A Lacrosse Weekend 11.6.21

Welcome to "A Lacrosse Weekend" my weekly compilation of thoughts, ideas, stories, myths, truths, about the great game of lacrosse. I hope you enjoy it!   

If you are a men's or women's lacrosse player, coach, or parent, I think you will love the weekly content, videos, and analysis!

Mindset Skill of the Week | S.T.O.P

The Power of Postures

When I'm working with my JM3 Athletes, we spend the majority of our time watching film and discussing how to "Read and Influence" a play.  One critical way to influence a play is through deception which comes in many forms and postures.  The defense, both your man and the defense as whole, will watch and defend literally everything you do; they will defend your dodges, your feeds, your shots, your cuts, your picks etc!  But here's the cool part, the defense will even defend your fakes!  What a cheat code!  Why would a player ever allow the defense to defender what they're actually doing when he/she could influence the defense to try and stop their fakes?!

Over the next several weeks, I am going to breakdown the main six or seven postures I have identified: Directional Posture, Double Threat or Dodging Posture, Shooting Posture, Passing Posture, Post up Posture, and Retreating Posture.  

Directional Posture

Directional Posture is arguably the most important concept a player can learn.  The defense will react to where you're looking, facing, or projecting in terms of direction.  Don't look or project where you're cutting, dodging, shooting, passing etc.  Sadly, most players project where they're going and I know why!  

When players practice in structure, are coached on a new move, practice footwork various dodges, rep out moves on cones in a lesson, practice a Questionmark Move, anything/everything, they are all practicing projecting what they're doing. 

Think about it.  Since the time a player learned how to throw: "See your target, point your butt end in the direction of your target, step to your target and follow through." kids have basically been taught to play with "Obviousness" as opposed to learning how to play with "Deception."  They are literally repping over and over again,  Projecting where they're going and what they're doing!

A valid argument to be made is all you have to do is master Directional Posture and then let everything else sort itself out!

Listen to this awesome Flying Solo Podcast titled "The Art of Deception" if you want to dive in, which I encourage you to do! 

Below are several videos showing how players use Directional Posture to their advantage.

Directional Posture in 2man Game Pick Refusal

Erik Law, one of the most underrated players in recent memory is a master of using deception!  Watch how he uses directional posture in this 2man situation pick refusal.

Receivers in the NFL use Directional Posture to set up their changes of direction.  Lax players should do the same to set up a roll back!

Back Up Pick Uses The Power of Directional Posture

Here, watch E Law use directional posture in an off ball picking situation where he picks off Ryan Brown's man using a  Back up Pick,  E Law's man doesn't recognize a pick is occurring  Because of his directional posture!

Breaking a Face Guard Off Ball Using Directional Posture

Check out this video from a girl's lacrosse game where a player being face guarded uses directional posture to get open.

Head Fakes Are Directional Fakes

This video is from Quarantine in the spring of 2020 where we were doing some Area 1v1's and what we were messing around with was using head fakes to look off the next move.  Head Fakes are pretty sick versions of Directional Posture.

Kids grow up forced to learn Fake Fundamentals like overhand passing and are discouraged from utilizing deceptive feeds such as side are or underhand feeds, BTB Feeds, Backhand Feeds etc, which basically hijack a kid's ability to read and influence plays.

BTB Feeds Leverage The Deception of Directional Posture

Why are BTB Feeds so effective?  They utilize the power of Directional Posture!  Here watch Kylie Ohlmiller driving top side and sliding an unlikely pass to a teammate who's defender was relaxed due to the apparent action of Kylie.

 No Look Skip Passes Of Course!

Here Grant Ament uses the Directional Posture concept in his no look pass to open up the Skip through the defense. 

Directional Posture in Shooting is Fundamental. 

As the great Darris Kilgour says, "Every time you wind up, you are telling the goalie a story."

And as @UKLaxFan so intelligently asks: "Is your story Fact or Fiction!?"

Check out this video of Darris Kilgour explaining an unorthodox, but brilliant way to learn how to learn deception in shooting!

Shooting a Leaner Is Directional Posture

Watch Challen Rogers use Directional Posture to lean left and shoot right.  So sick!

Curve Balls Use Swing Angle in Directional Posture

Check out Austin Staats with a sick use of Directional Posture in his patented Curve Ball.  He starts his swing in the direction of the right pipe, and alters it to the left pipe leaving the goalie (one of the best in the world!) jumping the wrong way! 

Backhand Feeds Use Directional Posture

Watch Selena Lasota Face Dodge underneath, selling dodge, selling "All in" on a dodge leaving distracting the defense from her backhand feed! 

Victoria Look Backs

This subtle head turn creates a hesitation move out of the concept of Directional Posture.  An amazing distraction, the Victoria Look Back can be used in dodging, feeding and shooting!

Look at this insane Victoria Look Back from Ryan Lee as he freezes the goalie! 

Most if not all of these skills from the videos above are taught in detail in our new training program the JM3 Sports' Backyard Curriculum.

We have received great feedback for this program and it can be done with small groups. Game changer.... right in your back yard!

Check it out [CLICK HERE]

Have a great weekend!