I started playing lacrosse back in 1990, figuring out what shaft to buy was easy when there was wood, alloy or graphite to pick from. That choice got even easier when you saw teammates graphite handles snap and splinter on a cold day.
Handle tech has moved on massively and to be honest there are players how need a little help figuring out what they want in terms of weight, material, shape, finish and strength. We hope that this guide will give you a little help when looking for your new lacrosse shaft.
Lacrosse Shaft Materials & Durability
The materials and thickness of the walls are the main things that will determine the strength of a lacrosse shaft, some people would also argue that that shape can also affect the strength.
Aluminum
Mainly used by younger youth players new to the sport as a cheap and cheerful option, you will more often than not see a 6000 series alloy handle on a complete starter stick. Here in the UK many players first pick up the game of lacrosse at University and make the mistake of buying a cheap beginner stick with a bog standard 6000 alloy handle, we would highly recommend getting something a little more durable.
A great example of a basic stick with a AL6000 would be a STX Stallion 200.
Alloy
An alloy shaft can be made with a mix of materials, they are very lightweight which makes them great for offensive players who desire a decent strength to weight ratio.
Examples of popular alloy shafts are as follows:
SC-TI alloy blends are extremally popular with looking for a lightweight option.
Scandium
Lacrosse shafts made from Scandium offer great strength to weight ratio and are stronger than the traditional alloy. Elite level players looking for a metal handle often favor Scandium which offers durability and strength.
The Maverik Caliber is one of the best selling Scandium shafts on the market.
Composite
The range of composite handles now on the market is huge. The advantage in using a composite handle is that they are very versatile due to their flex profiles. They are similar to modern ice hockey sticks where they come with different levels of flex. Added flex comes added velocity on your shot, as you can imagine this has made composite a very popular choice in recent years. Bigger stronger players are encouraged to try stronger flex profiles so they can shoot harder. Composite shafts are made from carbon fiber and are great for offensive minded players, they can also offer a wide range of different grips.
One of our best selling composite handles in the ECD Carbon 3.0
The TRUE Zerolyte is one of the lightest composite handles on the market. Players who like the True Comp 4.0 range will love the Zerolyte.
There's a few different grip types that you will see on a lacrosse handle.
Smooth: in this case, there is no texture whatsoever, and none of the gripping styles are added e.g STX Sc-Ti O, Gait Ice, Maverik Wonder Boy, Nike Vapor Elite
Rubberized: rubberized grip is specific for its sticky coating. This type of grip is perfect for rougher weather conditions. Unusual to see this grip on men's handles these days but hugely popular on women's lacrosse handles. Although it can still be found on the STX Alliance VFT men's handle
Sandpaper: Sandpaper texture prevents lacrosse shafts from slipping out of your hand. Very reliable and popular handle with men's lacrosse players. e.g Epoch Drogonfly Pro, True Comp 4.0
The shape of men's lacrosse shafts can be very different and very much a thing of personal preference.
Concave Octagon
Traditional Shape
Speed Shape
Octagon
As always, if you need some assistance when buying your next lacrosse shaft feel free to email or drop us a call for expert advice. Our staff are always happy to help.