Lacrosse – Offense | Lacrosse Attack Drills: How to Become a Triple Threat

Attackmen, lacrosse’s offensive specialists, receive most of the glory as they pile up assists and goals. But to earn this coveted spot on the field, it requires practicing lacrosse attack drills that develop the crucial skills of dodging, shooting and passing. Attackmen who pose this triple threat rarely hurt for playing time.
5 Lacrosse Attack Drills to Practice Today

Groundballs

In any given game, the team with more groundballs is more likely have the most points on the scoreboard. As a result, players who practice the art of scooping properly do their team a big favor.

Since many players typically vie for the same groundball during games, it’s recommended to gain possession by scooping on the run rather than while standing still.

Drill to Practice:

Get a running start
Shield the defender with body position
Keep low to the ground
Tuck the stick close to the body
Scoop through in one motion
Bring the stick upwards towards the face
Explode forward with the ball
Stick Protection

In lacrosse, gaining possession of the ball is only half the battle. Players must fight to retain it as well. Stick protection skills are essential for holding onto the ball even when long-stick defenders lay check after check.

Plant and Pivot Drill:

Pair up players in twos
Give each pair a ball
Space the pair out around the field
One player is offense, the other defense
On the whistle, the offensive player shields his stick from his opponent and sets a pivot foot. The defender then tries to check the ball loose from the other player’s stick. The offensive player rotates on his pivot foot while protecting his stick as the defender moves about him. The players can switch sides after the second whistle.

Dodging

Once they have the ball, attackmen are often seen bobbing and weaving as they dodge past defenders. From the roll dodge to the bull dodge, attackmen have a number of options for getting to the cage. Attackmen who learn to be effective dodgers are likely to see more playing time and more scoring opportunities.

With a series of cones, attackmen can practice their form and technique. Then, if they buddy-up, lacrosse players can practice important aspects of dodging like change of direction and ball protection.

Top attackmen, like the New York Lizards’ Rob Pannell, do more than just split dodge. They have elevated their dodging into an art form.

lacrosse attack drills

Passing

Attackmen, who tend to be the assist leaders on a lacrosse team, benefit from having great passing skills. They must have the accuracy to feed the ball through defenders sticks to their teammates.

Top attackmen are the type of players who are rarely seen without a stick in their hands. They frequently throw the ball against the wall or anywhere they can.

Team practices, as well, center on passing drills.

Lacrosse Attack Drill:

Position two attackmen behind the cage on either side of the goal posts
Position two midfielders 10 yards in front of the cage on either side of the goal
Position two midfielders on each sideline
The sideline middie passes to the far attackmen behind the cage
The attackmen feeds the ball to the midfielder in front of the cage
The middie shoots
Repeat the drill for the opposite side
lacrosse attack drills

Shooting

Every player, especially attackmen, loves shooting practice. All that’s really need is a stick, a ball and a cage, but there are other ways to make it more fun.

Target Practice:

Place targets in the two bottom corners
Start running full-speed 20 yards from the cage
After running 5 yards do a split dodge
Around 10 yards from the cage, shoot on the run
Aim for either lower corner
Repeat the drill, but split dodge in the opposite direction
From groundballs to shooting, practicing all five of our lacrosse attack drills contributes to the creation a more complete offensive player.