This article appears in the July/August edition of US Lacrosse Magazine, a digital-only publication available exclusively to US Lacrosse members. Join or renew today for access to this 96-page edition, which includes immersive and interactive features as well as video tips from professional players. Thank you for your support!
Virtual training is all the rage these days. Whether through Zoom, YouTube or Instagram, the resources to connect players and coaches despite their physical separation have surged. US Lacrosse even established a digital emporium, Lax at Home, loaded with drills, at-home workouts, stick-skill exercises, e-learning and development opportunities to keep members active and connected during the pandemic.
For more than a decade, US Lacrosse Magazine has provided the platform for some of the sport’s top players to share tricks of the trade. We went next level for this digital-only edition. Seven elite professional and U.S. national team players put on a clinic for our cameras at US Lacrosse’s Tierney Field in Sparks, Md. These next several pages are chock full of tips and drills for youth and high school players, including embedded videos.
We are here to help you get ready to get back on the field. For more ways to train on your own, visit uslacrosse.org/lax-at-home. The last in our digital-edition how-to series is Megan Taylor.
Megan Taylor
Maryland '19 / WPLL Fight
Butt-End Training
1. Grab a field stick and tennis balls
A men’s or women’s stick will do.
2. Start in ready position
Stand on the balls of your feet, holding your stick with your thumb at eye level.
3. Have a partner shoot tennis balls at you
When the ball releases from the shooter’s stick, explode out of your stance, stepping toward the ball and getting your body behind it.
4. Hit the ball with the butt end of your stick
This works on your hand-eye coordination.
5. Punch both hands out
Not just your top hand.
6. Follow behind with your body
Step into the shot with both feet and get your bellybutton behind the ball.