LACROSSE ADVANCED SCOOPING
GET IT OFF THE GROUND!
MORE FREE VIDEOS ON PAGES THROUGHOUT THE SITE / ALSO CHECK OUT THE ICON VIDEO LIBRARY
ADVANCED SCOOPING INSTRUCTION
As players start getting better and competition starts improves, groundballs become more and more crucial to success. Less accomplished players can be important to successful teams by being workhorses and picking up groundballs. Many of the best groundball players in the game have the ability to pick up the ball using a variety of techniques. The move that intermediate players should learn is to pick up the ball using one hand. Many coaches are going to read this and have a heart attack. All the time, coaches yell, “Pick the ball up with two hands!”. In reality though, picking the ball up one-handed can be even more effective at times. It’s just that the players need to be told to practice picking the ball up one-handed.
Scooping the ball one-handed gives the player a longer reach so they can get to the ball before a defender. It also allows the player to use his free arm to stick out and protect from checks if the defender is closing in from behind. Furthermore, when there is a pursuing defender, a one-handed scoop allows the offensive player to run faster and be less exposed to a defensive check. One-handed scooping should not always be used; for example, when a player is picking up a ball in a mass of players and really needs to get low and protect his stick with two hands.
Because there are many situations in which one-handed scooping is effective, players should practice this skill. When practicing one-handed scooping it is important to stress the fundamentals of two-handed scooping. It is necessary for the player to get low and make the scoop (very top) of his stick as parallel to the ground as possible. It is also important for the player to bring the head of his stick to his head as soon as he gets the ball off the ground to protect from checks. This breaks the traditional thinking that a player must always pick the ball up with two hands. If you watch professional or high level college games, you will notice great players getting some amazing groundballs by using one hand. Your players are capable of doing that as well, but they just need to practice. As a coach, remember that you should always question things and look for new answers. The one-handed groundball is a classic example of where tradition overrides reason and prevents some players from reaching their full potential.
After you learn how to scoop well utilizing these fundamentals, then you can move on to some of our more advanced skills featured in our VIDEO section.
KEYS
1 | Use two hands whenever possible
2 | Stay low
3 | Remember fundamentals, bring the stick up to your face
