Fundamental Lacrosse Skills-scooping, cradling, catching, throwing, and shooting

Scooping up groundballs

Place your foot directly next to the ball as you approach the ball.
Bend your knees to get your body low to the ground.
Lower your back hand towards the ground so the stick is almost parallel to the ground.
Scoop THROUGH the ball and bring the stick towards your chest or face to prevent it from being checked by an opponent.
Run hard immediately after picking up the groundball to get away from defenders.
After picking up the ball, immediately scan the field with your eyes to see where you can make a pass.

Do not rake the ball. Raking means that you DO NOT scoop through the ball. If you're not scooping through the ball, then you're not moving your feet. Not moving your feet makes you an easy target to get checked or hit while you're trying to pick up a groundball.
Do not scoop the ball with one hand, as there is a good chance you will miss the ball.

Hold the stick in both hands with the top hand near the head of the stick and the bottom hand near the end of the stick. Your palm on the bottom hand should be facing your body, and your palm on your top hand should be facing upwards.
Make sure the stick is resting in your fingertips, not in the palms of your hands.
Bend the elbow of the top hand upward to a 90 degree angle so the head of the stick is near your head and shoulders.
Open your bottom hand slightly so the shaft can swivel in this hand. The bottom hand only serves as a guide for the shaft and doesn't directly contribute to the cradling motion.
Curl the wrist on your top hand to create an arc with the face of the stick.

Give the passer a target by holding your stick near your head, not down by your side.
Choke up on your stick with both hands to improve eye-hand coordination while catching.
Try to catch the ball softly in the stick by treating the ball like it's a raw egg that could easily break.
Always move your body towards the person passing you the ball.

Have your bottom hand at the end of the shaft and the top hand slightly below the middle of the shaft.
Stand sideways and point your foot, shoulder, and elbow towards your target.
Gently "pull" the stick towards you with your bottom hand while simultaneously "pushing" the stick away from you with your top hand.
Throw overhand and follow through so the front of your body finishes facing your target.

Do not throw side arm, underhand, or with a ž motion because it's not as accurate as overhand.

Don't look directly at the goalie. Look at the white parts of the net around the goalie.
Shoot the ball low or bounce the ball to improve your chances of scoring.
Use your hips, shoulders, wrists, and a large, powerful step to add speed to your shot.

Do not shoot high unless you're able to shoot incredibly hard. High shots are the easiest shots for a goalie to save.
Do not take a long time winding up before you shoot, as this will give a defender time to check your stick before you're able to get the shot off.