Here at Schryver Lacrosse we are dedicated to making the game more accessible by teaching YOU about the sport. We want you to know not only how to make a move or what workouts to do but also teach you why.
If you are interested I have compiled links to most of the equipment I use below. Much of my equipment is now older so I have included links for the newest versions of the equipment I use to keep you up to date.
Lacrosse Equipment Lacrosse Head: amzn.to/2qZL6vy Lacrosse Shaft: amzn.to/2r1HXw2 Helmet: amzn.to/2pzxu9Y Elbow Pads: amzn.to/2q64fNk Gloves: amzn.to/2q5UoqG Shoulder Pads: (my pads are super old and minimalist but they're something like this) amzn.to/2pkbAM0 Cleats: amzn.to/2r00QPb
My Film Equipment GoPro: amzn.to/2qThTWP Mavic Pro: amzn.to/2q5WfeU Sunpak Tripod: amzn.to/2q6gkSE GoPro Suction Cup Mount: amzn.to/2pkvre5 GoPro 3 Way Grip, Arm, Tripod: amzn.to/2qrtMU0
Hey, I have a question. Some videos say you are supposed to cradle with your bottom hand when shooting and passing, but this one says to cradle with your top hand, so I’m confused. Can you clarify?
Absolutely! For me cradling has predominantly been performed with the top hand. I think for learning purposes it's much more straightforward to use the top hand for 90% cradling. As players develop they're naturally going to use both hands in a synergistic way more and more for all their lacrosse movements. The more that both hands can be developed the more flexibility and coordination between the two hands there will be. I would say that for players just starting out, the method outlined in this video is a more straightforward way to start. Also, by maintaining control with the top hand you then have the flexibility to take your bottom hand off and transition to one-handed cradling in the event your bottom hand gets tangled up in a defender's stick. In the end practicing and testing cradling methods will eventually lead to skills that fit for you. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have more questions.
Fantastic vid, I’m new to dmid, switching from offense, who is trying to get playtime, this helps a lot since my coaches never really told me the basics of positioning etc.
My dog is also a LAX dog! His name is Frazier and he’s a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix. Looks strikingly similar to Bean and it’s the only way I can get him to play fetch.
This is a bit late as this video is rather old but similar to the question about a dealing with a physically stronger player how do you respond to a faster player. I understand some ideas, like trying to sink in to give him less room after he dodges before the slide help or playing farther out to increase slide time but what if my teams slide is unreliable, any advice?
I need help with a issue I’m having with positioning, I’m not the strongest player on our defensive line and when I play they stick me with the guy at X, they don’t want me to go behind GLE but I also don’t want to screen the goalie, they’ve told me to run across the crease but that also seems to not work well. I really need help with my positioning so I can keep playing without angering my teammates.
Hello @Just Here thanks for commenting and sharing your question. It can be a little be trickier to play X without extending behind GLE. There are a couple of things you can do to help yourself out though. First when your guy doesn't have the ball you need to be able to position yourself in a way that you can see both where the ball is and where your X attackman is at the same time. If you don't it can make it extremely easy to lose track of the X attackman and let him get open for an easy goal. To do this you will need to stand sort of sideways between the X attackman and the player with the ball that way to one side of you is your guy and the other side is the player with the ball. Instead of looking behind you to find the where your player is you simple turn your head a little bit left or right.. Next you have to be aware of where your goalie is and not stand in their line of sight to the ball. This might mean that sometimes you stand slightly higher up on the crease or a step or two behind GLE. You will need to constantly adjust as the ball moves around and be decisive about where you are going to move to so that you move quickly in and out of your goalie's sight. Finally when your X attackman does have the ball you have to be extremely disciplined about not pursuing them behind the goal. If your coach has you playing X only at GLE then your job is to meet and stop them physically when they get to GLE. This is a physical battle and you will have to rely on pushing them back away from GLE as opposed to relying on stick checks to make them lose the ball. You won't be a takeaway player in this position so don't worry about trying to make them lose the ball. Just keep them behind the goal and don't let them get topside. You can get yourself out of position easily if you pursue them behind the goal. You have to be very patient and let them go behind the goal and then run across the crease to meet them on the other side when they threaten GLE again. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions after reading this.
This vid is about 5 years old but.. thank you for this, I’m a rookie playing my first scrimmage and I have very little experience but this really helped wow.. I feel a little less nervous now
Thanks Christian. We're glad this video helped. It was one of the very first we made. Where are you from? It's always fun to hear where people are playing lacrosse.
Schryver Lacrosse I play for the Long Beach poly JV team in California; while playing in the scrimmage I found myself using your technique a lot on the defensive end.. so thanks again!
Schryver and Zane, Learn to cradle with subtle wrist twists... whether the stick is held high around your shoulders or low around your hips. Forget the windshield cradle. It telegraphs too much information to the opponent.
The technique shown uses too much arm motion and telegraphs the intent to shoot or pass. Consider mastering a more subtle writs motion to position and control the ball in the pocket of the stick.
Hi Don, Thank you for the comment! And you are right I did exaggerate my arm and wrist motion in order to better illustrate the motion for new players. Many coaches teach a triple threat hand and cradle position that allows for dodging, passing, and shooting all from the same position. I need to showcase this in another video. Do you have any suggestions for developing more refined movements?
Hi +Peterborough Youth Lacrosse good question. Each team may do it differently depending on which attackman has the best skill set to play "point" which is the top of the L spot. I would say that most teams will have their right wing attackman (right wing if we are standing on the end line looking at the back of the goal) step up to be point on the fast break. The X attackman (attackman who plays behind the goal) steps up to play the right wing or in other words the corner of the L. The left wing attackman can stay on his side as he is typically left handed and suited to play that lefty position. I hope that helps! Let me know if you have more questions or would like some more clarification. Thanks for watching!
+The_Boss thanks for asking. I have successfully played with lots of sticks strung with hard mesh. That being said if you are looking to change I currently play with East Coast Dyes Hero Mesh and it has been awesome. Also super durable. If you are looking to switch mesh you can't go wrong with hero mesh and the hero mesh strings.
Thx for your video! Just a quick question, I saw people cradle with his bottom hand while the upper hand doesn't move that much during shooting or passing, is that correct? or is that another kind of cradle technique?
Hi KH Tso! As with most things there are lots of ways to do a shooting cradle. I have certainly seen people cradle more with their bottom hands - especially hockey players who are used to using their bottom hand for various moves. Using your top hand for cradling and performing the shooting cradle is the most common and for me I have a lot more control using my top hand. By developing my top hand for cradling, passing, and shooting I can more easily transition in and out of one handed dodges . . . I hope that answers your question!
Thank you Rob. We're glad this has helped. It's been busy around here this past year but we have several new videos we're scheduled to get up during the next couple of months. Let us know if you have anything in particular you want to see!
Great teaching video. As far as stick position goes(man on man), I have always thought stick on stick is best...that way the head of your stick is opposite the head of the offensive players stick. O rightie/D leftie and vice versa. Switch when they do. It makes no sense to me for it to be any other way because it is impossible to block a pass with the butt end. I am also interested in your comments on defending from X. I feel that all HS players unless they know an opponent should favor pushing the player to his left hand.. any comments coach?
Hi Scott, thanks for the new comment and watching more of our videos! It is usually a safe bet to force someone to their left hand. However I believe that only works as long as the offensive player is one dimensional and cannot play with their off hand. I prefer to coach players to control areas on a field as opposed to reacting to the offensive players stick work. In my experience if a defender is too focused on the stick of the offensive player they end up falling for stick fakes instead of playing body. For that reason when I play I almost always keep the head of my stick on the upfield side of my player. You can see in the video that as soon as I cross the centerline behind the goal I switch hands to keep my stick upfield. This deters the offensive player from dodging that direction and keeps the defender ready for the roll back which is when most X defenders get beat. If you are worried about the ability to block a feed or interfere with a pass then I usually try to coach my players to lift an elbow or wrist of the offensive players bottom hand. Most people don't realize that in a passing or shooting position the offensive player's elbow is usually the closest thing and it is easy to perform a lift in that situation. Let me know if you have any other questions!
On a certain level I disagree...if a player looks like he is coming in hard down a right alley from up high, I think you force him to the left even if he crosses the center of the field. You should force the player coming in hard right to go leftie, and you should not change hands with your stick. (stay leftie). That way if you are on his hips and midsection... he has no pass back...he can not roll back, he can just go down the left alley or pass...worked for me for 45 years... but D1 used to be (a bunch of kitties).
Hi Scott, Thanks for the comment. I certainly believe that forcing a player to play with their off hand is a good strategy. I think in a way your recommendation of forcing them to the left half of the field and keeping them there is similar to what I am recommending. I recommend keeping your stick on the upfield side for exactly the reason you have of staying on his hips, eliminating the back pass or roll back and forcing them down the alley. The thing that has always been more important to me is controlling field position. Having your teammates (i.e. hot slide, 2nd slide, etc.) know which way you plan to force a certain player has always been a priority for my style of coaching. Keeping players out of the middle of the field and forcing them to low shooting percentage areas is a must for me. I would typically coach all my players to play in this style and if there is a talented offensive player hurting us I would adjust for that specific player - perhaps shutting off his right hand and always forcing him left no matter where he was on the field.
Awesome videos you are doing. This helpes a lot especially if you have to teach youself as there are only few coaches availiable as in germany. It would be very helpful if you could do some tutorials on individual and team defense drills and what it is important to focus on.
Thanks for the comment mrxfendt! I definitely have a few thoughts on what drills can really help. On an individual level getting lots of 1 on 1 dodging is a great way to practice defensive positioning. The most important thing in 1 on 1 defending is controlling where the offensive player going on the field. For team defense drills it is smart to make sure every defensive player especially the midfielders understand the slide packages. I like to try and go over every position with every player if I can. I'll add defensive drills to my tutorials list.
Hey Bomber Stringz thanks for the comment. I don't have any specific brands that I recommend but for younger players and most high school players I recommend using a light shaft. Something like a Kryptolyte shaft from Warrior or equivalent from another brand. The light shaft helps the speed of your checks and ball handling ability. As players get older and stronger they can upgrade to Titanium shafts that will be heavier but will last much longer. Don't get a super skinny head or a super wide head. Something in the middle is a good mix for easier catching but good ball handling as well.
I just wanna say thank you. I'm trying out for my lacrosse team in spring and I am new to the sport so I was looking up loads of gameplay and how to do everything. I've seen gameplay where they cradle but I didn't know what the shooting cradle was. I didn't know how to do it and I was getting down over it. After watching tons of vids yours was the only one that actually covered what I wanted. Thank you.
Hi Jack thanks for the comment. We're so glad you found our video and it helped! Let me know how you progress and if there are other items you would like me to cover. Remember there is no substitute for practice get out and hit the wall.
Awesome video. Absolutely very helpful and learned a lot from it, which I am confident that I can step up my game as a close defense. If I were to ask you to post new vids, can you post tutorial videos of how to be a good ball handler with a pole, as it's never the easiest part of playing pole?
Hi Jonathan, Thanks for the comment I'm glad it helped. I think ball handling as a d-pole is difficult to learn but having a defender who is confident with their stick is such an asset. I'll definitely add it to my tutorials list.
Hi Julie, Thanks for asking. Dodging, in terms of sports such as lacrosse, basketball, or hockey, is a way of moving quickly using force, quick changes of direction, and deception to get past one's defender and score a goal (or basket).
Hi Juan, Thanks for asking. More often than not coaches will tell close defenders to play only with your strong hand. I certainly coach my players this way. I played quite a bit in college as a defensive midfielder and would switch hands to keep the head of my stick up-field depending on which side of the field I was on. All that practice switching hands made me really comfortable playing defense with either hand being dominate. In this video I sort of just fell into old muscle memory habits . . . Although I do think keeping the head of your stick upfield makes it harder for the offensive player - as long as the Defender is confident and skilled enough to play with both hands and he doesn't get out of position while switching.
as an extra piece of mind, I wrap a piece of tape around the quarter and then also secure it to the end of the shaft before sliding the butt end back on... I used to fix my players sticks the way shown in the video and would wind up with a few D Poles running down the field with a quarter sliding back and forth on the inside of their shaft making noises because the quarter got moved around as they continued to do the things that screwed up their butt end in the first place. While they loved the noise, I love the stick being legal more ... good video
Hey Braylon - thanks for asking! This is a part of shooting on the run, but it doesn't cover angles of attack, body rotation, or generating accuracy. I'll follow up with a video on shooting about shooting on the run.
Thanks for reaching out - fun to have some international lax action on the comment board! Seems like you might know one of my old teammates, Seth Mahler. He plays for Israel and works in their lacrosse development program.
