Both aspiring and established keepers regularly practice several lacrosse goalie drills that improve their reaction time. These simple drills, like the brick wall drill or the pipe drill, are proven to increase goalie save percentage. If stopping shots is your business, try one of our five lacrosse goalie drills today.
Brick Wall Drill
Young players soon learn they can do themselves a favor by spending some quality time throwing the ball against a brick wall. Goalies can get in on the fun too by pairing up with an offensive player.
- In the brick wall drill, a goalie should line up five yards behind a brick wall.
- Another player should line up five yards behind the goalie.
- The player in back takes shots at the brick wall which the goalie attempts to save.
- Start the shots at a slow pace to allow the goalie to get adjusted to reacting to the ball.
- You can slowly increase speed as the drill progresses.
- This drill improves goalie reaction time to help you save more close-range shots.
High-to-Low Drill
Another one of our favorite lacrosse goalie drills is the high-to-low drill. This exercise will prepare goalies to face hard shots in a game or practice.
- Two players stand on the right and the left at about 10 to 15 yards from the goalie.
- The players alternate shots on goal,
- Start at shoulder height and then move down to ankle level.
- Take 10 shots, then go back up and down the ladder from shoulder to ankle.
- Finally, when the goalie is warmed up, try bounce shots.
Pipe Drill
By working hand position and posture in the goal, the pipe drill can keep your goalie in the right place, help him or her maintain a squared-off posture, and maximize his or her accuracy with wide saves.
- A goalie should stand on the goal line with one foot resting against the left goal pipe.
- An offensive player then takes shots on the goal.
- The goalie’s job in this drill is to maintain proper footwork and
- Goalie’s should lead with their hands while remaining positioned against the goal pipe.
- After working on the left side, the goalie should switch their position to the right goal pipe.
- After each save, the goal should also work on passing the ball out to the opposing player.
Fast Feet
Fast Feet teaches and helps goalies maintain the proper footwork for quick reaction time on the field.
- Place a lacrosse stick on the ground.
- The goalie jumps over the stick (left to right, then right to left), with both feet held together.
- Next, the goalie should perform the drill on one foot for 30 seconds,
- Then switch to hop one-legged on the other foot.
Speed and accuracy in footwork are an important part of any lacrosse game. Practicing this lacrosse drill can give any goalie quicker feet to compete in the fastest game on two feet.
Hands Drill
Like the name implies, the hands drill for goalies does not include a stick. The goalie works on hand-eye coordination by catching a lacrosse ball with their gloved hand.
- An offensive player should stand in front of the goal.
- Without his stick, the goalie should be standing in the center of the goal.
- The player should toss the ball underhanded.
- The goalie should try to catch the ball with their stick hand.
- The offensive player should target all corners of the goal.
- If the goalie misses one, the offensive player should try that spot again.
The hands drill is effective with helping the lacrosse goalie save shots from all angles.
