A Lacrosse Weekend 3.12.22

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 

The Dodger's Advantage In 2man Game

There are many advantages in utilizing 2man games that have been well documented statistically by the likes of Joe Keegan, writer and analyst for the PLL.  I too have expounded upon 2man games regularly on my podcast, blog and of course in the men's and women's JM3 Coaches Training Program.  

Two man game advantages:

• Forces the defense to read, make  decisions, and communicate
• Creates "Addition by Subtraction" pulling a defender out of the slide package opening up skip lanes and backside space
• A pick is an obstacle in the path of the on ball defender in the "No switch" situation
• Easiest way to get two defenders on one or two offensive players on one.

Today I want to write about a concept I call  "The Dodger's Advantage" in 2man game which is the secret to successful 2man game.  Sadly, many players in men's and women's lacrosse get this wrong and it's usually the reason why their 2man game doesn't work!

The Dodger's Advantage is this: the on ball defender cannot play the dodger equally towards the goal and towards the pick.  If the dodger can be deceptive in their intentions either to use the pick or go to the goal, they can always get a step. 

Remember, the race (the dodge) begins when you say "go!"  Never let your defender know exactly when you're going to make your move.  The race also goes in the direction that you want to go!  Do not tip off your defender where you're going.  Look off your intentions and use jabs or hesitations to win the race to the pick or to the net.

Here is an example of an absolute master of deception and The Dodger's Advantage, Jeff Teat.  In this case Teat looked as if he was going to use the pick and effortlessly dodges into the middle refusing the up pick.

The ability to get a step on your defender to the pick is paramount because it allows you to more easily read how the defense is playing the pick.  Are they are switching or staying?  Are they going under or over the pick?  If you can read this, you can take advantage and it's a lot easier if you're not battling your man just to get there.  Check out the video of Jeff Teat using the Dodger's Advantage, looking off the pick and using a bounce hesitation move to get a step on his defender allowing him to effortlessly "Invite" or bait his defender over the pick.

Here's another example of how getting a step allows the dodger to read the defense in a switching situation.  From the beginning, the dodger looks off the pick and forces her defender to respect the threat of her dodge underneath.  Next, the dodger uses a jab hesitation move to get a topside step on her defender towards the pick.  Reading that her defender was backing off while the picker's defender was stepping up, she knew they were switching the pick.  Next she reengages her original defender to make sure she had both defenders hung up which opened up the slip and the Nations Look. 

In men's and women's women's lacrosse, the athletic teams on your schedule will likely push out on picks and try to fight over.  A dodger's ability to navigate this situation and turn it into an advantage (Inviting or Baiting the defender over) is in many ways what dodging is all about, but It's more like basketball dodging than the traditional 1v1 kids grow up doing.  This type of dodging is all about angles, precision, deception, hesitations and gaining position. The same team on your schedule that will be hard to beat 1v1 will also be the team that tries not to switch picks.  If you master the art of the Dodger's Advantage, you will be able to beat their pressure and invite or bait your defender over picks

The blog today has a ton of cutting edge concepts that will get you introduced to the Principles Based Lacrosse, the newly added content in the Coaches Training Program will teach you everything you need to implement and execute.

If you want more information on Principles Based Lacrosse, I have a brand new section in the Men's and Women's Coaches Training Programs called Principles Based Lacrosse that has all of the written, video, and audio content including every drill with descriptions which breakdown everything in this article and much more!

Watch these walkthroughs of the Coaches Training Program.

Coaches Training Program Walkthrough [Become a member here]

 Women's Coaches Training Program Walkthrough [Become a member here]

Mindfulness Thought Of The Week 

Mikey Thompson is the Head Coach at #5 Christopher Newport University and contributes regularly to this blog with great content including his passion, Mindfulness.  

"I've learned to talk to myself instead of listen to myself." James Gills  

In all of these situations, the read is the answer and it's a lot harder when you don't really get a step and you're battling an on ball defender.

Have a great weekend!