Ground balls win games.

That timeless lacrosse maxim holds true especially in wheelchair lacrosse, a discipline of the sport most frequently played on boarded rinks and courts.

“Since wheelchair lacrosse is played on a hard surface, our ground ball skills are essential to competing at a high level,” said Mike Looney, captain and founding member of the Maryland Thunder, which competes in Wheelchair Lacrosse USA.

To help develop those skills, the Thunder use Swax Lax training balls. They’re the same size and weight as regular lacrosse balls, but they’re softer and do not roll or bounce uncontrollably in tight quarters.

Swax Lax is an official training partner of USA Lacrosse. As part of our partnership, we’re producing “Level Up,” a series of instructional videos for intermediate players to advance their core skills. The first installment includes the following drills for wheelchair lacrosse players.

SCOOPING ON THE MOVE

1. Start at the end of the court.

2. Roll the ball in front of you.

3. Push twice.

4. Scoop the ball up and cradle.

5. Roll it out again and repeat the length
of the court.

USING THE BOARD

Same as above, but instead of rolling the ball to in front of you, flip it off the board or wall.

This simulates a pass or ground ball off the board, or a loose-ball situation where you use the board to slow the ball.

GROUND BALL PASSING

1. Roll a ground ball to your teammate.

2. Wheel around your defender.

3. Receive the pass back.

4. Shoot.

This article appears in the Championship Edition of USA Lacrosse Magazine. Join our momentum.