If the speed of your lacrosse shot isn’t what it should be, you may need to increase your core strength. Core strength plays a key role in transferring power from your lower body to your upper body. A strong shot develops its power starting at the legs, traveling through the hips and core, and finishing at the shoulders and arms.

One of my favorite core training exercises for lacrosse is the Kneeling Downward Rope Chop. It gives you a great bang for your buck, training your hips, core, wrists and forearms and also working on anti-rotation, which is the ability to resist rotation. This facilitates a greater transfer of power, meaning a more powerful shot. And it gives you more control during rotation, decreasing the risk of abdominal injures. Finally, the exercise develops your wrists and forearms, which will help you hold on to your stick—and as a bonus, give great handshakes.

Kneeling Downward Rope Chop

• Kneel on one knee next to a cable machine.
• With your up leg, make a box—with your thigh on top, shin on one side, floor on the bottom, and down knee on the other side.
• Tighten your abdominals and squeeze your down-leg glute hard to create stability.
• Grab the cable handle and extend your arms straight in front of you.
• Pull the rope down and across your torso at an angle, focusing on moving only your arms. Resist the tendency to move your lower back. Move  just your arms and maybe a little in your shoulders.
• Don’t shift your weight too far forward or back at the hips.

The most common mistake people make is trying to load this exercise with heavy weight. The goal is to have great form. After you’ve got the form down, you can progress the weight.

Check out this YouTube video from BaseballStrengthCoach.com:

[youtube video=”9hefsSeHhGM” /]

Set/Reps: 3-4×10-15

Read more:

• Increase Lacrosse Shot Speed With 3 Med Ball Exercises
• Creative Cross Training: Hockey and Lacrosse
• Off-Season Lacrosse Workout With Maryland Lacrosse

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