The game of lacrosse is one that takes practice and determination to master. Whether you’re just starting out, or looking for ways to improve your skills, the following blog post will give you 10 tips for beginners!
10 Tips For Lacrosse Beginners
1. Watch Lacrosse Videos
Watching videos of professional lacrosse players is a great way to start learning the basics. By watching different styles and techniques, you can pick up a lot of helpful tips! That being said, one tip for beginners: Don’t emulate what you see too closely. The goal is not to become a carbon copy of your favorite player- it’s to learn from them so that you can improve your own game.
2. Ask Questions
Your teammates are there for a reason – they probably know more about the sport than you do. If there is ever any confusion (maybe even on rules), don’t be afraid to ask questions before each game or practice! This will help make sure no one has to stop to explain something you already know, and will give your teammates the opportunity to cover any topics they forgot.
3. Watch How The Pros Do It
Another great way to improve is watching professional lacrosse videos! Watching what the pros do can help you learn new techniques that may improve your game. Seeing how they handle certain situations can be very helpful for beginners!
4. Watch How Non-Pros Do It
Of course, sometimes watching the pros handle a situation can be difficult because they are so good at what they do! In those cases, it may be helpful to find clips of players who aren’t as experienced as you are. This will let you see how less skilled players deal with similar problems, and can help improve your game immensely.
In order to improve your rookie skills, watch videos of professional lacrosse players and their techniques to learn from the best! Don’t forget about finding helpful clips of people who aren’t as talented either- this is a great way to prepare for games! Lastly, ask questions about anything you don’t understand- your teammates are there to help!
5. Master The Basics
Before you can move on to more advanced techniques, you need to learn the basics thoroughly. This means perfecting your stance, learning how to pass and catch properly, and making sure you’re comfortable with carrying the ball in your stick. You don’t want to mess these elementary skills up; because then it will be that much harder for you! Once you feel like you’ve gotten them down, go ahead and try out some trickier plays .
Once you’re basic skills are mastered, it’s time to implement more difficult strategies ! Make sure you’ve got the basics down first before trying something new or complicated!
6. Be Patient
Some players learn the game quickly, and some players struggle with it for a long time. You need to understand that everyone has different learning curves! Don’t feel intimidated if someone is better than you- instead, use them as motivation and try to improve your own skills!
If you’re struggling , don’t be discouraged ! Everyone has a different learning curve, so just keep trying! Use people who are good at lacrosse as inspiration, not discouragement!
By understanding each player’s unique learning curve , beginner lacrosse players can avoid intimidation from others . Some may catch on faster than others, but that doesn’t mean they’re better- just more experienced.
7. Get Comfortable With The Ball
The most important thing a lacrosse player can do is feel comfortable holding the ball at all times. If you’re constantly worried about dropping it, it will be hard to make plays! That being said, if you carry the ball too loose in your stick, an aggressive defense may still get it out of your possession. This means that you need to find a balance; make sure the ball isn’t too tight in your mesh , but also not so lose that it falls out every five seconds .
Once more confident with your skills , work on becoming more comfortable carrying the ball ! Find a nice medium between loose and tight- don’t let yourself get pushed around by defenders, but don’t drop it every time they look at you!
Be confident with your skills before working on becoming more comfortable ! If the team is too worried about dropping it, it could lead to turnovers and missed opportunities.
8. Get Comfortable With Making Saves
Just like learning how to carry the ball without dropping it, a lacrosse goalie needs to feel comfortable catching shots . It’s much easier for goalies to stop goals when they are prepared for them- so make sure you can catch or deflect any shot an opposing player tries against you! Also, don’t be afraid of doing something flashy if you have space , because this will throw off an approaching attacker’s timing . Just make sure that your teammate doesn’t mind picking up the ball you just batted away!
A goalie must be confident catching shots , or else they won’t have time to block it on their own! Don’t worry about looking flashy- if someone is open, let the ball fly! However, check with your teammate first before doing anything too crazy.
Learn how to catch/deflect any shot an opposing player throws at you ! This will make your life as a goalie much easier if you’re prepared for what’s coming. If the other team knows that their shots are getting caught, they’ll start doubting themselves and that can lead to missed opportunities .
9. Get Comfortable With Defense
The more comfortable you are blocking shots , the more control will have over where the ball goes. You want to be confident enough that these shots won’t rattle you , but also not so overconfident that you’re out of position all the time . The balance is hard to strike, but it’ll come with time!
A lacrosse goalie needs to feel comfortable checking opposing players ! If a player knows a shot is coming right at them, they won’t have as much confidence throwing accurate passes or trying anything flashy. Once more confident in your skills , work on being just aggressive enough !
Learn how to balance being both aggressive and controlled when going for the ball- if you go too far, you might miss completely! A lot of this comes with practice- don’t worry about getting it perfect from the start, just learn as you go!
10. Don’t Be Afraid To Mess Up At First
Lacrosse is a tough sport, so it’s going to take time for you to feel comfortable ! The best way to learn is by making mistakes and trying again- every player has to start somewhere! It’s good to have a positive attitude toward learning new skills , as well as not being afraid of looking silly along the way.
Don’t be embarrassed by your mistakes – just keep practicing and trying new things to see what works! You have nothing to lose by trying something new or doing something differently than usual .
It takes time and practice before someone will become an expert at lacrosse . Everyone has a different learning curve, but it’s always good to have a positive attitude when learning . As they say, it isn’t whether or not you get knocked down- it’s about getting back up!
