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"Wall Ball"
Jan 6, 2004
The single most effective training
technique that was implemented in my game, and the one
that I preach first and foremost to my players as a
coach, is one of the oldest. “WALL BALL”
is the one aspect of training that can help a player
develop and be the sure handed ball control player,
regardless of position, that every team needs.
by Paul Carcaterra
Paul Carcaterra is widely regarded as
one of the top youth lacrosse teachers in the USA. he
is a former captain and All-American at Syracuse. He
plays for the MLL New Jersey Pride. Carcaterra also
is co-director of No Limit Lacrosse Camps
(which he co-directs with MLL All-Star John Gagliardi).
As this wonderful sport evolves, both from an equipment
and training standpoint, we are all exposed to new ideas
about how to become better coaches and players. I have
been involved with the sport of lacrosse for 21 years,
at the youth/high school (Yorktown), college (Syracuse),
international (Team England), and professional levels(NJ
Pride). There were many innovative ideas that helped
me become a strong player, and now a high school (Fox
Lane) coach in Westchester County, NY. However, the
single most effective training technique that was implemented
in my game, and the one that I preach first and foremost
to my players as a coach, is one of the oldest. “WALL
BALL” is the one aspect of training that can help
a player develop and be the sure handed ball control
player, regardless of position, that every team needs.
I look back to my childhood, and remember buying into
this system that was preached to me from people with
names such Gait, Maracheck, Zulberti, and Nelson. Committing
yourself to 20 minutes a day, yes only 20 minutes will
improve your stick handling, hand eye coordination,
passing, catching, shooting, fakes, and trickery. The
beauty of “wall ball” is that you do not
have to rely on anyone else to get better. Just you
and the wall. There are five phases of “wall ball”
below that I feel can benefit everyone reagardless of
position. Find a wall in your area (it could be the
side of a school, gym, handball court, etc) that is
at least 15 yards long and ten feet high.
Phase 1-Quick Stick/Rapid Fire: Line up around
3-5 yards from the wall. First, 50 right hand throw
and catches without cradling. After completing 50 right
hand throw and catches, do the same with your left.
Did you notice I didn’t mention starting with
your strong hand. With “wall ball” anything
you do right, you follow-up left. This stage is great
because it allows you to work on quick sticks, hand
eye coordination, and one timing. You will become better
about getting rid of the ball in a timely fashion without
even noticing it by practicing this stage.
Phase 2-12 Yard Passing: Line up 12 yards from
the wall. Start with 30 right hand throws, which will
come back to you on one bounce. When you retrieve the
ball from the one bounce, cradle once, then follow-up
with the next throw. When you have completed 30 right
handed throws, follow-up with 30 left.
Phase 3-Throwing & Catching On The Run:
This may be my favorite and most helpful stage. First
I start line up 5-7 yards from the wall on the far left
side of the wall. I begin this stage with the stick
in my right hand and while I am running alongside the
wall (towards the other end), I throw and catch the
ball on the run. The important part is to throw the
ball on the run and not always catching the ball stick
side. I like to do this during every stage. Do you always
get a pass stick side? No. Therefore, in your training
you should throw the ball against the wall and catch
it cross hand (or across your face). After I run one
length of the wall, I run back to the other end throwing
lefty (doing the same thing I did with my right). Keep
repeating these steps. This stage should be done for
about 5-7 minutes.
Phase 4-Shooting: Line-up around 12-15 yards
from the wall. Get in proper shooting formation (hands
loose, three quarter/overhand motion, snapping of the
hips, and following threw) mark a few places on the
wall with tape to aim at. Shoot at about 80% velocity,
having the ball come back to you with one bounce. Depending
on where you aim, the ball may take bounces that aren’t
the same, so you have to work a little bit. Start with
25 right, and follow up with about 25 left.
Phase 5-Trickery: This stage is fun. This is
a great time to practice behind the backs (make sure
you are not following threw too much. Step in the direction
you are aiming, and the behind the back motion is only
about a foot, with the head of your stick ending up
hitting the top part of your arm near your shoulder).
Around the world, threw the legs, and any other creative
stuff can be incorporated at this time. I would leave
around 5 minutes for this stage. I am a firm believer
that this stage is important. If you can pull this stage
off (and only if you are mastering the other 4 stages
should you try this stage), it is an indication that
you have a strong comfort level with your stick and
great hand eye coordination. It is also a stage that
can help you in terms pulling something off in a game
that is nice to watch and necessary. There are times
in a game when a behind the back is the only option.
So there it is, five stages of ‘Wall Ball.”
Get a radio with your favorite beats, a snow cap and
duck boots if there is snow on the ground, and do what
you have to do to get out at least five days a week
for 20 minutes/per day. Don’t let the competition
pass you by. No excuses!
*To learn more about Paul Carcaterra and the No Limit
Lacrosse Camp (which he co-directs with MLL All-Star
John Gagliardi) please visit their website- www.nolimitlacrosse.com
*
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