By Abigail Gannaban · Last updated October 28, 2026
Goalies need shots, and shooters aren't always around. The Doc Drill is one of the few lacrosse goalie drills you can do alone that trains the whole save: top hand to the ball, eyes on the ball, and a real step. You only need a short stick, a ball and something to throw against. A lacrosse ball rebounder, or rebound net, works as that "something," and it lets you change the angle of the shots coming back.
What is the Doc Drill?
The Doc Drill is a solo save drill named for Brian "Doc" Dougherty, a National Lacrosse Hall of Fame goalie who started in goal for the 1998 U.S. world championship team. As Lax Goalie Rat's Coach Damon Wilson explains it, the drill trains three parts of a save: top hand to the ball, clear vision of the ball, and stepping. You use a short stick, stand 10 to 12 feet from a wall, throw the ball against it, and treat the rebound like a shot.
How do you run the Doc Drill alone?
Follow the steps from Lax Goalie Rat, with the wall swapped for a ball rebounder:
- Stand 10 to 12 feet from the net in your goalie stance, holding a short stick.
- Throw the ball firmly into the net.
- Treat the return as a shot: drive your top hand to the ball and step at a forward angle into its path as you catch it.
- Don't walk back. Because every save steps forward, you'll move closer to the net with each rep.
- When you're only a few feet from the net, reset to the starting distance and go again.
Vary where you throw, high and low, left and right, so the returns come to different spots; Lax Goalie Rat's goalie drill list gives the same advice for the wall version.
Why use a ball rebounder instead of a wall?
A ball rebounder lets you change the shot, not just the spot. A wall returns the ball off one flat, vertical surface. A ball rebounder's adjustable height and screen positions (the Stinger X has 3 plus tilt; the Varsity, Premier XL and Elite XL have 4 plus tilt) let you set returns to come up high or skip in low, and it rolls to grass or turf where you can set up a cage behind you. All Ball Pro makes steel-frame, multi-sport ball rebounders, also called rebound nets, for lacrosse, soccer, baseball, softball and basketball, so the same net covers field-player work like the no-catch wall ball drill.
What mistakes ruin the Doc Drill?
Three habits turn it into plain wall ball:
- No step. If you catch the ball with your hands only, you've skipped the step, the part Lax Goalie Rat's stepping-drills post singles out. Every save should move your body into the ball's path.
- Walking back after each save. The forward drift is the drill; resetting every rep removes it.
- Stick leading, eyes following. Watch the ball all the way into the stick. A short stick has a small pocket, so lazy eyes show up as drops.
Go easy on the throw at close range. Lax Goalie Rat uses tennis balls for several close-in save drills, and a softer ball is a sensible swap if you're not wearing goalie gear.
Drill setup
| Element | Setting | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stick | Short stick | Lax Goalie Rat |
| Start distance | 10-12 ft from the wall or net | Lax Goalie Rat |
| Save | Top hand to the ball, step at a forward angle | Lax Goalie Rat |
| Reset | When a few feet from the net, back to the start | Lax Goalie Rat |
| Ball rebounder | The Varsity Multi Sport Ball Rebounder, net near upright, height adjusted for high and low returns | All Ball Pro adaptation |
Which ball rebounder size works for goalie drills?
The Varsity suits most high school goalies; the Stinger X works for younger goalies. A regulation lacrosse goal is 6 feet wide by 6 feet tall, a 36 sq ft opening. The Varsity Multi Sport Ball Rebounder has a 5' x 5' net frame, 25 sq ft, which is 69% of a goal mouth (25 ÷ 36), enough to throw at "high corner" and "low corner" spots and get returns from different angles. The Stinger X Multi Sport Ball Rebounder has a 3.5' x 3.5' net, 12.25 sq ft or 34% of a goal mouth, which fits a younger goalie's shorter throws and a smaller space.
FAQ
What is the Doc Drill in lacrosse? It's a solo goalie drill named for Hall of Fame goalie Brian "Doc" Dougherty. You throw a ball against a wall or rebounder from 10 to 12 feet and save the return with a short stick and a forward step, moving closer each rep.
Can a lacrosse goalie train alone? Yes. The Doc Drill and goalie wall ball both work alone with a wall or a ball rebounder. Live shots from real shooters are still needed for reading release points.
Why use a short stick for goalie drills? A short stick's small head forces you to track the ball all the way in and move your top hand precisely, which is why the Doc Drill calls for one.
Make every rep a save
Step, top hand, eyes. See The Varsity Multi Sport Ball Rebounder.