Soft Mesh of Hard? Cross-Fit or not? Is Playing In Close Quarters Good For Me?

Question: Julia asks Soft mesh or hard? Is Crossfit any good for a goalie? And how do I make the most of playing indoors?


Answer: Hey there Julia. Here you go.

Get it restrung and with hard mesh. Soft mesh is a definite no go anymore. They just turn into tennis rackets. You'll notice a huge difference with hard mesh.

Cross fit is cool but it's not the best for a goalie. Too much endurance work. Women love Cross Fit, but if you look closely there's not a lot that relates to the explosive goalie. You want to lift weights and lift them heavy. This will help you be more explosive in the cage not to mention you will look like a Goddess! You are right, running for 15minutes will not help you. Actualy it will hurt your goaltending game.

If you're getting the stick to the ball it is for sure your pocket. That one change is going to do wonders to your game.

The reason you're not doing so well indoors is because the shots are right on top of you. You're probably getting hit with the ball a ton. Make sure yo'uve got enough equipment on and have the shooters move back. Ask your coach if you can put a stick on the ground where the shooters have to shoot from so you have time to react to the ball and can work on things. If you would like me to email your coach just give them my email address and I will send them a guide to working with goalies that can help you.

Hey make sure you sign up at the forum. If we can do Q and A's through there we will be able to add content and make it grow. I love the emails though so keep it up. Let me know how things go and stay in touch.

Jonathan -

Is Playing Indoors Hurting My Outdoor Game?

If you play in a northern climate you're probably playing indoors right now and for lacrosse goalies this can be a problem. A couple things to consider.

1) If you are playing box lacrosse and you're wearing all the equipment this can actually be a good thing. By padding up you're now more focused on the ball and the stick of the offensive player than you are on getting hurt with the ball. So I'm a fan of that.

2) I'm not totally a fan of playing in front of a 4'x4' cage. Your stance is really different. Your stick is between your legs. It doesn't have a great carryover to the field game. But back to point #1 I think those benefits can outweigh the negatives of #2.

3) If you are playing in front of a field net indoors you are probably getting shot on from really close range which may NOT be good for you. If you're in a field house you're probably ok. If you're in a hockey rink...probably too close. Remember progression. If the shooters are too close and you're worried about getting hurt probably not the best position to be in. Get on some more equipment if you need tol

4) The advantage of playing indoors is that the players feel like they are right on top of you and the ball seems to move a bit faster indoors. Once you go outside with all that open air you'll notice that you've got more time to react to the ball. Instead of feeling claustrophobic you'll feel more in control.

Good luck and let me know how things are going for you!

How Long Should A Goalie Shaft Be? What Should I Do This Summer To Improve My Lacrosse Goaltending Skills?

Question: Josh writes to ask what length his goalie shaft should be and what he should do over the summer to improve.

Answer: Josh cut your shaft about six inches longer than the length of your arm. Stick the butt end in your arm pit and reach out straight with your fingers extended. Cut a six inches longer than the tip of your finger.

Stick length can be a touchy subject. I prefer that your stick be a mangageable length so you can move it efficiently in the cage and can cradle with it comfortably when you are out of the cage. If you are short I would cut it closer to three inches to your finger tips. If you are super tall it could be as long as nine inches longer than your arm.

Old school coaches recommend a long shaft so you can cut down passes around the cage. My thought on that is that you are not a defenseman you are a goalie. Your main objective is to stop shots and to clear the ball up field. I have found that a short shaft that you can deal with helps you do both where a long shaft typically can hurt you. I have always used a shorter shaft than most and it has served me well.

If you are young (early high school), start at six inches. If you find it is too long you can cut an inch off at a time to see what feels most comfortable.

Get as many shots in the off season. And read my blog you'll get a ton of tips there. If you can get to a camp that would also be a great choice. Getting around other goalies and other shooters will really improve your game.

Good luck!