Coaching Offensive Skills Jon Weston The Goalieman

1. Coaching Offensive Skills Jon Weston The Goalieman

2. Coaching Offensive Players • Excellent athletes may play good lacrosse semi-automatically • Even these can be taught to be more effective • Good athletes need some instruction/ guidance • YOU make the difference for a learning player • No one can help a closed minded one • Spend time with the willing ones • New habits come hard, but repetitions work

3. Break It Down – Ten Points 1- Get Closer 2- Look At Net, Behind look at crease guy 3- Don’t Give Your Hands Away 4- Dodge with your Hips/Feet/Shoulder 5- Shoot w/Hands BACK 6- Change Planes 7- Deception 8- On The Move 9- Efficient Cutter 10-Great Ground Baller

4. 1- Get Closer • Less time for goalie to react • Less time to shoot close to the goal • Shot will be slower • Shoot past goalie • Small fakes work, especially in close

5. 2- Look At Net • Right Hand – Look Top Left • Left Hand – Look Top Right • Goalie will Disappear • Holes will Appear • Defender and Other Offensive Players Appear • Defender will back off to defend feed,dodge,shot,pass • Behind – Look to Crease Man – Same Affect

6. 3- Don’t Give Your Hands Away • Ball, Hands, Body, Defender, Goal • Keep your hands back away from D-man • Dare them to go over top • Learn to tuck and drive

7. 4 – Dodge • Objective: Get by and get away from D • Explode for 3 hard steps after you go by • Dodge with your Feet • Example – Split Dodge • From Center Middie point chest, toes, and hips at the sideline to start with the stick and hands back (away from the goal) • At the end hips, chest, toes and hips point at the other sideline after the split • Step down field toward the goal as you pivot and then drive toward the goal • Protect with you back

8. 4- Dodge with your Hips/Feet/Shoulder • Split Dodge – Lazy D Man • Face Dodge – Stabbing D Man • Bull Dodge – Through the Head • Roll Dodge – Good D, Roll Away • Snap HEAD AROUND or Double is Coming • Fake Split & Go – Against Drop Steppers • Butt Dodge – Watch for Double • Don’t use this much • CoD and CoD Fake – Behind Goal • Finalizer is a sophisticated move • Learn the basics first • Learn to carry with left and split to right • Then learn to carry with right and split to left

9. 5- Shoot w/Hands BACK • (Point), Rock, Drive, Lift, Pull Down • Gary Gait – Use the Lever Action • Top hand is the pivot, bottom is power • Separate the action from your hips • American Grip • Canadian Grip – Hides Ball

10. 6- Change Planes • High to high needs speed • High to low needs accuracy • Low to low too easy to track • Low to hi hard to track • Right to left across goalie’s body harder to move – combine with split dodge – left to right • Left to right the same

11. 7- Deception • Hide the Ball Behind your Helmet • Dip Shoulder and Shoot High • Raise Shoulder and Shoot Low • Drop Hands and Shoot High • ¼ Turn Fake • ¼ Turn Fake and Feed • Side arm shot shows the ball to the goalie too long – avoid this unless in close (reaching around the keeper)

12. 8- On The Move • 10 Ball Drill • Alternate left hand and right hand • Scoop at 12 yards - Hand close to plastic • Drive (step to goal –hands close to butt end) • Shoot from 6 (Overhand) • Do everything on the move • Scoop and shoot • Left hand then right hand • Learn the Pitcher’s Followthru • Stargia / Dixon

13. 9- Efficient Cutter • Cut right at the feeder • Catch the ball – make sure you get the ball • Look at Net – Find the spot to shoot at • Shoot to Net – shoot at net not the keeper • It is a rhythm: • Catch…., Look…., Shoot…. • Not catch, shoot, look • SCREAM – “ONE MORE” • If the D slides to you because you talk then someone else is even more open

14. 10-Great Ground Baller • Hustle, 1st one there gets US the ball • HAND JUST BELOW PLASTIC • Your BUTT between you and other player • PULL toward chest and step out • Step toward (turn to) your butt end side • Keep running • Practice, practice, practice • Then learn the one hand snag pick-up

15. 11 – Bonus - Backhand • Three was to receive the ball • Stick side high – protect • Off-stick side high – rotate to receive • Over the shoulder • Teach: Catching Over the Shoulder • Opens up the back door cut • Makes catching inside on the run easy • Makes defender play you • Catch backhand pass forehand

16. Drills • Circle split to pass (with a crease guy) • Circle roll to pass • Circle open hip to pass • Circle w/D roll to pass • Lazy Left/Right line (Split) • Aggressive D Left/Right Lines (Roll) • Drive to shoot Right/Left lines (Shoot net) • Feed Drills Left/Right • Backhand catch, forehand throw immediate • Give and go lines middie to attack • Give and go lines through X cross crease

17. Accuracy to the Corners Deception Hide the Ball Change Planes Body Language (Lean low, shoot high) Freeze the keeper Fakes, motion Distractions Motion – Shooters on the move Split Dodge Move the Keeper Passes Sweeps Things That Beat Goalies

18. Basic Throwing • Power Throwing – Top Hand Push • Takes lots of strength and practice • Bottom hand comes across the body • Chest/toes usually face the target • Touch Throwing – Like an Attackman • Top hand at ear level or above • Chest/toes face perpendicular to target • Bottom Hand Lift and Pull Straight Down • Bottom hand stays on same side as top hand • Long touch passes easy, protects ball on ride • Very powerful technique Gary Gait