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Top Tips for Playing Lacrosse

By Tate Palumb

Lacrosse is a game rich in history, involving a stick and rubber ball. First created by North American Indians in the 15th century, this game was a favorite pastime for recreation. However, the Indians soon discovered that the game was physically demanding, making it a great training tool for teaching the warriors to fight.

Nowadays Lacrosse players use a titanium stick and rubber ball. In the early years the sticks were wooden. Back then as many as 1,000 would join in a single game that often lasted for three days. Matches would start as soon as the sun came up and go on until it was dark. Trees and rocks became the goals and they were between 500 yards and a half mile apart.

By the 17th century, the Jesuit missionaries from France learned about the game and soon the word spread. Today, Lacrosse remains popular, being considered a national sport played by people in the United States and Canada, as well as England, Ireland, Australia, and Scotland among other countries. To win in the game of Lacrosse, it takes endurance and strategy. As you will see below, inside tips can also give you an advantage to win this game.

You must become extremely familiar with your Lacrosse stick, even taking it with you running or walking. The more you hold it, the more it will feel like part of you. It’s important to become ambidextrous with it. If you’re left-handed, practice a lot with your right and vice versa. Practice with the cradle as well by varying the speed and switching direction.

Lacrosse experts will recommend doing sprints to help build up your endurance and your legs. These same experts also believe wooden sticks to be superior over their titanium counterparts. Two reasons are that the metal is cold and causes the hands to stiffen, and the plastic heads break and wear out more quickly. The main reason however, is that the wooden sticks are more absorbent upon impact.

Each of the teams have offensive or attack players, and defensive players who act as guards. The offensive units must be careful of accidentally helping the opposing defense, as their job is to make goals. As you get nearer the goal, keep your passes as short and accurate as possible, all the while making them near the outside and away from your opponents defense. When you’re in possession of the ball, pass it hard and NEVER just stand there. When you play Lacrosse you have to keep moving even if you just run backward and forward down the field.

Also when you’re in possession, make a lot of fake passes to keep the defense on their toes. Keep your stick moving so the defense will have to do the same as they keep you in their sights. Be careful to never pass the ball to someone who is well covered. Lacrosse is great fun but it keeps you thinking and moving every minute.

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Tate Palumb provides a range of resources at his web site: Foxs Lacrosse, where you will find information and inside tips to help you play a better game of Lacrosse. Why not take a look for yourself: www.foxslacrosse.com