Question: Kevin writes: "
I am going to buy a middie and another defense lacrosse shaft. Right now I am having a tad bit of trouble. I am a middie who likes to face off and when I play D I like to be a little ruff. I do not care about cost as long as I am not going crazy. What I want to know is this:
Which Lacrosse Shafts Would you recommend? I want light and strong. I know it will not be cheap.
I am looking for something stronger then the krypto and just as/or lighter. Here are just a few of the ones I was looking at.
For Midfield (most important)
Titan Pro
Platinum
Sci Ti Pro
and I was eyeing the Brine Ti-22
Defense-
Platinum,
Krypto
Ti-22 by Brine
My Answer: Kevin man you can't go wrong with Titanium. To be honest everything else is just a compromise for Titanium. I've been saying it for years. Even if you look at some of my other answers you'll see one commonality, I always recommend Titanium. You will spend more on it now, but in the long run you will save a ton of money because it won't break.
Hope that helps. Let me know if you need anything else.
Jonathan -
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
Showing posts with label Lacrosse Sticks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lacrosse Sticks. Show all posts
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Monday, December 22, 2008
Does It Really Matter What Type Of Lacrosse Stick You Have?
Question: Jon,
does it really matter what type of stick you have? i mean i went from a $40 one to a $130 and i really cant tell the difference besides the weight. do you have any advice on how to improve my stick skills ive been playin for 4 years and im still havin trouble forgetting to cover my butt end any advice?
thanks, shane
Answer: Shane thanks for the great question. You are on to something for sure. I have always said that the greatest difference between sticks is not the stick (head, shaft) itself but the pocket that is in it. But even then, you can have a great pocket in a really cheap stick and still play really well. Case in point: My three year old son has a little one of those mini Warrior sticks with a killer pocket in it. You can fake and shoot anywhere with that little stick and it's awesome.
I would also say that the more "elite" a player you are the more you will feel a difference between sticks. There are sticks that feel "light" in your hands and others that are "heavy". Some would even call them "dead". But I would say that 98% of most players wouldn't be able to really tell the difference.
I'm 36 years old and when I started playing lacrosse there were about ten sticks to choose from. And you could either get an aluminum shaft or a wood shaft. The big news was when Titanium shafts came out. (Which are still the best choice in my opinion.) Now, with the advances in manufacturing they can pump out new sticks in no time. Little cuts in the sidewalls, off-set, pinched, no pinch, etc. A lot of it is hype.
I was just writing to another player and telling him about the STX Excalibur. It's the all-time best selling lacrosse head ever. Very simple in design and has obviously stood the test of time.
In my opinion there are three major factors to choosing a stick. (Not in any particular order.) They are: stiffness of the head, width of the head, and width and shape of the scoop.
The stiffer the head the more durable it's going to be. The width of the head is going to make it easier to catch passes but will allow the ball to be checked out of the stick easier. The shape of the scoop is going to help you with ground balls. That's it.
Now if you should 110 miles per hour then maybe an extra cut in the sidewall is going to help you. But what most guys forget is that the stick is only one aspect of the game. A guy like Kyle Harrison is still going to run right by you no matter what stick is in his hands or yours for that matter. The stick is just one small part of what makes great players great. I've always wanted to see a game of all-americans played with stock sticks. Just one stock pocket. Give them five minutes with sticks and let them play and you'd still see the best players play their best. The sticks may change it's the hands that make the player.
On that note: Advice on improving your stick skills. Wall ball. Play. Play. Play. Experiment. Work your opposite hand. If the only trouble you are having is covering your butt end then what I would suggest is that you are at a bit of a plateau. To bust through it you need to become comfortable with how the stick feels with your hand on that butt end. Right now it doesn't feel good to you. Here's my suggestion: For a whole week just focus on your bottom hand on that butt end all the time. Even if you pick your stick up out of your car make sure your hand is on that butt end. No matter where you are on the field, keep your hand on the butt end. You've got to groove a path in your brain where it feels comfortable with your hand down there. Ideally you do this for twenty-one days. That's how long it really takes to groove a new habit. But start with seven days. Then try it again. You've just got to break the habit, once that's done you're golden.
Good luck with that Shane. Hope this helps. Really appreciate the feedback if this helps you. If you've got any more questions just email me through our forums or my blog. Kick butt and let me know how it goes. All the best,
Jonathan -
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltendingforum.com
does it really matter what type of stick you have? i mean i went from a $40 one to a $130 and i really cant tell the difference besides the weight. do you have any advice on how to improve my stick skills ive been playin for 4 years and im still havin trouble forgetting to cover my butt end any advice?
thanks, shane
Answer: Shane thanks for the great question. You are on to something for sure. I have always said that the greatest difference between sticks is not the stick (head, shaft) itself but the pocket that is in it. But even then, you can have a great pocket in a really cheap stick and still play really well. Case in point: My three year old son has a little one of those mini Warrior sticks with a killer pocket in it. You can fake and shoot anywhere with that little stick and it's awesome.
I would also say that the more "elite" a player you are the more you will feel a difference between sticks. There are sticks that feel "light" in your hands and others that are "heavy". Some would even call them "dead". But I would say that 98% of most players wouldn't be able to really tell the difference.
I'm 36 years old and when I started playing lacrosse there were about ten sticks to choose from. And you could either get an aluminum shaft or a wood shaft. The big news was when Titanium shafts came out. (Which are still the best choice in my opinion.) Now, with the advances in manufacturing they can pump out new sticks in no time. Little cuts in the sidewalls, off-set, pinched, no pinch, etc. A lot of it is hype.
I was just writing to another player and telling him about the STX Excalibur. It's the all-time best selling lacrosse head ever. Very simple in design and has obviously stood the test of time.
In my opinion there are three major factors to choosing a stick. (Not in any particular order.) They are: stiffness of the head, width of the head, and width and shape of the scoop.
The stiffer the head the more durable it's going to be. The width of the head is going to make it easier to catch passes but will allow the ball to be checked out of the stick easier. The shape of the scoop is going to help you with ground balls. That's it.
Now if you should 110 miles per hour then maybe an extra cut in the sidewall is going to help you. But what most guys forget is that the stick is only one aspect of the game. A guy like Kyle Harrison is still going to run right by you no matter what stick is in his hands or yours for that matter. The stick is just one small part of what makes great players great. I've always wanted to see a game of all-americans played with stock sticks. Just one stock pocket. Give them five minutes with sticks and let them play and you'd still see the best players play their best. The sticks may change it's the hands that make the player.
On that note: Advice on improving your stick skills. Wall ball. Play. Play. Play. Experiment. Work your opposite hand. If the only trouble you are having is covering your butt end then what I would suggest is that you are at a bit of a plateau. To bust through it you need to become comfortable with how the stick feels with your hand on that butt end. Right now it doesn't feel good to you. Here's my suggestion: For a whole week just focus on your bottom hand on that butt end all the time. Even if you pick your stick up out of your car make sure your hand is on that butt end. No matter where you are on the field, keep your hand on the butt end. You've got to groove a path in your brain where it feels comfortable with your hand down there. Ideally you do this for twenty-one days. That's how long it really takes to groove a new habit. But start with seven days. Then try it again. You've just got to break the habit, once that's done you're golden.
Good luck with that Shane. Hope this helps. Really appreciate the feedback if this helps you. If you've got any more questions just email me through our forums or my blog. Kick butt and let me know how it goes. All the best,
Jonathan -
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltendingforum.com
What Should I Use For A Long Stick Middie? A Defender Head or a Middie Head?
Question: Hey Jonathan,
I'm wondering, as long stick middie, if you would recommend a more defender head or a midfielder head.
Thanks a bunch,
Nathan
Answer: Nathan I would recommend a more defender head. Basically all of the advantages of having a defender head to not take away from any of the advantages of a middie head. With a defender head you most likely are going to get a wider head, with a stiffer make up, with a wider scoop that is going to help you with ground balls. To be honest, you wouldn't mind those features if you were just playing middie. Most middie heads are narrower to begin with which make them less forgiving to catch with but easier to hold on to the ball when checked. As a long pole you're going to be dishing the ball more quickly to a short stick so you won't need the narrower head.
So all in all I'd go with a defender head.
A head that goes both ways? The Excalibur. I think it's the longest running head design in STX history and I've played with a lot of defenders who use it. Just a really nice, all purpose head.
Hope that helps. Let me know which one you go with.
Jonathan -
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltendingforum.com
I'm wondering, as long stick middie, if you would recommend a more defender head or a midfielder head.
Thanks a bunch,
Nathan
Answer: Nathan I would recommend a more defender head. Basically all of the advantages of having a defender head to not take away from any of the advantages of a middie head. With a defender head you most likely are going to get a wider head, with a stiffer make up, with a wider scoop that is going to help you with ground balls. To be honest, you wouldn't mind those features if you were just playing middie. Most middie heads are narrower to begin with which make them less forgiving to catch with but easier to hold on to the ball when checked. As a long pole you're going to be dishing the ball more quickly to a short stick so you won't need the narrower head.
So all in all I'd go with a defender head.
A head that goes both ways? The Excalibur. I think it's the longest running head design in STX history and I've played with a lot of defenders who use it. Just a really nice, all purpose head.
Hope that helps. Let me know which one you go with.
Jonathan -
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltendingforum.com
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Should I Buy The New Evo Ti If I Play Defense?
Carson it should be a better head if it's stiffer than the old model. Ti can be expensive and it's a great marketing hook to get you to buy it.
One thing I don't like about the Evo is that it's pretty narrow. That's an advantage if you're a middie or play attack. But as a defender it can make scooping balls or snagging passes a bit more difficult. If you are a stick handling stud then go for it. But if you're still improving you're game I'd go with something that was a little wider in the head, had a good scoop for ground balls, and that was stiff so you can check the you know what out of your opponent.
Jonathan -
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
One thing I don't like about the Evo is that it's pretty narrow. That's an advantage if you're a middie or play attack. But as a defender it can make scooping balls or snagging passes a bit more difficult. If you are a stick handling stud then go for it. But if you're still improving you're game I'd go with something that was a little wider in the head, had a good scoop for ground balls, and that was stiff so you can check the you know what out of your opponent.
Jonathan -
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
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