#12- Purchasing a Stick

As season rolls around so does the season of buying. It's time for girls and boys to get their equipment for this year. This involves cleats, helmets, goggles, mouthguards and most importantly sticks. Sticks are something that takes time and research to buy and find the right one for you as a player, and for your position on the field. Sticks are made for all sorts of different purposes. It is strange to think that they are not just all universal to the game. Obviously you can use that stick in whatever way you want, but might as well use it for what it was designed for. Girls and boys sticks are very different. Girls have a more shallow pocket on their head for the ball, while boys have a very deep pocket that is easier to keep the ball in their stick. The way the sticks are really affects the game. There is purpose behind the shallow pocket for girls because we do not hit each others sticks as much, and we craddle a lot more to keep the ball in. It also affects the power and ‘whip’ of our shot. With a more shallow pocket it is harder to get the ball going fast. While in boys, they are quite more violent so they need to have a deeper pocket to keep the ball in, and they shoot from a farther distance so the deep pocket allows for more ‘whip’ and speed in their shot. When shopping for a stick, you can do it two ways. You can buy a head and a shaft separate and put them together, or you can buy a complete stick. I found a website that talked about purchasing sticks for an advanced player that would play the midfield position. (http://laxworld.com/lacrosse-blog/2016/07/best-womens-lacrosse-stick/); “ Sticks cost anywhere from $100+ These sticks have a tight pinch, the minimum legal sidewall, an extreme scoop angle and pack a lot of power, Advanced sticks are durable and lightweight. These sticks often have more custom ramps such as the Swivel Pocket Pro, Runway Pocket, Launch Pocket, or the deBeer Gripper Pro. Complete sticks often offer the best deals, try the Brine Dynasty Elite Complete Stick, Maverik Erupt Complete Stick, Nike Lunar Elite Complete Stick, STX Crux 500 Complete Stick, STX Exult 500 Complete Stick. Any of these heads individually make great choices and again, pair well with any composite shaft. The Crux 500 and Exult 500 are both 10 degree heads that pair with any 10 degree shaft. The 10 degree technology offers a quicker release and better ball feel. The Under Armour Regime head, and the Brine Mantra 3 are also good choices and are purchased as heads only. Each manufacturer has options for any level and this information is just a snippet of some of the most popular ones. The best way to find your favorite stick is to try them out in stores or borrow a friend's! As long as you are happy with the equipment you're using and it's legal, that's all that really matters!” (Renee, L.) Another lacrosse website said this according to a boy midfielder, “When it comes to picking out the right handle for your stick, there are a number of factors to consider. Although it ultimately comes down to personal preference, most manufacturers design their handles with a particular player type in mind. Besides the distinct differences in a defensive and offensive shaft, some of the key features that classify which handle is best suited for a particular position are; shape, grip and strength. In some cases, flex also plays a meaningful role in deciding which handle best suits your game. For a midfielder their main priority when picking out a shaft is weight. Midfielders will need to carry their stick up and down the field countless times so it is important that your stick doesn’t weigh you down. This fact is played out in our 2016 picks for midfielders as most alloy handles are composed of a scandium material versus a scandium-titanium blend that may weigh slightly more. Carbon fiber handles thus provide a fantastic alternative to the traditional alloy shaft as they are specifically designed to not only off a lightweight feel but an added flex to give the midfielder increased torque on their outside shots.” (http://www.lacrosse.com/guide/2016-shafts-for-midfielders/). A lot more than we think goes into the buying of your stick, and these are just a few examples. A defenders stick could need to be different than a midfielders, and the what the boys are looking for in a stick could be different than girls. It is important that you research what you want and for the right price, and to go into the store and physically feel what is the best fit for you.