I was always skeptical about “performance strings,” never thinking they really made a difference compared to regular sidewall/shooting strings. So when a learned about Firethreads and their rubber grip print on them, I thought they could be just for show. Lorne at Firethreads got a hold of Lacrosse Playground and challenged me to try their Stringers Pack:
The Stringers Pack includes three shooting strings, four short strings, two long strings, a bottom string, and a bracelet.
To test out theses out, I strung them up using black Stringking Type 2s mesh in my dyed matte-black Epoch Hawk. I strung it with the same pocket and shooter setup that I had in it before, the only difference was the Firethreads. This way, I would have a control for a fair before-and-after comparison.
The strings for Firethreads feel a little more soft and stretchy than most normal sidewall strings. They feel a little more like paracord. But the big difference is that they have grip print on them, which are little rubber bumps going all through the strings. The biggest impact the GripPrint makes is that when tying knots, these hold together making your knots much tighter than I’ve ever been able to do. Having these tight knots that won’t come undone or loose will make your pocket much more consistent and stay the same over time, which is a huge benefit.
The Firethreads shooters, which have a full stripe of grip print going all the way across them are definitely beneficial and are the best part of Firethreads. They feel similar to other laces that are available but when throwing with them they have a few differences that give you a big advantage. The grip print gives you a tiny bit of extra hold, without adding whip, but it helps a ton when shooting. They seemed to give me a bit of a faster shot than usual, but the bigger thing I noticed was that I was shooting the ball much more accurately. Because of the grip print, it ensures that the ball doesn’t fly off the shooter randomly if your shot isn’t perfect. While testing them, I was shooting at the corner targets I have on my box lacrosse net and was hitting them what felt like much easier than normal. These shooters were improving my game, believe it or not. .
Currently, Firethreads are only available in the volt color with the black grip print. This does look awesome in some setups, like this one, but could clash with some other colored heads and meshes. I’d like to see them come out in multiple colors, especially some flat colors with the same color grip print and string.
I highly recommend Firethreads for advanced stringers looking to get better performance out of their strings and shooters. The strings will improve the consistency of your pocket and the shooters will improve your shots.
Let me know your thoughts on our Instagram. What would you like to see reviewed next?
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.
Oliver Marti: Starting an NLL Team in Albany and Investing in the PLL and Epoch Lacrosse (Pro Lacrosse Talk Podcast #130)
byPro Lacrosse Talk
On this episode of the Pro Lacrosse Talk Podcast, Hutton Jackson and Adam Moore are joined by three-time All-American at Brown University, investor in the PLL, and the newest NLL owner Oliver Marti. He discusses moving the New England Black Wolves franchise to Albany, New York, why the city of Albany was chosen and share his thoughts on the team’s potential new identity. He also discusses his time playing for Dom Starsia at Brown University, playing for the New York Saints in the MILL, starting the Connecticut Box Lacrosse League, investing in the Premier Lacrosse League and equipment manufacturer Epoch Lacrosse, and his opinion on the current state of pro lacrosse.
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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.