Do you remember getting your first lacrosse stick? The overwhelming excitement, the anticipation, and even the weeks of convincing your parents to finance the whole operation. But that doesn't matter now. The day has come, and you're getting your first spoon!
If that day hasn't come for you yet, or you'd like to experience that feeling again...
Checkout this Complete Lacrosse Sticks Buying Guide
Otherwise, continue reading on to find out the 3 things you need to know before buying a complete lacrosse stick.
1. Your Head is More Important than Your Shaft
Whether the lacrosse head or the lacrosse shaft is more important to a player has been a topic of great debate for years. We tend to think the head takes the cake on this one. If you have the freedom to afford the best shaft AND the best head in the game, then by all means please do! But not everyone can afford both. So we are forced to choose.
Here are your options:
Buy a great head that comes with an okay shaft
Buy a great shaft, then find an okay head
We choose the great head with an okay shaft all day. Disagree? Tell us in the comments. We think your head is your baby. It's the bread and butter of your face-offs, your shots, your passing, and your catching. If a lacrosse players soul was stored in his lax gear, it would reside in his lax head. Thankfully, most complete lacrosse sticks come with a great head, and a decent shaft. You can usually snag a Gait Torque (guys) or STX Exult (girls) on a decent shaft for around $100. Or if you're a beginner, opt for the Warrior Torch (guys) or STX Fortress (girls)
2. Know Your Rights
If you've been playing lax for years, then this might be review for you. If you're a new laxer, then listen up: knowing whether or not your stick will be legal in a lacrosse game is crucial for both you and your team. If you get caught playing with an illegal stick, boom: automatic penalty and man-down.
Make sure you get this right guys:
X - Legal ONLY for college
U - Legal for both high school and college
Ensure your head isn't too pinched, and pocket isn't too deep. The refs will find you, and will penalize you.
Girls, make sure your pocket's aren't too deep and those refs can see the ball above your sidewalls!
3. It's Not the Stick, It's the Player
We've all seen it before. The new laxer who was convinced that by buying the best lacrosse stick out there, the lacrosse gods would somehow grant him superior lax skills. Well here's the truth: you gotta earn your skills. Each and every one of them.
Even Paul Rabil and Jen Adams were first-time lacrosse players at some point. They started at square one just like every one of us.
So what's our point? Don't get too fixated on your first lacrosse stick. Put the time in playing wall ball, passing with friends, and hustling your butt off in practice to develop solid skills. Then, come next season, you've earned a better lacrosse stick.
So what are you waiting for? Go scoop up your first lacrosse stick and hit the wall!