Got a question from an Assistant Varsity lacrosse coach at a school outside of Albany , New York today. He wanted to know if I had any tips for his goalie who wasn't getting their stick down to the ball. It's a great question and one that I don't think gets addressed too often. I think you'll find my answer a little enlightening. Let me know what you think and if you've had a similar problem let me know how this helped you. Also, got an email from a goalie in Minnessota! The list keeps growing. I think that puts us at thirty-five states or so and counting. I'm loving all the letters you guys are sending. Keep it up. If this blog helps you shoot me a note and let me know what you learned and how it changed your game. Send those mails to jone94@shaw.ca. Here's that answer.
Answer: Hey there Pete. Thanks for writing. Here are some thoughts for you.
The number one reason goalies don't get their stick down to the ball is usually based on a fear of getting hit with the ball. They try to pick at it with their stick anticipating a bounce that doesn't come, but underlying that is a fear of getting hit with a bad bounce. Low shots are tough especially if you're playing on a wonky grass field. Bounces are hard to read and young goalies try to catch it perfectly with the stick just like the college goalies do. Unfortunately, what is forgotten is that it took many years for those goalies to look that pretty at picking up the low shots.
As a coach here are some things to look for. Depending on what you see you will be able to figure out what is the main problem:
Can you see the top of her helmet when she attempts to make the save? If you can see her face mask she isn't getting her head over the ball which is mistake number one. If you can see her face, and her arms are fully extended, and she's not reaching the ball then she's not "following with her head." The hands attack the ball, the head follows, and the body is behind it.
Now if see her face mask and she has her eyes closed that can tell you that she's afraid of getting stung with a bad bounce. A video camera can be really helpful here to identify what she is doing. As a coach you have to make sure that she's got enough equipment on. If she doesn't feel protected then you need to help her with that.
I teach goalies to "save the space and not the ball." What I mean by that is, don't have them try to pick the ball out of mid air on low shots or bounce shots. I teach goalies to see the ball leave the stick, recognize where it's going, and then throw everything you can to the space where the ball is going to. With young goalies they end up blocking a lot of shots. As they get better those blocks become clean picks. But until they have a lot of experience under their belt I find it's a good visual for them to have, "Throw everything you can at the space and see what comes of it."
A cue a use with goalies to help with the head over the ball issue is to have them imagine that out of the top of their helmet was a huge flashlight. There goal is to light up the shooter as the ball comes to them. They don't want to light up the sky. If their head is up then the sky is lit. If the head is over the ball they are shining it up the field at the shooter. It's just a little visual that can help them.
The other main issue with young goalies is just their strength level. They are too weak to move fast enough. Sometimes a stick that "doesn't get down to the ball" is connected to a goalie who can't get down to the ball. If her head is over the ball and she's lighting up the shooter and her stick isn't down then she's just slow. And slow comes from not being strong enough. Strength will also improve her footwork but to be honest I think that footwork is a bit of a buzz word and no one really understands what gives you fast feet.
A couple of closing points:
1) Identify what she's doing with her head when the shot comes.
2) Identify if it's fear that is keeping her from getting over and in front of the ball.
3) Get her in a weight room. You may be familiar with the Force Equation where force equals mass times velocity. In a goalies case the Mass is the stick and her body. To get it to the ball faster she needs to be able to apply more force to that stick and that can only come with increased strength. Get her training and get her strong and she'll be more explosive to the ball.
Hope that sets you in the right direction Pete. Please email me if you need any clarification. Also you can check out my goalie blog where I've got about fifty articles on goalies so you should find some great resources there as well. Let me know how it goes and keep me updated on her progress.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Edwards -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
How To Stay Focused On The Lacrosse Ball Plus How To Stop Those Pesky Low Shots
Jonathan Writes:
Micah keeping your eye on the ball really comes down to concentration and interest. Also, a little bit of fear.
If you are afraid of the ball at all, and are blinking, you will have trouble keeping your eye on the ball. So you need to identify if that is a problem and do what you need to do to fix that. You may need some more equipment to feel protected etc.
If you are just getting distracted then you need to buckle down and really focus on the ball. I recommend you follow the ball no matter where it is on the field. I mean really zone in on it. Don't worry about peripheral players just zone in on it where ever it is. If the coach has it in her hand and drops it on the ground just stare at it. When the play stops and it's in a players stick just stare at the ball in the stick.
When I mention interest I mean that it's easy to get distracted especially if you're uninterested. Let me explain: Guy in bad jeans and crappy shirt with beer belly walks by you on the street. Not interested. Well dressed guy in nice suit with model good looks walks by you on the street. Interested! Right? If practice is boring to you, and the game is a little dull you're not going to be as focused on the ball as you need to be. But if it's interesting to you it's no problem.
Most of us need to really focus on the ball. When I was playing a lot it was easy. It took me a bit to train myself to stay focused. I would give myself little cues to stay focused like, "Every time my bottom hand touches my stick I am glued to the ball." Or, "When the whistle blows my eyes don't come off the ball." It might take you a few weeks to dial this in but you'll notice a bid difference once it does.
When I stopped playing I had to conciously remind myself to stay focused. But once I get back playing again it gets easier.
To be honest, if you get your focus on the ball back you'll probably do better on those low shots. That will be step one. But most goalies I find are either standing on their heels a bit, or are just plain worried about getting hit with the ball on the low shots. Make sure you're well protected on your lower half. If need be, go get some football pants with some thigh pads and maybe even some shin guards. That will help. Also, think of yourself more like a baseball catcher. If you get the chance to watch a game or two on tv watch how a catcher saves pitches in the dirt. They really focus on moving in front of the ball, getting their head and chest over the ball and getting their hands out and body in front of it. That is what you need to do. When you see the ball go low you want to almost think , "Hands first, body second, stick third." Now your stick is in your hands obviously but by focusing on your hands and your body you'll block more shots. It's pretty cool.
Let me know how it goes Micah.
Jonathan-
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
Micah keeping your eye on the ball really comes down to concentration and interest. Also, a little bit of fear.
If you are afraid of the ball at all, and are blinking, you will have trouble keeping your eye on the ball. So you need to identify if that is a problem and do what you need to do to fix that. You may need some more equipment to feel protected etc.
If you are just getting distracted then you need to buckle down and really focus on the ball. I recommend you follow the ball no matter where it is on the field. I mean really zone in on it. Don't worry about peripheral players just zone in on it where ever it is. If the coach has it in her hand and drops it on the ground just stare at it. When the play stops and it's in a players stick just stare at the ball in the stick.
When I mention interest I mean that it's easy to get distracted especially if you're uninterested. Let me explain: Guy in bad jeans and crappy shirt with beer belly walks by you on the street. Not interested. Well dressed guy in nice suit with model good looks walks by you on the street. Interested! Right? If practice is boring to you, and the game is a little dull you're not going to be as focused on the ball as you need to be. But if it's interesting to you it's no problem.
Most of us need to really focus on the ball. When I was playing a lot it was easy. It took me a bit to train myself to stay focused. I would give myself little cues to stay focused like, "Every time my bottom hand touches my stick I am glued to the ball." Or, "When the whistle blows my eyes don't come off the ball." It might take you a few weeks to dial this in but you'll notice a bid difference once it does.
When I stopped playing I had to conciously remind myself to stay focused. But once I get back playing again it gets easier.
To be honest, if you get your focus on the ball back you'll probably do better on those low shots. That will be step one. But most goalies I find are either standing on their heels a bit, or are just plain worried about getting hit with the ball on the low shots. Make sure you're well protected on your lower half. If need be, go get some football pants with some thigh pads and maybe even some shin guards. That will help. Also, think of yourself more like a baseball catcher. If you get the chance to watch a game or two on tv watch how a catcher saves pitches in the dirt. They really focus on moving in front of the ball, getting their head and chest over the ball and getting their hands out and body in front of it. That is what you need to do. When you see the ball go low you want to almost think , "Hands first, body second, stick third." Now your stick is in your hands obviously but by focusing on your hands and your body you'll block more shots. It's pretty cool.
Let me know how it goes Micah.
Jonathan-
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
The Best Lacrosse Goalie Camp For Girls?
Rande Writes: My daughter as a freshman in high school and is the JV goalie, she has been the starting goalie since she played in middle school, to date her and her team have had 1 loss since middle school, she is great and loves the position. I would like to get her in a goalie camp to make her even better. What is the best women goalie camp?
Jonathan Writes:
Rande the best "womens" camp is a "mens" one. Seriously.
I'm not sure of the best womens camp at this point as I tend not to be affiated with. But I can tell you that Rich Barnes runs a camp in upstate New York. He was my coach back in the day and is a fantastic coach. Now my recommendation would be to make it a bit of a family vacation and go up there with your daughter and stay in a hotel.
Your daughter will be challenged by all the shots from the boys and when she goes back to her girls team she'll think it's easy. From a technical perspective there is no difference. If I were to send my daughter to a camp that is what I would do. I haven't yet because she's only nine weeks old but I do have her on a wait list. :)
You may want to search on the NCAA.org site and look at the most recent collegiate all americans and find out what schools they went to. Look for the goalies and see what schools they went to and then search to see if those schools are putting on any camps. Now I don' always feel that a good goalie can be a great coach but your daughter will learn a ton and will be pretty inspired being around such a high quality goalie that a lot of good things are bound to rub off. That would be my recommendation.
Let me know what you decide. I'm curious to what route you take.
Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
Jonathan Writes:
Rande the best "womens" camp is a "mens" one. Seriously.
I'm not sure of the best womens camp at this point as I tend not to be affiated with. But I can tell you that Rich Barnes runs a camp in upstate New York. He was my coach back in the day and is a fantastic coach. Now my recommendation would be to make it a bit of a family vacation and go up there with your daughter and stay in a hotel.
Your daughter will be challenged by all the shots from the boys and when she goes back to her girls team she'll think it's easy. From a technical perspective there is no difference. If I were to send my daughter to a camp that is what I would do. I haven't yet because she's only nine weeks old but I do have her on a wait list. :)
You may want to search on the NCAA.org site and look at the most recent collegiate all americans and find out what schools they went to. Look for the goalies and see what schools they went to and then search to see if those schools are putting on any camps. Now I don' always feel that a good goalie can be a great coach but your daughter will learn a ton and will be pretty inspired being around such a high quality goalie that a lot of good things are bound to rub off. That would be my recommendation.
Let me know what you decide. I'm curious to what route you take.
Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
Goalie Stick Length
Pablo writes: Hey, I got a question about my goalie stick & the rules. I am having trouble with the control on my stick, when i pull back I lose control and i throw strange, but when i use an attack shaft i just can't get the distance. I talked to someone and they said to cut off about three inches but I don't know if that is legal or not. Please give me your advice and if that is legal or not, thanks.
Jonathan Writes: Pablo there is an inverse relationship between stick length and pocket depth. Usually, but not always, the deeper your pocket the longer it needs to be. The shorter the stick, the shallower it needs to be.
But that is all dependent on how strong you are physically. I'm a pretty strong guy and I have a shorter stick that I have a monster pocket in. With a deeper pocket you need more stick action to get the ball out. You need a bigger wind up where you pull the stick back behind you to get the ball out of there.
Not seeing you throw I can't recommend chopping off three inches or even adding three inches. By what you are saying, "when I pull back I lose control and I throw strange" sounds like your pocket is too shallow. But when you say, "when I use and attack shaft I just can't get the distance" sounds like your pocket is too deep and at this point you just aren't strong enough to throw with a short shaft yet. So it's really tough for me to give you a solid answer.
You may just need to spend some time improving your stick skills. Becoming a better stick handler will help you in all aspects of your game and that's just a matter of spending time catching, throwing and cradling.
Just FYI there is no length limit on a goalie stick. By I wouldn't go any shorter than a stick that goes from your belly button to the floor. That's pretty short. Unless you are really short yourself I find that an attack shaft is the shortest I would go. I am 5'8" and use an attack shaft.
Hope that helps Pablo. Let me know if you need any clarification.
Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
Jonathan Writes: Pablo there is an inverse relationship between stick length and pocket depth. Usually, but not always, the deeper your pocket the longer it needs to be. The shorter the stick, the shallower it needs to be.
But that is all dependent on how strong you are physically. I'm a pretty strong guy and I have a shorter stick that I have a monster pocket in. With a deeper pocket you need more stick action to get the ball out. You need a bigger wind up where you pull the stick back behind you to get the ball out of there.
Not seeing you throw I can't recommend chopping off three inches or even adding three inches. By what you are saying, "when I pull back I lose control and I throw strange" sounds like your pocket is too shallow. But when you say, "when I use and attack shaft I just can't get the distance" sounds like your pocket is too deep and at this point you just aren't strong enough to throw with a short shaft yet. So it's really tough for me to give you a solid answer.
You may just need to spend some time improving your stick skills. Becoming a better stick handler will help you in all aspects of your game and that's just a matter of spending time catching, throwing and cradling.
Just FYI there is no length limit on a goalie stick. By I wouldn't go any shorter than a stick that goes from your belly button to the floor. That's pretty short. Unless you are really short yourself I find that an attack shaft is the shortest I would go. I am 5'8" and use an attack shaft.
Hope that helps Pablo. Let me know if you need any clarification.
Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
Bad Game?
Ryan wants to know: am a team captain for a highschool freshman team and i played a horrible game. and now it is spring break. i really want a way to redeem myself. plus do you know of any things i could do to work on to wok on by myself to become a better player?
Jonathan writes: Ryan there is no such thing as a bad game. Every game is just a learning experience.
Years ago I was working with a sports psychologist to help me with my athletic career. He told me that the only time you can have a "bad game" is when you don't learn from what you did. Basically a bad game is you discovering that there is some flaw in your game or your preparation for that game that you need to fix.
So, what was it that was bad about that game? Did guys blow by you because they were faster than you? Then you need to work on your strength and conditioning?
Did you make a bunch of bad outlet passes? Then you need to work on your stick skills.
Were you double teamed by attackmen on the clear? Then you need to be able to find the open man faster and that might not just be your fault your team might be to blame if everyone is out of position.
Were you tired from studying for a test? Or did you eat some bad food before the game? Then you need to work on your game prep so you can perform at your best.
See where this is going? No matter what you tell me about your "bad game" I'm going to help you find something that you can work on.
If you never told me you were having a bad game I'd know one of two things: Either you are playing against guys who suck. Or you are an MLL All-Star destined for the Hall of Fame. Either you aren't pushing yourself or you are the best in the World. But even those guys have off days and need to work on things.
As far as redeeming yourself, people usually know how good you can play. But also, people don't always care as much as you think you might. They are worried about their own lives. But I understand, as captain, you are a leader and you do need to set an example. My recommendation would be to get out there, learn from your mistakes, and improve them. If you don't improve then you are wasting your time.
To become better in any position you can do three things:
1) Work on your stick skills. You can always improve this aspect of your game. I find the better a players stick skills are the more confident that player is. No matter what the position.
2) Work on your strength and conditioning. The stronger you are physically the easier it is to try new skills and to perform them with ease. So hit the gym. Drag a sled. Do some extra sprints. Start squatting in the weight room. Etc.
3) Work on the mental aspect of your game. Go get some books on sports psychology. There is a great book out there called Mind Gym that you might like. It is a great intro to sports psychology, but it will help you in other aspects of your life too.
Good luck Ryan. Remember, there is no such thing as a bad game.
Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
Jonathan writes: Ryan there is no such thing as a bad game. Every game is just a learning experience.
Years ago I was working with a sports psychologist to help me with my athletic career. He told me that the only time you can have a "bad game" is when you don't learn from what you did. Basically a bad game is you discovering that there is some flaw in your game or your preparation for that game that you need to fix.
So, what was it that was bad about that game? Did guys blow by you because they were faster than you? Then you need to work on your strength and conditioning?
Did you make a bunch of bad outlet passes? Then you need to work on your stick skills.
Were you double teamed by attackmen on the clear? Then you need to be able to find the open man faster and that might not just be your fault your team might be to blame if everyone is out of position.
Were you tired from studying for a test? Or did you eat some bad food before the game? Then you need to work on your game prep so you can perform at your best.
See where this is going? No matter what you tell me about your "bad game" I'm going to help you find something that you can work on.
If you never told me you were having a bad game I'd know one of two things: Either you are playing against guys who suck. Or you are an MLL All-Star destined for the Hall of Fame. Either you aren't pushing yourself or you are the best in the World. But even those guys have off days and need to work on things.
As far as redeeming yourself, people usually know how good you can play. But also, people don't always care as much as you think you might. They are worried about their own lives. But I understand, as captain, you are a leader and you do need to set an example. My recommendation would be to get out there, learn from your mistakes, and improve them. If you don't improve then you are wasting your time.
To become better in any position you can do three things:
1) Work on your stick skills. You can always improve this aspect of your game. I find the better a players stick skills are the more confident that player is. No matter what the position.
2) Work on your strength and conditioning. The stronger you are physically the easier it is to try new skills and to perform them with ease. So hit the gym. Drag a sled. Do some extra sprints. Start squatting in the weight room. Etc.
3) Work on the mental aspect of your game. Go get some books on sports psychology. There is a great book out there called Mind Gym that you might like. It is a great intro to sports psychology, but it will help you in other aspects of your life too.
Good luck Ryan. Remember, there is no such thing as a bad game.
Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
Saturday, April 19, 2008
How Should Young Female Lacrosse Goalies String Their Sticks? (Boys should read this too!)
Question: Micaela from Minnesota writes:
Hello...
I'm a high school girls goalie coach and was wondering what stringing style my girls should be using?? I recommended soft mesh because they are both beginners - I used soft mesh myself in high school and college at UWEC and it worked fine for me (I was an All American as well). We're in Minnesota so there aren't many lax places we can go to for stringing - both girls currently have hard mesh which is really hard for them to control at all - don't get me started on clearing! There are two guys in the metro that can restring sticks so that we don't have to send them out east -- one of them won't restring to soft mesh for them - the other wants to know what kind of stringing style they want - what should I tell him? Our season starts in a couple weeks and it only lasts about a month so I'd like to get it done soon. Thanks!
Answer:
Micaela sorry for the delay in the response of this email. We just had a baby and things have been really nuts so I'm a bit backlogged.
You're in a tough situation. I've noticed with girls that one of the limiting factors for stickhandling ability is hand and wrist strength. If you give them a shallow pocket they will be able to throw further but any sort of cradling is iffy at best. Give them a really deep pocket and they can't move the stick well enough to get any distance on the ball.
My experience with soft mesh is that it creates a lot of rebounds because it can be really springy. And once it gets wet it shrinks up like a teaspoon. Being in Minnesota you're going to have some wet days due to late snow unless you're playing inside all the time. But even then, one wet day and you're hooped.
When he asks for stringing "style" I'm not sure what he means by that. He may just mean deep or shallow. Just ask what he means and don't be embarassed. Communication is key in just about everything.
I'm a big believer in having a stick that allows girls to throw a decent distance over being able to cradle with it. My experience has shown me that most girls aren't strong enough to handle a stick with a really deep pocket. If you work with your team on clearing then she should have plenty of time to find the open teammate on the clear with a nice, well thought out pass. If your team is shaky on clearing then you aren't giving them much of a chance to clear anyway.
My suggestion would be to sting up those sticks with hard mesh and slightly shallow. When I say shallow I mean put a deep pocket in it and then tighten up the sidewalls. Leave the string at the throat of the stick as loose as possible without leaving a hole for the ball to go through.
Then have the girls work on upper body strength. I've had great results teaching girls a simple proper push up with great form. If you email me I can tell you more about that. My email is on my blog.
By increasing their upper body strength you are now helping them in a number of areas, not just throwing the ball and handling the stick.
Hopefully that helps Micaela. Email me if you need anything else.
Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
Hello...
I'm a high school girls goalie coach and was wondering what stringing style my girls should be using?? I recommended soft mesh because they are both beginners - I used soft mesh myself in high school and college at UWEC and it worked fine for me (I was an All American as well). We're in Minnesota so there aren't many lax places we can go to for stringing - both girls currently have hard mesh which is really hard for them to control at all - don't get me started on clearing! There are two guys in the metro that can restring sticks so that we don't have to send them out east -- one of them won't restring to soft mesh for them - the other wants to know what kind of stringing style they want - what should I tell him? Our season starts in a couple weeks and it only lasts about a month so I'd like to get it done soon. Thanks!
Answer:
Micaela sorry for the delay in the response of this email. We just had a baby and things have been really nuts so I'm a bit backlogged.
You're in a tough situation. I've noticed with girls that one of the limiting factors for stickhandling ability is hand and wrist strength. If you give them a shallow pocket they will be able to throw further but any sort of cradling is iffy at best. Give them a really deep pocket and they can't move the stick well enough to get any distance on the ball.
My experience with soft mesh is that it creates a lot of rebounds because it can be really springy. And once it gets wet it shrinks up like a teaspoon. Being in Minnesota you're going to have some wet days due to late snow unless you're playing inside all the time. But even then, one wet day and you're hooped.
When he asks for stringing "style" I'm not sure what he means by that. He may just mean deep or shallow. Just ask what he means and don't be embarassed. Communication is key in just about everything.
I'm a big believer in having a stick that allows girls to throw a decent distance over being able to cradle with it. My experience has shown me that most girls aren't strong enough to handle a stick with a really deep pocket. If you work with your team on clearing then she should have plenty of time to find the open teammate on the clear with a nice, well thought out pass. If your team is shaky on clearing then you aren't giving them much of a chance to clear anyway.
My suggestion would be to sting up those sticks with hard mesh and slightly shallow. When I say shallow I mean put a deep pocket in it and then tighten up the sidewalls. Leave the string at the throat of the stick as loose as possible without leaving a hole for the ball to go through.
Then have the girls work on upper body strength. I've had great results teaching girls a simple proper push up with great form. If you email me I can tell you more about that. My email is on my blog.
By increasing their upper body strength you are now helping them in a number of areas, not just throwing the ball and handling the stick.
Hopefully that helps Micaela. Email me if you need anything else.
Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Why Trick Shots are So Tricky For The Lacrosse Goalie
So I got an email from a goalie who was complaining about trick shots that were going in. Now there are "trick" shots and there are also "fake shots." Either way it helps to know what the shooter is doing. I wrote an article that will go into our newbie goalie packet and I think you'll like it. Always take some time every day to work on trick shots and fakes with a shooter. But remember to know where the shot is ultimately going. That way you can focus on the movement of the stick so that you can honor the fake but not sacrifice body position. Let me know if this helps.
Also, thanks for Kevin from Ireland and Rob from North Carolina who told me I missed their states on my list. Also, South Carolina too! Here's the article.
Why Trick Shots are so…Tricky.
You remember when dad, or maybe Grandpa, did the old hidden coin behind your ear trick. Or maybe the pull-your-thumb-apart trick? Remember how WOW! you were? They were tricking you. Inside you were both awed and frustrated. You were awed at how he did it, and you were frustrated because you didn’t know what the heck was going on?
But do you remember what happened when you figured out the trick? Grandpa wasn’t cool anymore. You were thinking, “Dude. Grandpa. Give that trick a rest. Or come at me with something new. That trick is so yesterday.”
The deal with any sort of trick or fake you have to know how it’s done. Once you know what the pattern is, or the move. You now how it ends. Let me give you an example:
A couple of years ago I was getting warmed up by Lewis Ratcliffe of the Calgary Roughnecks. Now this guy is a stud. He now plays for the Toronto Rock, but he’s an all-star in the NLL and he played college ball at Ohio State.
He’s got a cannon for a shot. But he was schooling me on this dinky little overhand shot. Basically what he was doing was this: He’s right handed, and he was shooting overhand bringing the head of his stick over the left side of his head. Follow? The stick is way over his head but it’s almost like it is now a lefty shot. But as he followed through the ball would come back across his body to my left side. He’d bounce it and I was totally fooled. The way the stick was coming I expected the ball to go to my right. But instead it came back left and my weight was totally out of position.
So, I stopped the warm up. Because I wasn’t learning anything at this point. I went up to him and asked, “What the hell are you doing! Because I think I saw my jock over there on the side of the cage you faked me so hard.”
Once he explained it to me. I now knew what to expect. I had him take ten shots on me and stopped every one. I even had him do it left handed. Once I saw that stick come up over his head I knew what was coming. No more tricks Grandpa!
As you play more and more you know what to expect. You learn more and more things that offensive players try and you can move accordingly. The key for you the lacrosse goalie is to identify what shots give you trouble and which ones you are good at. Then you want to work on those shots.
If you have a kid on your team how is a great shooter and can work with you on following fakes or trick shots, grab him for a couple of minutes before or after practice. If he’s schooling you every time ask him what he is doing. That way, when you see the shooter go into that sort of shot then you know what to expect.
Because of the way sticks are strung in lacrosse the opportunity for fakes on the goalie are pretty frequent. Unlike a hockey stick, a lacrosse player can pretty much look like he is going to take a full side arm shot at the cage only to turn the stick over at the last minute and keep the ball in the stick. Meanwhile you’re expecting a cannon.
What makes fakes so difficult is that you need to respect certain periods of time within the fake when the ball can be shot by you. So you need to be in position for the first fake while not sacrificing yourself for the shot that might come after that first fake.
Also, thanks for Kevin from Ireland and Rob from North Carolina who told me I missed their states on my list. Also, South Carolina too! Here's the article.
Why Trick Shots are so…Tricky.
You remember when dad, or maybe Grandpa, did the old hidden coin behind your ear trick. Or maybe the pull-your-thumb-apart trick? Remember how WOW! you were? They were tricking you. Inside you were both awed and frustrated. You were awed at how he did it, and you were frustrated because you didn’t know what the heck was going on?
But do you remember what happened when you figured out the trick? Grandpa wasn’t cool anymore. You were thinking, “Dude. Grandpa. Give that trick a rest. Or come at me with something new. That trick is so yesterday.”
The deal with any sort of trick or fake you have to know how it’s done. Once you know what the pattern is, or the move. You now how it ends. Let me give you an example:
A couple of years ago I was getting warmed up by Lewis Ratcliffe of the Calgary Roughnecks. Now this guy is a stud. He now plays for the Toronto Rock, but he’s an all-star in the NLL and he played college ball at Ohio State.
He’s got a cannon for a shot. But he was schooling me on this dinky little overhand shot. Basically what he was doing was this: He’s right handed, and he was shooting overhand bringing the head of his stick over the left side of his head. Follow? The stick is way over his head but it’s almost like it is now a lefty shot. But as he followed through the ball would come back across his body to my left side. He’d bounce it and I was totally fooled. The way the stick was coming I expected the ball to go to my right. But instead it came back left and my weight was totally out of position.
So, I stopped the warm up. Because I wasn’t learning anything at this point. I went up to him and asked, “What the hell are you doing! Because I think I saw my jock over there on the side of the cage you faked me so hard.”
Once he explained it to me. I now knew what to expect. I had him take ten shots on me and stopped every one. I even had him do it left handed. Once I saw that stick come up over his head I knew what was coming. No more tricks Grandpa!
As you play more and more you know what to expect. You learn more and more things that offensive players try and you can move accordingly. The key for you the lacrosse goalie is to identify what shots give you trouble and which ones you are good at. Then you want to work on those shots.
If you have a kid on your team how is a great shooter and can work with you on following fakes or trick shots, grab him for a couple of minutes before or after practice. If he’s schooling you every time ask him what he is doing. That way, when you see the shooter go into that sort of shot then you know what to expect.
Because of the way sticks are strung in lacrosse the opportunity for fakes on the goalie are pretty frequent. Unlike a hockey stick, a lacrosse player can pretty much look like he is going to take a full side arm shot at the cage only to turn the stick over at the last minute and keep the ball in the stick. Meanwhile you’re expecting a cannon.
What makes fakes so difficult is that you need to respect certain periods of time within the fake when the ball can be shot by you. So you need to be in position for the first fake while not sacrificing yourself for the shot that might come after that first fake.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Lacrosse Goalies From All Over The World Are Checking Out Our Blog!
As a field lacrosse goalie growing up in New England it's really tough that I spend a lot of time in Alberta, Canada. Field just isn't what it is back home. When I started this blog as a way to coach goalies it was a way for me to vent almost. I really miss coaching goalies and I feel that I'm pretty good at it. This blog and the ebook that is forthcoming was my way to help out goalies mostly here in Calgary. But now it's going nuts!
Check this out. We've helped goalies (parents and coaches) in:
Finland
England
Australia
Calgary, Alberta Canada
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
And a ton of states in the US:
Massachusetts
Vermont
New Hampshire
Maryland
New York
Pennsylvania
Florida
Ohio
Wyoming
California
Texas
Utah
Colorado
Rhode Island
Connecticut
Washington
Arizona
New Mexico (Are there really teams in New Mexico?!)
Oregon
Nevada
That's twenty states! And I'm pretty sure I'm missing some. If you're from a state not on this list email me at jone94@shaw.ca and let me know where you're from.
Thanks to everyone who keeps writing. I love to hear about all the success too. I just got a couple great emails from parents whose kids are freshman and are now playing varsity because of what they've learned here. It makes me feel great and I'm proud of everyone.
Stay focused. The spring is going fast and pretty soon it's going to be the off season.
Kick butt.
Jonathan -
Check this out. We've helped goalies (parents and coaches) in:
Finland
England
Australia
Calgary, Alberta Canada
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
And a ton of states in the US:
Massachusetts
Vermont
New Hampshire
Maryland
New York
Pennsylvania
Florida
Ohio
Wyoming
California
Texas
Utah
Colorado
Rhode Island
Connecticut
Washington
Arizona
New Mexico (Are there really teams in New Mexico?!)
Oregon
Nevada
That's twenty states! And I'm pretty sure I'm missing some. If you're from a state not on this list email me at jone94@shaw.ca and let me know where you're from.
Thanks to everyone who keeps writing. I love to hear about all the success too. I just got a couple great emails from parents whose kids are freshman and are now playing varsity because of what they've learned here. It makes me feel great and I'm proud of everyone.
Stay focused. The spring is going fast and pretty soon it's going to be the off season.
Kick butt.
Jonathan -
Friday, April 11, 2008
Lacrosse Goale Wants To Know How To Stop Flinching
Marshall from Laramie, Wyoming writes:Hey my name is Marshall and I live in Laramie WY. We started our season about a month ago. Our team needs two goalies so I volunteered, but I have a hard time following the ball and not flinching. I was wondered if you had any tips that would dramatically help me.
This was my response: Marshall buddy. Flinching is just a natural response to anything that you are unsure about. The reason you flinch when the ball comes at you is because your brain knows that if it hits you hard enough in the right spot you could die. So here's the deal...
1) Make sure you are wearing enough equipment so that when you do get hit with the ball you won't get injured. As you get better at stopping the ball you can shed some of the extra gear. But while you are getting started wear more than enough so you feel confident you won't get hurt.
2) Get shot on in practice from a distance you feel comfortable. If that means the best guy on the team shoots from twenty yards and the worst guy on your team shoots from ten yards that's ok. Just make sure that in practice you feel safe, that way you can work on your technique and can focus on moving to the ball properly.
3) Game pain is "pain with a purpose." Many goalies find that they don't mind getting hit a couple times when they make a save in a game. It's getting hit with a ball in practice that sucks. So minimize the chances of getting hit in practice or wear more equipment so you don't worry about getting hit.
As I mentioned above you don't have to be like this forever. Just wear enough equipment so your confident. Big confidence is the best thing you can have that will dramatically help you.
When your brain isn't fearful of getting hit it will focus on the ball better. Right now it doesn't want to focus on the ball because it knows naturally that it's going to hurt like hell when it hits you.
Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Jonathan Edwards-
www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com
This was my response: Marshall buddy. Flinching is just a natural response to anything that you are unsure about. The reason you flinch when the ball comes at you is because your brain knows that if it hits you hard enough in the right spot you could die. So here's the deal...
1) Make sure you are wearing enough equipment so that when you do get hit with the ball you won't get injured. As you get better at stopping the ball you can shed some of the extra gear. But while you are getting started wear more than enough so you feel confident you won't get hurt.
2) Get shot on in practice from a distance you feel comfortable. If that means the best guy on the team shoots from twenty yards and the worst guy on your team shoots from ten yards that's ok. Just make sure that in practice you feel safe, that way you can work on your technique and can focus on moving to the ball properly.
3) Game pain is "pain with a purpose." Many goalies find that they don't mind getting hit a couple times when they make a save in a game. It's getting hit with a ball in practice that sucks. So minimize the chances of getting hit in practice or wear more equipment so you don't worry about getting hit.
As I mentioned above you don't have to be like this forever. Just wear enough equipment so your confident. Big confidence is the best thing you can have that will dramatically help you.
When your brain isn't fearful of getting hit it will focus on the ball better. Right now it doesn't want to focus on the ball because it knows naturally that it's going to hurt like hell when it hits you.
Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Jonathan Edwards-
www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com
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