Wolf Athletics Element U-2 Review

Wolf Athletics has been known to churn out products that are different than anything else on the market. The new Element U-2 shaft is also quite different than other products out there, but less out of the box thinking and more of a refined product that I was really impressed with. Wolf Athletics claims that the Element U-2 is the strongest shaft on the market and I put it to the test and liked it a lot.

Looks wise, the entire Element line (regular Element which we will be reviewing soon, the U-1 and the U-2) all look pretty similar.  They all feature a mainly black design with black text and a small silver ring with the Wolf logo on them.  I think this looks very clean and can match well with any head design. The only complaint some might have is the colored line on the Element and U-2, although since my team colors are black and red, this didn’t bother me at all.

The U-2 feels very nice in hand. Similar to most other carbon fiber shafts that are on the market today, it has a smooth sandpaper grip which gives you grip when needed without needing too much tape, while still letting your hand slide easily on the shaft.  The shape of the shaft is close to a standard octagonal shape, although the sides are a bit curved in with the corners rounded off. I actually really liked how this felt compared to some sharper edges on other shafts but you may lose a slight bit of control.  The U-2 is a bit heavier than you would expect from a carbon fiber shaft, which are usually known for being light. As someone who usually uses heavy shafts anyway for the durability and better balance. With a 2 flex, this shaft has very little flex so people who like a lot of flex on their carbon shafts might want to look elsewhere but since I’m used to metal shafts, this was a positive for me.

The most impressive thing about the U-2 is the crazy strength of the shaft. For box lacrosse, a shaft takes a ton of abuse from crosschecks and slashes, so a shaft needs to be quite durable to handle it. Most carbon fiber shafts just don’t meet the requirements from a strength standpoint of the box game.  The Element U-2 stands out as it has just as much durability as a wooden shaft while being much lighter.  This thing takes abuse. Testing it out I beat on it pretty hard and besides a few scratches, there was no signs to it breaking at all.

Having tried many different composite shafts on the market and never really being convinced, the Element U-2 is really the first composite shaft that has made me strongly consider switching over from using titanium. The feel of the shaft in hand, the light weight compared to other “heavy” shafts strong enough to be used in box and the strength of this shaft make me highly recommend it.

Posted in

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.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.