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About Jonathan Edwards
Expertise
I'm a former All-American goalie and have played every position at all levels. I also coached a high school program in Massachusetts for four years where I helped a number of athletes go on to play college ball in all divisions. Currently I spent much of my time between Massachusetts and Calgary, AB Canada where I have had a chance to work with a number of box lacrosse players who have gone on to play field in the US. Currently I run two blogs. www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com for goalies. As well as www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com for field players. I also run the number one lacrosse newsletter for goalies and the number one conditioning newsletter for field players.

Experience
I was a high school All-American who was recruited by a number of Division 1 schools. I have also been a coach and ran a high school program for four years. I have coached at summer camps and also run my own website for goalies as well as a lacrosse fitness site.

Publications
Too numerous to name here.

Education/Credentials
Currently I am the most requested Expert on AllExperts.com in the category of lacrosse. I was an Olympian in the sport of luge. Also attended Stanford University. Former strength and conditioning coach who has helped thousands of athletes world wide improve their game.

Awards and Honors
I was an All-American and an All-League player as well as the MVP of the East West Prep School All Star Game.

You are here: Experts > Sports > Lacrosse > Lacrosse > shooting

Lacrosse - shooting

Expert: Jonathan Edwards - 10/29/2009

Question
I coach at the youth level but Im having trouble with my son always shooting side arm.
I decided to make him shoot overhand and its not working too well,either Im not explaining it right or his habit is worse than I thought.When he shoots overhand now its always to high,I thought you had to get the elbow away from the body and the stick back and high.???
He is 12yrs old and plays in MD on rec and club teams.
Rick in Damascus.

Answer
Hey Rick, you're right on the elbow away, stick back and high, stuff but something you might be missing has to do with the pocket of the stick. If the pocket is shallow then the ball is going to release high. That being said, when you teach shooting like that, it is easy for an opponent to check the stick during that big long wind up.

So, couple of things:

1) It takes a lot of core strength to shoot overhand. If your twelve year old isn't there yet, he's going to want to migrate to that sidearm shot that is easier to produce.

2) Lots of kids can shoot well sidearm, or with huge windups overhand, but the truth is there is a real lack of kids who can keep the stick by their ear and rifle off feeds and shots from in tight to the head. This is actually easier to do with a stick that releases high.

3) His habit might be quite bad actually. It takes, roughly, 10,000 (thousand) repetitiions to break a bad habit. It's a good thing he's 12. Plenty of time to fix.

I had luck coaching kids, instead of having them shoot from the same position on the field with different technique (i.e. outside shots, sidearm, to overhand) I would have them work on a completely different part of the field. So, move him in tight to the cage where he has to protect the stick by his head and then rifle it top corner. The other option is to set up an obstacle that he has to shoo around. For example, move another cage, or two cages, close to the cage he is going to shoot at. Put the two cages so close together that the only way you can get a shot off is overhand. If he shoots sidearm his stick will hit the pipe. If he comes over the top he gets the shot off. Does that make sense?

I really like putting kids in situations like that because instead of it being confrontational, (that's wrong, shooting sidearm is wrong) I like to put them in a situation where shooting sidearm won't work for them. Then they have to adjust. There is a time an place for sidearm shots. You and I just know that to build a shooters arsenal we have to have an overhand shot as well.

Hope that helps Rick. Let me know if you need anything else and I'll be happy to clarify. All the best to you and your son.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
www.LacrosseGoalieTips.com
www.YourBestLacrosse.blogspot.com

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