When playing defense in men’s lacrosse, it’s essential to keep your attacker at bay by using effective checks. One of the most effective techniques for doing this is the slap check.
This check involves slapping at an opponent’s hands and stick, allowing you to disrupt their grip and/or knock their stick out of their hands altogether. However, it is important to note that this type of stick check is not without its risks. Slashing penalties can be called for accidentally hitting your opponent’s back or side when trying to slap at their hands. Therefore, always aim for your opponent’s hands when executing a slap check. Despite this potential drawback, the slap check remains an extremely valuable tool in any defender’s arsenal and is crucial for disrupting your opponent’s offensive plays on the field.
This type of stick check requires good timing and precision to be truly effective; if you miss or hesitate too long, an experienced player will easily slip past your defense. Despite these challenges, the slap check remains an integral part of many successful defenses and is one of the most important tools in any player’s arsenal.
A well-timed and effective slap check can take an attacking player off balance and give your team a crucial advantage during play.