Behind every great lacrosse team is a great goalie, right?
Of course, in the bigger picture, it takes all team members to make any team great – whether it is lacrosse, hockey, basketball, or football. But, the dig even deeper, it takes each of those individual players working on their own, too, to be strong as an individual.
Then, when all the individuals combined as a team are strong, you get an unbeatable lacrosse team.
And, part of becoming a stronger and more effective team player – in this case, specifically, a lacrosse goalie – is exercising. But, while general exercises are important for building stamina and strength, there are also specialized exercises you should be doing based on your position to improve your efficiency at that specific position.
So, if you are looking to become the next Alex Heger, Benny Pugh or Tyler Blaisdell check out these 7 great exercises to improve your skills as a lacrosse goalie. From improving your reaction time to getting your foot speed to as fast as possible, these workouts cover it all:
- Jump Rope
This is one of my personal favorites because it is simple, you probably know how to do it, and it uses very easy to get ahold of equipment that is also portable for LAX players.
But, jumping rope is a great lacrosse goalie exercise that will improve your foot speed and your balance.
Grab any standard jump rope and warm-up for your next game by jumping rope for a few minutes. Your feet will be nice and hot before even stepping on the field! - Juggling
Who says exercise can’t be fun?
I don’t recommend trying to juggle during practice, but just incorporating it into your workout routine at home or even just doing it in your spare time is a great way to improve your hand-eye coordination. And, we all know how important that is as a lacrosse goalie.
Start with just 3 balls and then progress to 5 balls once you’ve mastered 3. - Catching Cards
This is another drill that improves hand-eye coordination, but it is more of a mental drill. However, you will need a partner for this one.
Have your partner stand on a bucket or chair with a deck of playing cards in hand. Next, have them flick the cards one at a time and you have to save the cards by driving your top hand and lead foot to catch the card.
The angle of which they are standing stimulates the angle you would see a shot in a normal lacrosse game.
Have your partner continue to quickly flick cards one after another. - Goalie Lead Hand Drill
Once you are done with catching cards, if you still need a little practice with your lead hand, check out this drill.
Simply have your coach or a partner throw balls at you and you have to save them only using your top hand. - Box Jump
Jumping up onto a box is perfect for lacrosse goalies because it improves the fast-twitch muscle fibers throughout the body. And, this one is simple:
Grab a box, place it on the ground and practice your explosive jump by jumping up onto the box and back down. Repeat several times. - Long Lateral Jumps
As an LAX goalie, you need to be able to move your body laterally very quickly seeing as it is critical for you to step at an angle to get your body in front of the ball.
So, try doing some long lateral jumps which involve jumping side to side in a skater motion to work on your explosion and lateral movement.
Here is a great demo of this exercise! - Hot Potato
This final exercise is used by lacrosse goalies to help reduce rebounds.
Simply throw the ball back and forth – catching and releasing it as soon as possible. During this exercise, ensure two things: you are watching the ball at all times and that you are receiving the ball with soft hands.
Which exercise are you going to try first?
Or, if you have another exercise every lacrosse goalie should try, share it with us in the comment section below!