Stickhandling Skills 3: R-L 3-D Skills

EXPLANATION:

• Player X carries the ball to the first set of cones and tracks at speed towards the Right cone, positioning the ball at 1 o’clock in relation to his body. X decelerates, leans right, then pulls the ball to the left.
• As the ball is moving laterally, X lifts the ball up and over the cones (over a flat stick) moving forward. She settles the ball on the move, tracks towards the Right cone at the next line of cones, and repeats.
• After the 3rd set of cones, X shoots, turns back and jogs to starting point. 

COACHING POINTS:

• The Right to Left drag for this skill does not need to move the ball outside the player’s body. Instead, she should be able to keep her stick blade close to the ball as it moves laterally and keep the ball inside her shoulders.
• The lift forward should be controlled, and player should move stick and body with the ball and be in contact with the ball at all times, when the ball is in the air and when it lands (see photos 3 & 4: R-Lpulllift1.png, R-Lpulllift4.png)

EVALUATION:

• The drag and lift movement does not require very sharp changes of direction and wide lateral drags - but the skills   should be executed quickly and in a controlled manner to be effective. As with other stickhandling drills, skills should be fluid at speed, avoiding stop-start movements