Best Lax Stick

[laxchic]

I know there have been a TON of threads bout which stick is better and which one is recommended, but most of them are "one-sided" (i.e. i could only recommend the STX surge because that's the only stick i've ever played with)
...yea stick preference depends on the user...
i was wondering if anyone had actually played with or demo-ed all or most of the sticks...

also, which pocket is better? has anyone tried all types of pockets?

oh, one more thing... does ne1 have the stx precision pocket? ...or is it even out yet?

...sorry if i sound confusing!

[celtlax]

first stick was an off the shelf Apex now I am using an Impulse/ProTrakker pocket with the Warrior Heroine Powerwave shaft...been pretty happy with this combo, but I wouldn't hesitate to switch if something better comes along...also the Impulse would be a much better if it was stiffer...I don't know why they don't just make them from composite material...I tried most of the current sticks on the market at the local lax shop and still preferred the Impulse...could be bias tho....

[ljlax]

yeah im a big fan of the impulse and tempest. i just switched to an impulse and it took me awhile to get used to but i loveit. i also use a harrow shaft which i also love. it feels soo much better than a metal shaft. and i like it better than the warrior ones.

but again this is all personal preference

[CTLaxer]

I'll throw my fav in there as well, my vote goes to the brine synergy. I'm not a fan of the apex or impulse. I'm also not a player myself though, just a women's coach.

[ljlax]

i have met quite a few male womens lacrosse coaches who prefer the brine synergy. do u know why this is?

--ctlaxer u are a guy right? wow i dont want to insult u or something :(

[CTLaxer]

Because it throws the most like a guy's stick. I can get almost as much power on a shot out of my synergy as I can with my proton or evo. It's very accurate when you really try to crank a shot too. Plus it's one of the few sticks that still comes with trad by default instead of some nylon/synthetic setup. It's also MUCH MUCH lighter than a stock impulse/apex & shaft. It's funny cause sometimes after my girls are done I hold on to my stick and go over with the boys and rip some shots on their goalie and everyone makes fun of him cause i'm using a girls stick to score on him. Oh well.

Some of my girls bought synergy's after I taught them how to use mine. They like it more than an apex or impulse for the reasons listed above.

And yes, I am a guy....why would that be an insult? :-P

[celtlax]

I'm not a fan of the apex or impulse.

Just out of curiosity, why don't you like the deBeer heads? Few of the colleges here use the Impulse with stock shaft. Also, some of my friends, as you like lighter sticks...dunno why but I prefer it to be heavier....but I guess logically lighter makes more sense...

[ljlax]

And yes, I am a guy....why would that be an insult? :-P

if i was mistaken and u were actually a girl then it would be.

i guess it makes sense why u like the synergry so much. but i dont understand how u can shoot that hard when it doesnt have as big of a pocket as some of the dB heads?

[CTLaxer]

Well, my theory on that is that because of it's banana like shape and the synthetic strings which never really get "broken in" the ball always always always rolls out/off of the stick when shooting or passing. Meanwhile, with my synergy i have one part of the pocket where the ball stays and releases from. I know exactly where it is and I can whip a shot out with absolutely no rolling or having to kind of "slice" downwards through the air like you have to do when shooting with an apex. I'm not sure if I'm describing the motions accurately but that's what it feels like to me. Yes, an apex or impulse can have a deeper pocket, but it's the same depth the entire stick and the ball has to roll out of the entire stick before being shot, which by the way takes away from the speed of your shot when shooting. The synergy with trad leather pocket, I have the ball in the same spot when cradling and shooting, and that spot is right below the shooting string so in that respect it's more like a guys stick with a clear and definite pocket for the ball to stay in while cradling and before shooting.

When I hold a ball in my stick horizontally, can I move the butt end up and down a lot in either direction before the ball starts moving around in the stick. Now with an apex, even though the whole pocket is deeper, when you hold it horizontitally and move the butt end up and down along the vertical plane the ball moves almost immediately.

That's been my experience with the apex/impulse. I've seen quite a few from the local college team as well as from back east and none can do what I describe. Albeit, i've never personally owned one so I've never taken the time to try to string one with leather trad, or even try to work in a pocket like I described with their trakker stuff, but it doesn't seem like it's possible from what I've seen. Also, even if you could get the pockets the same, the head itself is still A LOT heavier than a synergy. Because of this, it's stiffer which is good for draws, but that's not a concern of mine. Also, those stock tear drop shafts that come with them are heavy as well. I'm not a fan of shaped shafts as well, so the weight and shape of them are a downside to me.

People will argue you can replace the shaft and such with a title IX or something, but with the stick and shaft cost...that's insane to me when something that's $60 total is a much better stick in the first place. Hell, you can buy 2 synergy's incase the "flimsy" head/shaft break and you're still not spending the same amounts.

Anyways, that's why....I guess....

Are you still reading this? phew. :-P

[laxchic]

last year i got my stx surge in the winter and played with it for about 2 months. i noticed that my shots were getting slower and slower as the pocket became more flexible and broken in, so i strung in a debeer trakker pocket. i too felt that the ball was moving around a lot in the head, so i strung in a trakker pro instead. now i'm used to the pocket, but it feels like i have less control of the ball and my shots are less accurate, yet harder. whenever any of my teammates got a new stick w/the traditional pocket, they let me break it in for them, and i see a huge improvement in my shots and control... so i concluded that new traditional pockets are best for me. lol it feels like something is wrong with me... does anyone have any suggestions? (i don't want to buy a new stick or replace the pocket every week or month) has anyone tried the stx precision pocket? it looks like it may be good--but the ball doesn't really touch any leathers-it releases from string only!? also, someone suggested that i use two leathers in the middle with one trakker thread on each side, but i don't think that'll help.

[laxchic]

lilaxgurl23- Are the ones from stylin strings legal? Yea, I saw the pick of your lax stick on another thread. could you tell me how to string it?

[laxchic]

anyone tried the STX backlash or level? how are they, compared to the surge?

[ljlax]

thats pretty sick. trakker pro is kind of sketchy. it like always gets messed up on my impulse and my shooting strings are all screwed up but whenever i fix them they get messed up again. about how much does it cost to get someone to do a custom string job? since i really owuldnt know waht i was doing if i tried

[ljlax]

cuz my tryouts are in 2 weeks, so i dont know if i have time, unless i use my old stick for tryouts

[Lax-Umpire]

Sticks are based on the talent and what works best. Teams I have seen at the youth level do well with the Synergy. For high school the ladies are graduating to the impulse and a few others.

One big advantage for the new composite shafts, ie the harrow - when you get checked the shaft does not sting like a metal shaft. That alone makes it worth considering the new shaft designs

[ques]

Has anyone here seen or used the one piece Harrow? I tried it at the convention, it was weird but I liked it. Just would take some time to get used to.

[ljlax]

is the head really stiff, like could it snap? whats the stringing like? isnt it somewhat like the trakker pro?

[celtlax]

Has anyone here seen or used the one piece Harrow? I tried it at the convention, it was weird but I liked it. Just would take some time to get used to.

it's too bad it won't be in the stores until mid March...but it sounds cool...i'd love to try it....and i am sure the head isn't flimsy since it's made of composite materials...

[ljlax]

yeah why are they having it come out like half way through the season?

[celtlax]

yeah why are they having it come out like half way through the season?

it's way too late for this season...i doubt anybody would take a chance using a new stick unless it's a real breeze to use....without much of an adjustment period..

[CTLaxer]

They brought it out at the convention in hopes that coaches would see them, try them, and then that would be the stick they ordered for their teams. I can promise you that someone, somewhere will either play a team of all harrow solos, or will be a part one because from what I understand, it was a huge hit at the convention with coaches. The March release is when they're just retailing single orders, as a coach you can order them for your team and have them for the start of the season. FYI

[celtlax]

They brought it out at the convention in hopes that coaches would see them, try them, and then that would be the stick they ordered for their teams. I can promise you that someone, somewhere will either play a team of all harrow solos, or will be a part one because from what I understand, it was a huge hit at the convention with coaches. The March release is when they're just retailing single orders, as a coach you can order them for your team and have them for the start of the season. FYI


So what's your take on them...is it a homerun for Harrow?

[ques]

I myself thought they felt weird but I would really like to play with one for a while before I made a decision on it. I do think that with time it might be something I would like but only holding it for a few minutes it would be tough to say.

[CTLaxer]

celtlax: can't give you an answer as all I've done is seen pictures. I have yet to actually use one. Their thinking that went into the development of it is sound though. I played hockey and they used the same basic flex and "whip" concepts with hockey sticks as they did with the new once piece composite stick. We'll see how it works out in actual play, but I have a feeling it will be a strong stick and become quite popular in the next year or two.

[laxchic]

i saw a tempest on sale for about 40 bucks so i might wanna get it. i've played w/a surge for a couple years, so would it be hard to switch to a tempest? also how are the impulse and tempest similar and different?

[laxchic]

oh, by the way, i hate the apex! lots of girls had the apex on my team and when i played w/their sticks it felt my shots were WAY slower and apex is heavy... i hope the tempest isn't like the apex....

[RYU]

Where can you get a Tempest for $40?!?! Is it brand new?

The Backlash is the same as the Whiplash except that it has conventional stringing holes drilled in the sidewall. The Whiplash & Surge are among the heaviest heads on the market, so I doubt the Backlash is significantly lighter.

The Tempest is unlike the Surge & Apex. Apex is also rather heavy while Tempest is probably the lightest head around. I think the Surge & Tempest feel a lot different from each other, even aside from weight difference.

To me, the Impulse is kind of like a Tempest crossed w/ an Impulse. The overall design is like the Tempest, but the scoop angles forward like the Synergy's, which gives it that feel of a high release point that CTLaxer likes.

BTW, he's right in that you can't break in a sweet spot w/ any of the synthetic pockets the way you can w/ trad.

[playlax]

laxchic- the tempest is a sweet stick!

[ljlax]

yeah tempests are awesome. ur shots will definately not feel slower since it has more whip than the surge. --i had an apex and got a tempest and my shots and passes seemed harder and mroe direct with it.

[laxchic]

ryu- longstreth.com has pink tempests for $38

[laxvb26]

ryu- longstreth.com has pink tempests for $38

haha... no wonder its $40... its PINK!

[laxchic]

yea but it's jus color difference...would you rather pay twice as much just to get a diff. color?? o well-- i thought it was kinda funny that a pink one was so much cheaper!

anyways,
i really want to know if anyone has tried the STX PRECISION POCKET yet!!! it seems like it would be easier to cradle and throw with since the ball will stay at one spot in the pocket--unlike a synthetic pocket

[laxchic]

tried out my tempest today...and wow i can throw soooo much farther & harder! however, the ball sometimes flies out of the pocket when i cradle.. is it cuz the pocket isn't broken in yet, or cuz the top of the head doesn't curve/bend forward as much? would a trakker pro help keep the ball in...or what should i do?

[laxchic369]

i have the debeer apex with the trakker pro pocket. i am happy with it but then again i havent really tried anything else. does anyone think therese a better stick for me??

[LivinLaxLife16]

I agree with most of them and wut they are saying.

[laxchic369]

whats the difference between the trakker pocket and the trakker pro pocket because i go my stick like 2 or 3 years ago and i dont remember which one i got. can someone please tell me the difference so i can get the trakker pro if i dont have it. thanks

[CTLaxer]

I believe Trakker is just 4 synthetic strings, while the trakker pro is 2 outter leather strings and 2 inner synthetic strings....though why you'd want to switch to pro just because it says "pro" is beyond me. If you do fine with your trakker pocket, why switch?

[laxchic369]

i just wanna see if something better than what i have that i like more.

[laxchic]

Actually i think the trakker is fairly different from the trakker pro. the trakker pro allows you to adjust the strings more than the trakker does... w/the trakker pro, you can get a nice channel for the ball if you tighten the two outer strings, and loosen the middle synthetic strings. So yea i'd recommend the trakker pro over the trakker

[ljlax]

yeah i had a trakker on my tempest and it got like slippery really fast. like the ball slid around because the synthetics got like really smooth. pro is much better

[laxchic369]

i must say, i love my apex. i know that there are a bunch of newer sticks, but i love my stick. the price is really reasonable so its a really good deal.

[C4ND1_R4V3R]

I'm definitely gonna have to go with my synergy. Read ct's post. Im starting this year, and for the past several years, I've been messing around with an onld brine blaze (guys stick). The synergy is shaped pretty much like a guys head, so it was easier to get used to and stuff.
I really suggest that girls pick up a cheap guys head, it'll help to feel the ball and stuff. Get used to one handed cradling.
Then try out a synergy (preferably not a webx, its absolutely the biggest waste of money). Loosen up the "leathers" so you're legal with some stretch room and try a one handed cradle. Amazing, you can do it!
I pulled that at my first indoor game, now I'm deemed varsity material. All because of the genius design of the synergy.
String that with a pita and you'll scare the goalie. And some guys.

[XKoskinenXdrmzX]

gotta go with my DeBeere Bahama Apex....gotta love the green && pink!

[aklaus4]

haha... no wonder its $40... its PINK!
sportsherway.com has the tempest for like $30-$35 in lots of colors. I love the tempest

[RYU]

sportsherway.com has the tempest for like $30-$35 in lots of colors. I love the tempestCall them up. Last I checked, they only had purple, lime green, and maybe red.

[laxlove6]

blue apex island edition and light pink harrow groove...obnoxious to some i suppose, but i love colors

[JLax3]

it is not exactly the best stick but I like it. I have a carolina blue warrior amonte on a blue harrow groove.

[nclaxkid]

The best stick all depends on what position you play. (I play midfield and sometimes defense) I have used many different sticks but my favorite is the deBeer envy.

The deBeer envy is fabulous.

The weight of it is perfect. It's light, but not light enough to not be able to check. All I have to do is preform a small tap and the ball is out of the other girl's stick.

The shot speed is amazing. I went from the deBeer apex to envy and believe me, there is a huge difference. It's straight on, hard, and accurate. Especially when I'm passing. It goes exactly where I want it to go and I don't need to apply alot of pressure throwing the ball.

Ground balls are simple. The only time I have really missed picking the ball up effortless is when there are huge clumps of grass. (found in backyards.)

My only negative comment about this head is stick tricks. It's hard to do some of them compared to my other sticks.

Other than that, the envy is the perfect stick.

[JLax3]

The best stick all depends on what position you play. (I play midfield and sometimes defense) I have used many different sticks but my favorite is the deBeer envy.

The deBeer envy is fabulous.

The weight of it is perfect. It's light, but not light enough to not be able to check. All I have to do is preform a small tap and the ball is out of the other girl's stick.

The shot speed is amazing. I went from the deBeer apex to envy and believe me, there is a huge difference. It's straight on, hard, and accurate. Especially when I'm passing. It goes exactly where I want it to go and I don't need to apply alot of pressure throwing the ball.

Ground balls are simple. The only time I have really missed picking the ball up effortless is when there are huge clumps of grass. (found in backyards.)

My only negative comment about this head is stick tricks. It's hard to do some of them compared to my other sticks.

Other than that, the envy is the perfect stick.
I have the Amonte and I used to have an Apex and could really feel a difference (like you said) in the weight, shot speed, ground balls. I don't think there is that big of difference between the envy and amonte, I think they are both very good heads.

But like you said stalling is harder because of the lower/thinner side walls, it's a lot harder than stalling on my apex but I am up for the challenge. I'm starting to get the hang of stalling on it.

[ahb911]

okay i know that most people hate this stick, but im a big fan of the deBeer envy. its pretty expensive and everything, but ive heard people say they got them on sale for about $50. seems a bit outrageous for an envy, but you never know. also, i would not recomend the synergy. i hated it.

[Evilducky_00]

I love my STX Eclipse. Love the open side wall easy to string and accurate passing.

[nclaxkid]

okay i know that most people hate this stick, but im a big fan of the deBeer envy. its pretty expensive and everything, but ive heard people say they got them on sale for about $50. seems a bit outrageous for an envy, but you never know. also, i would not recomend the synergy. i hated it.

I agree with you. However in the US Lacrosse magazine I saw a new deBeer stick. The Intuition.
It lists below the picture..

Patent Pending "Lower Curved Ball Stop" wraps the pocket around the ball for "unreal" control.
"Runner Shock" prevents pocket rebound when catching.

[laxlove6]

nclaxkid can you post pictures of the debeer intuition?

[fllaxsophi]

i play with the harrow solo, i absolutly love it
it is wonderful for stick tricks, and for shooting and passing
the head is a little narrow compared to my old stick, but i have gotten used to it.
it is great for the grass in florida, as the head doesn't bend in the hard ground like other sticks do
the grip is amazing, and wonderful in the rain.
i would recomend this stick to anyone, it may be a little pricey, but it totally worth it.

[laxlove6]

i'm not a fan of the solo- i know a lot of people with it and i've tried it
groundballs are very hard, and its shooting/passing isnt terrific compared to what you can do with a good debeer head. i love harrow shafts, but i don't believe the harrow heads are that impressive

[JLax3]

I heard the solo broke easily? I don't know if that is true but whatever. Um well I have a harrow groove shaft. I like it. The built-in butt thing was weird at first but then I got used to it.

[fllaxsophi]

the groundballs are not hard at all, but it depends on where you play. In florida, it is the best stick and works the best on the ground for ground balls. so it depends on your personal interests. It is also EXTREMELY LIGHT and is prefect for a midfielder running a lot up and down the field. It is also very good for checking since its sooo hard, but it has really good control over the ball.

[mass_elite21]

why is it so good only in florida hahaha

[laxlove6]

ahaha yea i was just about to ask that. i have a turf field and a regular beat up grass field..my apex works better on both surfaces haha....yes i have the groove too, i like it but i think i have to cut it down because even though i'm a center and i need a long stick, it would be a lot easeir for me to manage

[fllaxsophi]

we have a lot of tournaments up north, and the grass it a lot different up there then down here, the ground is softer up there, and here it is harder. and because of the heat, normal plastic heads bend way to easily and get stuck in the hard grass, and the solo just pushes right through the grass. It works perfectly.

[hdubx3]

hey. I have been playing for lacrosse for a while with impulse or sometimes apex sticks, but I recently started to use a harrow solo. The strings on it broke and I am not really sure I like it, so harrow is offering me to buy any model of their sticks. I was wondering how anyone felt about their other heads/shafts. I heard the new groove head is good, how do you like that head? would you prefer the groove head and shaft to a solo?

[enjoi socal]

im going to have to stick with my debeer impluse with a brine alumminum shaft (its alot light that way, and i didnt like the teardrop shaft) and trakker pro stringing. i know that some you may disagree. but i get a great amount of ball control, speed in my shots, and distance in my throws. i have tried alot of sticks from teammates, and did not really like them compared to the impluse, the apex probably came in second though. DeBeer gets great pocket depth, but the Impluse by far is my favorite from them.

[fllaxsophi]

im not sure about their heads, but their shafts are probably the best made, but also, i would just get a new solo, but thats me

[lilibeth]

First stick: Brine Cup - totally crap!

Then a deBeer Apex with trakker pocket. Once I tried a friend's stick with the traditional pocket, I put that in the same category as the Brine Cup - crap! Hate the trakker pocket. No give.

Then the Island Impulse because it was colourful. Restrung it traditional after a while and put a Warrior Heroine shaft on it which I loved.

Switched to the Harrow Title IX tapered shaft recently and loving that too, although the soft grip on the Heroine is better but it chips and goes sticky pretty quickly.

Was gifted an STX level which I don't like at all. Too much ball rattle.

Keen to try the Amonte and the Wildkat. Anyone used those?

[JLax3]

...Keen to try the Amonte and the Wildkat. Anyone used those?
I have the amonte along with a couple other girls on my team. I like it, it is very light compared to my old apex and I like the lower sidewalls. The only thing that is bad about it is that it is really hard to stall on (which is alright because it is always good to have a challenge).

[fllaxsophi]

The only thing that is bad about it is that it is really hard to stall on (which is alright because it is always good to have a challenge).


what do you mean by stall on?

[lilibeth]

Yeah, I was just about to ask that! What's stalling?

[enjoi socal]

i think its the trick, when you throw the ball up and catch it on your sidewall. not really something youd do in a game, but just for fun.

[fllaxsophi]

oh, so its like not something totally important, good. lol

[JLax3]

i think its the trick, when you throw the ball up and catch it on your sidewall. not really something youd do in a game, but just for fun.
Yeah that is stalling. I do it a lot at home, it helps me with my hand eye coordination. But it is not something you would do in a game, like enjoi socal said. I just stall and do tricks for fun at home

[mdlaxer711]

i play with a tempest head on a harrow straght and i love it. i have 2 spare tempest heads cuz now they are so cheap but i just changed one of them to have a trakker pro instead of a trakker cuz the ball started slipping. i hear the impulse is pretty decent too. i absolutely hate the envy though, but i think debeer and harrow is the way to go :thumbsup:

[fllaxsophi]

before i got my harrow solo, i had a warrior head on a harrow stress flex tapered shaft[T-IX or something like that], i loved it. i love warrior's heads, and before that i had a debeer head, not sure which one, it was about 4 years ago, and it threw very well, but was a little harder to catch with. also the pocket on the solo is wonderful and very deep without being against the rules. a lot of the refs when they check my stick automatically think that the pocket it to deep, but it meets regulations even though when you look at it it looks so much deeper. but i feel the solo gives you much more control of the ball than any other stick i've played with, its amazing. i dont think i've ever dropped a ball while i was cradling or anything, it gives you complete control.

[laxgirl0108]

i LOVE the envy!

[nclaxkid]

I use the deBeer envy with the warrior power rail.
It's an amazing combo.

[nclaxchica]

I originally had a deBeer Impulse, which i loved.... but i moved up to the envy and i've never been happier. I think deBeer sticks are a little heavier, but i prefer the heavier sticks... I paired my head with the brine carbon composite shaft, and i love that too...

a lot of kids on my team have the STX ATK... its a nice stick, especially for STX but they find groundballs and switching hands harder. You can get away with a GIANT pocket, which is nice

[celtlax]

FWIW - a friend just switched to the ATK from Envy and she loves it....it does have a ridiculous pocket...she feels that the ball doesn't rattle around in the pocket like the Envy and the lighter weight is a plus...


I originally had a deBeer Impulse, which i loved.... but i moved up to the envy and i've never been happier. I think deBeer sticks are a little heavier, but i prefer the heavier sticks... I paired my head with the brine carbon composite shaft, and i love that too...

a lot of kids on my team have the STX ATK... its a nice stick, especially for STX but they find groundballs and switching hands harder. You can get away with a GIANT pocket, which is nice