SHOOTING

What you need to always remember when taking a shot is that you have to have the correct grip of the stick. Either if you are left or right your bottom hand is the stabilizer with your top hand being 2/3rds of the way up the stick is the guide to where you want the ball to go.The key to getting power into your shot is in your arms as well as in your legs. So in saying that, your foot work needs to be in sync with your arms. The back foot is the foot you want to be shooting off, as well as getting your velocity from that back leg and then follow through onto your front foot.The timing between you legs and arms is crucial to a good shot.

Now you have the primary techniques of taking a shot - next we will add those techniques into various types of shots that can be very effective in different situations.

OVERHAND SHOT

An overhand shot is the most basic shot in lacrosse and it was probably the first shot that you learned.This shot can be very deceiving for the goalies at times because it is hard for them to get a read on where exactly your aiming. I feel that this shot is your most accurate shot for picking the corners. Also when you want to one time a shot this would be the easiest method in getting a quick release.

SIDEARM SHOT

A sidearm shot is used by a lot of the players nowadays. It is also an accurate shot as well as a high velocity shot. I use this shot quite often in many occasions. An outside shot needs to have a little more zip on it so this is a good time to let it fly side arm. The side arm shot is a great way to shoot around a pick because you are in motion and it is easier to get a lot more torque into your shot. So a hard side arm bounce shot is a fantastic shot in this situation.

UNDERHAND SHOT

An underhand (sub) shot is not used as often as the others but I believe it can catch the goalie unexpectedly. Those are the best times to take a shot on a goalie when he least expects it. The raised sub shot is dynamite if done correctly. You want the goalie to think that you are shooting low at his feet, so you wind up your underhand shot and you make the goalie begin to drop to his knees and you raise it to the upper portion of the goalie. This is a very difficult shot but once you get it down it is a great shot to have in your repertoire.

BACK HAND SHOT

A backhand shot is a tricky shot and it can catch the goalie off guard too. A great time to use this one is when you are on the opposite side of the floor and you don't have much of an angle to shoot at or when you are cutting across the front of the net and once you get the goalie stepping you then drop it over your shoulder short side. Lots of practice on this shot and you could pick up that extra goal per game.

HANDS ON
A strong shot starts with a good grip on your stick. The bottom hand on the stick is used as a stabilizer with your top hand about two thirds up. Use your top hand for power and for guiding the shot.

SOURCE OF POWER
The key to putting muscle behind your shot is putting your body into it. Use your arms, legs and back for more power. Shoot off your back leg transferring your weight on to your front foot as you follow through. If you're shooting from the outside or on the run, turn your hips and get your body parallel to the sideline. As you release, follow all the way through.

BAG OF TRICKS
Even though the overhand shot is the most basic in lacrosse, it can be difficult to defend. It’s hard for goalies to read where exactly you’re aiming. Keep your stick high behind your head so the goalie can’t see it. Take the time to place all your shots, and shoot hard. When within five yards of the goal, the shot should be for a top corner.

Take time to practice shooting. Get a feel for how to release and control the ball. You can greatly improve your power and accuracy with repetition

BOUNCE SHOT

The bounce shot is a very effective version of the normal shot where the shot is directed to the floor in front of the goalkeeper. The resulting bounce makes it very difficult for the goalkeeper.

This shot can be used at short as well as long distance. It is even more effective when released hidden from the goalkeeper for example on the side of a defender

BACK SHOT

The back shot is a difficult but very effective shooting technique. It is performed by taking the shot behind the back rather than in front of the body. This shot is usually made after faking a normal shot. It is very effective in sharp angles, where the player has run past the goal. Because the shot is made behind the back it is hidden from the goalkeeper making it even more difficult to predict.

The major difference from a normal shot is the direction of the lower body and feet. When shooting a back shot the body should rather be placed in a 90-degree angle from the goalkeeper, facing the sideline. The eyes however should always be placed on the target. The grip should be high. Next the upper body is turned placing the shoulders parallel to the goalkeeper, i.e. the chest facing the own goal. When turning the upper body the cross is moved up behind the back of the head where the shot is released.

In order to turn the upper body it is important to place the feet correctly.
The foot closest to the goal should be placed in front of the other.

PASSING

The most used grip when passing is the medium grip meaning that the lower hand is placed at the end of the stick and the higher hand in the middle of the cross. This grip is most efficient for medium range passes since it results in a fairly powerful pass with good precision.

For shorter ranges though you need "feeling" rather than power.
Therefore, the shorter the pass the higher the grip.

On the other side, for longer passes you often need even more power than the medium grip can give.
In these cases you should lower the grip. The problem with the low grip however is the lack of precision.
It is extremely difficult to get precision in the pass when using a low grip.
You should therefore avoid long passes as much as possible.

The pass is initiated by moving the lower hand forwards and upwards thereby leaning the head of the cross backwards. Before releasing the pass the foot opposite to the side where the cross is held is put forward.
Next the pass is released using a pendulum movement forwards. The lower hand is moved backwards and downwards at the same time as the upper hand is moved forwards and upwards.
The movement is similar to throwing with a fishing rod (for those of you who fish).

CATCHING

To catch the ball, hold the opening of the cross directly towards the passer, preferably leaning the cross a little bit forward to indicate where you want the ball. When the ball is in the air, keep your eyes on it until it reaches the cross. Move the cross backwards to intercept the ball leaving it in the "pocket" without bouncing or wobbling.

During the interception it is important to "loosen" the wrists. This way the ball's energy is more easily absorbed making the catch stable and giving you immediate control.

SCOOPING

Scooping" is the simplest and most frequently used technique when picking the ball up from the floor.
The motion is performed this way:

• Put the foot opposite to the side of the cross beside of the ball.
• Bend the knees and put the head of the cross on the ground with the opening facing upwards.
• Drag the cross towards the ball making it roll into the pocket.
• Finally you lift the cross and straighten the knees.
• The movement is similar to using a shovel.

Frequent errors:

• Not placing the basket on the ground.
• Not leaning sufficiently
• Not to bending the knees.
• To hold the stick in a too steep of an angle.

INDIAN PICKUP

The "indian pickup" is a famous and old technique used to pick the ball up quickly from the floor.
However it is a very difficult technique that requires a lot of practise.

It is performed by holding the cross with one hand placed at the end of the cross.
The top 10 centimetres of the cross is used to "hit" the ball on the ground making it roll towards you or to the side. Immediately after hitting the ball, the cross is rotated around the ball so that the opening is facing upwards.
The ball is now rolling into the cross. As a final step the cross is lifted making the ball roll into the pocket.

In order for this to succeed, all the moves described above must be performed quickly and in one continuous motion.

CRADLING

Cradling is the way in which we keep the ball in the stick's pocket. Cradling uses centripetal force -- the force generated by moving something in a circle -- to press the ball into the back of the pocket.