Lacrosse Shooting Tips

There are a number of lacrosse shooting tips that can be used to make you a more proficient and deadly offensive player on the lacrosse field. Shooting a lacrosse ball accurately is as difficult as shooting a hockey puck accurately into the net, though players are able to shoot the ball from a number of different heights and angles. Learning different lacrosse shooting tips will allow for shooters to have a number of different options on offense.

1. Overhand shot. The overhand lacrosse shot is a beginner's lacrosse shot, though it is as efficient as even the more complex lacrosse shots out there. This shot consists of bringing the basket back behind your head and flinging the ball forward. A lacrosse shooting tip with this shot entails making your stroke as short as possible, so that there is less time for defenders to block your shot. However, this may take some practice with this shortened stroke, so that the shot will be accurate.
2. Underhand shot. The underhand shot is just as it sounds, basically the same stroke as the overhand shot but with the stick and basket flinging the ball from ground-level. This change of direction is often hard for defenders and goalies to adjust to and properly block. One lacrosse shooting tip for this style of shot consists of using the ground when shooting in this way. While a bounce or two could slow the ball down and knock it off its intended course, it can also cause misdirection among defenders, leading to a goal.
3. Sidearm Shot. The sidearm shot is more difficult, as it consists of flinging the lacrosse ball out of the basket of the stick from the side in a relatively unnatural motion. Unless you are a very skilled shooter, this shot is often off the mark. One lacrosse shooting tip for the sidearm shot consists of keeping the stick as straight as possible with your body when you take the shot, so that the ball heads for the intended target. Think of this in similar terms to swinging a baseball bat at a pitched ball. You want to keep it as level as possible so that maximum force can be directed behind it.