In 2016, Brown lacrosse had the best transition offense I've ever seen. 💨
This was thanks to Coach Tiffany's combination of incredible personnel and innovative scheme, let’s break it down.
Canadian and native box lacrosse players have shot 20% better than Americans for over 15 years in division one men's lacrosse. 🤯 (references: Jason Donville, Joe Keegan, Jesse McNulty)
Here's 3 reasons why:
Dodging in two-man game is harder for a defender to guard than one-on-one. The defender cannot guard you equally to the net and to the pick, creating the most fundamental advantage in two-man game.
STOP teaching the wrong Shooting Technique in Lacrosse! ❌
I spoke with
@CoachDShack
a throwing mechanics expert, on S6 Ep18 of The Phi-Lacrosse-Ophy podcast, about the optimal way to throw with force in Lacrosse.
This is a really interesting look. It's the equivalent of a Spain look vs a Big-Little Coma invert defense.
Defenses do this to avoid committing a 3rd player to a 2man game behind. Notre Dame picks the picker's man & the Spain picker's guarding short stick doesn't recognize it.
One of the reasons why I love the PLL is there are so many interesting plays to watch, and Zach Currier is a standout! Watch the way he handles two-man games and the variety of techniques he uses.
Awesome “Sucker Double” from
@SpallinaJoey
It’s a known fact that a great time to send a double is when a dodger turns his back while executing roll dodges near the crease or inside the hashes.
Every player should be looking to feed behind the back! It's a critical and misunderstood skill. Many think it's too hard or unnecessary, but it's the opposite—it's easier and absolutely necessary.
There are tons of different 3man actions that are highly effective.
3man actions provide many variations of looks depending on the role of the third player.
The constraint-led approach is revolutionizing coaching!
This method focuses on creating specific contexts in offense and defense to enhance decision-making.
Deception is the key in 2-man game. ✨
When you’re playing the two-man game, it’s not about speed or dodging hard shoulder to shoulder off the pick, it’s about recognizing and capitalizing on the coverage that is being presented by the defense which always involves deception.
Let's check out this clip from Water Dogs vs. Whipsnakes where Matt Brandau somehow gets wide open. At first glance, it looked like Brando was just sealing his defender and pushing off to get open.
Is running your favorite sets and motions actually an advantage for your opponent? 🤔
It's true that plays can provide great looks, but they also come with a level of predictability that can be a goldmine for defensive coordinators.
A lot of coaches need to hear this - Chaotic practices can be a good thing! 🗣️
In S6 Ep.19 of the Phi-Lacrosse-Ophy podcast, Ecological psychologist
@GrayFThomas
discusses the crucial aspect of embracing the inherent messiness of games.
Growth Mindset: Coaches should always seek to learn and improve; we owe it to our players offer the best and most informed guidance to develop our athletes and we need to embody the same attitude we ask of them: always be learning always be getting better!
In Phi-Lacrosse-Ophy podcast S6 Ep20, Jamie caught up with Michael Sowers of the
@PLLWaterdogs
for an AWESOME lacrosse conversation spanning Michaels favorite college offenses to watch, how he’s completely changed his approach to training with JM3 & of course the Waterdogs.
Have you ever heard the Canadian saying, “your stick has eyes?” 👀
This simply means that the imaginary eyes on your stick can see angles to score that the eyes in your head cannot.
(Thread 🧵)
@NDlacrosse
had an epic run through the NCAA tournament, dominating on both sides of the ball! Their offense is a masterclass in movement and unselfish play, with heads up and deceptive shooting, while their defense is classic Notre Dame team defense!
Coaching is an all-consuming profession that often extends far beyond the field. On Season 6, Episode 13 of the Phi-Lacrosse-Ophy podcast,
@jamiemunro3
spoke with
@LafayetteMLAX
head coach
@PatMyers1221
about balancing work & life.
As coaches we spend so much time teaching moves that it steers us away from an emphasis on deception.
There is nothing more powerful than non verbally communicating with your opponent to get him to do what you want!
How Michael Sowers Approaches 2-Man Game 👥
In S6 Ep.20 of the Phi-Lacrosse-Ophy podcast, Philadelphia Waterdog, Michael Sowers shared how he developed his 2-man game skills without the ball.
On S6 EP11 of the Phi-Lacrosse-Ophy podcast,
@TomSchreiber26
shared insights on what makes great team lacrosse and highlighted teammate Connor Fields' exceptional play
"It was an incredibly interesting conversation about how the pristine, unadulterated class of 2021 has become the most under-evaluated class in the history of college lacrosse recruiting."
Check out and listen to
@tyxanders
and I talk about Recruiting.
Deception is an absolute cheat code for goal scorers! 🎯
Adding deception to your shooting is key because it gives you more margin for error. Every goalie watches your body language, release point, and swing angle.
Is there a more important part of the game than finishing?
Check out this video shot a while back of
@JohnGrantJr24
doing a finishing demo. This video is an insane display of Jr being Jr and using 5 fakes in a matter of seconds
Wall passes are a great way to create dominoes and opening up high-value shots for your team! 🥍
Wall passes are mostly used for man-up situations and zone offense, but you can actually use it in all even situations too!
This is a really interesting way to get open in women's lacrosse, and I call it a sneaky curl cut. 🥍
Watch Cornell's Josie Vogel getting wide open. How does she do it?
Watch this clip of how Jeff Teat beats his man 1v1 with a series of moves. This is a perfect example of manipulating and controlling both his defender and the slide!
You should definitely be using a shot clock in all of your practice drills, games, and activities!⏱️
A shot clock is an incredibly powerful constraint and it's actually really easy to execute. Just have your goalie count down. Here are a few reasons why shot clocks are so great:
The Constraints Led Approach (CLA) is the moneyball of modern sports. 🚀
I truly began to leverage the power of the CLA, Ecological Dynamics, and Nonlinear Pedagogy concepts a few months ago and it's revolutionizing the way that I coach.
Deception is key! 🔑
@HarvardMLax
Head Coach Gerry Byrne joined us on the Phi-Lacrosse-ophy podcast, here's part of our discussion on the importance of Deception and how guys like Ryder Garnsey use it so well!
@PLLWaterdogs
Michael reflected on his time with
@AndyCopelan_PLL
, praising him as the ideal mentor. Michael highlighted the significant impact a coach can have on a team's culture & performance. Coach Copelan led the Waterdogs to a PLL Championship & is one of the great guys in the sport!.
@CoachSilvera
Great point! Using picks early to set up refusals later can make the refusals more effective as defenses start to "cheat." Balancing both tactics keeps the defense guessing and maximizes your two-man game strategy.
@MattRewk9
the Delaware Offensive Co-ordinator sat down with us on the Phi-Lacrosse-ophy podcast last month.
Matt opened up about how his offensive philosophy has evolved throughout his coaching career. Here's part of our conversation!
In our recent conversation with Jess Hansen on S6 Ep15 of the Phi-lacrosse-ophy podcast, we explored the intense pressure many athletes place on themselves.
Jess emphasized that unlike gymnastics, which scores athletes on precision, lacrosse is not about achieving perfection.
This quote is why free play works better than structure. The key to being a great player isn't about how good your skill is, but rather your ability to process what's happening, make a decision, and then execute a skill.
@CoachWheel
Playing pick up games is how you learn the fluency. Once you have mastered the fluency of the game you are ready to learn and most importantly incorporate the highest levels of skill and concepts!
Starting with the attack, 2016 Tewaaraton award winner Dylan Molloy was flanked by righty and future pro Kyler Bellistri and lefty finisher Henry Blynn, this group was the focal point of the transition offense. They were highly skilled & unselfish.
@JohnGrantJr24
Let's break it down:
Collarbone position, near side high fake
Farside low fake with body lean
BTB fake to the nearside high
A sweeping low high lift fake (two fakes)
Farside low finish
Keep Away:The Great Skill & IQ Accelerator
I continue to be blown away with the power of keep away
Why is it such an accelerator? It maximizes skill reps of dodging, passing, feeding, finishing (yes finishing!), stick protection, and so much more
I think you will love my latest podcast with Hobart Head Coach Greg Raymond. Listening to Coach Raymond made me want to play for the Statesmen! Click the link to listen.
Click to here to read my blog:
#JM3Sports
#Lacrosse
A while back, Strength and Conditioning Coach
@CoachWheel
tweeted something along these lines that I thought was profound, "Learning sport is like learning a language. You're better of gaining fluency before you study the vocabulary and grammar."
Here's a classic example of how Canadian Box players use the Step Back move from a post up situation. I love the Powless Pump before the shot!
Read why the Step Back is so effective!
This past week I visited Johns Hopkins University where I watched practice and spent an hour doing a little X's and O's with Bobby Benson, JHU's Offensive Coordinator.
Read the full article: A Lacrosse Weekend 1.27.20
▸
#Lacrosse
#BoxLacrosse
@PLLWaterdogs
@AndyCopelan_PLL
Check out the rest of the podcast if you want to know how Michael has leveraged Ecological Dynamics, The Constraints Led Approach, and JM3 Zoom calls to reshape his training!
Brown’s long-stick midfielders, Alec Tulett and Larken Kemp, were off the charts. They were savages off the ground, fast, athletic, and talented in transition—both played pro lacrosse. They also had Jack Kelly in goal, a first-team US national team player, and an eight-year pro.
This past off season Sowers played a ton of small net tennis ball games aka “Pick up” & seriously upgraded his off ball 2man game IQ. If you watched PLL Sixes closely, Michael was creating off ball advantages everywhere. I know we’ll see that this summer with the Waterdogs too!
Deception is often the difference between good & great!
Josie Vogel with fakes, hesi's, & step backs keeps her defender and the help defenders guessing!
1. Getting to the middle: Growing up playing with smaller nets, players perfect the art of getting to the middle, creating higher % opportunities to score. This shot selection ultimately leads to higher shooting % stats, & shooting % is one of the biggest indicators of wining %.
@jamiemunro3
@LafayetteMLAX
@PatMyers1221
Achieving a work-life balance while coaching is incredibly challenging. Pat also noted that "coaches often spend more time with their players than their own families," which really rings true when you think about the deep commitments involved.
Sometimes, the defender is so good the dodger has to “Bounce” out & create a new angle.
Finally, we like to do three continuous reps in a row, where the dodger gets back to the line, doesn’t run away from the defender but rather cuts them off putting the defender on their back.
One of the keys to running a box lacrosse style offenses is NOT to look for your own pick and roll, but rather move the ball early in the 2man game to a 3rd player
Not looking for your own pick and roll has several benefits..
Below is a video me working with a couple kids on an important technique called "Come Around Double Fake Finishing."
I'm explaining the fact that you can (and must) fake before the goal line and goalies will still bite, opening up net to shoot into.
Watch this incredible check from Johnny Surdick!
@BrodieMerrill_
and I talked about this very check during our podcast and how it's a veteran move because most Attackman hang their sticks, you want to trail your man to X anyway which means there is no risk in this check!
The unique thing they did, however, was have their defensive personnel cut to the goal back up shots. This freed up all three attackmen to run actions above of the goal without worrying about back up responsibility. This is a subtle but powerful concept.
Many teams run GLE picks especially in hang up situations, but Notre Dame uses a goal line pick Spain concept here which I love. I bet we will see this look more frequently moving forward!
Currier excels at the gap two-man, creating immediate two-on-ones and finding easy looks, even if he sometimes hits the pipe. His ability to read coverage is key, as seen when he baits the defender over the pick and roofs a beautiful shot.
When I was trying out for the Colorado Mammoth in the fall of 2002 at 35 years old, Gary Gait was on the team and I noticed that every time he caught the ball, he would look at the head of his stick before he would shoot.
Check out what I would call the greatest Hidden Ball Trick of all time executed to perfection vs UVA
I call this a High Five Hidden Ball Trick where you slap your sticks together and either transfer the ball or keep it!
@NULax
The key to this shot is to angle to your off stick side to give space, then shoot with deception using your body lean, your posture, your head etc to throw the goalie off from where you’re actually shooting.
Last week I finally got my wish! My very own lacrosse office at home! Thanks to my wife Sara for signing off on the concept and making it happen! I love my new lacrosse office!
Read more 👉 A Lacrosse Weekend 2.29.20
#Lacrosse
#JM3Sports
@GrayFThomas
Gray is an extremely intelligent ecological psychologist, who has a great understand of ecological dynamics & the CLA. So if you want to listen to the full discussion, you can find it on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!
Off Ball Curl/Pop
I first learned about this concept when studying Bobby Knight's Motion Offense instructional videos back in the 90's. Coach Knight put a huge emphasis on concepts like "The ball finds the action" and reading screens.
Read more here:
Watch this video and look at how many decisions are being made! With ball decisions, off ball decision, defensive decisions, skill choice decisions and more! This is the miracle of Free Play!
2. Deceptive Shooting: Canadians master hitching, hesitation & disguised releases rather than just shooting for power, accuracy & quick release. Every time you shoot you’re telling a story to the goalie & the approaching defenders, you must learn to leverage this in your favor!