Fundamental Lacrosse Skills

The four basic skills of lacrosse which need to be mastered before all else are: cradling, throwing, catching and scooping in that order.

Cradling is required to maintain control of the ball when moving along the field, players turn their wrists and arms to cradle the ball in the stick pocket. The most important cradle to learn is the half cradle where the stick is moved back and forth from your ear to the center of the body. It is preferred when running downfield, making dodges, passing and shooting. Always keep the stick and ball in close space to your body.

Cradling uses centripetal force, the force generated by moving something in a circle, to press the ball into the back of the pocket. Think of this force like when you are on a theme park ride where the spinning pushes you out from the center of the ride to the back. This is what you are trying to do when cradling, keep the ball back in the pocket. 

Throwing and Catching are the next most important skills to learn. Repetition is key here. Practice against a concrete wall over and over; or throw to a non-lacrosse person using a baseball glove.

When throwing players should place their dominant hand at the top of the stick shaft and non-dominant hand at bottom of the stick shaft. To find the proper distance between the two hands place the butt of the stick shaft in your armpit and extend your arm out placing your dominant hand on the shaft at that position. The other hand should be near the butt end of the shaft. As you throw, the butt end should end up back close to your arm on the follow-through. To increase distance in the throw your dominant or top hand closest to the head needs to slide down the stick which increases leverage and propels the ball further.

When catching the ball you must keep your eye on the ball the entire time. As the ball is entering the head of the cross it is important to allow a little "give" or pullback so that the ball rests comfortably in the pocket. From there you must immediately begin cradling.  The importance of the "give" is similar to catching an egg where you pull your hands back slightly on the catch so the impact does not cause the egg to crack.

You must throw and catch with accuracy otherwise you risk injuring yourself and others.  Think of what could happen if a softball or baseball player took their eye off the ball or turned away.

Scooping is picking up the ball from the ground with the head of your stick. There are two primary ways to scoop the ball and both require you to bend your knees.

First, on the run, bend your knees as you approach the ball. Lower the head and butt end of the stick so that it is almost parallel to the ground. The stick head should be skimming (touching) the grass as you approach about six (6) inches from the ball. Once the ball is in the head of the stick begin cradling.

Second is when the ball is near your feet and you are not running. Bend your knees and place the head of your stick over the ball and roll it back then forward under the ball (aka rollover); or place the head of the stick on the grass a few inches away and move it forward under the ball.  Scooping is the most important skill you must learn because without it, the ball is on the ground most of the time. The players that perfect this skill are ahead of the pack.

Before all else, master these skills.

Next you need to work on two basic moves that will help you beat an opponent, the roll dodge and pull dodge.

A Roll Dodge is used to beat an opponent. Plant one foot in front of the defender and roll or spin off the other foot.

A Pull Dodge is also used to beat a defender. It requires a person to pull the stick from in front of the face and finish with the stick across the other side of her body. Pull the stick across her body, dropping it low to protect, and then slide the dominant hand from the top to the bottom of the shaft.

Be sure and incorporate fakes throughout your game to "off-balance" your opponent with deceptive moves that force your opponent to go in one direction while you go in another. Fakes are used by both attackers and defenders.