Attack Advice

[Paul_lboro/wildcats]

Something I read on another well renowned forum that I found to be a good read :

Originally Posted by TOP SH3LF
I am only 5'7" so I feel ya on being vertically challenged, but that doesn't mean jack in our wonderful sport of lacrosse. I scored 72 pts (40 g, 32 a) my senior year and was a first team all-league attackman along with my attackmate who is also short.

Shooting:
Slow but accurate isn't a bad thing, but you can definitely increase your shot speed, you're still young. I would start the guy who can place the ball in close over the guy with a ripper who can't hit the cage. As an attackman, you need to realize that while stick skills are obviously essential, your legs are your biggest asset. Workout your lower body and strengthen your core and your shot speed WILL increase much faster and efficiently then working out your upper body alone. Also, muscle memory and perfecting your shooting motion are essential. Shoot before practice, shoot after practice, shoot at home, offer to shoot on your goalie buddies that way you're both getting work in. Shoot, Shoot, Shoot. Work the corners and shoot as you would in a game.

Getting Free/Open:
Along with increasing your shot speed, stronger legs will allow you to use your low center of gravity to your advantage. You will be able to back down much larger defenders to get to the cage or draw a slide for an assist opportunity. You don't have to be a lightning fast dodger to score goals and setup teammates, you just have to be aware. Good field vision is king for an attackman.

A simple and effective move I started using when I was about your age and carried with me all through high school was what I call a "bait" dodge. Simply hang your stick on purpose while backing down a defender. Be very aware of your stick so you don't get stripped. Just let it hang, and when he sees it and goes for the stick check pull it in and run right by him. Once you are past PROTECT YOUR STICK. Keep your stick in close, shorten your throwing motion when in traffic and snap passes and shots from your ear by choking up on the stick.

Chemistry:
One particular practice, my buddy and I scored about 10 goals in a row off of either a pass from me to him or a pass from him to me. Our coach stopped practice and exclaimed "Bobby and Jay Paul! I have a question... Do you two share the same (expletive) brain?!" See what I mean? I can't stress this enough: practice with the guys you play with. And I don't mean the practices organized by your coach. My friend and I who made first-team all-league our senior year never played together until that season. What had opposing coaches and fans thinking we had been playing together our whole lives was the fact that we were always together off the field: shooting, passing, and just hanging out. Even if you are screwing around in the backyard, playing with your attackmates as often as possible builds chemistry, chemistry builds consistency, and consistency builds excellence.

Alternate feeding eachother and shoot off the feed with one cradle or no cradle, quick releases equal goal increases. Again, work the corners and practice game like situations together. No buddy passes... EVER. Attackmen call buddy passes "hospital passes" because that is where your teammate will end up if you throw him a soft, arching pass. Snap your passes and get used to catching hard passes in return. Start zipping your passes now and it will be natural to you in no time. AND ALWAYS PRACTICE WITH YOUR GLOVES ON. You won't believe the difference this simple adjustment can make.

Stick:
This is completely personal preference, but a lot of attackmen prefer a low pocket for one handed cradling and ball control. There is lots of good stuff on here to show you how to string a low pocket.

Defense:
Attackman playing defense? What are you talking about dude? What I'm talking about is the lost art of the ride. "The Ride" is playing defense on the opposing teams clear. Always ride hard. ALWAYS RIDE HARD. Even if you can cause just a little chaos in the other teams clear it will start to breed turnovers. Whatever keeps the ball in your offensive end.

Intangibles:
Be a leader, be vocal, and always stay positive. Never come down on a teammate, go ahead and be loud, get in faces, but do it the right way. Much like the barking goalie running his defense, you are the quarterback, the point guard. As an attackman it is your duty to put points on the board, plain and simple. Know when to go to the cage hard, know when to shoot, and know when to pass. Know your offense. Lead by example and strive not only to make yourself better, but make those around you better.

I hope this long-winded response gives you a good base to start from. I've been playing attack since the first day I stepped on a field, and I love everything about it. Good luck with your transition and let me know if I can help w/ anything.

[broady]

Cheers Paul, good read, helped pass some time at work, and there's some good tips in there as well.
Time to get working!

[james_512]

Cheers Paul, good read, helped pass some time at work, and there's some good tips in there as well.
Time to get working!

its really true as well.. mr broady and myself usually chuck a ball around together and then have a shoot and a chat about the way we both like to play..

Yesterday I assisted two of his goals and if he could catch, he would have got more... I cant emphasise how imporant it is to just chuck a ball around with your team mates and to get to know the way each other plays outside of matches and training..

cheers for sharing this

[broady]

we all know my catching abilities james (or should that be disability???)...
you would have got a couple more if you could put the ball between that orange square shaped thing (dammit, i'm guilty of that as well!)

[Paul_lboro/wildcats]

Clive don't get me started on you not catching balls after I have killed myself to set you up!

[kjk20]

Clive don't get me started on you not catching balls after I have killed myself to set you up!

"Hi pot, meet kettle"

[Ketts19]

Clive don't get me started on you not catching balls after I have killed myself to set you up!

"Hi pot, meet kettle"

Snigger....

[Paul_lboro/wildcats]

Clive don't get me started on you not catching balls after I have killed myself to set you up!

"Hi pot, meet kettle"

Harsh, but fair

[UKLaxfan]

Nice interview by #IL with Casey Powell
http://video.insidelacrosse.com/video/v ... sey-powell

One of the things he mentions is his belief in improving fundamentals and that he is still striving to learn about the game and get better.

Casey Powell was the 2010 NLL League MVP, which for an American born player in a primarily Canadian sport is no easy achievement.

Congrats to Casey, I'm glad he is still playing and still enjoying the game

[UKLaxfan]

If you want to improve your skills and technique as an attackman

get hold of a Cornell game on DVD and watch #3 Rob Pannell play

they played Virginia this weekend shown on ESPN America

Virginia have Steele Stanwick another excellent attacker

[UKLaxfan]

Good article on Cornell Offensive Coach
http://www.theithacajournal.com/article ... ext|Sports

Assistant coach has revved up Cornell lacrosse attack
DeLuca: Rewkowski has had 'tremendous impact'

ITHACA -- The dangled carrot that accompanied the job description of offensive coordinator under new Cornell men's lacrosse coach Ben DeLuca was unusually appealing in one sense: the candidate would take over an offense anchored by 2011 Tewaaraton Trophy frontrunner Rob Pannell -- who, by the way, still had two years of eligibility remaining.

For Matt Rewkowski, 27, then a second assistant at Hofstra, the job was a no-brainer. He prioritized developing depth at midfield and a third attackman to complement Pannell and sophomore Steve Mock, as well as constructing plans to diversify his players' skill sets.

"The first thing was not only getting to know the strengths and weaknesses of the players, but also establishing relationships off the field and get a chance to know these guys, and what drives them," Rewkowski said.

Offensive improvement was expected this season.

The 2010 Big Red squad was too inconsistent at midfield; arguably too much was asked from players with too little game experience. Pannell was asked to carry too much of the load. Empty offensive possessions, at times, stacked upon each other like the heavyweight plate at a pancake house.

That was never more apparent than Cornell's 12-7 national semifinal loss to Notre Dame, in which the Irish forced Cornell into a one-dimensional offense.

That had to change in 2011. Such was the crux of the early conversations between DeLuca and Rewkowski.

"We knew what we had in Robert, but we didn't want to be one-dimensional," DeLuca said. "Knowing the attention Robert was going to generate, we wanted to make defenses pay for that type of attention."

On Saturday, Cornell will host Princeton in both teams' regular season finale. The Big Red (10-2) has already locked up the Ivy League title, and a seven-game winning streak has elevated the program to rankings of No. 3 (coaches) and 2 (media) in the latest polls.

Notable, certainly, but not entirely unexpected in the wake of 2010's final four appearance. What does raise eyebrows heading into Saturday's showdown is Cornell's offensive resume through 12 games. The Big Red ranks first in Division I in scoring offense (13.33) and scoring margin (4.83), and ninth in shooting percentage (.329). At the end of the 2010 season, Cornell ranked 17th, 13th and 29th in those categories.

Cornell also has jumped 19 spots in man-up offense and 14 spots in points per game. Comparatively, Cornell's numbers stack up favorably with the 2007 Big Red, arguably Jeff Tambroni's best team.

Each passing week, Cornell players have made a point in post-game press conferences to credit Rewkowski's work.

"He brings new elements to your game," Pannell said. "He's forced people to get out of their comfort zone and extend areas of their game they might not have necessarily done if he wasn't here."

Rewkowski is an exhaustive watcher of film, be it from the previous day's practice, the previous weekend's game, or the future opponent. Sometimes all of the above.

"He's gotten the most out of a lot of players this year," senior midfielder Jack Dudley said. "He probably doesn't like to admit it, but he loves to watch film and he's a very smart coach. He might be one of the smartest coaches I've been around."

Rewkowski is quick to credit the senior class for making his transition a seamless one. Beyond that, it's clear he and DeLuca had a plan established before the fall season. It's been executed thoroughly.

For instance, Rewkowski is a stickler for shooting technique.

"We spend so much time on shooting, and he's so demanding that you shoot the right way," Pannell said. "We spent a ton of time in the offseason going over simple mechanics that you do when you're at camp in fourth or fifth grade. We're doing it here, even without the ball, going through the motions."

Rewkowski cracked down on underarm and sidearm shots. For players like Roy Lang, who favored a sidearm release, that was a significant adjustment.

Lang's shooting percentage this year has jumped from .205 to .323. Other players show similar leaps. Pannell's percentage is up to .273 from .212 a year ago; senior David Lau's 2010 clip of .363 is now up to .447, and Dudley is shooting .346 one year after logging a .267 percentage.

One of the key factors, Rewkowski said, has been finding more ways to utilize Pannell off-ball. Cornell's midfielders are now more dangerous dodging threats, and more threats has translated into more headaches for opposing coaches.

"I've always believed that you figure your schemes and your philosophies based on the personnel that you have," Rewkowski said.

The lacrosse coaching community is a closely knit one; coaches often sit together at summer showcases or playoff games evaluating the same talent. At first glance, DeLuca believed -- correctly, he now says -- Rewkowski's personality fit the Cornell mold. But what DeLuca has found out over time is Rewkowski's advanced competence in two other areas: in-game adjustments and day-to-day instruction.

"His preparation is outstanding," DeLuca said. "The way he studies film, the way he teaches our guys.

"He's had a tremendous impact. His energy, his enthusiasm, his style of coaching -- our guys have really taken to it."

[UKLaxfan]

Quint & Matt Danowski talk thru dodging from GLE
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6209798