Howdy, I’m the new resident stringing and dying writer for Lacrosse Playground. The Falcone Zone will feature my work, the work of other great stringers, and reviews of new products coming to the market. I’ll be sharing tips and tricks as well, of course (how else are you going to get started?).
The first head I’m showcasing is my Under Armour Charge 2 U that I dyed with a Buffalo Bandits theme and strung up. I’m a huge Bandits fan and this head was on my game stick for about nine months until I warped it too much using it for face-offs.
For the dye, it was semi-inspired by the head that Dhane Smith used in the NLL, which Greg from East Coast Dyes did for him a few years ago.
On the front of the scoop, I put pre-cut vinyl lettering that you can buy anywhere on the head for “BANDITS,” as well as “EST. 1992” and “NLL.” On the back, I put good ol’ “93,” which is my go-to jersey number.
Next, I put marbling on it and did an orange to purple fade with orange on the scoop and purple at the throat. I did the marbling by spraying the entire head with Krylon webbing spray before putting it in the Rit dye, then used a Brillo pad to take all the spray off when the dye was all done, leaving the head with a cool marbled look. The dye came out sweet, if I say so myself.
For the stringing, I strung it up with Jimalax‘s 20mm Jimawax mesh and all Jimalax materials. It is a deep pocket since I play box and like a lot of whip and a good channel that’s not too tight. The pocket is a shifty mid pocket that will shift high right under the shooters when shooting but shift low when I am cradling one handed. I used SI’s (special interlocks) in the middle of the head so that the ball could pop out of and in the head easily on faceoffs. For the top string, I used a triangle top string to keep the mesh tight to the head. Usually I use a double string for the main portion of the nine-diamond top string, but for the Charge 2 which has tiny top string holes I had to use a single string top string. I used three rolled shooters which reduced the whip a little bit since the pocket itself had a lot of whip. Overall I love the whole setup.
Have any questions? Have / know about a sweet string/dye job that should be featured here? Give us a shout on Insta (@lacrosseplayground)
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.
Previewing the PLL Expansion Draft and Analyzing the Major PLL Trades (Pro Lacrosse Talk Podcast #131)
byPro Lacrosse Talk
On this episode of the Pro Lacrosse Talk Podcast, Hutton Jackson and Adam Moore are joined by Lacrosse Playground contributor Brian Andrews. They discuss the Atlas trading Paul Rabil to Cannons LC and Ryan Brown to Waterdogs LC, discuss the players left off their teams’ protected rosters and provide their thoughts on which players Coach Sean Quirk targets in the PLL Expansion Draft on March 11.
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Pro Lacrosse Talk is the flagship lacrosse podcast of the Lacrosse Playground network covering all three professional lacrosse leagues (NLL, PLL, Athletes Unlimited). Each week throughout the season we’ll recap the games, provide analysis on the teams and feature exclusive postgame and off-the-field interviews with professional lacrosse players, coaches and executives. If you’re a fan of lacrosse podcasts like the Unbuckled Chinstrap, The Inside Feed, Lacrosse Classified or The Crease Dive, then give us a listen.