Cradlebaby lacrosse training ball review
Cradlebaby lacrosse training ballThat’s list of things I broke at my parents’ house from errant lacrosse balls while playing inside.
When the Cradlebaby team said they were sending one through for review, the first person I told was my mother. She just laughed, "Where were they when you were in juniors?" she quipped, no doubt reliving the hip pocket pain from my trail of destruction.
What is a Cradlebaby?
Cradlebaby training lacrosse ball is an amazing breakthrough invention aimed at providing you with more opportunity to practise the more subtle and essential moves of lacrosse.
It is an actual lacrosse ball with a permanent tether attached to it. This tether is attached to the top of your stick which keeps the ball from flying off.
Cradlebaby lacrosse training ball attached to your stickThe ball
The Cradlebaby is an actual regulation lacrosse ball. You could remove the tether and use it like a regular ball. Why you would do that, I have no idea, but you could.
It has a small hole through the middle where the tether attaches to. There’s no noticeable weight difference from the hole made for the tether. For all intents and purposes, it feels like you're holding a real ball.
The ball also has that nice grippy surface that you get with new balls. Lacrosse balls become shiny over time from contact with the playing surface. The shiny balls also slip in your pocket and are released differently when you pass or shoot which is a real issue when you're working on the nuances of your game.
Additionally, as a result of their concussion research, US Lacrosse are also banning lacrosse balls over 1 year old. This sort of coincides with around the time when the balls start to get shiny. With the tether, the Cradlebaby has hardly any chance to get shiny which gives you years of use.
The tether
The tether is made from a super strong fabric, much like what you find on lanyards. It is a little thinner than a normal lanyard making it really easy to thread through the top of your stick.
It's over a foot long, which allows the ball to naturally and freely move, but also short enough that it doesn't get caught on anything nor get in the way. The length of the goalie variety is a couple of inches longer to accommodate for the larger head.
The feel
Throughout all my testing, I wasn't able to feel the tether at all. I thought at some point it might get a bit caught or something, but it never did. The ball just rolled over the attachment point and that was it.
Training drills
The Cradlebaby has many uses. Let’s take a look at some of the main ones.
Cradling
Firstly you can use it to practice the basics of cradling and passing.
Start off by standing in front of a mirror. Watch yourself pass and cradle with your strong hand, then swap over to your other hand and see if your action is the same.
Most of us, especially when starting out, have very poor technique on our weaker hand and never really address it until we get to high school or even seniors. Seeing and watching yourself moving with the right mechanics of good technique is a huge confidence booster and stops those bad habits.
Fakes
Practicing your fakes is where the Cradlebaby really excelled. Sure, there was the joy of not having to run after the ball, but the real benefit is not having to stop your training drill.
What I used to do was have a bunch of balls on the ground, away a bit so I didn't step on them, and practice my fakes. When I dropped the ball, I'd have to stop, walk over to the balls, pick another one up, and reset myself to continue.
With my Cradlebaby, not having to stop the drill to pick up another ball was a HUGE benefit. I stayed in the drill and was able to try the fake again and again without stopping until I got it right.
Fakes are a fine art which require hours of practice. The further you can take your fake, the more effective it will be. That means you have to find the point where you lose the ball and it's nice to know you can do that without chasing balls all day.
Changing hands
One handed cradling and the art of changing hands can also be practiced with your Cradlebaby. You can do both of these at home in front of the mirror. I found I didn't drop the ball as often as other drills, but it did allow me to practice these drills at greater speed.
One on one
You can also use your Cradlebaby outside if you're doing a bit of one-on-one. Having the option to just flick the ball back in your stick keeps you in the drill allowing you to restart pretty much straight away.
Shooting
You can also practice shooting but I found this wasn't as good as up against a wall or on the cage. If you shot hard, the ball would yank the stick and throw you off balance a bit. The whole shooting experience wasn't really game-like so I'd suggest the wall.
Overall
The Cradlebaby is an essential item for any lacrosse player wanting to improve. It is an excellent training device which increases the places where you can practice and isn’t dependant on the weather.
It should be the second item that junior players purchase, right after their first stick. If you're a parent wanting to limit the damage in and around your home, this is a wonderful investment! One breakage alone will cover the cost and then some.
In terms of warranty, the Cradlebaby team are there for you. If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase just let them know. You can reach them anytime at info@laxcb.com. The team at Cradlebaby want you to have with it. If there is anything wrong with your Cradlebaby they’ll replace it.
To find out more about Cradlebaby or would like to purchase one, you can visit their website at http://www.laxcb.com.
