Pick Drills

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Pick Drills
By: Jack Kaley and Rich Donovan

Originally Published in: Lacrosse Essentials

Human Kinetics



2V2 PICK DRILLS
Pick drills are the most basic offensive drills in the game. All offenses benefit from the skills learned in these drills. The Canadian-style game begins and ends with these drills. Timing, spacing, and reading your defensive opponent are essential. The in-tight, stick-handling skills necessary to execute pick drills effectively can only be taught by working the drills live. These skills can only be learned by repetition in game-like conditions. The following drills can be used either with or without competition.

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PICK-AND-SLIP DRILL

The ball carrier must read the opponent's defense man to see whether he is in position to double the ball. If the defender playing the man who is setting the pick steps up to pick up the ball carrier on a switch, the pickman cuts behind the man who picked up the ball carrier (see figure 3.10).

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PICK-AND-ROLL DRILL

If the defender playing the pickman plays too wide or cheats to pick up the ball carrier, the pickman simply rolls inside (front side) before the ball carrier gets to the pick (see figure 3.11).

These options are executed only when the defender playing the pick-man is positioned high to double the ball. He can only double the ball effectively if he positions himself up near the pickman. Once he does this, both offensive players must read his defensive vulnerability and react accordingly. Every time a defense is aggressive, the offense must read this and take advantage of opportunities to penetrate the defense.

If the defenders are playing it straight and not attempting to double the ball off of a pick, then the offensive players still have several options. The first purpose of setting up a pick is for the ball carrier to time his drive so he can run his man into the pickman. To help accomplish this, the ball carrier must execute his drive to the cage at full speed to force his man to play him, and him alone, with full concentration while trying to keep up with him. If the ball carrier catches his man turning his head in the direction of the pick, he should split-dodge and immediately penetrate the defense in the opposite direction. If his man plays it properly and they both run hard, it is essential that the ball carrier drive his defender into the pickman. The ball carrier's first option is to drive past the defender, who is switching to pick him up. This should be possible because the defender switching onto him was dropping off of the pickman in anticipation of the switch call. He had been in a relatively stationary position so that the offensive player driving off the pick has speed and momentum on his side. If the defender is able to execute the switch successfully, then the ball carrier has a second option. The teammate who sets the pick must slip to the inside as an option to place him in a shooting position. Those players involved in tight passing and shooting maneuvers must practice with and without opposition to acquire the timing and spacing to execute these drills.

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