Shafts Made To Triumph

In a lacrosse game, the only thing a player always has in mind is to get a goal. That is why a crucial part in determining whether a team wins or loses is played out by its equipment and that includes the sticks. The stick or crosse is the centerpiece of a lacrosse sport. It is a player’s weapon of offense and defense. The crosse has two important parts: the head and the shaft. Lacrosse shafts are the ones that get direct contact by the players. And because each team player carries one all through out the game, the team must have the best shafts for their game.

Lacrosse shafts vary in form. In men lacrosse, a player usually brings a shaft that measures between 40 inches to 42 inches long. The goalkeepers or goalies have shafts extending up to 72 inches long. This significantly longer length in goalies’ shafts is due to the defensive nature of their game role.

Shafts for women lacrosse are relatively shorter with measurements between 35.5 to 43.25 inches long. The rules of women lacrosse, which was designed to make the sport less physical, resulted to this obvious difference of shaft length against men’s shafts.

In 1600s, the first players of lacrosse, who happened to be American Indians, used shafts made of wood measuring only 3 feet. Their game then was more animal and allowed heavy crosschecking that resulted to deaths. Today, major players in the lacrosse equipment industry like Warrior and Brine make shafts out titanium and hard plastic. While shafts before were used like weapons of war, modern lacrosse sticks are now designed to help the player execute well in the field.

In looking for well-crafted shafts, consider not only its composition but its form and functionality as well. Commonly, shafts have rubber caps placed at the tip end of it to protect players from grave injuries. Lightness and durability must go together. There is not much difference in using titanium and hard plastic shafts. All the more, a number of players found the former more durable. Far more costly, titanium shafts are mostly available for attack lengths. Other companies fabricate shafts from aluminum, scandium, alloys and even wood materials. Wooden shafts are usually employed in traditional and freshmen lacrosse. Aluminum and scandium are equal to toughness while alloys are famous for being almost weightless that pro-lacrosse players testified experience of alloy shafts floating in their hands. However, titanium remains to be the top choice of most players.

Goalies often choose shafts that are lighter since they do have lengthy ones. Runners have shorter sticks so they would pick something that is tougher. Attackers, however, love to carry with them not-so-light shafts as best options for offensive moves.

A good grip also spells victory or defeat. An indication of a good shaft shows a crisscross texture. Other players may also opt for carbon composite materials that give them cushion-soft grip.

Shafts are, indeed, vital to a team’s success. It has transformed from merely a recreational stick to a weapon of triumph -- triumph in design, durability and function.