Baseline Skills

Welcome back! In today’s video, we’ll explore baseline actions using 3D skills. When you find yourself in a crowded space with defenders around, it can be challenging to maintain control of the ball and achieve your desired outcome. But don’t worry, I’ll show you a few techniques to help you navigate these situations effectively.

Let’s begin with the first method, which involves entering the D from the left side when you have limited vision and your body is positioned behind the ball. In this scenario, you have a couple of options. You can choose to go around the defender or aim for a penalty corner opportunity. To execute this move, lift the ball as the defender approaches and continue lifting it down the line. You can opt to use one hand or two hands while maneuvering your way into the D.

Moving on to the second option, this technique requires more body movement around the ball. With improved vision of the defender’s position, you can flip your feet around and decide whether to lift the ball over their stick and maintain your run or use the classic chop around skill. This move can be repeated or followed by a move inside the D, providing you with additional opportunities to outmaneuver the defenders.

Now, let’s shift our focus to the right side of the field, where the dynamics change slightly. The objective remains the same: threatening to go inside and then utilizing lifting skills to gain more ground and force the defender into making a tackle. By creating a small gap over the defender’s left foot, about the width of a stick, you can go around them and attempt a lift. This puts the defender in a vulnerable position, making it easier for you to pass them or create other scoring opportunities such as earning a penalty corner.

In essence, when entering the D, the key is to give the impression that you’re moving backward along the baseline. By pulling the ball as far as possible toward the baseline, you can execute lifts that are difficult for the defender to reach. Since you’re on the front foot and they’re on the back foot, you can gain an advantage in speed and beat the defender.