfer any power into the stick and therefore into the ball. You need to be strong from your feet to your fingertips because that is how we develop power, from the ground up. If you have any glaring weaknesses between those two points then you're not going to transfer power into the ball. I tell all my guys to fall in love with the gym. Learn to love the weightroom. Get stronger. I can take any great athlete and turn him into a lacrosse player. But I can't always take a lacrosse player and turn him or her into an athlete.

2) The pocket in your stick. This is a place where you can lose a lot of technique but it is too detailed to get into here. If you've got a crappy pocket in your stick it is really going to affect your technique and that brings us to number 3...

3) Your hands. Some guys have it and some guys don't. Your hands will develop according to the pocket you have in your stick. When I used to coach in the North East we used to joke about how our guys didn't have any hands. It's because they were using store bought sticks with really bad pockets. The guys in Maryland and Long Island all had great hands and when they shot the ball it was like a rocket.

Shooting the ball is like cracking a whip. It's the little "flick" of the end of the whip that makes it crack. That's where all the speed comes from. If there is no speed, and no whip, there is no 'crack.' And that crack is the power that we are looking for.

One little thing, make sure you've got your feet on the ground when you shoot. Some college guys will jump and shoot. It looks cool but you lose a ton of velocity on your shot. The reason being is that you need to be in contact with the ground to generate significant torque. If you aren't anchored to something you're just going to spin in space. Not cool.

Hope that helps Iz. Let me know if you need anything else.

Jonathan -

www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

Misc Goalie Questions

Question:
Hey Jon, It is Bobby again. I just have a couple more questions. (I asked about
the Mesh, not too long ago). So Im in this winter league and it started off
really well, but recently its been awful, It is much smaller fields, so you can
crank shots from the mid line and still get a goal on a bad goalie. I normally
don't play on turf like this but for this league I do. I was in goal off to a good
start last week. We were playing one of the top Teams Varsity with 3 middies,
2 attacks and three D. (its a 7 v 7 league) with 2 subs. The games are usually
very fast and high scoring. But it was 3-1 us at the half, and then i was in
goal, and this kid threw a crank at me and I suspected it would just bounce
up, but it didn't, it just rolled between my legs and went in. I was in disbelief.
I was so upset with my self, next play, their captain shoots it top left and i
miss completely. And for the next couple plays, they start bouncing them in
front of me (10 feet) and now their bouncing like Crazy. I really have trouble
with those outside shots. And the ones that are right in front of me. (only in
this league). I just have a question on what to do on those far outside shots
because they just bounce over my head.

Also, any tips on how i should be saving low shots (not bounce), because i
don't feel like i am getting low enough, but i cant fix it. Any tips for that.

Also, I don't feel like I am fast enough.60% on a missed shot, i beet the
attack, but a lot of the time i don't. Any tips on speed and power.

One last thing. Any tips on stepping to the ball?

Thanks

My Answer:Hey there Bobby! Man I never got your first question so sorry this took so long.

This is super-easy to fix. You're just not judging those outside shots correctly. Two things:

1) You need to be more aggressive and think of yourself as a catcher in baseball and not a lacrosse goalie. You need to drop the hips. Get your head down and over the ball. And your hands waaay out in front of you. Your goal here is to snuff the ball and not try to pick it clean with your stick. Especially if the turf is a little weird which this sounds like it may be. Does that make sense? Your saves on those shots are going to be ugly so make sure you've got enough padding on you so that you feel confident blocking them with your body just in case.

2) You need more practice on those types of shots. Your next warm up just work on those types of shots. Spend all your time on them. This league doesn't matter for you as much as the real season does so get some work done and work on those shots. If you don't spend a lot of time on that surface don't worry about them too much. You're a good goalie. You'll be fine long-term so don't sweat it.

Ont the low shots...rule #1. Never ever ever say "I can't" Got it? Seriously. If you think you can't guess what? You're right. Think about how you can fix it. By your question I know you already know the answer. Drop your hips. Bend the knees. And read back to #1 above. It's the same answer.

Speed and Power? Get in the gym man. Fall in love with training. Get bigger, faster, and stronger in the gym and you will be a better goalie.

Any tips on stepping to the ball? Yes, it's overrated. Just be agressive and lead with the hands and the head. Where they go the body will follow. By getting stronger in the gym you'll be better at stepping to the ball as well.

Kick ass Bobby. Let me know if you need more help. Get your butt over to the forum too and sign up. www.Lacrossegoaltendingforum.com

I can answer your questions over there as well.

Jonathan -

www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com

What Lacrosse Shaft Should I Buy?

Question: Kevin writes: "
I am going to buy a middie and another defense lacrosse shaft. Right now I am having a tad bit of trouble. I am a middie who likes to face off and when I play D I like to be a little ruff. I do not care about cost as long as I am not going crazy. What I want to know is this:
Which Lacrosse Shafts Would you recommend? I want light and strong. I know it will not be cheap.
I am looking for something stronger then the krypto and just as/or lighter. Here are just a few of the ones I was looking at.
For Midfield (most important)
Titan Pro
Platinum
Sci Ti Pro
and I was eyeing the Brine Ti-22

Defense-
Platinum,
Krypto
Ti-22 by Brine


My Answer: Kevin man you can't go wrong with Titanium. To be honest everything else is just a compromise for Titanium. I've been saying it for years. Even if you look at some of my other answers you'll see one commonality, I always recommend Titanium. You will spend more on it now, but in the long run you will save a ton of money because it won't break.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you need anything else.

Jonathan -

www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

Does It Really Matter What Type Of Lacrosse Stick You Have?

Question: Jon,
does it really matter what type of stick you have? i mean i went from a $40 one to a $130 and i really cant tell the difference besides the weight. do you have any advice on how to improve my stick skills ive been playin for 4 years and im still havin trouble forgetting to cover my butt end any advice?

thanks, shane

Answer: Shane thanks for the great question. You are on to something for sure. I have always said that the greatest difference between sticks is not the stick (head, shaft) itself but the pocket that is in it. But even then, you can have a great pocket in a really cheap stick and still play really well. Case in point: My three year old son has a little one of those mini Warrior sticks with a killer pocket in it. You can fake and shoot anywhere with that little stick and it's awesome.

I would also say that the more "elite" a player you are the more you will feel a difference between sticks. There are sticks that feel "light" in your hands and others that are "heavy". Some would even call them "dead". But I would say that 98% of most players wouldn't be able to really tell the difference.

I'm 36 years old and when I started playing lacrosse there were about ten sticks to choose from. And you could either get an aluminum shaft or a wood shaft. The big news was when Titanium shafts came out. (Which are still the best choice in my opinion.) Now, with the advances in manufacturing they can pump out new sticks in no time. Little cuts in the sidewalls, off-set, pinched, no pinch, etc. A lot of it is hype.

I was just writing to another player and telling him about the STX Excalibur. It's the all-time best selling lacrosse head ever. Very simple in design and has obviously stood the test of time.

In my opinion there are three major factors to choosing a stick. (Not in any particular order.) They are: stiffness of the head, width of the head, and width and shape of the scoop.

The stiffer the head the more durable it's going to be. The width of the head is going to make it easier to catch passes but will allow the ball to be checked out of the stick easier. The shape of the scoop is going to help you with ground balls. That's it.

Now if you should 110 miles per hour then maybe an extra cut in the sidewall is going to help you. But what most guys forget is that the stick is only one aspect of the game. A guy like Kyle Harrison is still going to run right by you no matter what stick is in his hands or yours for that matter. The stick is just one small part of what makes great players great. I've always wanted to see a game of all-americans played with stock sticks. Just one stock pocket. Give them five minutes with sticks and let them play and you'd still see the best players play their best. The sticks may change it's the hands that make the player.

On that note: Advice on improving your stick skills. Wall ball. Play. Play. Play. Experiment. Work your opposite hand. If the only trouble you are having is covering your butt end then what I would suggest is that you are at a bit of a plateau. To bust through it you need to become comfortable with how the stick feels with your hand on that butt end. Right now it doesn't feel good to you. Here's my suggestion: For a whole week just focus on your bottom hand on that butt end all the time. Even if you pick your stick up out of your car make sure your hand is on that butt end. No matter where you are on the field, keep your hand on the butt end. You've got to groove a path in your brain where it feels comfortable with your hand down there. Ideally you do this for twenty-one days. That's how long it really takes to groove a new habit. But start with seven days. Then try it again. You've just got to break the habit, once that's done you're golden.

Good luck with that Shane. Hope this helps. Really appreciate the feedback if this helps you. If you've got any more questions just email me through our forums or my blog. Kick butt and let me know how it goes. All the best,

Jonathan -

www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltendingforum.com

What Should I Use For A Long Stick Middie? A Defender Head or a Middie Head?

Question: Hey Jonathan,
I'm wondering, as long stick middie, if you would recommend a more defender head or a midfielder head.

Thanks a bunch,
Nathan

Answer: Nathan I would recommend a more defender head. Basically all of the advantages of having a defender head to not take away from any of the advantages of a middie head. With a defender head you most likely are going to get a wider head, with a stiffer make up, with a wider scoop that is going to help you with ground balls. To be honest, you wouldn't mind those features if you were just playing middie. Most middie heads are narrower to begin with which make them less forgiving to catch with but easier to hold on to the ball when checked. As a long pole you're going to be dishing the ball more quickly to a short stick so you won't need the narrower head.

So all in all I'd go with a defender head.

A head that goes both ways? The Excalibur. I think it's the longest running head design in STX history and I've played with a lot of defenders who use it. Just a really nice, all purpose head.

Hope that helps. Let me know which one you go with.

Jonathan -

www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltendingforum.com

Just Started Playing Lacrosse. Do You Think I Can Play In College?

Question: just started playing lacrosse for 5 monthes and I am a junior in highschool. i do wall ball a lot and I am on a club team. Do you think I have a chance to play lacrosse in college? Is there anything I can do to get better?


Answer: Orion, my friend from high school was a baseball player. He played four years of high school baseball and never even touched a lacrosse stick. He picked one up at college and played four years. Yes, you can play in college. It will depend on what college you go to but it is possible. There is always a level that you can play.

Is there anything you can do to get better? There are tons of things you can do to get better. Keep up the wall ball and play, play, play. Read all you can. Watch videos of games so you can see how the game works. It's a great game and you'll have a ton of fun with it.

Jonathan -

www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

15 Years Old and New To Lacrosse. What Should We Do?

Question: My son is a 15 yr old freshman. He is a great baseball player who is considering switching to lacrosse this spring. Very athletic and currently playing JV hoop. We live north of Boston. What would be the best thing he could do to learn the sport and gain some skills before spring tryouts?

We have a topgunlax.com league nearby but it appears too competitive. We have some south-of-Boston leagues but they are too far.

Do you have any contacts north of Boston? Would one-on-one training be the best thing at this stage for starters?

Thanks!!!!!!

Answer: Hey there Jon. Quite simple really.

1) Get him a good stick with a great pocket from Commonwealth Lacrosse. It's important he have a good pocket as he will learn how to cradle and throw properly. Great Christmas gift.

2) There are a ton of videos at ChampionshipProductions.com that you can buy to help him get started.

3) Find him a wall where he can throw a ball against. This will single-handedly be the number one thing that he can do. Stick skills will be his biggest challenge so get him started now.

It's awesome that he is athletic and he will find the offenses very similar as in basketball. But to get him up to speed you need to get his throwing and catching up to snuff asap.

When I coached in Bedford, Mass. I had a ton of athletic kids but they couldn't throw and catch. When he can throw and catch he can do anything.

Don't worry about the leagues yet. If he's got some buddys who play it would be great for him to throw and catch. I used to throw tennis balls indoors in the garage because it had a nice tall wall and the tennis ball didn't break things (much).

Hope that helps!

Jonathan -
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltendingforum.com
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com