"Faux" buttcap

[UTlax31]

I have noticed something over the past couple of months while flipping through my magazine. There are some players that have taped a "faux" butt cap about an inch higher than the end of their stick. i have been thinking about it and i assume that the reason for this is to shorten the feel of the stick and speed up the velocity of the shot. I went through alot of the championship photos and i noticed alot of the Hopkins players were sporting this tape job. Do you guys think this is a real advantage or just a comfort thing for some players?

[ML_LAX09]

It probably has some advantage to the players. If not then why do it? Why leave an inch of shaft below your gloves that a Dman can lift if it doesn't have an advantage?

p.s. I think this has been discussed before.

[UTlax31]

i looked for awhile and couldn't find it...i did hwever find some interesting stuff about rubber dip...:grin:

[PhishMeister]

I sport this style tape job and the main reason I use it is to shorten up my stick. I have a STX shaft and I don't feel like cutting it since they are 31", I just simply use tape. You definitely do not get more velocity when doing this since your just shortening up the shaft and making the fulcrum shorter which causes less torque and less power. Although it sounds right in theory I do not even think it slows your shot up. Also Orange said the same thing about getting lifted with the extra inch. It never happened to me once this year, and my glove actually covers about an extra 1/2 inch of the end sticking out so it isn't that noticeable. Also this has definitely been discussed before, but since I didn't find it while searching I will let this go for now until someone does find it.

[KUjayhawks42]

What exactly is it? can you post a pic please?

[czechinthepipes]

Here is a few picks. Look at the JHU players
http://www.lax.com/bimages/1861/11
http://www.lax.com/bimages/1861/187

[KUjayhawks42]

oh I see it now, thanks. i still think thats kinda pointless

[UTlax31]

i still think thats kinda pointless

See i thought so too but there are alot of players doing it so there has to be some reason right. I mean it seems like there would be more of a reason than just wanting a shorter stick. But maybe that's all there is to it. :thinking:

[KUjayhawks42]

Ya i guess your right, but wouldn't you want that extra inch if you ever play any defense at all? Middies and on rides? That extra inch can be the difference between getting that poke check in.

[ML_LAX09]

Yea, I just put one on my woodie, so I'm going to try it out and then compare it to a regular tape butt and see if it does make any difference.

[KUjayhawks42]

ok cool let us know what you think

[PhishMeister]

The shorter stick definitely helps with stick control. Also like i said the extra inch really doesn't leave that much for a defender to get at. In those pictures that is more than an inch so there is more to get at.

[baseballsucks]

i put it on my stick and i personally think that my shot speed increased, i dont know how but that is what it feels like, but my stick control is alot better i already have really good stick control but with this add-on it is truely crazy. It might be because i am fairly short 5ft. 5 in. in the 11 th grade. It just feels like i am playing with a mini stick. I definitely wont go back to normal. Ive never noticed before this thread, so thanks for the pics and the info on it.

[UTlax31]

I talked to one of my buddies about it and he seemed to think that it would increase the amount of torque you would put on the shot. They used to say that Jim Brown had a super fast shot and would go on to say that his stick was much shorter than what we play with now...it could also be that his arms were as big as tree trunks...

Def. let us know how it works cause i have a half roll of tape left and i dont really want to use it yet haha

[MidwestLAx101]

it would be the oppoist wiht torque beacause if you havea longer shaft you get more torque its physics

[laxxx111]

leverage.... think of it sort of as a little knob at the end of your stick that makes it about ten times easier to generate a fast shot by snapping your bottom wrist. when you look at the fastest shots in the world, it is because 1. they get their whole body into it
2. they use the power in their shoulders
and
3. because they snap their bottom hands, and this little knob not only shortens the stick, but acts as an easier object for your bottom hand to use

[PhishMeister]

leverage.... think of it sort of as a little knob at the end of your stick that makes it about ten times easier to generate a fast shot by snapping your bottom wrist. when you look at the fastest shots in the world, it is because 1. they get their whole body into it
2. they use the power in their shoulders
and
3. because they snap their bottom hands, and this little knob not only shortens the stick, but acts as an easier object for your bottom hand to use


it does not help generate anymore power than you already have within side yourself. the fastest shooters shoot the way they do because:

1. mechanics - they shoot it the way it is supposed to be shot.

2. they use the power in their core and rest of the body, not just their shoulders. if you shoot with all shoulders/arms you aren't going to get very much on the shot. you need to generate power with your legs with a push off, your core for a strong torque, and your arms and shoulders for the actual throwing motion. it all comes together in the end.

3. because they hit the gym and work out and get themselves into physically fit conditions. some big fat guy who hasn't worked out a day in his life isn't going to come out and shoot it harder than someone like andrew brancaccio because his stick is one inch shorter.

midwestlax is correct, it decreases the amount of torque and potential energy that your stick would have. the longer the shaft is the longer the potential energy is, which increases the distance from the starting point to the fulcrum. summed up, the shorter shaft is not going to make you mikey powell. it will not make you shoot the ball 10 mph faster, it will not make you shoot any faster at all. the only way to do that is to keep hitting the wall, keep shooting on cages, keep going to the gym and working out your entire body, not one specific region. all it will do is give the possible chance of better stick control.

[UTlax31]

Cool that's what i thought. I doubted that by moving your hands up the shaft a few inches it would make much of a difference other than control. I just thought that i had heard that somewhere and never really thought much of it until i saw the pictures.

[mhl06]

It this feux buttcap an actual butt end that you can buy..or is it a style of tape job..and how do you actually tape it like that???

[nd_lacrosse]

i would think the shorter stick would give you more control, but it would slow down your shot. im sure jim brown had a hard shot, he was a beast, but he would shoulder the ball and runningback his way into the goal more often though. and if i remember in the guinness book of world records the fastest shot was with a pole?

[D1Dpole]

Have you guys ever played with fiddle sticks? You get such amazing feel and thats why i think they might do it. Also i don't care how amazing of a D-pole you are, but unless you get really lucky, you are not gonna be able to hit a 1/2 inch target with a JHU attackman running at you full speed. And i've had this explained to me, the reason why some goalie's use the longer goalie shaft opposed to a shorty shaft is because it requires less effort to make the long passes. With the stick a bit shorter, it may take a tiny bit more effort to shoot as hard as a full stick, but you sacrifice it for more control... thats just my opinion...

[czechinthepipes]

it does not help generate anymore power than you already have within side yourself. the fastest shooters shoot the way they do because:

1. mechanics - they shoot it the way it is supposed to be shot.

2. they use the power in their core and rest of the body, not just their shoulders. if you shoot with all shoulders/arms you aren't going to get very much on the shot. you need to generate power with your legs with a push off, your core for a strong torque, and your arms and shoulders for the actual throwing motion. it all comes together in the end.

3. because they hit the gym and work out and get themselves into physically fit conditions. some big fat guy who hasn't worked out a day in his life isn't going to come out and shoot it harder than someone like andrew brancaccio because his stick is one inch shorter.

midwestlax is correct, it decreases the amount of torque and potential energy that your stick would have. the longer the shaft is the longer the potential energy is, which increases the distance from the starting point to the fulcrum. summed up, the shorter shaft is not going to make you mikey powell. it will not make you shoot the ball 10 mph faster, it will not make you shoot any faster at all. the only way to do that is to keep hitting the wall, keep shooting on cages, keep going to the gym and working out your entire body, not one specific region. all it will do is give the possible chance of better stick control.
Phish hit the nail on the head. I wish I had that cool little animation that Orange and some other Mods have of a big hammer hitting a nail, thats so awesome.

Anyways Phish is right, he said it so perfectly I and no one else (most likely) could add anything or add much to what he said to prove that it will not add speed to your shot, case closed.

[Skatertim10]

z
3. because they hit the gym and work out and get themselves into physically fit conditions. some big fat guy who hasn't worked out a day in his life isn't going to come out and shoot it harder than someone like andrew brancaccio because his stick is one inch shorter.

midwestlax is correct, it decreases the amount of torque and potential energy that your stick would have. the longer the shaft is the longer the potential energy is, which increases the distance from the starting point to the fulcrum. summed up, the shorter shaft is not going to make you mikey powell. it will not make you shoot the ball 10 mph faster, it will not make you shoot any faster at all. the only way to do that is to keep hitting the wall, keep shooting on cages, keep going to the gym and working out your entire body, not one specific region. all it will do is give the possible chance of better stick control.

i got to talk to kyle dixon and he said that speed has almost nothing to do with physical strength, but with correct form and technique. like phish quoted above, you need to use your core to generate power.
at lacrosse camp there was a 12 year old on my team (like not even 5 foot and much less than 100 lbs) and he shot faster than most high schoolers because of his form. you could see him jump and torque his body like all the way around almost when shooting.

[JLancer24]

Does anyone have any close up pics of this on their sticks and not pics from lax.com? And what do you put under the tape?

[manup5183]

I use one.

I was recently at a camp and was talking to Michael Kimmel about this tape job. He said he has never been lifted/ herd of anyone being lifted with the extra inch hanging out in D1 ball.

[czechinthepipes]

I use one.

I was recently at a camp and was talking to Michael Kimmel about this tape job. He said he has never been lifted/ herd of anyone being lifted with the extra inch hanging out in D1 ball.
manup you wanna post some pics of it? That be really cool if you could show some up close pics.

[JLancer24]

Yea if someone could get a close up pic thatd help, i wanna try it.

[laxattack09]

yeah ive seen this. and tried it. it does make your shaft feel shorter but thats it.

off topic: does anyone know how to make a knob on the end of your stick with tape. like sort of a round ball. i cant do it. all of my tape ends are flat on the top and bottom. help is greatly appreciated

[PhishMeister]

I can get pictures of both of mine as soon as I wake up. Laxattack09, PM Orange, that is how he makes his buttends.

[laxattack09]

phish thanks i will do that now

[MCconor3]

i would also like to see pics phish. thanks

[joeylax55]

they do it so it feels shorter but it cant be called illegal. and most of the time nobody is going to check or lift 1 inch if shaft

[manup5183]

Ask and ye shall receive. The JHU guys usually had a thinner strip but had a few more layers than I do. They did it directly above their STX endcaps so it was touching.
http://content.imagesocket.com/thumbs/jhu_butt_end2ef.jpg (http://imagesocket.com/view/jhu_butt_end2ef.jpg)

[WKLAX]

i just put it on mine and love it... i feel like i have more control and my shot seems faster

[spyopticgoggles]

theres a tutorial on how to make one of these on e-lacrosse, called the the college butt tape job

[PhishMeister]

http://content.imagesocket.com/thumbs/IMG_12575e0.JPG (http://imagesocket.com/view/IMG_12575e0.JPG)

These are my two, they aren't the same as the JHU ones but they do the same exact thing. Also mine aren't very pretty anymore, they are old and pretty used. I don't care and neither do you so I shall stop rambling. And also if I see one more person say it feels like it added speed to their shot I am going to burn this mother down.

[lax4life6]

It should feel like it added speed. It doesn't actually add anything , but it should feel like it because it can give you a faster release which will make your shot feel faster. That's how it feels to me anyways

[laxattack09]

Ask and ye shall receive. The JHU guys usually had a thinner strip but had a few more layers than I do. They did it directly above their STX endcaps so it was touching.
http://content.imagesocket.com/thumbs/jhu_butt_end2ef.jpg (http://imagesocket.com/view/jhu_butt_end2ef.jpg)

How did you make the first cap. the one that has turned brown

[JLancer24]

Yea, I would like to know too.

[Brandon303]

Yea, I would like to know too.
Black tape or Plasti-Dip (most likely) would be my professional opinion.

[goalie33fan]

No, it is just used white tape. You just get a roll of hockey tape, start a piece, cut it in half so its thinner, start taping around the bottom of the shaft, stop when you want. Rip it off. Tape over the bottom so there is no metal or hole showing, and finally tape over the knob and stop about 2 inches up the shaft.

[isk8apopwar]

I tried it, you just cut the tape in half a little on the roll and it will keep ripping in half if you keep your finger on it. I tried this but and I really like it, it leaves only a little hanging, which is covered by the glove, but the shorter feel is definitely something to experience.

[laxguy123]

look at paul rabils sticks

[laxkid891]

If you guys are still looking how to do this, this is a pretty good pic of it here.
http://www.lax.com/bimages/1888/49
I'm debating on trying this out or not. I cut my scti from 31" to 30", do you think this is still worth doing?(that question is to the guys who have done this, i.e- isk8apopwar, etc.)

[ItalyLaxer11]

Lil' off topic, but what gloves is the guy(the penn state guy) in the left wearing? G22's? http://www.lax.com/bimages/1888/51

[desertlax]

those are IPROS in ordinary navy