Lacrosse Playground, every once in awhile, features a different lacrosse athlete as part of our “Grip ‘N Rip” series, where we’ll find out what the best use to fine tune their game. Today we feature Boston Cannons and Boston Rockhoppers attackman, Kevin Gould.
Gould put together an impressive senior campaign for the Bentley University Falcons, leading the team in scoring with 42 points on 17 goals and 25 assists. He was named a second team All-America by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association, and was also named first team All-Conference and All-New England. Today, we take a deeper look at what the pro player uses throughout the season. We asked him some questions and below you will find his answers.
What head do you use?
I use the Warrior Noz head. The best part about the head is it's light weight. I use the Noz in indoor and outdoor.
What handle do you play with and why?
In outdoor I have been using a Warrior Diamond and the Criss Cross grip the last few seasons. The texture of both shafts provides a good amount of grip for hot playing conditions in the summer. I cut my shafts to exactly 40 inches, and put a pretty big butt-end about an inch up from the bottom of the shaft for more control. I haven’t found a shaft for indoor yet, but I have learned outdoor shafts do not last long in the indoor game!
Where does your pocket sit? What type of pocket do you prefer?
I use regular hard mesh with four hockey lace shooters (all fairly loose) and a nylon right about the highest shooter. I play with a very high pocket. I like the ball to feel smooth and come out my stick quickly. On a whip scale from 1-10, I would say my stick has about 3. As a player that passes a lot more than I shoot I do not like much whip.
Who is your stick doctor? Do you string it yourself or have a go-to-teammate?
I actually don’t know how to string a lacrosse stick. I can definitely adjust some strings if needed but that’s about it. My stick doctor is Dave Ferris. He is the manager of Lacrosse Unlimited in Weymouth, Massachusetts. He has been doing my sticks since college and knows exactly what I like. A few of my teammates on the Cannons (Matt Poskay, Mike Stone, Ari Sussman) have had me take their sticks to dace to string up. I HIGHLY recommend him!
What is your preferred glove?
With the Cannons and the Rockhoppers we have been using Warrior gloves. I am not too picky on which kind because I usually cut the palms out anyway and they all feel the same. I always make sure to have on my Phiten bracelet on my left wrist.
What's it like playing in the indoor pro league (NALL) compared to when you play for the Boston Cannons in the outdoors?
The indoor game and outdoor game are very different. Obviously in outdoor the field is much bigger, the nets are much bigger, and you have more room to work with. Indoors is very faced paced and physical. It is almost like a full contact basketball game. I think playing indoor helps my outdoor game and playing outdoor helps my indoor game. I am extremely lucky and grateful to be playing professionally indoor and outdoor in the city where I grew up.
What are you looking forward to most this season?
I’m looking forward to getting the season started with the boys. All the guys I have talked to are extremely excited to get things rolling. It seems like we have been talking about this opening season for the NALL forever now. Personally, I am excited to continue learning. Having been a field lacrosse player my whole life, every time I am on the floor I am learning how to improve my indoor game.
Also, what are your thoughts on the new NCAA stringing rules? Good or bad?
I don’t think it’s a matter of the rules being good or bad. I think taking away the “V” or “U”, and making sure the shooters are all above the 4 inch mark were interesting changes. I think the guys with the big, hard shots will be unhappy because often times that’s where most of them are releasing their shots from. At the same time, I have never used a “V” because I have always felt a smoother release without one. Over time I think most of them will see this to be true as well. I feel for the players, because they have become comfortable with their pockets and now have to change. Once the NCAA season gets started I do not think you will hear much talk about it and it definitely won’t affect the outcome of any game.
You can follow him on Twitter @KevinGould12. Stay tuned for more in-depth interviews with the games top players.