In a sport like Lacrosse, the players especially the goalies need to be agile and in control of their body parts. They must have good coordination between the hands and eyes and reflexes should be good as well. To ensure the goalies become good at their task, offer them the following drills.
Mystery Shots
During a game, the goalie cannot predict from which angle the ball will come. This drill will make them ready for thwarting shots coming from literally any angle. You will require a bucket of balls, a goalie, and 2 players for this drill.
The goalie has to be in his position. The 2 players should be 15 yards away. They should have a distance of 10 feet between them. They should have a ball, each. The coach should be at a place where the goalie cannot see him. As he hints, the players get ready and one of them shoots. The other players fake taking a shot. The goalie needs to respond to the player taking the shot.
The goalie has to look up and watch both players carefully. It is not known which of the 2 players will make the shot and this is the reason why it is extremely important for you to closely watch both the players rather than making calculated predictions. The goalie needs to read the movements of both the players intensely so that he/she can react instantaneously. This particle lacrosse drill is not only helpful for the goalies but also for other players. Both defensive and offensive players will get the chance to work on their fakes during this drill.
High and Low
The ace lacrosse goalies excel at handling both low and high shots. You will need a bucket of balls along with a goalie and a player to try this out.
As the goalie gets ready the player is made to stand approximately 15 yards away. As the player takes a ball, the coach says low or high. The player can be asked to make several shots in quick succession. The drill can be tried by altering the distance between the player and goalie. This will make the drill somewhat competitive.
This High and Low Drill should help increase the confidence level of the goalie. If the goalie manages to stop majority of the shots, the coach can then ask the players to come closer and make shot from a close distance. This will increase the difficulty level of the drill and help the goalie to work intently on his/her reaction/reflects.
Shooting Shuttle
A lacrosse goalie has to stop shots taken from any angle. This drill is ideal for developing that skill. You will need a goalie, three players, and around 15 balls to try this one.
The goalie should be in his position and the other players should be at least 10 yards away from him. The 3 players should have a distance of 10 feet between them. Each should be given 3 balls. As you hint, the players start shooting balls and the drill should begin from the player on the left side. The goalie should try to defend all shots until each player is done with shooting all the balls. The goalie should try to face the shooters and the gloves should be in the right position.
