The Ankle Breaker: The Most Basic and Most Deadly Move in the Book

by Mark Millon and Mike Keegan from USLaxCamps.com

The entire stadium had been holding its breath for the last half-hour. Team USA, it appeared, wasn't breathing either. In fact, they weren't doing much of anything, other than watching Team Canada light up the scoreboard. Team USA hadn't lost in international competition since 1978. And after three quarters of this one, it looked as if that trend would continue. Maybe Team USA believed that a little too much. Or maybe Team Canada was just too determined to allow the trend to continue. Maybe both. But for whatever reason, the Canadians vaporized an 11-goal deficit in the fourth quarter.

So this epic game, this dramatic battle headed into overtime. And Team USA needed something, anything to avoid becoming the victims of the greatest comeback of all time.

Cue Mark Millon. The lightning-quick lefty grabbed the ball on the left wing, slightly behind the goal line. With an explosive burst, he darted into shooting position and rifled the ball into the lower left corner of the goal. A sudden-death for the Canadians. And a sudden championship for Team USA.

How did Millon do it?

Well, it was nothing out of the ordinary, just a full-speed, picture-perfect split dodge. Done properly, it's the only move you'll ever need. Done wrong, and the defender covering you's gonna look like an All-American.

Here, Millon walks us through the split dodge step-by-step.

Step 1: Create time and space Whether you're initiating this dodge from the corner, the sideline or up top, creating space between you and the defenseman is an essential first step. The point of creating space is to enable you to take a run at the defenseman, forcing him to back-pedal. You should be thinking ahead at this point. If you want to go left, as Millon did in the World Games, the stick should be in your right hand.

Step 2: Build momentum After you've aquired plenty of room to operate, run as fast as you can directly at the defenseman. "As fast as you can" means as fast as you can, but under control. A slow attackman can run forward faster than the fastest defenseman can run backward. This will create a little defensive tension. The goalie will start worrying about who's sliding. The man sliding will be worried about which way you're going. And the man covering you will just be hoping to keep up with you. At this point, you should be carrying your stick parallel to the ground.

Step 3: The Fake Now we're getting into the most important steps of this move. While running at the defenseman, be sure to keep track of the distance between him and yourself. When you are about one-and-a-half stick lengths from the defender, you should initiate the move. You can go right handed if you want. But Millon favors his left, so in order to create a shot for your left hand, begin by faking to the right.

Push off with your left leg and thrust your right foot out and to the right. It's the lacrosse version of basketball's cross-over. Picture Allen Iverson taking that exaggerated dribble and step to the right. Your step should be exaggerated as well. At the same time, transfer your stick from the two-handed horizontal position to a vertical cradle in your right hand. You can drop your left hand off the bottom of your stick to protect it if necessary. But if you initiate the move far enough away from the defenseman, you should be able to get away with leaving both hands on the stick. As you move right, the defenseman should react accordingly. He'll drop his left foot back, turning his hips to run with you. That's the signal for Step 4.

Step 4: The Split After thrusting your right leg out, plant hard with your right foot and extend your left leg out to the left. Your momentum should shift quickly from the right to the left. To do this well, it requires a good amount of leg strength and balance. The faster the better. As you explode to your left, transfer your stick across your chest to your left hand, quickly using your now-free right arm to protect it from any desperation checks the defenseman will throw.

Depending on the location of the defenseman's stick, players will use different methods to change their stick from one hand to another. If you've beaten the defenseman cleanly, the best method is the quickest one - straight across your chest. But if the defenseman is close enough to throw a poke check in your chest, you have a couple of options.

Knowing most checks will come between waist and shoulder height, you can dip your stick low to the ground, sliding it under the defenseman's stick into your opposite hand. Bend down so your head is a little above waist level, keep the stick close to your legs (Be careful not to trip yourself) and extend your right elbow as you switch hands to protect your stick. If done properly, the stick will be parallel to the ground as you switch hands.

The other option is to swing your stick over the defenseman's stick. This is a risky move. You'll expose your ribs to the check, and as you swing the stick over, the butt end might actually pass over the defenseman's head. Remember to switch hands and protect your stick as soon as possible. This is a risky move, but also a great way to make your defenseman look foolish.

Step 5: Accelerate After the split, you should have at least half of a step on the defenseman. It's important to maintain that space. Just because you're finished with the move, doesn't mean it's time to relax. You must continue to accelerate. You can go straight to the goal, or to a chosen spot. Millon picked a position on the left wing that kept him away from the slide and crease traffic, but also gave him a good shooting angle. You might've beaten the defenseman cleanly, but chances are he's right behind you, looking to chop down on your stick. With that in mind, keep your stick in tight but get prepared to pass or shoot. Decision-making time will come pretty quick. If the slide is there, you'll have to move the ball. If not, you'll have to let it rip.

Step 6: Finish the play You should almost always be thinking about scoring when you dodge to the goal. But realize that not every dodge needs to end with a shot or feed. Simply by dodging, you're learning about your defenseman and the team defense, and you're putting pressure on the other team. But your first option should be a shot. If you get into good position before the slide gets to you, bury it. If not, move the ball quickly. If nothing pops open in the crease, bang the ball behind or to the next available player. You're running full speed. Your teammates should have a better sense of what's open. After moving the ball, cut through, pick for teammates and stay involved in the offense. Your turn to dodge could be coming at any moment. Be ready.