The idea for this week’s article dates back to this summer during a post-game conversation.  I was handed an amazingly strung wooden box stick from Chris Rieley and the idea dawned on me.  Chris and I should team up to string an open gut sidewall on a current head.  I dyed a True Key to look like a living edge Woodie and took my True Prowess and cut off a section of the sidewall with a hacksaw.  I then gave it to Chris to string up.  

Chris strung up the Key with some sidewall that I then used polyurethane on to lock the gut in place and provide the needed rigidity to the sidewall.  For the Prowess, we used Bison Hide.  I wanted to see if one of these would work better than the other.  Let’s find out. 

Chris Rieley Collaboration: #TheGopherProject

As you can see from the video, the heads softened and warped too much to be able to use.  Cutting the sidewall ruined the structural integrity of the head and even with the polyurethane and gorilla glue, they are not able to be used for play.  Out of the two options, I think the sidewall/poly method would work better since you can adjust the tension easier. The Bison Hide and leather may work if it was longer and anchored lower to the head than the ball stop area.  

For the stringing, I used Lax Trader’s hemp cross lace which is tricky to string at first but even more so when the heads are constantly changing shape.  I was able to lock the leathers in place but had to string the interlocks on the gut side a little loose in order to not torque the head too much.  I rounded them out with hemp shooters. As always, I used my Gopher Leathers.

So, was this the smash-hit I had hoped?  No, but that doesn’t mean this was a miss.  I can guarantee you’ll see another team up with Chris on a lacrosse head in the future.   Will it have a gut sidewall? You bet. I’ve already started mapping out ideas on how to keep the structural integrity of the head in check.  

Thank you all for reading, we’re going be taking a break until LaxCon.  Have a Happy Holidays and see you at LaxCon!

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This week we’re going to revisit the STX Stallion Omega I strung up here.  Here the focus is on adjusting the pocket as it breaks in. This is Part 2 of breaking-in a traditional pocket.

Breaking-In A Traditional Pocket, Part 2

Alright, here’s what you need:

1. A strung traditional pocket 
2. Patience….

So, let’s take a look at this video so you can see a comparison between a pocket that is breaking in and mesh.  Until the pocket sags like a broken-in mesh pocket, you’ll notice a tougher time receiving passes. They’ll tend to pop around a bit.  This is where wallball is important.  

Do you see how the cross lace is “biting” into the leather?  When this happens, you can stop stretching the pocket in a stretcher/ball and butter knife.  Again, wallball and when you think you’re done, wallball more.  

Shooters – This is a process that you’ll need to do throughout the life of the pocket.  Here is my favorite method. Untie all the shooters but leave them in the head. Start throwing and after 10-20 reps, tighten the top shooter.  Throw some more and when you are satisfied with the tension, move to the second shooter. Repeat until all have been knotted. Note, you may have to do this every time until it’s game ready.  Just part of the process.

Next week’s article is another hybrid pocket… two of them you could say… stay tuned!

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Welcome to the December spotlight!   When I first starting writing for Lacrosse All Stars, I wrote down about 15 folks in the community that I wanted to spotlight. Needless to say, Katie was high on the list. Honestly I had her pegged for February so we could do some Laxcon stuff for that.  However, with her recent announcement, I had to bump her up on the list! The announcement? You’ll have to read below. Let’s first introduce Katie Facciola (aka Foss)!  Now, not only is Foss one of my favorite stringers — there is nothing she can’t string up — but she is one of the people I look forward to catching up with at LaxCon.  You cannot have a bad time around her. Whether it’s laughing at her Laxcon onesie or just spending time with her, she rocks!

Katie Facciola (aka Foss): Stringer Spotlight

Kevin – “Foss, let’s hear about your big announcement!”

Foss – *insert drum roll*  I’m opening my own independent shop!!!!  Foss Lacrosse, LLC is opening at 1110 Main St.  Wakefield, Massachusetts!!!!! You can find more info at www.fossyhola.com

Kevin – “Congratulations!  How did this idea come about and how did it finally come to fruition?”

Foss – Well, I’ve been able to work from home and string for over a year now.  And it’s something I’ve wanted for a long time. I love being my own boss, I’m actually a pretty terrible employee cause I want things done my way.   So I just decided I wanted a new challenge and grow the brand.

Kevin – “Since you are running the show, how will you differ from your typical brick and mortar lacrosse store?”

Foss – I don’t want you to just come in get a stick and leave.  Come in, play on the bounceback for a little bit, string in the stringing corner, come around the desk and watch highlights with me from the college season. Add your schools’ stats to our chalkboard wall.  For coaches, let’s chat about drills and how different teams in the area are doing. I want to know how your season is doing and what college you want to go to. We will always be stringing a stick when you walk in the door, either for a player or to throw on the shelf.  Lacrosse is fun so we want our shop to be just as fun as the sport is.

Kevin – “Will you be able to dye heads in the shop as well?”

Foss – Heck yeah!!! We will have new dyes weekly on the shelves and available through our Instagram! (just don’t tell my landlord lol)

Kevin – “Will you ship internationally?”

Foss – “Not at the moment!”

Kevin – “Laxcon — what are your plans?”

Foss – “ I need to decide what onesie I should wear for LaxCon!”

Thanks for reading!  Use #thegopherproject on your string ups to earn a future spotlight or string up of the week!

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Alright, it’s time for another tutorial! This time we’re taking the concept of the Rock-It Pocket and combining that with the women’s ladder pocket. Now, the center channel of the Rock-It Pocket has always been one of my favorite traditional pockets. When done correctly, it gives you great hold and moves the ball quickly out of the pocket. It’s very similar to the ladder pocket middle but I think it’s sturdier and more consistent. I’ve always wanted to put an RP style pocket in a women’s stick. Now, I finally can. I ran the concept and earlier versions by three of the best stringers out there:

Liz Hogan

Liz Hogan Instagram

Robin Brown 

Robin Brown Instagram

Katie Facciola (Foss!)

Katie Facciola Instagram

After a few changes to the design from the ladies above, I was able to come up with something I think encompasses all the best parts from the two pockets.  Note, I did not do a traditional top coil and bottom saddle on this version. Why? I do not think their beneficial and wanted to reduce excess weight as much as possible.  It’s also why I swapped the outer leathers for paracord runners. Now, you may see a top coil tutorial sometime in the future….

Stringing Scale: I’ll rate the difficulty on stringing these pockets from 3 to 5.  1 being fairly easy and 5 being the most difficult. With all the double interlocks and tensioning, this may take you a few passes if you’ve never done one before.  

Rock-It Ladder Pocket Tutorial

Here is what you are going to need:

1. A women’s head.  STX Crux 500 
2. 2 Leathers.  Slate Gopher Leathers.
3. 2 Paracord or Top Lace Runners (about 22 inches) 
4. Crosslace.  1 center piece at 12 ft and 2 side pieces at 14 ft
5. Sidewall.  2 Pieces (normal sidewall length)
6. Shooters.  I used 2 Blue
7. Needle Nose Pliers.  These are critical for getting the crosslace lace through the double interlocks.
8. Ladies TradiTree (We did just spotlight Hank earlier this month)

Step 1:

Install your sidewall, outer runners, and leathers.  Remember to prestretch your leathers.  

Step 2:  

Install your TradiTree.  If you have never strung this pocket before, I suggest trying the Tradi out.  It requires a lot of knots and can be a hassle to fix tensioning after it’s done.  

Step 3:

Middle channel time!  Here we are running the crosslace from the top sidewall hole in the head bringing it through the runner and leather and tying a double interlock knot on the opposite leather.   Double interlocks can be tricky at first. Run the crosslace OVER the leather and behind and then OVER the leather again. Gently slide the knot tight and move to the leather to the right.  As you’ll see in the video, depending on the length of the head, you’ll either have 8 or 9 interlocks down each leather. Work your way down the pocket and tie off at the bottom. 

Step 4: 

Split your outer piece of crosslace in half at the top runner (tie of the left side so it doesn’t move).   Here we’re going to run down the head doing a double interlock on the leather and a single interlock on the runner.  You need to have the double interlock lay flat (not look wonky). In order to do this, you will go UNDER the leather and through the previous interlock and the over and UNDER the leather again.  It’s the exact opposite of what you did in the middle. The Single interlocks should lay on the runner in between the double interlock in the leather. Work your way down and tie off the crosslace.  

Step 5: 

You have 2 options here.  You can finish the left side or begin the inner right side.  For me, I’d suggest doing the inner right so you can keep the Rock-It Ladder pocket consistent as possible.  If you do one side and then the other, you will sometimes get a pocket that pulls to one side more.  

Remember due to the double interlock pattern, this pocket is asymmetrical, we fix this by placing the single interlocks are parallel to the other runner.  It will look odd at first but will keep all the diamonds uniform. Complete the inner side and then tie up both outer sides.  

Step 6: 

Review the interlocks to make sure all of them are lying flat and properly tensioned.  Remove the TradiTree and give the pocket another once over. Pound the pocket in (I used a bat to lock everything in place) and check to make sure it’s legal.

Step 7: 

Shooters….You’ll need them.  I highly suggest you hit the wall or rebounder before you finally cut all crosslace and sidewall to your preferred length.  

Step 8:

Feedback!  I want your input on this pocket.  Do you prefer the coil and saddle for this?  Do you want tutorials for those? Do you think the pocket is legal/illegal?  Do you think you can do a better take? I’d love to see what you all come up with.

Thanks for reading!  Use #thegopherproject on your string ups to earn a future spotlight or string up of the week!

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This week we’re going to look into how I break in a traditional pocket. Note, how I do this may be different from others, there’s no “right” way. It’s important to remember that breaking in a traditional pocket is a gradual process, it’s not something you can do over night.  However, once broken in and properly maintained, you’ll get a pocket that you’ll never forget.

How To Break In A Traditional Pocket

Necessary Items

Alright, here’s what you need:

1. A strung traditional pocket (kind of important here)…Here I am using my newly strung STX Stallion Omega
2. Water (bucket or tap)
3. Either a pocket screw or ball and butter knife
4. Patience, this is key

Before we begin, we need to take quick step backwards to address your leathers.  The most important rule is to use good quality leathers (shameless Gopher Lax plug).  The second is to properly stretch your leathers.  This will allow the pocket to break in consistently and also test the quality of your leathers.  If you don’t stretch beforehand, the leathers will stretch and break in at different spots throughout your entire head.  This will lead to a very inconsistent pocket. Ladies, this goes for you as well. Stretch your leathers for the same reason.

The Process

Step 1 – Wall Ball or Shoot Around

Note, during the initial break in, your shots and passes are going to be all over the place.  Avoid tinkering with the shooters until after you’ve finished that session. Typically, what I do with the shooters is leave them in the head with descending tension (top the tightest and bottom the loosest).  Spend some time on the wall, this is the key to a good break in.

Step 2 – Get the pocket wet

Now, I know what you’re thinking.  Water and traditional pockets are a no no.  You may be slightly correct but in the break in, water is your friend.  Again, if you’re using good quality leathers, water will not ruin them. You do not have to drown the pocket, get it wet so the leathers absorb the water.  No bucket? Run it under the faucet until the pocket is wet.

Step 3 – Pocket Stretching

Use your favorite method. Here I’ll pound the pocket out for a minute with a baseball bat (similar to how you do it with mesh) and then throw it in a stretcher. Don’t have a stretcher? A ball and butter knife work just as well (kids, check with your parents on the knife part first)….

Step 4 – Observations

When you stretch the pocket, if the leathers are tight (not loose) then leave it over night to dry.  If the leathers are loose, SLIGHTLY tighten the leathers. If you over tighten, you’ll create stress points at the bottom of the pocket and create a potential snap point. Are your sidewalls loosening? Here’s where you tighten those up. How do you avoid that issue at the start? I suggest double interlocking the sidewall. If they loosen slightly, it’ll only be that area.

Step 5 – Is it working?

You can tell the pocket is breaking in once the cross lace starts biting into the leather.  Once this happens, stop with the water treatment and continue the stretch up the pocket isn’t stiff anymore.

Step 6 – Follow up

From time to time your pocket will expand, use the stretcher to reshape and shallow the pocket to your desired “legal” depth.

Step 7 – Wait!  What about the shooters????

This will be an ongoing process. You need to remember that the top shooter needs to be the tightest and the bottom the loosest. If you’re wall-balling and something is off, loosen all the shooters and then tighten the top.  When that’s working, tighten the second, etc…

It’s important to use patience with this. I’ve had traditional pockets that I’ve broken in in a week and some that have taken a month. Go slow, put the reps in, if you ever have questions, I’m here to help!

Next week’s article is a real Rock-It…..I’ll be putting my spin on a ladder pocket in an STX Crux 500.  Stay tuned!

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We’ve taken a few months off from spotlights as we presented the round table articles.  So, let’s kick off this spotlight #TheGopherProject with Hank Furnbach better known as TRADiTREE and Traditreepaint.  Traditree is a traditional pocket stringing tool. While, Tradipaint is a non-traditional method of painting a lacrosse head.  Instead of dyeing a head with RIT or Laxdip, Hank uses a special mixture of paint to customize the head. Now these paint jobs can run up the cost of a new head alone but let’s see why!

Spotlight: TRADiTREE

Kevin- “You’re only one of two people I’ve seen that have painted heads (@ClanStringing is the other), How did you come up with the idea and technique?

Hank-  I would say that it started back in September 2016. I tried painting an old head with regular spray paint. As we all know, that doesn’t work very well. I started to do more research and I headed down the path of the auto body industry. A car bumper is not too different than the plastics used in lax heads. I went ahead to learn as much as I could about automotive paint techniques.

Kevin- “How durable is the paint once it’s been cured?”

Hank-  Lets go ahead and use the car bumper analogy again. If you take care of it, it will look like it’s off the showroom floor. If you smash it into a tree or drag it along concrete, it will be chipped and scraped. The head I painted for ECDLax for Ryan Drenner took a lot of abuse in the all-star game. I would say that he is an extreme case.

Kevin- “How long does it take you from start to finish to complete?”

Hank-  It depends on what I am doing. The typical steps are:

• Remove ball stop and any jewels.
• Rough up it with a scotch brite pad. I use a bench top blast cabinet.
• Clean the head. I use an automotive grease and wax remover.
• Spray adhesion coats. I usually use two coats.
• Immediately after adhesion coats I spray on an intercoat or a color keyed primer for two
• more coats.
• Now if I am doing a ColorShift I would spray at least two coats of the Shift. A candy head I would spray two coats of a coarse aluminum metallic. Metal flake heat I will spray two coats of a complementary pearl color.

• If a ColorShift, I would do two or three coats of an intercoat to “lock it down”. A candy is a different story. I would spray a minimum of three coats to 12 coats. It depends what I want to achieve. Metal flake will take 2 or three very light coats to reach the coverage I want.

• The Candy and metal flake, I would now do 2 or 3 intercoat as a lock down.
• After the intercoat is dry I would wet sand the head with 2000 grit sandpaper. Clean and dried.

• The final process is applying a coat of a clear high gloss ceramic. After four days the clear coat is cured and ready to be used.

• In some cases like the head I finished for Kevin, before the clear coat I added color accents to the metal flake with a candy finish. I had 3 coats to achieve the color I wanted. I then painted 3 coats of intercoat. Followed by sanding the then ceramic clear coat.

Kevin- “Are there any limitations to the heads or paints?”

Hank-  The only limitations I find with the heads are the small area to do techniques on. What I mean is that I would like to do more of the “art” stuff you come to think of when you think of airbrushing. You know, scales, koi fish, realistic flames. Etc.. As for the paints, I see no limitations.

Kevin- “What are the ideal heads to paint and why?”

Hank-  Any heads are fair game to paint. I have my personal favorites, but that is only my preference.

Kevin- What is next for TradiTreepaint?

Hank-  What is next? I recently added a larger paint booth. My first one I made myself and only was 20‘ x 20” x 20”. The new one is 32” x 32” x 32”, which means I can now paint Goalie Heads and helmets. With the helmets I can start adding elements that I cannot do on the average lacrosse head.

Kevin- “We need to discuss TRADiTREE, how long did it take you to create the original version?”

Hank-  The first version I had was cut from plywood many years ago. After a long hiatus from stringing, I started back up when my youngest son said that he wanted to play lacrosse. After he started playing, I took stringing back up. Mind you that it was over 25 years since I was stringing, I didn’t have my wooden jig. Needless to say, I got the stringing bug back. In Sept. 2014 both my sons where gone to college and my wife went back to school to get certified for a second job she was doing. I was left alone with the dogs with nothing to do. So, I set forth to design the TRADiTREE we know today. In two months, I had went through five different designs and in mid-October I settled on one. I sent out two prototypes to people who were very active in IG to get their opinion. So, on November 1, 2014 I released the TRADiTREE. It sold out in 2 hours. To answer your original question, over 25 years.

Kevin- “You’ve had everything from the original, Pita, 6 shooter, Pro, women’s, BAT, and many more, What’s next?

Hank- There are a couple of ideas I have been working on. One that the community keeps asking for is a GoalieTree. I have a design but it would cost too much to produce and would be too high of a street price. I am still working that one out.

Kevin- “For someone that has never tried the Traditree before, what can you say to them?”

Hank-  The TRADiTREE is a tool. It is there to help string your traditional pockets. Don’t be afraid to mess things up, you will. But, with the TRADiTREE you won’t have to worry about the leathers moving all around, you can concentrate on what you are creating. I have had first time traditional stringers tell me that they were intimidated to try a pocket but the TRADiTREE gave them the confidence to explore their creativity. So, I would say, “get one and string.”

Leading up to this spotlight, I sent Hank a StringKing Mark 2V to paint with whatever style he could think of, as long as it incorporated grey and green.

Thank you for reading.  Remember to tag all string ups with #thegopherproject to earn string up of the week honors.

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First off, I want to apologize for myself and on behalf of LaxAllStars for the controversy that the recent women’s roundtable article I wrote as part of my series called #TheGopherProject caused.

I in no way intended to slight the women’s sport or make it seem as though it was in any way less significant than the men’s game. I realize that the question that was posed and the way that the headline was phrased could have been perceived to imply that women’s lacrosse was somehow inferior or less developed. It was construed as implying that women’s lacrosse wasn’t enough and needed to be like the men’s sport. I’m sorry for how this turned out, and I know that Lacrosse All Stars certainly regrets that members of the lacrosse community would feel ostracized by a platform that has historically been one of the most inclusive lacrosse outlets in terms of coverage across the men’s and women’s versions of the sport. Neither I or anyone at the company intended to alienate anyone and to question the legitimacy of the women’s sport.

In fact, my focus was quite the opposite.

My purpose in forming these women’s roundtable discussions with stringers of women’s lacrosse heads and representatives of women’s manufacturers was to actually help provide coverage for and give attention to women’s lacrosse and its recent rules changes. I wanted the roundtables to address topics that may not be getting the proper coverage that they deserve. Seeing as most of the focus in lacrosse media is slanted towards the men’s game, I wanted to provide insight into trending topics in the women’s game. In this series that involved both women’s lacrosse head stringers and representatives from the women’s side of lacrosse manufacturers in two different series of articles, we have covered topics like ‘What is the future of women’s head technology?’ and ‘What limitations will the new women’s lacrosse equipment rules have?’ We’ve had panelists that include well-known women’s stringers such as Robin Brown, Katie Facciola and women’s lacrosse great Liz Hogan.

One of the complaints that I got about the most recent article I wrote was that there weren’t enough women’s representatives on the panel. First off, let me say that I certainly feel that women’s lacrosse naturally needs plenty of women’s voices guiding the direction of the sport and the rules that are entailed. However, when we put together this panel of representatives of lacrosse manufacturers, it just so happened that the majority of them were men. I appreciated their valuable insight into the women’s lacrosse gear industry, but we do realize that women’s voices were lacking for the second part of the series. When we reached out to these manufacturers specifically about women’s equipment, their chosen representatives happened to be men. Regardless, I would love to hear more voices from the women’s game and what they have to say about the sport. I know that the folks at LaxAllStars feel the same. If you’re interested in writing about the women’s game for the Lacrosse All Stars website, send an inquiry to this email address and someone would be happy to work with you.

When I first designed the series, it was supposed to be two separate articles — one for the women’s stringers panel and one for the women’s lacrosse gear manufacturers panel. However, the higher-ups at LaxAllStars decided that we should turn it into a series for each panel. This may have helped contribute to having my overall goal of recognizing the women’s sport and its issues end up becoming more difficult to paint a broader picture of as the series of articles were segmented.

That was unfortunately combined with the fact that the final piece of the series, the one that people responded on social media to a few days ago, was meant to explore the changes in women’s head technology, but didn’t exactly get presented as would have been appropriate. Given the recent changes to head technology in the women’s sport, as well as other changes like the addition of helmets in the last few years, I thought it would be interesting to ask the question about how some of these changes — of which the new rules share elements of the men’s game — compared to the men’s sport.

So, let me address this question, how it was presented and then perceived. First off, I personally believe that the women’s sport can and should be completely self-sufficient from the men’s game. Women’s lacrosse is a beautiful sport, one that my daughters have participated in. That being said, given the fact that women’s lacrosse has recently adopted changes to its rules that are similar to men’s rules, I think, would lend itself to the question of what other changes we will see in the women’s sport, and whether those will also be similar to the men’s game. Again, I don’t think that the women’s game should turn into the men’s sport. I in no way expressed any opinion that should be the case. But, to me it seems like a logical question to ask. The men’s field game is also not inherently the “correct” version of the sport that other versions need to be compared to. The fact that it is also seeing a wide range of rules changes across various levels should reinforce that the men’s version of the game is also very open to change and new ideas.

Now, I get that some people may find the very fact that I asked that question offensive. As I mentioned, it was not and has never been my intention to offend anyone or take anything away from women’s lacrosse. I know that I personally, and everyone on the Lacrosse All Stars team, like its CEO Jeff Brunelle, personally feel that the men’s game has a lot to learn from the women’s game. Really, if you look at things like the implementation of the shot clock in the men’s college game, those changes can be traced back to the women’s sport implementing those rules first at that level. This is a nuanced thing as box lacrosse has had the shot clock for a long time and the MLL was using it for well over a decade. Women’s lacrosse athletes have many skills and abilities that most men’s players could only dream of having. The fact of the matter is, I could very easily ask the same question about whether the men’s game could change to be more like the women’s game, which would undoubtedly outrage a lot of the men’s players while drawing praise from supporters of women’s lacrosse. Unfortunately, people seem to be a bit sensitive about drawing comparisons between the two sports. Personally, I feel that instead of being defensive about keeping both genders separate, maybe instead we should be considering how each version of the sport can learn from the other.

Now, I get that equality in women’s sports is certainly a hot topic right now. Unfortunately, there have been numerous accounts of unfairness such as the U.S. women’s soccer team being paid far less than their incredibly underperforming male counterparts. Then, there’s similar issues in the WNBA where the top women’s basketball players in the world are making fractions of what the men’s players are bringing in. It’s tragic, and I can see why given the current climate in sports that my question struck a nerve. For that, I am sorry, and realize that it probably was not in good taste. Personally, I would love to see women’s sports — especially women’s lacrosse — garner the same respect and influence in a heavily male-dominated sports world that it rightly deserves. Next time I try to draw comparisons between the men’s and women’s versions of lacrosse, I will be sure to be careful and sensitive to the feelings of those that play both versions of the sport.

Once the responses started coming in on social media, I was instantly filled with regret for how a series that I hoped would be positive towards women’s lacrosse was perceived. It was never my intention, nor anyone at Lacrosse All Stars to negatively portray women or women’s lacrosse. However, I see why people are upset. So, I would like to again apologize for how things happened.

Now, after all of this, I still would like to produce more roundtable discussions on women’s lacrosse. I’d like to make sure that women’s voices in the sport are being heard. Feel free to contact me to be a part of those future discussions — I can’t wait to see what you all have to say. As I mentioned, Lacrosse All Stars would love to have more women’s voices represented on its site, so please contact them at the email address I mentioned above.

I hope that we all can use this whole situation as a learning experience that will help move the game forward. It has brought up some good conversation on social media about issues in women’s lacrosse, and I hope that as I and LaxAllStars continues to cover the women’s game, that we can do so in a positive manner that fosters healthy discussion and can improve the sport as a whole — completely separate from any pressures to be like the men’s game.

Thanks,

Kevin Henry

#TheGopherProject

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Editor’s Note: This multi-part series Women’s Stringing Roundtable on #TheGopherProject will provide insight from experienced stringers and representatives from stringing manufacturers. Check out the first week in the series here, and the second edition here. You can find the third edition here. Here’s the fourth edition. Today, our roundtable discusses whether women’s lacrosse will ever evolving into the men’s game.

Women’s lacrosse pockets have always had more restrictions than men’s pockets. With the recent relaxing of the rules and allowing women’s lacrosse mesh pockets, it will be interesting to see how the game evolves.  Let’s introduce our panel for this part of the roundtable:

Nick VanRensselaer and Austin Atkinson of ECD

ECD Lacrosse

Julie Gardner of STX

STX Lacrosse

James Miceli and Evan McDonell of Epoch

Epoch Lacrosse

Kit Smith and Matt Schuler of String King

Stringking Lacrosse

As the women’s equipment is starting to take on more similarities to the men’s game (helmets and now mesh), do you eventually see the women’s game evolving into the men’s?  If so, how are you as a company preparing for that?  

ECD: I don’t think that the women’s game will ever adopt the same rules as the men. I know a lot of women’s players that have a “all or nothing” mindset, meaning they either want all the pads/rules or nothing. From the conversations that I have had, the people that oversee making/changing the rules are against making the women’s game any more like the men’s game. When we were meeting with these rules-makers prior to the 2018 Women’s mesh rules being passed, they were against anything that would make the women’s game closer to the men’s, specifically girls being able to throw/shoot faster. 

STX: We do not see the women’s game evolving exactly into the men’s, however, we do support the growth of the sport. Meaning, rules and product are bound to change. We stay “in the know” and do our best to act as a leader and collaborator within our tight knit industry. Our sport is always evolving, and we are always on our toes, making plans behind the scenes to give every player every opportunity to be at the top of her game!

Epoch: At Epoch, we hope the women’s game will always be unique to itself, however there are elements of both the women’s and men’s game that each can learn from to improve.  The PLL has been a great example of how slight rules changes can make the games more enjoyable to watch on TV and I can imagine women’s lacrosse doing the same. A great example is the implementation of Free Movement and how this rule has improved the game for the players and fans alike. 

Todays’ athletes are some of the best in the world and we have seen that updated rules and innovation in equipment have allowed these athletes to better showcase their ability.  I am confident this will continue in the future.  

String King: I could definitely see the women’s game adopting a few more rules similar to the men’s game and simplifying their rulebook a bit, but it seems to me that the women’s game has distinct and interesting aspects to it where it wouldn’t make sense for it to ultimately evolve into the men’s game. But whatever future awaits for the women’s game, we’ll make sure we have the very best women’s pockets pre-strung and ready to go off the rack.

Be sure to stay tuned to the #TheGopherProject for the latest insight into stringing.

Remember to tag all string ups with #TheGopherProject to earn String Up of the Week honors!

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Editor’s Note: This multi-part series Women’s Stringing Roundtable on #TheGopherProject will provide insight from experienced stringers and representatives from stringing manufacturers. Check out the first week in the series here, and the second edition here. You can find the third edition here. Today, our roundtable discusses the biggest challenge in head design that manufacturers face when adjusting to the new women’s rules.

Women’s lacrosse pockets have always had more restrictions than men’s pockets. With the recent relaxing of the rules and allowing women’s lacrosse mesh pockets, it will be interesting to see how the game evolves.  Let’s introduce our panel for this part of the roundtable:

Nick VanRensselaer and Austin Atkinson of ECD

ECD Lacrosse

Julie Gardner of STX

STX Lacrosse

James Miceli and Evan McDonell of Epoch

Epoch Lacrosse

Kit Smith and Matt Schuler of String King

Stringking Lacrosse

What has been the biggest challenge in head design with these new rules in place?

ECD: The biggest challenge that all companies are going to have with the adoption of mesh, will be the stiffness of their heads. When you look at most women’s heads, with exception of a select few heads, most women’s heads are light, but very flexible. We have talked to numerous women who play at a high level who have had this issue with heads. This issue comes out a lot when stringing full mesh pieces into women’s sticks. Since a lot of women’s heads are flimsy, you can’t form a “good” channel using typical stringing methods. However, a few very talented stringers use some “fancy” methods to get that desired channel and side-to-side control.

STX: Finding the balance between the traditional and modern player! There are so many different preferences in our game and no two players are alike – which is why we have options!

Epoch: Since the mesh rule is still so new and the rules seem to change pretty frequently, the challenges are still a bit unknown. That being said, one challenge has been the ability to be flexible with our designs so that we can react to the rule changes. Players are also hesitant to fully switch over to mesh, our designs have to accommodate a market that is split between mesh and traditional.  In addition, we feel there is a gap between the written rules and what referees interpret on the field but believe in time this will synchronize.

String King: For the Legend W and the Womens Mark 2 Line, it was the first time we were simultaneously developing the mesh, head, and stringing pattern. Typically for our men’s heads, we have our latest generation of Performance Mesh and a decent sense of what the pattern should be so we can keep the mesh and stringing variables constant while we try new things with the major head design aspects like the bottom rail profile and face shape. With the women’s pocket, however, the design for the mesh, stringing pattern, and head were all independent variables so it limited how deep we could go into experimenting with any single variable.

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Editor’s Note: This multi-part series Women’s Stringing Roundtable on #TheGopherProject will provide insight from experienced stringers and representatives from stringing manufacturers. Check out the first week in the series here, and the second edition here. Women’s lacrosse equipment manufacturers discuss the timetable that they think will need to happen before we see a full-mesh women’s stick.

Women’s lacrosse pockets have always had more restrictions than men’s pockets. With the recent relaxing of the rules and allowing women’s lacrosse mesh pockets, it will be interesting to see how the game evolves.  Let’s introduce our panel for this part of the roundtable:

Nick VanRensselaer and Austin Atkinson of ECD

ECD Lacrosse

Julie Gardner of STX

STX Lacrosse

James Miceli and Evan McDonell of Epoch

Epoch Lacrosse

Kit Smith and Matt Schuler of String King

Stringking Lacrosse

Do you think there needs to be a few generations of women’s heads before you get the right match of a full-mesh women’s stick?

ECD: The biggest problem that I see with current women’s heads and mesh pieces, is that the current heads on the market are not designed for full mesh pieces. They are designed with the aggressive angle sidewall higher in the head, so if you want to get the most out of your stick, the pocket (sweet spot) should be higher too. 

When you look at the pockets in a lot of full mesh pieces, the pockets tend to be formed a little lower (what guys would call a mid pocket) which means it is harder to get as deep as a pocket as if the pocket matched up with the angled sidewall. If heads were designed with the aggressive angle in the sidewall a little lower, you could get a deeper pocket, and more hold. 

Ultimately, the head will change whether it is in favor of the full mesh or not. For the full mesh to take over the market, that mesh would have to solve the problem that full mesh pieces have had. Full mesh does not offer significant side-to-side stability and hold without the pocket being illegal. 

STX: We are constantly receiving feedback from our consumers and getting new ideas. Mesh is a brand new category for us to experiment in and we will never stop innovating! Follow @stxwlax for upcoming product releases!

Epoch: With the advancements in mesh/material and stringing techniques, an experienced stringer can get a high performing mesh pocket in our current Purpose head.  Prior to the release of the Purpose, US Lacrosse announced mesh would be legal for the women’s game. The timing of this announcement allowed us to verify the Purpose would perform well with mesh.  Moving forward we do feel there is certainly an opportunity to introduce mesh specific technologies (ie. Knot-Lock on the Z1) into future heads that will only strengthen the performance of a full mesh pocket.

String King: The women’s mesh pockets will definitely get better over the next few years as we find little ways to improve the head and the mesh, but by far the most important part of the women’s pocket has been the stringing pattern and resulting pocket. We’ve spent at least a thousand combined hours fiddling around with different knots, different styles of stringing, and different pattern combinations. Compared to the head and the mesh, the pocket pattern definitely gives you the best bang for your buck in terms of performance improvements, and at this point, we feel like it’s in a pretty good place.

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Editor’s Note: This multi-part series Women’s Stringing Roundtable on #TheGopherProject will provide insight from experienced stringers and representatives from stringing manufacturers. Check out last week’s edition here. Women’s lacrosse equipment manufacturers discuss the product development process for women’s gear.

Women’s lacrosse pockets have always had more restrictions than men’s pockets. With the recent relaxing of the rules and allowing women’s lacrosse mesh pockets, it will be interesting to see how the game evolves.  Let’s introduce our panel for this part of the roundtable:

Nick VanRensselaer and Austin Atkinson of ECD

ECD Lacrosse

Julie Gardner of STX

STX Lacrosse

James Miceli and Evan McDonell of Epoch

Epoch Lacrosse

Kit Smith and Matt Schuler of String King

Stringking Lacrosse

From conception to final product, what is the normal timeframe for product development?

ECD: The general product development process that we go through for any and all our products explores current competitor options, market potential, and current technology, before there are any prototypes produced. Prior to the new rules being announced we were exploring different options. Before we arrived at our final concept for Venom, we tried over 30 different types of pockets. We tried everything from full mesh pockets, to half-mesh pockets (like what a few competitors have done), to something in between. What we found is that none of these options really gave the girls what they were looking for. We arrived at the final Venom concept based on an idea that Austin had. We landed on the small mesh runner with Vortex diamonds because we wanted to have the benefits of mesh (weather proof, consistency) with the rigidity and structure of a traditional stick. From all our testing and prototyping, we found that nothing came close to the Venom pocket for hold, release, and control. Throughout all our prototyping we had a group of around 15 girls and women of all levels, from middle school to professional, giving us feedback on each iteration of pocket we developed. 

STX: We spend about 2 years on a product prior to introducing it to the market. There is the R&D (research & design) process that kicks things off. From there, numerous iterations of the physical design are shown to players across the country in order for us to be able to decide the best design for the product. We create prototypes using the actual material that the product will be created from, and after months of player field testing we have a strong understanding of how the product performs. Finally, we put on the finishing touches and those special STX details. Marketing plans begin and we set our exact launch date. TONS of conversations and testing takes place before bringing anything to life. It is a fun, but long process!

Epoch: There is never a set timeline for a product. Some projects are a few months, some can take years. We always like to take our time to validate the details of the product before we launch.

String King: Generally, development takes about 6-8 months. First, we read through forums, comment sections, and reviews of the existing products and landscape so that we understand what players like and don’t like about a current product. Then we test the existing products on the market so that we can set our target product specifications and plan our first sample round. Sometimes the sampling process is quick, but most of the time we try to exhaust the possibilities – generally more samples will result in a better final product.

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Editor’s Note: This multi-part series Women’s Stringing Roundtable on #TheGopherProject will provide insight from experienced stringers and representatives from stringing manufacturers. As we have just finished the stringers point of view portion, it’s now time to see how women’s lacrosse mesh has impacted the sport from the view of the manufacturers.

Women’s lacrosse pockets have always had more restrictions than men’s pockets. With the recent relaxing of the rules and allowing women’s lacrosse mesh pockets, it will be interesting to see how the game evolves.  Let’s introduce our panel for this part of the roundtable:

Nick VanRensselaer and Austin Atkinson of ECD

ECD Lacrosse

Julie Gardner of STX

STX Lacrosse

James Miceli and Evan McDonell of Epoch

Epoch Lacrosse

Kit Smith and Matt Schuler of String King

Stringking Lacrosse

How has the introduction of mesh for women changed your plans?

ECD: The announcement of the adoption of mesh in the women’s game allowed us to enter into a new market space, while still sticking to our strengths of mesh and pockets. We always planned on entering the women’s lacrosse market, but the introduction of mesh accelerated that plan.

STX: The introduction of mesh has definitely changed our plans for the future. Fun fact: our product team played a huge part in the push to make mesh legal on the women’s side of the sport. Mesh has obviously become extremely popular since its introduction to the women’s market. It allows for a strong hold in the sweet spot, less pocket maintenance, and a lighter weight stick overall. Keep an eye out for what we have coming out as soon as this fall!

Epoch: Our focus and effort into the women’s game is a huge factor for Epoch’s plans. When we were developing the Purpose head, we realized there is a lot room for new women’s specific technology to be introduced into the evolving women’s game. Mesh is just the latest example of this. Teaming up with UNC has also elevated our focus to develop more in women’s lacrosse equipment.

StringKing: Originally, we had no plans to get into women’s pockets, but as soon as we heard the announcement that mesh would be incorporated into the 2018-2019 rulebook, we started sewing and cutting existing men’s meshes and stringing them up into women’s prototype pockets. We thought at first it would take some time for women to transition from traditional pockets to mesh pockets, but we’ve been getting overwhelmingly positive feedback from women on Day 1 of using pockets strung up with Type W and now Women’s Type 4. The mesh pockets are easier to string and replicate and give players greater hold, control and consistency.

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Editor’s Note: This multipart series of our Women’s Stringing Roundtable on #TheGopherProject will provide insight from experienced stringers and representatives from stringing manufacturers. Today, we ask our roundtable what limitations the recent changes to the women’s rules will have on the game. Women’s lacrosse pockets have always had more restrictions than men’s pockets. With the recent relaxing of the rules and allowing mesh, it will be interesting to see how the game evolves.

Click here for Part 1 of the Women’s Roundtable Discussion talking about how mesh in women’s lacrosse is affecting the game. Click here for Part 2 about what the optimal women’s pocket is. Click here for Part 3 about when and if we will see an all-mesh women’s lacrosse head. Click here for Part 4 as our roundtable discusses the future of women’s head technology.

With the help of Robin Brown aka @Laxtractive, we selected a handful of our favorite women’s stringers and asked for their point of view. Let’s introduce the roundtable panel discussing today’s issue of the future of women’s head technology:

Roundtable Members

Liz Hogan

Instagram Profile

Michael Spencer

Instagram Profile

Marisa Zandi

INSTAGRAM PROFILE

Kaylee Nolan

Instagram Profile

Robin Brown

Instagram Profile

Maesa Phongsamouth

Instagram Profile

Katie Facciola (the one, the only Foss!)

Instagram Profile

What limitations (if any) do you see these new women’s lacrosse rules placing on the game?

Liz – I don’t really see any limitations. Some coaches might argue that mesh sticks are hurting their player’s stick work, but in my opinion, that’s just bad stringing or bad coaching. I think like anything new; it took a while to understand how to tweak it and come up with a great product. Outside of that, I think this really allows the player to customize her stick the way she feels. It also helps drive the conversation about what pockets are, what to look for in them and how to maintain them — all something I think is a huge positive.

Michael – None really.  My fear is that mesh will make traditional stringing extinct as it did in the men’s game.  In a bid to make things “easier” an art form will be lost.  Traditional stringing has no advertising budget only word of mouth and reputation.

Marisa – I can only hope that the US Lacrosse committees won’t vote to add more regulations on the game, I feel like there are already a number of rules that interfere.

If any more rules need to be added, the goal should be to make the game more fluid and have less and less standing — even at the high school level.

Kaylee – I could see the cycle continuing of refs getting frustrated with a mass of different pockets, then US Lacrosse puts stricter rules on pockets, and then refs getting confused by rules and deeming pockets illegal, followed by US Lacrosse taking away rules.

Robin – Right now there is still some confusion about stringing to the inside when it involves going over the top of the bottom rail as opposed to the bottom of the bottom rail of the sidewall. These new women’s lacrosse rule changes were great and much needed but the rules are still not as clear as they really should be. US Lacrosse would be wise to open up more to the stringing community if their goal is for the rulebook to be easily interpretable, because right now they use terms only familiar to them (eg “stitches”) while most stringers have ascribed to a colloquially-known nomenclature.

Maesa – I’m not sure if I see any. I think it helps grow the game and change the game. Players can be more creative with their pocket and find what suits them and their style of play. I love how the women’s game is and I think it enhances the game to bring in that extra power and finesse like men’s but still keeping it from being like the men’s game. Plus, the stick checks to make sure the pocket is legal are pretty strict so it balances it out.

Foss – What I don’t like is people assuming women’s lacrosse needs to shift more towards men’s lacrosse with the rule changes. If a girl wants to play men’s lacrosse then we should let her, but don’t think women’s lacrosse is less than the men’s game because we can’t hit.  Our sport is something different, it’s like comparing ice hockey to field hockey.

Thanks to our women’s roundtable for participating in this series! Be sure to stay tuned to the #TheGopherProject for the latest insight into stringing.

Remember to tag all string ups with #TheGopherProject to earn String Up of the Week honors!

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Editor’s Note: This multi-part series Women’s Stringing Roundtable on #TheGopherProject will provide insight from experienced stringers and representatives from stringing manufacturers. Today, we ask our roundtable about the future of women’s head technology. Women’s lacrosse pockets have always had more restrictions than men’s pockets. With the recent relaxing of the rules and allowing mesh, it will be interesting to see how the game evolves.

Click here for Part 1 of the Women’s Roundtable Discussion talking about how mesh in women’s lacrosse is affecting the game. Click here for Part 2 about what the optimal women’s pocket is. Click here for Part 3 about when and if we will see an all-mesh women’s lacrosse head.

With the help of Robin Brown aka @Laxtractive, we selected a handful of our favorite women’s stringers and asked for their point of view. Let’s introduce the roundtable panel discussing today’s issue of the future of women’s head technology:

Roundtable Members

Liz Hogan

Instagram Profile

Michael Spencer

Instagram Profile

Marisa Zandi

INSTAGRAM PROFILE

Kaylee Nolan

Instagram Profile

Robin Brown

Instagram Profile

Maesa Phongsamouth

Instagram Profile

Katie Facciola (the one, the only Foss!)

Instagram Profile

Where do you see women’s head technology moving in the future? (Deeper pockets, more offset)

Liz– It’s interesting, I think with the STX Axxis release, we might see more draw specific heads. I do, however, believe that the women’s and girls’ rule committees are greatly aware of rule changes can greatly impact the game. We’ve seen the positive impact of free movement, but also the negative impact — and ultimately removal of — rule changes like a minor foul for 3 seconds. 

So, I really don’t see them allowing deeper pockets, more offset etc. I do see companies trying to work around it, playing with different angles and releases, but I don’t think the rules will change to allow for anything drastic.  Ultimately once a head is on the market, it’s really hard to take it off of the market due to money.

Michael– I feel the offset race will continue.  I am interested to see how Epoch will fair with its follow up to the Purpose.   I believe pocket depth has reached its zenith in the women’s game.  Any deeper and the finesse that makes it beautiful to watch will evaporate.

Marisa– In the future I see women’s heads trying to go with deeper pockets. I don’t see pushing the offset father benefiting the performance. 

Kaylee– As far as offset and pocket depth US Lacrosse will have to change specifications about requirements because all the major heads are at the limit with what they can do and still remain a legal head. There is only so much offset allowed (the whole angle thing going on right now is just how fast a head gets to that offset but regardless the amount allowed is still the same). I think we will see a little more with smaller improvements like string protection and things like that but we haven’t seen any major design changes to heads in years for any player except the draw specialist.  

Robin– I can only imagine! With deeper pockets comes faster shots and an increased difficulty to eject the ball when playing defense, so I think pads will be necessary with deeper pockets. I wonder if US Lacrosse plans to gradually allow more contact with new stringing changes, eventually merging the men’s and women’s game into a more similar hybrid. The rules in the sport change so often I don’t think it’s out of the question. 

Maesa– I can see women’s heads in the future moving towards getting the deepest legal pocket. Finding the right balance/consistency amongst head weight, head shape, sidewall, offset, and pocket. For example, I honestly think the single pita “laxtractive” pocket is the perfect match for the True prowess head.  At least the pocket I’ve strung in mine, it works well in the head and with the offset. The pocket never bags out or needs adjusting even with rain and it’s the deepest legal pocket I have. I’ve tried mesh, and mesh hybrids in that head and it doesn’t work as well. As well as trying the pita pocket in other heads and it not feeling or being as great as it is in the prowess. And yes, I string for True, but I’m not trying to hype up the head because I have my dislikes about it. However, I keep going back to it because I prefer the how the pocket is in that head. I just think they found the right pocket for their head. Long story short…not all pockets are made equal in every head. 

I think we’ll see some different face shapes too, like we’ve already seen with the STX Axxis or this Nike one I’ve seen. Seems like companies are trying out different shapes from the traditional one we’ve seen for so many years. 

The rule book has something about the plane of the head from the shaft can’t be more than 15 degrees so offset wise I don’t think that will change. At that point, I think more than 15 degrees will just throw to the ground. Most heads made now have some sort of offset but I think companies will try to push the limit with it or at least mimic each other from what we’ve been seeing with the STX 10 degree, Epoch Purpose 15 degree and Maverik release angle. 

Foss– More position specific (unfortunately). the offset, I still haven’t heard a great explanation about why that is a thing yet, or what these numbers really mean — except in the Epoch Purpose (that 15 degree is no joke!!!)

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Today we’re reclaiming a Brine Clutch 3X on this week’s edition of #TheGopherProject. If you have read the previous reclamation project, you know what’s in store.  My goal is here is to take a head that wasn’t the commercial hit — that doesn’t mean it was a failure by the way — and see if I can construct a pocket that could turn this into a gamer. There is only one rule. The head has to be stiff to begin with. If the head warps or bends easy, we’re just going to leave that alone. So, let’s get started on this week’s edition of #TheGopherProject!

Materials Required for Reclaiming:

1. Any used or pre-owned lacrosse head (Brine Clutch 3X)
2. Mesh (six-diamond waxed Barrier Mesh)
3. Sidewall string

For this initial reclaiming project, I selected the Clutch 3X. The “knock” on the 3X was how wide it was for an offensive head.  Offensive players typically want a tighter face shape where the Clutch flares out wide. While it was a miss for offense, it definitely has a spot on the defensive half of the field.  

Choosing a Lacrosse Head

Every year, there is a lacrosse head released that’s not the commercial success expected. The Clutch was shocking in that for 5 years previously, the Clutch was a go to head.  There are many factors into why a head may “fail.” Sometimes, the head has a design flaw or isn’t strong enough. With heads like this, there is little you can do. You live and learn and make the corrections on the next one.

However, public perception also plays a factor into how well a head sells. A company could design the greatest head on the planet but if it doesn’t pass the court of public opinion, it’ll sometimes fade out of existence. Now, all heads have to look great in addition to play great. Back in the day, we played with boat oars that were as deep as a tennis racket, not any more.

Choosing Lacrosse Mesh

Here I choose Barrier Lacrosse waxed six-diamond mesh.  With the face shape of the Clutch, I felt I could get a good mid/low pocket and provide plenty of hold and a quick release.  I also feel that the six-diamond mesh makes ground balls easier to pull into the head. Seemed like the perfect chance to break this out. 

Now it’s your turn to reclaim a lacrosse head! Which one do you choose and what route do you go from there? Let us know in the comments section or use hashtag #TheGopherProject on social media!

Watch my latest video for even greater detail:

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Editor’s Note: This multi-part series Women’s Stringing Roundtable on #TheGopherProject will provide insight from experienced stringers and representatives from stringing manufacturers. Today, we ask the question of when we will see the first all-mesh women’s head. Women’s lacrosse pockets have always had more restrictions than men’s pockets. With the recent relaxing of the rules and allowing mesh, it will be interesting to see how the game evolves.

Click here for Part 1 of the Women’s Roundtable Discussion talking about how mesh in women’s lacrosse is affecting the game. Click here for Part 2 about what the optimal women’s pocket is.

With the help of Robin Brown aka @Laxtractive, we selected a handful of our favorite women’s stringers and asked for their point of view. Let’s introduce the roundtable panel:

Roundtable Members

Liz Hogan

Instagram Profile

Michael Spencer

Instagram Profile

Marisa Zandi

INSTAGRAM PROFILE

Kaylee Nolan

Instagram Profile

Robin Brown

Instagram Profile

Maesa Phongsamouth

Instagram Profile

Katie Facciola (the one, the only Foss!)

Instagram Profile

When do you think you’ll we’ll see the first all-mesh women’s head?

Liz – I’d be curious to know what everyone thinks a head designed for mesh pockets looks like. As it stands, we have the Axxis, warp (full mesh out of the factory), SK Pro (has every hole imaginable for custom sidewall stringing) and everything in between. I think the better question lies more in what kind of mesh products will be invented to suit a women’s head restrictions.

Michael – Technically string king already has done that, as has brine.  I am guessing fall of 19 or spring 20 for everyone else.

Marisa – If you want to count the Brine warp as a mesh pocket then we can argue that it has already been created. However, if you want a head that you can customized with as many options as the men’s side of lacrosse, then I would imagine that a couple years is a more achievable

Kaylee – I’m not sure there will be one – there shouldn’t be any change in how the heads are designed because the pocket mechanics are still the same (channel, depth, shape, hold etc)

Robin – I know for a fact at least one is already in the works ;)

Maesa – I kind of thought the String King women’s stick was designed for mesh, but maybe I think that because they only offer it strung up with their mesh. I’m not sure if we’ll ever see a head just for mesh. If mesh can be put in a head and taken out then it would also have the option of getting strung with a traditional or hybrid. I think players like the option of both…sorry warp, not every player was built for the same pocket. A lot of my players have gotten the mesh strung stick but learned it wasn’t for them and changed the pocket out. Companies still win because they’re using the stick, just not their mesh. If I had to say, I’d think within 6-12 months we’d see a head specifically for mesh. Seems like more companies that have been only men’s lacrosse want to try their hand at making a women’s head too.

Foss – I’ve seen attempts.  But I don’t like a head that I can’t put a traditional in, which a lot of the mesh heads I’ve seen you can’t really do that

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Here goes my first gear review on #TheGopherProject! I’ve had the Tactik 2.0 Maverik head for over two weeks. That’s my test period for heads/shafts, as I feel you can get an accurate assessment of how that item will perform during this time.  If you’re familiar with Connor’s previous reviews, we’ll be taking a few concepts from that.

Tactik 2.0 Maverik Head Gear Review

I have six pieces of criteria that I judge the head on:

Price Point 

This one’s pretty straight forward. How much does the head (unstrung) cost? At $89.99, it is the industry standard for the higher-end head. The head comes in four factory colors: white, black, grey and Maverik’s own color — Hyperlite Blue. An improved face-shape and true mid-pocket offset make this a welcome addition to the market.  

Position Specific

All heads now are geared towards a position or style and the Tactik 2.0 is no stranger to this.  Built for the do-it-all midfielder. Outside shooter? Dodger? Feeder? This head will handle all.  

Scoop

I’ve been clowned as a #scoopsnob by several buddies but this is one of the most critical parts of a head. If you can’t cut through the grass or turf and pick up the ball and move it downfield quickly, the head will never make it into the rotation for me.  The scoop on the Tactik 2.0 is greatly improved over previous heads like the Centrik or Tactik.  

Stringing Holes

Twenty well-placed sidewall holes give you every stringing option available.  I started with my normal mesh string-up and quickly switched to an inside weave without any difficulty.  The larger sidewall holes on the top-third of the head easily allow for sidewall, crosslace and shooters.  

Hold/Release

I cannot find an issue with either.  I like the ball to sit mid to mid-high when dodging and release the ball out of the pocket quickly. This head did very well in both categories. I did not notice anything unusual when playing with this head. Sounds odd, but that is one of the best compliments I can give a head when I am using it.  If I don’t notice an issue, there isn’t one……

Overall Impression

Now, to be truthful, I have not liked Maverik heads in the past. I did not like the hold of the Kinetik and found the pocket placement on the Optik 2.0 to be too low for my liking.  Just because these heads didn’t work for my style, doesn’t mean it’s not a good head. I like the Tactik 2.0, and I can easily see it working into the gamer rotation soon. 

So, how did I string it up?  Here’s a quick video of how I did it:

Want to win either this Tactik 2.0 or an unstrung one?  Stay tuned for details on how. 

Remember to tag your string ups with #TheGopherProject to earn weekly string-up of the week honors!

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We’ve all scene the videos of the ECD DNA being tested in a brutal impact test.  You haven’t? Check this out. 

ECD DNA Impact Testing

While impact testing will give you a good predictability of where and how a head will weaken, it’s not the worst thing you can do to a head.  Heat will weaken and cause a head to fail quicker than anything. Heat will cause the nylon fibers in the head to elongate and stretch (that’s how the head absorbs dye).  Do this over a long enough period of time and you’ll turn your head into Tupperware.  

Now the ECD DNA has a new Flex Form material that has been shown to keep its shape better than most heads (again, see the video above).  However, can the DNA take the heat? Let’s see.

I was lucky to get ahold of the DNA early and used it in my floating sidewall article.  Since then, I have put this head through a battery of torture tests that would weaken even the strongest head.  How did I do that? Here’s how:

1. When not using my DNA, I have left it in my car.   Doesn’t sound like much? I live in northern Virginia where the summers are hot and humid.  Add that to the fact that my car interior is black, and you have the perfect environment to bake a head.
2. The second worst thing you can do to a head, dye it.  Now properly done, dyeing a head won’t impact the structural integrity that much.  However, leaving a head in a dye pot on heat for an hour is pretty sure to ruin the head.  

Now, I know what you’re thinking, “I leave my stick in my car all the time!” 

If you do, take a look at the head and see how easily you can pinch the head mid center.  Don’t think heat is something companies worry about? Next time your local store unpacks a box of heads from the manufacturer, you’ll see they are all in plastic bags and some will have silica packets in the box as well……

So, can the DNA take the heat?

Can It Take The Heat?

Remember to tag your string-ups with #TheGopherProject to earn String-up of the Week honors!

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Editor’s Note: This multi-part series Women’s Stringing Roundtable on #TheGopherProject will provide insight from experienced stringers and representatives from stringing manufacturers. Today, we focus on what our Roundtable thinks is the best women’s lacrosse pocket. Women’s pockets have always had more restrictions than men’s pockets. With the recent relaxing of the rules and allowing mesh, it will be interesting to see how the game evolves.

Click here for Part 1 of the Women’s Roundtable series.

Best Women’s Lacrosse Pocket

In this, the first installment of the Women’s Stringing Roundtable, we are going to explore just how the changes of allowing mesh in women’s lacrosse has been impacting gameplay.

With the help of Robin Brown aka @Laxtractive, we selected a handful of our favorite women’s stringers and asked for their point of view. Let’s introduce the roundtable panel:

Roundtable Members

Liz Hogan

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Michael Spencer

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Marisa Zandi

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Kaylee Nolan

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Robin Brown

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Maesa Phongsamouth

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Katie Facciola (the one, the only Foss!)

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With the mesh rules relaxing current rigid women’s stringing rules, what do you see as the best  women’s lacrosse pocket?  For example, traditional based, mesh, or a hybrid?

Liz- Personally, on a large scale, I’m in favor of full-mesh. It’s easier to string, consistent every time with a sidewall pattern and with all of the performance meshes out there, rarely bags in the elements. Hybrid mesh/traditional is also a favorite of mine as it gives the best of both worlds. With that being said, I do think that there is a place for traditional based stringing. For those that know exactly what they want, and are willing to spend time caring for it, I think it can be greatly utilized. You can create some amazing pockets with traditional stringing, but it can also go very, very wrong, too.

Michael- I believe a traditional will always be the best , if well strung.  Mesh can mimic some traits but will never fully capture the hold and feel of leather and string.

Marisa- For my personal preference I go between a traditional pita pocket or a venom center runner.

The ideal pocket really changes based in the player just like with men’s and goalies, I have found that a higher pocket with a lot of hold and a good amount of whip is preferred.

Kaylee- I think the ideal pocket will always be based on the player.  Just like the men’s game I think it will come down to traditional vs mesh with some hybrids thrown in there from time to time. Traditional works best with players who maintain the pocket after rain/break in while mesh may be better for a player who doesn’t want any of the inconsistencies that can come from traditional pockets.

Robin- I love traditionals, I will always have at least a few strung up ready to go. But when it comes down to consistency of play, it is hard to beat a mesh pocket if it is in a head with a skinny face-shape. The main drawback for mesh pockets in relation to traditionals is how much more the ball rattles horizontally in the pocket, but this can become unnoticeable with the right mesh pattern in a skinny-faced head. If I’m dreaming and the WPLL asks me to play a game, I’d grab my single twist pita pocket (traditional) simply because it’s what I’ve used for the past ten years. But lately I find myself using full mesh pockets more when I’m playing around for fun.

I try to mention when asked this question, that the ideal pocket is the one you’re most comfortable with. That doesn’t mean you should never try something new, you really should! Just remember that what makes the most difference is the work you put in.

Maesa- Tough question. I’m very sold on a traditional based or straight up 4 leather pockets but that’s  my bias. Our head coach and varsity girls only go traditional and it’s usually four leathers with a rail being the most popular. I’ve sold our program on four leathers that that’s they’re go to and with mesh being allowed, it’s hard to convince them away from it. But I have been putting mesh runners our younger players pockets since they’re less experienced and barely have to break in the pocket. It’s a great in between, mixing the best of both worlds. It can offer almost everything that a really great broken in leather pocket can. So, I guess a mesh traditional hybrid would be the ideal pocket. I think it works for everyone and can work in every stick. Not all pockets work for everyone and for every head, but I’ve found this one does. The newer generation is definitely about that mesh.

Foss- I am a traditionalist through and through.  But, I think it’s easier for mesh because it is easier to install into a pocket.  And you can screw up a traditional pocket very easily.

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

Editor’s Note: This multi-part series Women’s Stringing Roundtable on #TheGopherProject will provide insight from experienced stringers and representatives from stringing manufacturers. Women’s pockets have always had more restrictions than men’s pockets. With the recent relaxing of the rules and allowing mesh, it will be interesting to see how the game evolves.

Mesh In Women’s Lacrosse – Part 1

In this, the first installment of the Women’s Stringing Roundtable, we are going to explore just how the changes of allowing mesh in women’s lacrosse has been impacting gameplay.

With the help of Robin Brown aka @Laxtractive, we selected a handful of our favorite women’s stringers and asked for their point of view. Let’s introduce the roundtable panel:

Roundtable Members

Liz Hogan

Instagram Profile

Michael Spencer

Instagram Profile

Marisa Zandi

INSTAGRAM PROFILE

Kaylee Nolan

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Robin Brown

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Maesa Phongsamouth

Instagram Profile

Katie Facciola (the one, the only Foss!)

Instagram Profile

With the introduction of mesh to the women’s game in September 17, how do you feel it has changed the sport?

Liz– I’m really not convinced that mesh stringing has changed the game, per se. By that, I mean we’re not seeing anything new with regards to performances from players strictly due to mesh. With that being said, I think a LOT more players are starting to pay attention to their stick (as well as manufacturers, stringers, coaches, etc). To me, that is the huge “win” of mesh being introduced into women’s lacrosse. It used to be that players barely knew how to tie their own shooting string let alone understand the ins and outs of their stick. While there is still a long way to go, I absolutely love that girls and women are trying out new styles and learning to adjust/string on their own.

Michael – I believe mesh gives women more options. The rules for stringing were very strict. With mesh, it has kind of set the game on fire for a bit as people scrambled to test the new limits.

Marisa– The involvement that girls have in the preference of their pocket has increased. I have more girls ask about different types of pockets and want to explore a different aspect of their equipment.  I do believe that the game will become easier to learn for younger girls. The majority of the youth beginner sticks that I have seen are mesh and can be easier to learn with. 

Kaylee– I think this will allow more players to string their own sticks and purchase beginner sticks that are strung better than what was previously available.  I haven’t seen a dramatic change yet but I’ve had a lot of girls asking about the new mesh and showing more interest in how their pockets are strung. 

Robin– By removing so many of the stringent, nit-picky stringing rules that were in place before, the mesh rule change has opened the doors for a ton of new possibilities in women’s lacrosse stringing. With a new material comes new abilities, and now players can execute a wider variety of stick work. For example, personally I feel that the full mesh pockets I have used are overall more consistently accurate. My favorite improvement though is being able to extend my arms farther back when shooting. I have a hard time believing that shooting speed can’t improve with these rule changes, not that I have an issue with it!  

Aside from on-field performance, another change I’m seeing is an uptick in female-owned stringing accounts on Instagram. I believe this at least partially is due to the combination of simpler rules and easier materials to work with. Before the rule change, the rules were detailed down to how many “stitches” (aka interlocks) can go across each “thong” (aka vertical runner, like leather). Now there is much more flexibility so stringers do not need to reference over 20 poorly-worded, confusing guidelines. Also, since a full mesh pocket is so much less daunting to attempt than a full traditional, players are more inclined to try stringing their own pockets.

I am all for this rule change and hope to see even more relaxing of stringing rules in women’s lacrosse in the future. Ideally I think they should be understandable for  a middle schooler to interpret. 

Maesa– If strung correctly, I think it’s a game changer. Mesh can provide so much power, hold and whip behind a shot. I guess you can say it’s an unfair advantage. At the pro and college level, we see shots that are more like the men’s. Mesh definitely adds more power (effortless power, if that makes sense) and even more finesse to the game. And with the benefits of the mesh, players can become more confident with their skills because they know the ball will stay in their pocket. Therefore, hopefully more girls will continue with the sport. I think mesh drives companies to put out more women’s products. 

From a stringing and coaching stand point, mesh or part mesh is really great for new players, less break in time and soft catch. It’s hard and frustrating to play the game without the ball and mesh helps ease that. But of course, strung right because some of the stuff out on shelves have mesh but no pocket or a very baggy low one. Mesh can also allow for some insane highlights at the high school, college, pro level, which in turn, the younger girls are able to try and do all the tricks and moves they see. Plus, those highlights get players to watch and be exposed to more lacrosse building their game IQ. That part of the game is huge and the younger generation of players will be more advanced than ever before. 

Foss– I don’t think the game itself has changed at all.  A lot of girls I know are pretty set in their ways.  It’s rare for me to put mesh into a stick unless a player tells me to “do whatever I want’.

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