shooting frenzy

My kids love to shoot. I made the mistake of buying a radar gun several years ago, and I have been cursed with the question "coach did you bring the radar gun ?"

Actually it has become a valuable tool to measure the progress of the boys throughout the year and doubles as a reward at the end of practice. They will actually work hard in practice if I tempt them with a radar session.

Youth coaches are challenged with limited practice time. We are trying to teach so much with so little time. I am a strong believer in making shooting a priority and delegating some serious time to the developing this skill. Most coaches do not have the team shoot nearly enough.

Here are a few simple tips and drills to to make shooters out of all of your players.

1/ You need a lot of balls. Buy them out of pocket, find a donor, beg the organization for them, do a "car wash for balls", whatever it takes to get a ton on the field. I bring 150 minimum to every practice. Set up your cage in front of a baseball back stop or far enough away from a cyclone fence so the can barely reach it after a shot. Do a ball hunt after the balls are exhausted or have chasers continuously bring balls back in to the drill.

Shooting drills need to flow and without a lot of balls they become choppy and inefficient.

2/ Use shooting as a warm up. Line drills and static stretches are boring and ineffective. Warm them up with a lap or two and get everyone to the cage to "rip a few". It creates energy and makes warming up fun. Have an important practice coming up you want everyone to attend?
Tell them "we will be shooting a million balls on Tuesday before practice. " No shows usually decrease.

3/ Game situation Drills

Standing 15 yards in front of the cage, picking a ball out of a bucket, and taking a four second wind up never occurs in a game. Its critical to shoot off feeds, on the move, with a quick release. Shooting drills must simulate game scenarios. Make sure long sticks and goalies get in on drills. I never put goalies in the cage on these, I make them bring a short stick. They have a riot shooting.

Here are four killer shooting drills complements on the University of Michigan Lacrosse coaching staff.

All drills start in two line with every player holding a ball 12 to 15 yards out. Each line feeds the other, with the shots alternating from both sides. After you pass to the other line you receive a ball from that line to shoot.

A. Time and space. A simple feed, catch and shoot drill. Teach the kids proper technique. Hands away from the body, stick up high, twist the body while shooting. Stress overhand shooting at all times. KEY POINT: Have the players finish with a backwards run after each shot. It forces them to twist and rotate their hips and body all the way through.

B. Catch, split dodge and shoot. A hard shot off a split dodge can become a players best weapon. Set up a large cone, a stationary player or coach, or my favorite - another cage 15 yards out. Make them split off the pipe as they approach.

C. Catch, plant, roll, and shoot. In this one players run east west after the catch, plant, roll back and shoot. Make sure they plant hard as to shake a defender, change direction and shoot quickly as soon as their "hands are free". I sometimes throw a passive defender in this drill who is only allowed to check some one if they show their stick.

D.Fade, hitch and shoot. This one is great for middies, but attack will especially find it critical to get off shots in traffic. Players should come in from the wings, catch, pump fake a shot, step and shoot. Teach a good , hard, fake shot as they approach the imaginary defender ( a passive defender or coach can be used.) They must "sell" the fake.

Until next time, keep shooting....