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General Offense tips

Advice for all the Midfield? Tips from the coaches. Advice from players.

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Wezalmighty
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General Offense tips

Postby Wezalmighty Mon Feb 27, 2006 5:52 pm

Hey all, Found this collection of tips from the Warwick Lacrosse website. I think they came from one of the laxlinks type web things.

Anyway, theyre a collection of handy tips for general offense.

    1. Make your defense man play you and you alone every second you are in the game. Keep moving all the time so that he must center his attention on you an not be in position to help out his fellow defense men.

    2. In moving the ball around the circle, make all passes sharp, short, and to the outside, away from the defense man.

    3. Make feed passes hard.

    4. When you have the ball, never stand still - keep moving all the time - if necessary run backwards and forwards - but keep moving. When you are ready to make a pass, take one step back quickly and move.

    5. All feed passes must be thrown directly overhand or directly underhand - not sidearm.

    6. Always move to meet every pass, and circle away from your defense man.

    7. When you have the ball, be constantly faking passes - keep your defense man's stick moving.

    8. When in possession of ball, make the defense man play your stick - watch his stick - the position of it will determine the direction of your feed and the type of dodge you might try.

    9. Take pains to make every pass good.

    10. Never make a pass to a man who is covered just to get rid of the ball.

    11. If an attack man is being ridden hard and can't dodge or get away - the nearest man on each side goes to help him.

    12. On all long shots, a man must be on the crease.

    13. On every screen shot the crease man should check-up on the defense man's stick, and immediately face the goalie, so that he is ready to bat in a rebound.

    14. After receiving a pass, as the ball moves around the outside, look first at the man who threw you the ball to see what he is doing, then at the crease.

    15. If you receive a pass after cutting and haven't got a good shot, hold onto the ball.

    16. Place all shots, usually for a far corner, and shoot hard. When within five yards of the goal, the shot should be for a top corner.

    17. After picking up a loose ball, turn and face the crease immediately. If nobody is open, move in fast until you are picked up.

    18. Don't dodge if there is an open man. Don't hold the ball long unless you are planning a dodge. Keep it moving with quick, short passes.

    19. Always be in position to back up shots and feeds. When a cut is made, or a shot is taken, the whole attack must play a part, moving to be in a position to backup a pass or a shot. Control the ball!

    20. Never try to dodge when men are in position to back up.

    21. Never try to force in, with the ball or by a pass, if the defense is drawn in. Pull them out first.

    22. Never stand so close together that one man can cover two attack men.

    23. When there is a loose ball on the ground, go after it fast and hard, you must have the ball!

    24. Always keep your field balanced in order that you stay in better position to back up, and give your teammates space to work in.

    25. Shoot plenty, but only if you feel you have a good shot.

    26. Always have one, preferably two, men behind the goal to back up shots.

    27. Time your cuts, don't cut if the man with the ball is not watching or not in position to pass.

    28. Make full cuts - go through and out - don't cut at half speed or hang around the crease after your cut.

    29. Zig your cuts, fake left - go right, fake right - go left. Don't always run at the same speed, change of pace is a very effective method of getting open.

    30. After the ball has been cleared, if you have a wide open opportunity to dodge, do it, or if you are sure a man is open, pass to him, otherwise settle the ball down and let your attack get set up. Remember, after a clear the wimpy midfielders will need time to catch their breath. Middies rest on offense, not defense, Control The Ball!

    31. Every man on the attack should try at least two dodges every game. Learn at least three different types of dodges.

    32. When you lose the ball, ride it. The close attack must ride and ride hard until the ball is past midfield.

    33. Don't rush at a man when riding - particularly behind the goal. Force him to pass - force him in the direction where there is help. Talk all the time and run hard. The success of an attack depends on their riding ability and their desire to have the ball.


I know its a long post and I appologise. But I try follow them and I feel that my game has improved.
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Postby aaron Mon Feb 27, 2006 6:14 pm

lol yeah, we blatently stole them!
we point our fresh towards them as there picking up the game
DanSawyer
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Re: General Offense tips

Postby DanSawyer Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:39 pm

Wezalmighty wrote:16. Place all shots, usually for a far corner, and shoot hard. When within five yards of the goal, the shot should be for a top corner.



I've recently been watching 'Offensive Wizardry' about once every other day (learn by osmosis - never fails) and I'm sure Millon said that crease shots should be aimed at the ground just inside the goal, especially when shooting from a high position. Not that the highlights reel shows him folowing that advice all the time...

Have I been practising the wrong thing?
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Re: General Offense tips

Postby Wezalmighty Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:45 pm

DanSawyer wrote:
Wezalmighty wrote:16. Place all shots, usually for a far corner, and shoot hard. When within five yards of the goal, the shot should be for a top corner.



I've recently been watching 'Offensive Wizardry' about once every other day (learn by osmosis - never fails) and I'm sure Millon said that crease shots should be aimed at the ground just inside the goal, especially when shooting from a high position. Not that the highlights reel shows him folowing that advice all the time...

Have I been practising the wrong thing?


In Offensive Wizardry, Million focuses on the basics. But to be honest, he's talented enough to be more creative and thus pulls off all sorts of stuff that wouldn't be recommended.
Just stick to the basics, the video is pretty good at helping you get the groundwork down.

The above tips are consolidated from many different lacrosse players with many different histories. Maybe the guy who submitted number 16 had more luck landing them in top corners.

Its whatever works for you really
Wez Morris
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Re: General Offense tips

Postby DanSawyer Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:56 pm

Cool, I'll stick to the vid for now :)
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Postby cjlax Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:26 pm

Top corners or bar wraps look better! Greater potential for a goal celebration!
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Postby DanSawyer Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:29 pm

CJLAX wrote:Top corners or bar wraps look better! Greater potential for a goal celebration!



Bar wraps? Sounds painful.
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Postby cjlax Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:31 pm

Central high shots just below the bar will wrap around it if it isn't a heavy duty net! Works well on rage cages!!
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Postby DanSawyer Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:36 pm

CJLAX wrote:Central high shots just below the bar will wrap around it if it isn't a heavy duty net! Works well on rage cages!!


OK. not sure how I'd practise that against the village hall!
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Mr.Stanford
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Postby Mr.Stanford Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:20 pm

im sure wez can help you out with some home made magic!
Hitchin

Tros ryddid gollasant eu gwaed
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Postby DanSawyer Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:25 pm

That'd be nice :D

Been pondering trying to make a goal.
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Wezalmighty
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Postby Wezalmighty Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:47 pm

There's a long story behind home made goals. One of Blood, tears and glory. And a few broken windows.

Long story short, If you want to make a goal, plumbing pipes with fish netting is a no.
I think someone built more a successful wooden goal with a sheet for netting.

Failing which, I don't know how far away you are but we can meet in a park somewhere and shoot at the RageCage
Wez Morris
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Postby DanSawyer Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:01 pm

Wood was the plan. Dare I ask about the plumbing pipes?

I'm Arundel area. Meeting with a goal sounds good, although I'm OK with the wall most of the time. Practise getting to the goal before practising putting it in there...

Where are you? Can quite easily come to Langstone if that's easiest.
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Postby Wezalmighty Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:24 pm

Wow, thats quite a distance.
I've got your email, I'll drop you a line tomorrow and we can sort sommit out.
Wez Morris
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Postby Mr.Stanford Thu Apr 05, 2007 12:08 am

love at 1st sight
Hitchin

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Re: General Offense tips

Postby UKLaxfan Fri May 04, 2007 1:56 am

DanSawyer wrote:
Wezalmighty wrote:16. Place all shots, usually for a far corner, and shoot hard. When within five yards of the goal, the shot should be for a top corner.



I've recently been watching 'Offensive Wizardry' about once every other day (learn by osmosis - never fails) and I'm sure Millon said that crease shots should be aimed at the ground just inside the goal, especially when shooting from a high position. Not that the highlights reel shows him folowing that advice all the time...

Have I been practising the wrong thing?

In close finishing is completely different to anywhere else as power is no longer a major factor.

Placement and deception are the keys.

The Top Corner reference just means that you can look to pick a corner at short range.

Four best options:

1) Quickstick - shoot before goalie is in position or has feet set. Just need to hit open area of net.

2) Change Plains - Shoot High-to-Low or Low-to-High, most goalies will try to match you stick on stick so take advantage of this.

3) Throw a Fake - This can be a stick/body or head fake, all that is needed is to get the Goalie to freeze or ideally react, then shoot opposite.

4) Move the Goalie - Take the extra step to improve the angle or step laterally so the goalie has to step as well. This can also be achieved by going from shooting overhand to sidearm.

A stick fake need only be a quarter cradle so you can shoot straight away. If you use a big fake with follow through you lose the advantage as you have to reset before you can shoot. The most common finishes 1-on-1 are a Fake High- Shoot Low or Fake Low- Shoot High.

This should be practiced regularly so that it becomes one continuous motion and automatic.

The two most common finishes you see at NCAA/MLL level are:-
1) Hi-Lo Finish - Throw a pump fake high to try get the goalie off his feet or at least moving upwards followed by a step and a low side arm finish, so the the plain of the shot and angle of the shot are both changed rapidly.
2) Dip & Dunk - This is the exact opposite, you throw the fake low and side arm to commit the goalie to step and go low, then simply bring the stick back up and shoot over the goalies head into the open top half of the goal. Expert exponents of this finish are Tom Marechek (Canada) and Zack Greer (Duke).

Finally, when in close you don't have to hit a corner you just have to get it past the goalie. One of the toughest saves to make is off stick side hip high. This is because the stick head has to rotate 180 degrees either way to get to the ball.

An attacker can take advantage of this fact and after throwing a high fake overhand to set up the goalie then simply drops the angle of their stick to 3/4 arm height and places the ball just wide of the Goalies body off stick side. It doesn't look as spectacular as a Dip & Dunk but is very effective. It works best when shooter & Goalie are matched, ie righty v righty or lefty v lefty.

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