Top Three Defensive Footwork Drills for Women's Lacrosse
Importance of Defensive Footwork
Strong defensive footwork is essential for lacrosse players to maintain positioning, react quickly to offensive moves, and prevent attackers from advancing. These three drills focus on improving balance, agility, and reaction time, helping defenders stay solid on the ball and reduce the risk of getting beaten in one-on-one situations.
1. Defensive Stance Drill
Objective: This drill helps players establish a strong defensive stance and maintain proper posture and footwork.
Execution:
Stand in front of a wall or net for stability.
Drop into an athletic defensive stance, keeping the spine straight and knees bent.
Push off with one foot to move laterally while keeping the upper body stable.
Avoid rocking back and forth—only the lower body should be moving.
Perform the drill in both directions, focusing on maintaining a low, balanced position.
Key Coaching Points:
Keep your upper body still and engaged.
Maintain a straight spine to ensure proper balance.
Train consistently to build muscle memory for defensive positioning.
Benefits:
Improves balance and lateral movement.
Reinforces proper defensive positioning.
Helps defenders stay grounded and ready to react.
2. Hawk Drill
Objective: This drill focuses on closing the gap between the defender and the ball carrier while maintaining control and balance.
Execution:
Start in a defensive stance.
Approach the attacker with two big steps followed by two smaller steps to prepare for quick directional changes.
Once near the attacker, break down into a stable position, similar to a linebacker stance in football.
Stay light on your feet, ready to react to offensive moves.
Backpedal and repeat the sequence.
Key Coaching Points:
Use a "big-big, little-little" step pattern to control speed and balance.
Stay light on your feet to react quickly to dodges.
Keep your head up and focus on the attacker's movement.
Benefits:
Enhances the ability to close down space on attackers.
Develops quick reaction time and proper defensive breakdown positioning.
Trains defenders to anticipate and respond to offensive direction changes.
3. Zig-Zag Drill
Objective: This drill improves lateral movement and directional change response by mimicking an attacker’s dodging movements.
Execution:
Set up cones in a zig-zag pattern.
Begin in a defensive stance and shuffle laterally from one cone to the next.
When reaching a cone, drop your hips and push off with your outside foot to change direction quickly.
Focus on maintaining balance and avoiding extra steps when transitioning.
Repeat the drill in both directions.
Key Coaching Points:
Drop your hips and use explosive pushes to change direction efficiently.
Avoid unnecessary extra steps to improve agility.
Keep your feet moving and stay low in your stance.
Benefits:
Develops explosive movement for defensive shifts.
Helps defenders stay in front of attackers during dodges.
Reinforces proper body positioning for rapid directional changes.
Final Thoughts
Incorporating these three drills into regular training sessions will significantly improve defensive footwork, reaction speed, and positioning. Defenders who master these techniques will be better equipped to contain attackers, reduce scoring opportunities, and contribute to a stronger defensive unit. Consistent practice and attention to detail will ensure players develop the agility and confidence needed to excel on the field.
