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Every goalie has their own style of play. What I recommend and say in my column is what has made me a successful goalie. I recommend you watch different goalies play and adapt what works best for you!

Good Luck!

July 2003

Question:
Bill Daye- I just wanted to know what kind of shaft you recommend using? (i use attack size) if you could let me know that would be great.

Date: Jul 15, 2003
Name: Matt
Grade: Freshman
School: Desert Mountain
State: Arizona
Years in Net: 1

Answer:
[Bill Daye] Matt, I cut my shaft down to 35" but that's my preference. If you feel comfortable using an attack shaft and it works for your game then stick with it!

Question:
Mr. Daye,
Let me say first that I loved watching you work miracles on the Cannons and I was sorry to hear about your injury.

Now my question: I started playing goalie my sophomore year of high school so I'm pretty inexperienced, though I'd like to think I'm a pretty decent athlete. The combination of inexperience and fast hands gave me the awful habit of waiting for the ball on bounce shots but 99% of the time I'd pull it off. I know it's unacceptable and I've mostly escaped it. The type of shot where I still have an inconsistent step is in shots that bounce a little farther out, beyond the point where I can trap it down with my stick. I've gotten opposing advice on this. In a situation where the ball is bouncing farther out, do I attack when the ball leaves the shooter's stick or when it leaves the ground, and if it's the former, as I suspect, how does one handle it? I appreciate your help.

-Will C.

Date: Jul 17, 2003
Name: Will Coleman
Grade: Freshman
School: Haverford College
State: Pennsylvania
Years in Net: 3

Answer:
[Bill Daye] Will, thanks a lot man, I appreciate it! I definitely miss playing that's for sure.

First of all you said it; you're a athlete so with that said you've been able to get by on your athletic abilities like most of us have getting started. I personally think you need to attack the ball as it leaves the shooter's stick and as it hits the ground, meaning it all happens simultaneously. As you see the shooter release the ball, right then you're aware it's a bounce shot because you see it heading downward. At that time you're starting to bend your knees a little more and trying to pick up where it's going to hit the ground; out in front of you, left, right or at your feet. Once you determine where the ball is going to land before it bounces, that's when you explode to it and either try and get it right as it bounces or get it as it's coming up.

I recommend starting in more of an athletic stance, similar to a linebacker or a short stop. Get more of a bend in your knees so it’s easier to attack the bounce shot; it’s a lot easier to get down on the ball and its also easier to pop up to make a save up high.

Question:
I am a goalie and I am fairly new to playing the game of lacrosse and I have a question on how to improve my pocket size. I have an STX Eclipse with mesh that is not too soft or too stiff, it is in the middle. I have tried many things to make my pocket bigger, but nothing is working. I have had my stick for about 6 months and it was already strung for me. When I first got the stick all I tried to do to expand the pocket by just punching it out or using a ball to punch it out. That didn't work so then I tried to put a large amount of weight in the pocket so it would get bigger, but this was only a temporary solution. The pocket would stay big for a little while, then it would go back to its original size. Please help me. Thank you.

Date: Jul 17, 2003
Name: Nick Eberly
Grade: 9
School: St. Charles
State: Ohio
Years in Net: 1

Answer:
[Bill Daye] Nick, try loosening up the sidewall strings a little so that it creates a slightly deeper pocket. You have to be careful you don’t loosen them up to much or you’ll have to readjust your shooting strings. Also, take your stick to the bathtub and run some warm water on the pocket. Then begin pounding the pocket with your hand, I would wear a glove or cover your hand w/something so it doesn’t become to abrasive. The warm water with the simultaneous pounding helps stretch the mesh, once your done leave the stick with the pocket formed on the wall and let it dry that way. I recommend doing this after you play in heat or wet weather. Those elements sometimes dry and/or shrink the mesh. If this doesn’t work, it may be time to get the stick restrung.

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