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.
