The more a player practices, the better he or she will become at lacrosse. The following drills are desgned to be done at home with a parent, sibling or friend. If your play partner is not comfortable with a lacrosse stick, a baseball glove can be used in its place.
1. Play Catch – This is no different than having a baseball catch, except one or both of you have a lacrosse stick. Although the lacrosse ball is the best option, you can use any appropriately sized ball.
2. Ground Balls – Alternate throwing the ground balls to the player and away from the player. The ball should be scooped up at full speed and after a step or two, the player should make a crisp pass to return the ball to you.
3. Shooting – In the absence of a practice goal in your backyard, set up a tarp over a swing set. Paint a six foot square to simulate a goal and practice shooting. Have the player aim for the corners and always away from anything that might break if hit by a lacrosse ball.
4. Cradling in the Mirror – With a tennis ball, have the player stand in front of a mirror and work on cradling. The player should focus on technique and switching hands to go from strong hand to weak hand and back again.
5. Dodge the Can – Set up a garbage can in your back yard and have the player run towards the can and perform a dodge. The player can work on the roll dodge, face dodge and split dodge. Start slowly while mastering the dodge and build up to full speed using both strong hand and weak hands. If necessary, prop a stick on the can to simulate a real defender.