How to Shoot A Lacrosse Ball

Shooting a lacrosse ball can be lots of fun when you score, but missing your shot can be embarrassing. It's ok to miss your shot because you can't score every single time you try; but, if you aren't trying to get better, then you're never going to become a better lacrosse player. Learning how to shot a lacrosse ball properly comes down to the correct body movement and fundamentals that any lacrosse player can learn. Shooting doesn't need to be as hard as some lacrosse players make it out to seem, and being able to shoot hard isn't the only thing you'll need to learn.

Shooting a lacrosse ball is one of the four skills that great lacrosse ball handlers. If you remember in our last two articles, we talked about the fundamentals of catching a lacrosse ball and passing a lacrosse ball. Just like the rest of the game, shooting in lacrosse begins with your feet and making sure they are moving. You'll rarely shoot without moving your feet, so you need to move your feet when you practice shooting. This means stepping towards the goal when you shoot or shooting on the run.

Time and room shots are when you're free to shoot without a defender, and you can really wind up for your shot. You'll begin by stepping towards the goal in a crow hop or "cross over" step to gain power and momentum. With your stick up in a shooting position, reach back in a controlled cradle to gain more power for your follow-through. This reaching should cause you to rotate your torso, abs, and hips away from the goal; you want this. Once your far back enough to get power, but not too far to lose control, you'll swing your stick forward while rotating your body towards the goal. This rotation of your hips, abs, and torso combined with the swinging of your stick generates the power. The final boost of energy comes from snapping your wrists toward the goal or in a downward position. Your hands should end up on the opposite side of your body when you follow through and rotate.

Above, a "shooting position" is referenced. A shooting position is the same as a passing position, with the lacrosse stick held up and the lacrosse head close to your own head. Your dominant hand should be in the middle of the lacrosse stick with your dominant arm forming an "L". That "L" shape is achieved with your forearm going straight up, and your bicep going straight out from your shoulder.

Your bottom hand should be on the bottom of the lacrosse shaft, and your grip very tight. As you shoot and follow-through, your bottom hand will stay in place while your top hand slides down.

Shooting a lacrosse ball on the run has to do with doing two different things at once. Your running and your shooting need to be completely disconnected. One great analogy for how to shoot a lacrosse ball on the run is a tank, which can move the top half and bottom half separately at the same time.

When shooting a lacrosse ball on the run, your torso will rotate back to generate power and rotate forward as you follow through with your stick as you continue a running path. The best shooters can keep the same running path and not deviate from it while shooting; doing this works well because you're hard to track for goalies and hard to defend when moving. Your shooting motion and rotation are the same, just less dramatic to retain control while running. Rotation in the torso and abs are the most important, and your hips have to be running, so they are not involved in that process.