Page:Lacrosse- The National Game of Canada (New Edition).djvu/159

Rh similar to the "high thrust" in the bayonet exercise; and when it is within a few inches let your crosse sink before it, imperceptibly slackening, until the ball rests as it were, upon the netting. As soon as this is clone continue a slight depression of your crosse to steady the ball, and bring it up in another and successive movement to the usual level at which you carry. The softer the ball drops on the netting, without noise or jar, the more scientific is the catch. To accomplish this is no easy matter.

The fault of many players in catching descending balls, is in holding the crosse too stiff as the ball is near the netting, and meeting it half way the result of which is to cause it to bounce. Another fault is letting the ball touch the netting at too high an altitude, which often prevents the safe completion of the catch. The correct method in the former case is to retreat the netting of your crosse from the ball, as if you did not want, and yet would like to catch it. A good player at any hand-ball catching, never catches a ball flat; his hands move towards it, and retreat just when it is at his linger ends. The same rule applies to catching on a crosse.