Skills Study Guide

Grip Skill Cues – how to hold the stick

• 2 hands - hold the lacrosse stick with two hands, having your dominant hand (usually the one you write with) close to the basket, and non-dominant hand near the end of the stick. • Wide grip – keep your hands spread apart; if you hold your lacrosse stick at your waist, your hands should be about as far apart as your body is wide.

Skip and Scoop Skill Cues – picking the up off the ground.

• Get high to get low – skip up high and crouch down low to get under the ball. Use the momentum from your skip to step through the ball as you scoop it up. • Same hand, same knee – as you do your skip, make sure that whatever hand is closest to the basket of your stick is the same knee that is up when you are skipping. • Back hand at back knee – as you scoop up the ball, make sure that the hand at the end of your stick is as low as your back knee to ensure you get under the ball instead of pushing it forward. • Call Grandma – after you have successfully scooped up the ball, bring the ball up close to your ear (not touching your ear) to help protect the ball from the defense, but don’t let the basket touch your face.

Cradle and Run Skill Cues – protecting the ball while your move.

• Call Grandma – as you move around or look for a pass or open shot, keep the ball protected up near your ear, not down by your waist; but don’t let the basket touch your face. • Grab a glass – using the motion you would to grab a glass off of a high shelf, turn your stick using your top hand quickly to cradle the ball.

Throwing Skill Cues – making a pass or taking a shot at the goal.

• Punch and pull – punch out with your top hand, and let it slide down the stick as you release the ball. With your bottom hand, pull the end of the stick toward you. • Step with opposition – step with the opposite foot toward your target as you release the ball (whichever hand is closest to the basket is your throwing hand).

Catching Skill Cues – receiving a pass.

• EYES on the ball – always know where the ball is so you are ready for it. • Waist up, basket up – if the ball is thrown at you above your waist, turn your basket up to catch it; like a catching a fly ball. • Waist down, basket down – if the ball is below your waist, turn the basket down; like trying to field a grounder in baseball. • Cushion the catch – catch the ball in front of you and then bring it back, like catching an egg.