The below is a helpful holiday buying guide provided by our buddies at Stylin’ Strings. Did they miss anything? Please shoot us a note at info@lacrosseplayground.com or on Instagram @lacrosseplayground.
Looking for the 2015 Women’s Guide? Click here.
Looking for the 2015 Women’s Guide? Click here.
The most frequent questions we hear from our customers are “What is the best head?” and “What head should I buy?” “What stick should I get for my son or daughter?” We are here to offer assistance for anyone out there looking to purchase that “perfect” gift for the lacrosse player in their life.
Of course when holiday shopping some of the biggest factors affecting your decision is price. Every player out there likes something a little different but we are going to inform you on the best options available this upcoming holiday season. These rules of thumb will help you weigh different aspects that come into consideration when selecting a new lacrosse stick. Before we dive into the selection criteria, we would like to explain that there might be subsequent letters and/or numbers given in the head model’s name that denote what level of play is intended for the product.
Attackmen
Players of the same positions tend to prefer the same features when selecting a head. Attackmen tend to be the most picky and lean toward the tightest pinched heads to offer the most ball protection for cradling one handed. They also value lightweight heads to be able to quickly avoid checks by defensemen and offer more of a feel of the ball when seated in the pocket. Popular choices for these players include:
Heads
High School Only
- Brine Clutch
- Brine Clutch 3
- Brine Clutch Elite
- Maverik Optik
- STX Proton Power 2
- STX Stallion
- Under Armour Charge 2
- Warrior Evolution 2
- Warrior Evolution 3
- Warrior Rabil
- Warrior Rabil 2
Universal
- Brine Clutch X
- Brine Clutch 3X
- Brine Clutch EliteX
- Maverik Optik U
- Powell Pioneer
- STX Super Power
- STX Stallion 500U
- Under Armour Charge T – U
- Warrior Evolution X
- Warrior Evolution 3X
- Warrior Rabil X
- Warrior Rabil 2X
Pockets
Midfielders
Midfielders tend to use heads falling in between the characteristics of predominantly offensive or defensive products. A head with a moderate pinch and a stiffer construction are favored due to enduring more abusive play than would be encountered at the attackman position. Popular choices for these players include all heads listed above in the attackman section, plus:
Heads
High School Only
Universal
- Warrior Evolution 4X
- Maverik Metrik U
- Powell Pioneer
- STX Stallion 500U
- Warrior Burn X
Pockets
Face Off Midfielders
- Warrior Blade OG
- Stx Duel
- Warrior Noz 2.0
Pockets
Defenders
Defensively, wider heads dominate because the position is extremely reactionary, where wider heads allow passes or shots to be picked off and knocked down easier. A wider head also helps make quick ground ball pickups smoother. Stiffness is also an important factor for defensemen because stiffer heads transfer more of a check’s energy to the opposition, offering the greatest opportunity to dislodge the ball, or leave a nice welt. Popular choices for these players include:
Heads
All Universal
- Brine Edge X
- Brine Cyber X
- Warrior Revolution X
- Warrior Revolution 3X
- Maverik Tank
- STX Hammer U
- STX Proton U
- STX X10 U
- Under Armour Charge T
Pockets
Goalies
Goalies are the last line of defense and stand between every goal scored. They use the widest and strongest head in the game. Stiffness is extremely important when choosing a goalie stick as they must withstand high velocity shots as well as be wide enough to get in between the ball and the goal net.
Heads
All Universal
Pockets
Stocking Stuffers:
- Our wide Variety of custom string kits and mesh supplies from any of our suppliers including: StringKing, Jimalax, East Coast Dyes, & Throne of String.
- Spools of string are great for and lacrosse player and stringer
- Custom Mini Fiddle Sticks
Other great gift ideas:
- Bounce Back Target
- Shafts
As always, if you have any questions Stylin Strings is more than happy to assist you over the phone at 717-846-0800 or by email at sales@stylinstrings.com.
Article Tags: 2015, 2015buyingguide, christmas, christmasguide, Equipment, Guide, lax, lax equipment, Men, mens, Stylin Strings