How to Build a Lacrosse Stick

In the game of Lacrosse the most important tool the players use to play the game is their lacrosse stick. Though it is very important to a player's game, the stick has to fit the player's style of game, which is why the makeup of a player's stick is crucial to a player's performance.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Lacrosse shaft/handle
• Lacrosse head/pocket
• Lacrosse mesh
• Shooting strings or lace
• Drill

Making Your Stick

1. Figure out what type of stick you are making.
   The main thing you need to figure out is whether you're making a stick for defense or offense. Depending on whether you're a child, woman or man, your stick will be different. Make sure you know what length and style you want to make your stick because it will matter when you're playing.

2. Decide how much you want to spend.
   Depending on your experience, the type of stick you create will change because you will know more of the type of stick that you like to use. Though the experience counts, by setting a price range on what you would like to spend then you will know which brand of handle/shaft you should purchase along with the head of the stick.

3. Choose the shaft.
   The shaft is a matter of preference--some players like it heavy for defensive purposes and longer, while other attacking players prefer their sticks to be lighter and smaller which makes it better for faking and making moves. Men's shafts are normally aluminum but come in graphite and even titanium. Women's shafts have either a wood or aluminum handle, while kids just starting out normally buy plastic handles.

4. Choose the head.
   The head or pocket you buy all depends on what you prefer. Goalies heads are traditionally larger than actual player's heads, but the mesh inside the pocket is key. The traditional pocket consists of nylon laces woven around four adjustable strips of leather. Mesh pockets are made with nylon webbing woven into the side of the pocket and they are looser and make it easier on players to control the ball when running.

5. Pick your shooting strings.
   This is the most important element in your pocket because it affects the ball's balance, direction and whether your shot will have a "whip" effect that many experienced players prefer.

6. Put the pieces together.
   After you have chosen everything you want, all you need to do is drill a hole into the side of your shaft, if it is not already drilled. Place the head/pocket onto whichever shaft you have purchased and then drill a screw placing the shaft and the head together. When you have done that then you will want to string your shooting strings by tying off the stick and one end through the plastic and bringing it across the mesh in between the rows of mesh diamonds. You can also string the shooting strings in a complete weave by weaving both sides in and out of the same row of mesh diamonds all the way across.

Tips & Warnings

• When buying all your materials make sure you do your research on the different parts because the sticks take a large amount of punishment through the course of the game.
• You want to make sure that you look at a full stick that is already built inside of a lacrosse store to see how you would like the stick to be built and get some preliminary models in your head because if you don't your stick could break on you while using it.

References

• The Mesh Chronicles
• Lacrosse Stick Buyers Guide

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