Max McCool’s Gait Shockwave strung with traditional leathers

Max McCool is Lacrosse Playground’s resident stick doctor. Over the past year he’s shown you a variety of stringing and dye jobs. Now it’s time to see what he uses. McCool has been using the Gait Shockwave on and off since high school. McCool, who now plays club ball in the DC area, took a twist on a traditional string job by combining elements of the Heat Turtle and the Doerr pockets to make a pocket with strong hold that has held up for him this spring.

Some of the benefits for this pocket include:

– It is forgiving with catching
– Consistent
– It works well with the ball
– It has a ton of hold
– And its made for a shooter (more for holding the ball briefly – if you are the QB at attack, you won’t want this pocket)

Here’s Max’s take on developing this pocket:

The loops from the side are done exactly like the Doerr. I strung my sidewalls first (tightly) then made a loop on each sidewall segment directly under the loop through the plastic. This ensures that it gets the most support from the side and keeps it from sliding up when you shoot. Not only will this keep it consistent, but it will save you from having to replace worn out sidewall strings from friction.

After you have your loops, put in your two leathers and begin x’ing up the middle, but twist the strings once in the middle. Make sure to overlap left to right and twist them consistently. (I did not, and you can see in the pictures) Each loop around the leather should be done twice, rather than the usual traditional single-loop. This is the knot I adopted from the Heat pocket.

When I got to the top, I began my Turtle twists to link the middle leathers to the outer loops. The Turtle twists and the loops should meet about where you would have an outer leather. When you get to the bottom, tie it off. You’re ready to put in your shooters. I try to make mine U’s more than straight across. This will give you a bit better hold near the top.

When you’re all done, go rip some shots. Enjoy.

Have a question for Max about this stringing job? Comment below and he’ll answer it.

Lacrosse Playground

In 2009, Adam O’Neill, Harry Alford and Thomas Alford launched Lacrosse Playground as the preeminent site for lacrosse gearheads. For years Lacrosse Playground provided lacrosse fans with tutorials and tips on how to string a lacrosse head, up-close looks at the gear the top players used and sneak peeks at equipment and uniforms before they were released. More than 10 years and millions of visits later, Lacrosse Playground has relaunched with a focus on storytelling. Our mission is to provide comprehensive coverage of the latest lacrosse news, share insights into the sports betting and fantasy lacrosse world and showcase the lifestyles and personalities of the sport of lacrosse through articles, videos and podcasts.

11 Comments

  1. Tolanator on April 30, 2010 at 10:13 pm

    They have some shockwaves on SportStop.com, in case anyone wants any…

  2. Max McCool on March 31, 2010 at 1:44 pm

    Yep, good catch. I should have put in a close up of that, because it’s a really good trick for keeping the pocket consistent. When you have two loops around the same stretch of sidewall, they’ll slide up together and create more whip if you’re not careful. I put in the knots to keep the lower string from sliding all the way up. You just tie the knot in between loops through the sidewall holes.

  3. ehslax12 on March 31, 2010 at 1:32 pm

    long time since ive seen a mccool string job. just curious…did you do those knots in the sidewall to help the pocket retain its shape? really good idea, gotta try something with that soon.

  4. naplax31 on March 30, 2010 at 11:38 am

    srry dude but lately my teammates have been switching to traditional and the past few weeks its been pooring in my area and they dont have a clue how to fix the stringing so i saw this an got frustrated. but your definitely playing at a higher level then use so you know what to do but i still think the head it ugly

  5. Max McCool on March 30, 2010 at 8:15 am

    Mr. Llama,

    Thanks man. I just might take you up on that. I’ll shoot you a PM.

    naplax,

    The first game I played with it in was a rain game. It’s a traditional, so it worked just fine. Nylons don’t stretch out in the rain, not really sure what made you think that. Stay positive, chief.

  6. LaxLlama8 on March 30, 2010 at 7:10 am

    Naplax, who really cares about what the head looks like? I personally have used one, and they are great.

    And this pocket isn’t intended to hold up in rain or mud.

    To McCool- I’m not sure anymore, but store near me had a bucket full of old Shockwaves, my guess is that they still have a few.

    I’ve never traded on TLF before and I don’t intend to, but I mean, you’re Max McCool, I think I can trust you. So if you’d like a few more Shockwaves, hit me up on TLF.

  7. naplax31 on March 30, 2010 at 12:41 am

    one can we talk about what an ugly head tht is. and the stringing doesnt look like it would hold up at all in rain or mud

  8. Max McCool on March 29, 2010 at 3:15 pm

    I asked around on the Forums, someone traded me a Shockwave for a string job. Basically, I lucked out. I broke my last one playing Lax-golf at college. Not the best sport for your scoop’s health.

    And yes, it is illegal. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten checked.

  9. Evanderson on March 29, 2010 at 2:19 pm

    Where does McCool get his Shockwaves? I have been looking to buy this head for so long, but haven’t been able to find them anywhere. Any help would be appreciated.

    The pocket is very nice looking, but looks illegal. If that is what he likes, then so be it. But I like keeping my sticks legal at all times. He is out of school playing adult league, so he may do whatever he chooses to do.

  10. idolfan on March 29, 2010 at 1:16 pm

    whatcha mean Rett?

  11. Rett Thompson on March 29, 2010 at 10:11 am

    See this is what i expected heads to look like after the specs change in 2010. Oh well…moving on.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.