Learning All Lacrosse Training Drills to Become Advanced Players!

Q: What are the lacrosse drills to improve stick skills?

The best techniques include the waterfall , give-and-go , and Stickwork Inside the Center Circle drills.

Q: What are the lacrosse drills to do inside?

The best drills to do inside include: - Tap the fingers - One-hand cradle - One-hand splits - Figure 8s - High flips - Low flips

Q: What are the 7 running drills?

The drills include: - High Knees - Carioca - Straight leg bounds - A-Skip - B-Skip - Butt-kicks - Butt-kicks (variation)

Home » Tips & Advice » Best Lacrosse Training Drills for All Experts! (Best 2023 Advisor)

Are you looking for training drills to take your lacrosse game to the next level? Look no further! We've compiled a list of the best lacrosse training drills that every expert should know and are guaranteed to improve your performance on the field.

So, if you're an experienced player, our top drills can help boost your technique and skills. Keep reading to discover what these challenging yet rewarding exercises have in store for all experts.

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Take Away Key Points:

Advanced athletes use the same techniques as the beginner lacrosse drills, but these are more complex, with combinations of skills
Men's and women's lacrosse offer different practices
Practice as much as you can to achieve the best results

Best Lacrosse Skills and Drills for Experienced Fans

If you have the basics and want to master the game of lacrosse quickly, the lacrosse drills listed below can help you.

Ensure you read the basics thoroughly to find the most suitable practice for your skills.

1. Lacrosse drills for high school

The following lacrosse drills are ideal for high-school and college lacrosse players. The drills are ideal for confined spaces, such as gymnasiums or small fields.

Some of the most popular drills include:

Advanced partner pass - highlighting arm and wrist strength and stick skills. The main goal of the drill is to build the player's range of motion with their stick. It encourages players to "play big" as they swing their stick back to the ground, making them go as fast as possible.
Windsor drill - The drill focuses on stick skills, cutting, acceleration, and quick release. The main goal is fast-paced action, sharpening players' stick skills. Coaches emphasize that the player passing the ball should immediately release the ball when the cutter turns. Thus, the cutter won't spend too much time waiting for the pass.
Quick stick drill - it focuses on fast release and communication. The primary point of this drill is to be quick and plan where the ball is going. Players need to know in advance before the point player even has possession. The drill is fun and competitive when all players go as fast as possible. Coaches must focus on n communication with all players to make it easier to know who is open.
Three-person box drill - it highlights stick skills and quickness. Players can be creative. They can be more fluid if players try various stickwork, such as behind the back and similar combinations.
Box and one drill - it also focuses on communication and quickness. The drill is valuable since it makes the middle person diligent and stands out. Players must limit their cradles, yet they must go as hard as possible. The main goal is communicating to see who is open and helping the middle player.
Two-person protection drill - it highlights checking and ball protection. The main goal is to work on getting an excellent check-off ad to improve ball protection skills. Players should be big with their sticks and bring them across their bodies to higher or lower cradles.
Four vs. Three-keep away - the skills focus on a defensive stick, body positioning, and ball movement. The practice also highlights reading the offense and anticipation of the turnover opportunities. However, the primary purpose is to whip the ball around the perimeter. The rule applies only to offensive players. Using the outside hand is crucial, as well as off-stick-side passes or behind-the-back passes.
Maryland drills - the practice highlights the ball movement. Players should move the ball quickly so the defensive players cannot keep up. The players cannot dodge, so they must focus on the ball.
Sniper cut - the primary purpose is to learn offensive plays/sets even when a goal isn't available. The target mimics a game-like situation. The player driving to the destination "sells" the drive with no obstacles. The girl running the sniper must equalize her time with the drive of the low player. She cannot be in the eigh-meter area for a feed.
Three vs. Two ground ball - the exercise points out quick reactions, stick protection, and staying low on the ground balls. The players should run through the balls and work competitively. They should also be aware and know if they must run out of the box or keep possession.
Box lacrosse skills - box lacrosse practice includes the two-man game, 1v1 offense & defense, transition offense & defense, and stick work in confined spaces. In box lacrosse, everything is fast-paced, so players must focus on using screens, picks, and deceptive stickwork to score more goals. Players should also work together in box lacrosse and be open to teammates, as they have limited time to act and score goals.

2. Lacrosse shooting drills

Here are some basic shooting and advanced drills for lacrosse players.

Simple shooting drill - players run from the midfield line, dodge a defender, and shoot at the goal. The main goal is to practice righty and lefty shots.
Wing simple drill - Players run from the wings, dodge a defender and shoot at the goal. The main goal is to improve righty and lefty shots.
Players run from the wings or the midfield line, catch a pass from an expert, and shoot. Players practice shots from both the left and right sides.
More advanced alternative – Players run from the wings or the midfield, catch a pass from a coach or a parent, and shoot. An expert marks the target (for example, upper right corner) as the player catches the pass. Then, the player must try to hit the target in the net: players practice lefty and righty shots.
Players run, scoop up a ground ball and shoot.
Players run from around from X behind the goal and shoot - they practice shots from both sides – left and right. When close to the goal, they must practice fakes.
From the X position - players can practice inside rolls, question mark dodges, and rocker dodges and then shoot at the goal.
Add targets (water bottles, lax targets, cones) in the net to practice shooting accuracy when you don't have a goalie.
Quick stick shots close to the goal.
Lacrosse Cutting Drills – running diagonally across the face of the goal. The coach/second player stands behind or near the goal line extended on the opposite side of the netting, feeding the player cutting across the goal. Players must catch and shoot on the run.
Alley Dodge Shooting – A primary shooting practice for a middie when another player attacks from the topside.
Backhand Shooting – The backhand shot, known as a shovel shot, is an advanced lacrosse shooting skill invented by Lyle Thompson.
Bounce Shot – an advanced technique requiring a player to fire an overhand shot. It bounces in front of the crease line and lands/scores consistently in the top corner of the net. An even more advanced version is a sidearm shot with a "top spin," achieving higher bounce and landing in the top corner of the net.
Cross-Handed Shooting – Canadian-style shooting allows you to score even when you have caught a bad pass across your body.
Deception Shots – Deception shots require players to look high but shoot low to deceive the other team and their goalie with their eyes looking down but shooting high, etc.
Elevator Shot/Riser Shot – The more complex lacrosse shooting skill includes shooting with a low sidearm or underhand and the ball elevating from this low position to score in the top of the net. The trajectory of the ball is low to high.

3. Lacrosse defense drills

Here are some of the best lacrosse defensive drills for advanced players:

Oklahoma defense drills

The players line up in the five and five mark. Offensive players are ten yards away from the defenders.

The practice requires the offense to carry the ball toward the defense, and the defense must take away the sweep.

The defense starts with their weak foot and sticks placed upfield. The exercise cuts off the sweep, allowing defenders to control the play.

If the offensive player breaks through, the defender should continue to defend closely and down-step.

Stir the Pot

The action starts with a defender picking up the ball and keeping his stick close to the ground. If you play defense, pick up the ball and rotate the stick while performing a toe drag.

The skill helps players turn their wrists over, retain possession, and create soft hands.

Hand speed and checking

This drill is ideal for teaching and conditioning and fine motor defensive skills for more success.

The skill needs two players. Experts will pair a defender with a stationary partner standing in front with gloves on and arms extended straight.

The defender forms an "M" sign by placing the stick on the top of one of the partner's gloves, making a mark between the gloves, and moving over the other glove. After the "M" moves, the defender traces a" W" moving underneath the gloves of the next person.

Finally, the defender makes a "figure 8" around the teammate's gloves in both directions. The two players have thirty seconds each to build strong hand-eye coordination.

Transition defense

This drill requires four cones above the attacking area - two for offense and two for defense. Add two cones on the side of the field. Two players - attackers run with the ball to the marked zone. Dour players - defenders race out to prevent the attack, and two extra defenders prevent a fast break.

This technique improves defenders' agility and conditioning, teaches lacrosse defense strategy, and establishes solid defensive positioning.

4. Lacrosse ground balls

Ground balls are a vital skill for any lacrosse player looking to gain a competitive edge. Also called loose balls, they are great for possession control so that your team can score goals and keep the other side from scoring.

For advanced players, training drills should focus on getting comfortable with the stick, balance and agility, and quick reflexes necessary to take control of loose balls.

Attacking players hustle after the ball, dropping their sticks and competing for the ball with their feet, shoulders, and hands. All defending players come back on defense when a ground ball appears to create an intense race for it.

Working on scooping ground balls up while turning and running or maneuvering around obstacles can give players a real advantage. It's also important to practice switching hands quickly to increase the chances of success on the field.

Ultimately, lacrosse ground balls are important because gaining possession of the ball gives one team an advantage, which is key to winning matches.

5. Best lacrosse drills for one person

A lacrosse ball, lacrosse stick, and a wall easily transform an average lacrosse player into an advanced player. The wall acts as a tool to make a player's stick skills exceptional. The wall also creates another person catching all passes and easily completes almost any drill.

The most famous technique is the wall-ball drill. It requires only one player to practice his catching skills, eye concentration, and footwork while hitting the ball against the wall. However, the wall can serve for other techniques as well, for more fun lacrosse drills.

Find the best drills for practicing alone below.

Switch hand drill - you should throw the ball against the wall and catch it with the opposite hand. Repeat the exercise for approximately five minutes, switching hands continually.
Roll dodge drill - players throw the ball with their stronger hand and do a fast roll dodge, simultaneously changing hands. Repeat the drill from both sides - your non-dominant hand to your strong hand sharply to become a good lacrosse player playing with both hands.
Quick stick drill - Throw the ball against the wall ten times with your strong hand. Don't cradle just in the stick and out of the stick with the drill. The drill is also critical for the offensive player, who has a split second to shoot and score. Perform the drill with both hands for the best results.
Ground ball drill - a player throws a low pass to the wall doing a quick scoop. Repeat the lacrosse drill with both hands to notice the difference in the game-time ground balls. Practicing the lacrosse drill with both hands strengthens your confidence in the non-dominant hand.
The shooting drill - drill includes picking a point on the wall - a line or a mark, and firing the ball at that specific place. The drill improves your accuracy, but beware. The ball bounces back, so practice the drill far enough from the wall to eliminate possible injuries after the shot.
Running along the length of the wall and throwing the ball as you run - the wall acts as a running player. But, of course, the drill only works with a moderately long wall; you might not run along a wall below twenty feet long.

6. Best lacrosse drills for girls

Girls also use specific lacrosse drills to practice more and improve their game. Here are some of the best drills for the girls' games.

Lacrosse cradling drills

Lacrosse cradling drills practice scooping ground balls.

Experts need two balls and six players, five offensive and one defender. The players stay inside the square area, and one player starts as the defensive player. The other five players must roll the ball - passing drills along the field to each other to build their low-scooping skills.

Add another defender to make it more advanced.

Lacrosse dodging drills

These are skill-based drills to improve different dodge techniques. Players can work on a split, roll, or face dodge.

You need three players - a passer, an attacker, and a defender. The first player-defender turns her back to the coach and can't see the direction of the ball. The attacker is fifteen yards away from the coach, and the defender is in the middle.

The coach will point to the side they will pass to, and then when blowing the whistle, the attacker runs towards the defender, giving them a ball fake one way, moving the next to receive the quick pass back.

At the odd time, the attacker might choose not to make a fake and go for the real pass. The defender must act swiftly to where the ball is going and try to disrupt the play.

Passing drills

Passing drills requires pairing players up or putting them in groups of threes to do the drill. Each group has one ball they must pass around.

Players should face the target with their lead foot opposite their top hand on the stick. The top hand is just under the pocket, and the bottom hand is the pivot point for the stick.

The pocket should not fall too far back during the pass, and the top hand shall not be more than six inches above the shoulder. Otherwise, the ball might fall out.

The bottom arm is pulled toward the body in the direction of the pass, and it is the power hand.

Catching drills

Catching drills are similar to passing drills, but the stick is parallel to the body. The major difference is that players catch the ball in the box area.

Catching drills are important because throwing and receiving are such important parts of the game. Start with some stationary drills between paired up players. Have them make some throws and catches from their left side and then their right side until they are comfortable.

Move to catching drills where the players are running. They need to learn to throw and catch while on the move while also alternating between their right and left hands.

Finally, have them practice making poor throws so it’s more difficult to make the catch. This will get them practicing extending to catch passes or moving their stick from one side to the other.

Shooting drills

Shooting drills combine two skills into one drill.

You need two lines of players - one passing line and one receiving/shooting line. You can make two teams and use two nets. The first person - a shooting player of the first line drives toward the net, and the other line makes a pass.

Experts search for proper techniques in passing form and reception. When the attacker gains control of the pass, she turns, aims, and shoots on the net.

You can add a goalie to practice techniques as well.

7. Other drills for advanced players

Of course, there are other techniques for professionals. These include:

Lacrosse clearing drills - with the Dragon clearing drills and Bang it off the wall clearing techniques. Both sessions require exceptionally sharp passes, crossfield cooperation, and footwork. Middies stand out with the help of other team members.
Best lacrosse warm-up drills - including line drills as the primary techniques. Line drill combines shooting practices, triangle, ground ball practices, 4 vs. 3 techniques, etc.
Pivot points - pivot points make players stop with one foot on the ground. They twist their bodies and feet but cannot move the planted foot. And the technique is great, as athletes can deceive opponents by changing their directions and speed.
Bad pass drills - most suitable beginner lacrosse drills, but experts can practice too when they add 3 vs. 0, 4 vs. 0, and 5 vs. 0 fast breaks and offense passing to make the game more advanced.

FAQs

What are the lacrosse drills to improve stick skills?

The best techniques include the waterfall, give-and-go, and Stickwork Inside the Center Circle drills.

What are the lacrosse drills to do inside?

The best drills to do inside include:

- Tap the fingers

- One-hand cradle

- One-hand splits

- Figure 8s

- High flips

- Low flips

What are the 7 running drills?

The drills include:

- High Knees

- Carioca

- Straight leg bounds

- A-Skip

- B-Skip

- Butt-kicks

- Butt-kicks (variation)

Summary

Now that you know some of the most popular and effective lacrosse drills for advanced athletes, it's time to get out there on the field and start practicing!

The more you drill, the better your skills will become. So remember to focus on perfecting your lacrosse training drills—for both men's and women's lacrosse—and before you know it, you'll be one of the best players on the team.

Freddy Woods

Freddy is the heart and soul of Lacrosse Runner. As a former athlete, Freddy is very passionate about Lacrosse. He keeps up with the sport's changes and innovations and often tests the new equipment released by the leading manufacturers. Read more here