Lacrosse Playground had the opportunity to view new designs and concepts this past weekend at the US Lacrosse Convention in Philadelphia. We conversed with some of the foremost manufacturers in the business. One company being Epoch Lacrosse. Epoch afforded us the pleasure to view new equipment for 2013 as well as design concepts for 2014. Two we've found the most intriguing are the Dragonfly R60 w/ Spaghetti grip and Project Hawk. More information below...
The Dragonfly LX-1 30" & 60" and the Mettle AX-1
- Dragonfly LX-1 30" & 60"
It is normal practice for companies to talk about “weight” as the leading indicator of what makes a shaft perform. At Epoch, we believe weight is only one, and not necessarily the most important, of several elements that makes a shaft perform well. The 2013 Dragonfly LX-1 is the lightest shaft on the market to date. This design concept takes performance and playability to a whole new level. At an extremely light 99g, the Dragonfly LX-1 utilizes top of the line carbon fiber material and Epoch's proprietary Advanced Carbon Fiber Layering (ACL) technique to create a shaft never before seen in the lacrosse world.
The Dragonfly LX-1 is a design concept the totally surpasses any and all previous attempts of creating a light stick. The Dragonfly LX-1 is still in development and is a few years away from production, however our engineers share in our passion to create the worlds best performing shaft.
Details:
Dragonfly LX-1 30” Weight: 99G
SRP = $150
Warranty: TBD Available: TBD
Dragonfly LX-1 60” Weight: 198G
SRP = $275
Available: TBD
- Mettle AX-1
Conventional alloys are bound by the direct relationship between durability and weight. One year they are 10% lighter, the next they are 10% stronger. The engineers are basically just
altering the “wall” thickness. As the wall gets smaller (thinner), durability is directly affected.
Lighter = weaker, heavier = stronger.
By introducing a new "process" during production, Epoch has learned how to evade physics and traditional Metalology. The Mettle AX-1 shaft will be 30" and will weigh 156 grams
(structure weight). Using the top grade materials, this shaft will be anodized and finished using
Epoch's proprietary carbon treatment. The Mettle AX-1 will be available for purchase in 2014.
Details:
Mettle AX-1 30" Weight: TBD SRP = $TBD Warranty: 1 year Available: 2014
One of the advantages of using carbon fiber versus conventional alloy, is the ability to create new shapes never before seen in a lacrosse shaft. Epoch has several other ideas for the future and we look forward to sharing them once they are ready.
- Dragonfly R60 XL
The Dragonfly R60 has redefined what a d pole is and should be. Lightweight and durable, with a relaxed concave geometry and a crazy amount of Flex, the Dragonfly R60 has become a favorite among the top players in the game. Not only that, but the shaft is backed up by Epoch's top of the line one year warranty.
The new Dragonfly R60 XL is a super size edition of the traditional R60. With additional material, the Dragonfly R60 XL has been reengineered for larger players who prefer a shaft with a little more mass and weight.
Details:
Dragonfly R60 XL Weight: TBD
SRP = $215
Available: 2014
- Dragonfly C60
The Dragonfly R60 has redefined what a d pole is and should be. Lightweight and durable, with a relaxed concave geometry and a crazy amount of Flex, the Dragonfly R60 has become a favorite among the top players in the game. Not only that, but the shaft is backed up by Epoch's top of the line one year warranty.
The Dragonfly C60 builds upon the success of the R60, and offers a new concave geometry for players who prefer a more traditional feel.
Details: Dragonfly C60
Weight: TBD SRP = $200
Warranty: 1 year
Available: 2014
- Dragonfly R60 w/ Spaghetti grip
The Dragonfly R60 with Spaghetti grip, or the Dragonfly R60-SG, takes a standard R60 and adds a raised, spiral grip on the bottom 12" of the shaft. This shaft is still in the prototype phase, however lab testing has proved to produce positive results.
Details:
Dragonfly R60-SG SRP = $215
Warranty: TBD Available: TBD
Project Hawk is a culmination of over three years of dedicated research and development to build the world's best Lacrosse Head.
Epoch’s belief is that better Design, Materials, and Manufacturing techniques can yield better products than those that exist in the marketplace today. At the event, you were able to see the design portion of Epoch's mantra. We will be discussing the materials and manufacturing techniques at a later date.
Epoch began creating the Hawk by first understanding how and why players string their stick a particular way. More often than not, we saw stick stringers finding ways to circumvent the limitations of heads to develop new and innovative ways to string a stick in order to get the desired performance., The Epoch Hawk is a preview of what the future holds for lacrosse
heads.
