Lacrosse Drills for Beginners: Shooting, Cradling, Defense, Passing, Face-Offs, & More!
Vince Lombardi said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence”.
Although he coached football, this quote applies to all things in life – including the great sport of lacrosse. This sentiment is why the best players in the world are relentless in following their lacrosse drills and practice plans.
If you’re looking to elevate your lacrosse skills, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re a newcomer to the world of lax or a veteran player looking to add new tools to your game, the path to improvement often starts with the same thing: the best lacrosse drills for beginners and veterans alike.
And today, we’re going to help you sharpen your skills with some of the best lacrosse practice drills we’ve come across during our career.
This isn’t just a collection of exercises – it’s a roadmap to refining your game, shot by shot, pass by pass, and play by play. Let’s start by explaining the role of lacrosse drills for beginners and veteran players alike.
The Role of Lacrosse Drills for Beginners and Veteran Players Alike
Success is born out of practice in any sport – and lacrosse, with its dynamic blend of skills required, is no exception. Every lacrosse champion began in the same place: mastering the fundamentals through beginner lacrosse drills.
Lacrosse practice drills serve as the building blocks to a player’s game, turning raw potential into polished performance. But these drills are not just for novices. Veteran players, too, return to these fundamentals regularly to keep their skills sharp and their instincts keen.
So, regardless of where you stand in your lacrosse journey, remember that drills are the keystone of development. They are the tools that transform effort into ability, and aspiration into achievement.
While it’s true that there’s no magic formula to instantaneously become a lacrosse legend, consistent practice with a well-structured set of drills can expedite your progress. This is not about “practicing until you get it right”, but rather “practicing until you can’t get it wrong”.
The Different Types of Beginner Lacrosse Drills
When you first start your lacrosse journey, you might feel overwhelmed by the variety of drills out there. Should you focus on lacrosse shooting drills, or is your time better spent perfecting the basics with lacrosse cradling drills? How much time should you allocate to lacrosse passing drills?
The truth is, your training should consist of a blend of all aspects of lacrosse. We know what you’re thinking – that’s a lot of drills to add to your regimen.
But don’t worry, we’ve organized them into clear, easy-to-understand categories. Each type focuses on a particular aspect of the game, allowing you to sharpen specific skills and abilities. After breaking down all the different types of lacrosse drills for beginners, we’ll guide you through creating a training plan.
Lacrosse Shooting Drills
Shooting is a fundamental skill in lacrosse that every player should master, regardless of their position on the field. Effective shooting drills focus on improving accuracy, speed, and timing. And yes, even defensemen need to hone their shooting abilities.
One such lacrosse shooting drill for beginners is the “Star Shooting Drill”, which improves shooting technique from different angles. Here, players move around five cones arranged in a star pattern, practicing shots from each point.
This is something you can do at home on your own – you just need some practice balls, a net, and ideally, a lacrosse backstop. Set up targets in the corners of the net, which is where you’ll typically want to shoot on a goalie.
You can start by standing at each cone, but eventually, you’ll want to progress this lacrosse shooting drill to firing shots off as you’re running – like you would in a game.
Lacrosse Defensive Drills
Defensive skills are just as important as offensive ones. Drills in this category help players learn how to guard opponents effectively, check sticks, and block shots. Unfortunately, it’s hard to work on the actual skill of defending on your own – so you’ll need a partner for lacrosse defensive drills.
That being said, a basic one-on-one defense drill is a great starting point. It forces defenders to react quickly and stay on their toes, teaching the importance of footwork and body positioning in preventing opponents from scoring.
At the end of the day, gameplay experience is always going to be the best practice for defensemen – so find all the opportunities you can to get yourself in front of an attacker in scrimmages or recreational leagues!
Lacrosse Goalie Drills
Goalies require a unique set of skills, so they have their own specialized drills. These drills hone quick reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and decision-making abilities under pressure.
The “Rapid Fire Drill” is an excellent drill where a goalie faces a series of quick shots from a short distance, helping them improve their reflexes and shot-blocking skills.
To get the most out of this drill, practice coming across the net from one post to the other, simulating one-time pass/shoot scenarios. While you may not have a shooter that can help you out, you can invest in a pitching machine or tennis ball machine instead.
Lacrosse Conditioning Drills
Conditioning drills are designed to improve players’ physical fitness and endurance, helping them maintain high performance throughout a game.
These drills often include elements of cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and agility workouts. The “4-Corner Conditioning Drill” is a popular option, incorporating sprinting, jogging, and direction changes to boost a player’s overall fitness level.
Ideally, you’d wear your full lacrosse gear (yes, even helmet) to simulate gameplay. But really, anything you do to improve your conditioning is worth doing – whether it’s running around your neighborhood or swimming laps.
Lacrosse Passing Drills
Mastering the art of passing is crucial in lacrosse, as it forms the backbone of most offensive strategies. Passing drills not only improve your precision and speed but also your ability to make split-second decisions during gameplay.
There are two things to focus on with passing drills – receiving and sending the pass. Both are equally important. As you can imagine, it’s hard to do passing drills alone. You can pair up with a partner, but ideally, you’d have a group of people to practice with. That way, you could perform the “Hot Potato” drill.
This drill prompts players to pass the ball within a quick 3 to 5 seconds or risk losing possession to the opposing team. It not only fosters fast decision-making and quick reflexes but also presents a golden chance to practice different passing techniques under pressure.
Lacrosse Footwork Drills
The best lacrosse players have a highlight reel filled with shattered defender ankles – and this all comes down to footwork. Being able to change direction, stop and start on a dime, and leave defenders in the dust is a skill that really comes from gameplay experience – but there is one way you can try and hone in this skill on your own.
The “Forest Weaver Drill” isn’t your traditional lacrosse footwork drill – it’s a unique approach that entails using a grove of trees as imaginary defenders. As players sprint through the forest, they’re challenged to make swift direction changes, dodge trees, and adapt their movements to the unpredictable layout of the grove.
This drill aids in enhancing agility, decision-making speed, and unpredictability – qualities that can break defenders’ strategies during actual gameplay.
Lacrosse Face-Off Drills
If you’re a defender or goalie, you’ll never even sniff a faceoff opportunity. But, attackers need to actively work on this as it is how you’ll gain possession during key moments of the game. It can be the difference between winning and losing a game.
If you think about what a face-off requires, it really comes down to reaction time. You need to be able to scoop the ball up fast and fend off your opponent, moving the ball to a teammate to start your offensive rush.
The “Dueling Drill” is an essential face-off practice method that encourages competition and simulates the pressure of real matches. In this drill, two players square off in a head-to-head duel, each trying to gain control of the ball after a simulated face-off. It’s a fantastic drill to hone your reflexes and strategic thinking during face-offs.
Lacrosse Cradling Drills
Cradling is one of the most important skills in lacrosse, as it’s how you’ll maintain possession of the ball while on the run and facing defensive pressure. It’s how you’ll set yourself up for passing and shooting opportunities. And thus, lacrosse cradling drills cannot be overlooked.
The “Zigzag Cradling Drill” emphasizes mastering control of the ball while moving and dodging. In this drill, players weave through a line of cones in a zigzag pattern while cradling the ball. This drill enhances a player’s ability to maintain possession while making abrupt direction changes, a crucial skill in lacrosse.
But really, practicing cradling can be as simple as pairing your conditioning efforts with a stick and ball. The more experience you get running while cradling, the more natural it will come.
Fun Beginner Lacrosse Drills For Youth
If you’ve coached youth lacrosse players or are trying to get your kid out of the house to go practice, you know what a challenge it can be. That’s because kids view practice as work – and not play. It’s time to shift the narrative with some fun lacrosse drills for youth players.
The “Treasure Hunt Drill” makes practicing fun for young players. Coaches hide different lacrosse balls around the practice area, each having different point values based on their difficulty to find or reach. Break up into groups (it can be one-on-one or bigger teams), and when you say go, the rampage begins.
Players must then hunt for these balls and accumulate points. This encourages the young players to run, dodge, and think strategically while keeping the atmosphere light and enjoyable. To “secure” their points, players must throw their balls into a net – which can either be guarded or unguarded depending on if you have goalies.
Try this fun lacrosse drill in your next practice session and see how hard your kids work – it’ll blow your mind!
Tips on Creating and Implementing Lacrosse Practice Drills
We’ve covered the best lacrosse drills for the main skills associated with the great game of lacrosse.
But how you do form a training plan and implement these lacrosse practice drills in your routine? Below, we’ll guide you through it so you can hit the ground running and tap into your full potential.
Designing a Lacrosse Practice Drills Plan: Step-by-Step Guide
With so many different beginner lacrosse drills to consider, it can be challenging to actually start formulating a training regimen. Here’s our advice on creating beginner lacrosse drills and practice plans:
- Evaluate Your Skill Level – Be honest with yourself and identify the areas where you need improvement. Tailor your practice drills to target these areas.
- Set Goals – Set specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART) goals for your training. This could be improving your shot accuracy, agility, or defensive skills.
- Choose Your Drills – Select a variety of drills that focus on different areas such as shooting, defensive maneuvers, conditioning, etc. Ensure these drills align with your set goals.
- Create a Schedule – Consistency is key in improving and maintaining skills. Establish a regular practice schedule and stick to it.
- Monitor Your Progress – Keep track of your progress and adjust your goals and drills as necessary. Remember, improvement takes time and patience.
- Progress Your Training – Eventually, the drills you started with will become too easy. Find new ways to challenge yourself. That can mean adding new layers to existing drills or progressing to more advanced lacrosse practice drills. Whatever you do, don’t get stagnant!
Tips to Maximize the Efficiency of Your Lacrosse Practice Drills
One of our favorite sayings is “how you practice is how you play”. So, practice with intention. Always have a clear focus for each drill session. Whether it’s improving your shot accuracy or footwork, keep that goal in mind during your practice.
Secondly, maintain a positive mindset. Accept that mistakes are part of the learning process. Instead of getting frustrated, learn from them and use them to improve.
Balancing Drills and Scrimmages in Practice Sessions
While drills are crucial for skill development, scrimmages should also play a vital part in your training. Scrimmages offer a chance to apply the skills learned in drills into a game-like scenario, providing invaluable practical experience. You can’t replicate gameplay in drills.
That being said, striking a balance between the two is key. A good rule of thumb is to spend about 60% of your practice time on scrimmage and gameplay and 40% on drills.
Closing Thoughts on Our Guide to Lacrosse Drills and Practice Plans
If you want to learn more about this thrilling sport, check out our blog. We have a complete guide on how to play lacrosse for beginners that is a great starting point for new players. You can also learn about how to degrease lacrosse balls to keep your practice gear pristine.
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