With the season now over and players getting ready for club tryouts, recruiting events, and summer showcases I wanted to put together some of my favorite drills to get players prepared.  These drills have been shared with me by some of the best players in the game and I wanted to share them with you.  Get out there and try them out!

Attack – Scatter Drill (5 sets x 10 shots x Left/Right)

Start by throwing balls all over the field inside the restraining box or a 30 x 30 foot area.  Throw the balls behind the cage, on the wings, and up top.  Run around and pick up the ground ball, locate the goal, and then dodge to get to a good spot and get your shot off quickly.  This drill puts you in a ton of different dodging and shooting situations.   Make sure you are going hard and using the appropriate hand for that dodge or shot.  After you get the hang of the drill add a second move into each dodge.  This could be a split dodge into a change of direction, a swim dodge into a roll dodge, a split dodge into a stutter move, or any combination you can think of.  This will help you with your footwork and stick handling.

Tip:  After each shot, do 5 Burpees (up downs) before going to the next shot.  This will get you fatigued and mimic the way you will feel in the fourth quarter when you’re dodging.   As your conditioning improves you will be able to make it through all 10 shots quicker.  Time yourself and monitor your improvement.

Midfield – 30/30 Drill (2 sets X 30 shots x Left/Right)

This drill allows the player to practice the full range of shots they might see in a game.  Try to shoot from all angles, underhand, overhand, side arm, and jump shots.  By getting a ton of reps it will give you the confidence to take these shots when it counts.  Start by setting 10 balls up in each of the 3 spots.  The first set of balls should be placed directly in the middle of the field about 25 yards from the goal.  The next set should be placed to the left side of the cage about 15 yards up.  The last set should be placed to the right side of the cage about 15 yards up.  Start from the top and split dodge from left to right and shoot on the run.  Once you finish your shot grab a ball on the left side.  Throw a hitch, then sweep lefty across the front of the goal, and finish with a shot on the run.  Then grab a ball on the right side for a right-handed time & room shot.  Once you have gone through all 30 shots, set the ball up on the opposite side, and repeat with your opposite hand.

Tip:  Try to get some cardio in with your shooting.  Time how long it takes you to get through each set.  This will keep you at a good pace throughout the workout.  Try and beat your time with each session.  Another option is to pick which corners you are trying to hit on the cage.  If you miss your target, do 10 push-ups or squats before moving to the next shot.

Defense – Box Drills (2-3 times per week for 15-20 minutes)

Box Drills are meant to provide multi-directional work, which will simulate the movement found in lacrosse.  Make sure you keep two hands on your stick, the head of the stick pointed up, and your hands loose.  Do each drill twice in both directions for a total 20 sprints.  Allow yourself 40-60 seconds between sprints.  We want to make sure you have ample time to recover between sprints so you can give maximum effort during the sprint.  This should take you no longer than 15-20 minutes.

*Set up 4 cones in a 10 X 10 yard box.

1)   Sprint/Shuffle/Sprint/Shuffle

2)   Sprint/Shuffle/Backpedal/Shuffle

3)   Sprint/Drop Step/Sprint/Drop Step

4)   Figure 8’s

5)   Circle Sprint

AdrenaFit Tip:  Put a ball at the last cone and scoop it and make a dodge as you finish through the drill.  This will teach you to come up with the ball in traffic after you stop the ball carrier or knock down a pass.

Goalies – Jump Rope (4-5 times per week for 5-10 minutes)

Being quick and reacting to shots with confidence is the difference between winning and losing games. Jumping rope is one of the best ways to improve foot and hand speed, agility, and coordination.  When jumping focus on staying on the balls of your feet and turning your wrist over.

Below are just a few of the drills that can be done, which, I numbered these from basic to advance.  Try to master the first drill before moving on to the next.  Eventually, you should be able to move in and out of each drill without stopping.  There are countless options to the order and difficulties you can make.  See how many combinations of drills you can come up with.  To make it competitive give yourself a goal whether it’s time or execution.

1. Double Leg – jump as fast as you can with both feet.  Do not double jump!
2. Single Leg-Left/Right – jump as fast as you can using one foot.  Don’t double jump!
3. Single Leg Alternating – jump twice with one foot and then switch to the other.
4. Ali’s – jump switching your forward and backward leg with every jump.
5. Double Leg Lateral – both feet together and jump side-to-side as you clear the rope.
6. Double Leg Linear – both feet together and jump forward and backward as you clear the rope.
7. High Knees – alternating feet as you bring the opposite knee up to 90 degrees.
8. Double Under – jump as fast as you can with both feet and trying to bring the rope under your feet twice with every jump.

Tip:  Set a goal as to how many jumps you want to perform for each drill.  If you don’t hit that number then complete 10 push-ups.  If you exceed the number of jumps then raise it next time.  As the number increases you are making improvements.