Find The Right Head For Your Position
As an attack player, you’ll want an open sidewall head with a deep pocket for cradling and quick release shooting. Defenders need a stiff, controlled head and a shallow pocket to protect the ball. Goalies opt for a deeper pocket with strong sidewalls to snag high speed shots. Before stringing, decide which head shape and flex works for your position.
Choose Durable Mesh For Longevity
Mesh comes in soft, medium and stiff varieties. Softer pockets bag out faster while stiff mesh keeps its shape. Hard mesh can rip when overstretched. Find the happy medium of durable mesh that will form a pocket suited to your playing style. Pre-stretched mesh saves time and effort.
Select The Proper Shooting Strings
Shooting strings run horizontally across the top of the head, affecting ball speed and accuracy. Nylon strings provide a nice snap while shooters are more flexible. Double shooting strings offer more customized performance. Place the ball in the pocket and test different shooting string placements until you dial in your shot.
Add Structure With Sidewall Strings
Sidewall strings run vertically from the scoop to the bottom, locking in the pocket shape. Crisscross traditional sidewall patterns or string interlocks and pinches for extra hold. Sidewall strings work with mesh to create your ideal pocket formation. Don’t pull them too tight or the pocket will cup.
Tie Off To The Head With Bottom Strings
Bottom strings complete the stringing job by defining pocket depth. They crisscross to attach the mesh to holes in the head. Double up thicker bottom strings or use anchors for extra hold. Adjust bottom string tightness until you get the ball hold and release you want.
Get The Right Pocket Depth And Shape
Stringing allows for personalized pocket preferences. Shallow pockets make for quicker release while deeper pockets allow superior ball control. Midfielders may prefer a medium, modified pocket. Shape also varies – “v” pockets hold while flat pockets release faster. Decide what works best for your position and playing style.
Test Different Lacrosse Ball Placements
The ball should sit deep in a pocket, below the bottom of the sidewall. Place a ball in the newly strung pocket and see where it sits. Loosen bottom strings if the ball sits too high or tighten up if too low. The ideal hold cradles the ball securely while allowing a quick release.
…Article Continues…
Choose Durable Mesh For Longevity
When selecting lacrosse mesh, you’ll need to find the ideal balance between durability, pocket shape, and ball control. Softer mesh types tend to bag out faster, losing their pre-strung pocket shape after repeated use. Going too stiff with hard meshes can lead to premature ripping and fraying. Consider a medium density mesh that provides a nice blend of strength and flexibility.
Pre-stretched mesh can save you hours of repetitive pulling, saving your fingers in the process. The mesh comes pre-worked so you can string it up right away into a consistent pocket shape. Just beware that pre-stretched pockets still loosen over time. No mesh lasts forever, but choosing wisely can get you through many seasons before needing to re-string.
Synthetic materials like nylon blend offer improved weather resistance over traditional cotton and linen builds. This keeps the pockets from getting waterlogged and maintains integrity in wet conditions. Manufacturers now engineer specialty meshes with proprietary performance features like enhanced ball control, quick release, hold strength and durability.
When browsing meshes, flip them over and check the quality inside and out. Higher grades have uniformly spaced diamond shapes with minimal gaps along the joints. Thecrosse-specific mesh provides more precise performance over generic netting. With the right mesh, you’ll notice the difference in both longevity and playability.
Select The Proper Shooting Strings
Shooting strings are a make-or-break aspect of lacrosse stick stringing. Their placement and configuration directly impact ball speed, spin, release point and shot accuracy. While nylon and synthetic blends are common, shooters provide a different feel with more stretch and responsiveness.
Nylon strings tend to have less give, providing a faster, harder shot with more velocity behind it. Shooters flex on release, applying spin and allowing for more finessed shot placement. The downside is they can lose tension easier. Some players opt for a hybrid setup with a nylon bottom shooter and a shooter up top.
You can run single, double or triple shooter sets based on preference. Two stacked shooters allow for more customized stringing with a top and bottom piece. Triple shooters take fine-tuning to another level for elite players. No matter what you choose, ensure the shooters run straight across smooth without twisting or unequal tension.
The sweet spot for shooters falls about 3 to 5 inches from the scoop, depending on head width. Place a ball in the pocket and try out different shooter placements until your cradling, passing and shooting feel dialed in. It’s a delicate balance, but with practice you’ll find your shooting string setup.
Add Structure With Sidewall Strings
Sidewall strings are an integral part of defining pocket structure and ball control. Traditionally strung in a criss-cross pattern down the head, sidewalls lock the mesh in place and determine pocket shape. Tighter sidewalls make for a more rigid, controlled pocket while looser sidewalls form a deeper pocket with more hold.
More advanced stringers use techniques like interlocks, pinches and diamonds to further customize pocket performance. Interlocks tie sidewall strings together for extra stability. Pinched sidewalls create pre-defined channels for cleaner ball control. Diamonds add adjustable hold points within the interior pocket.
When stringing the sidewalls, apply even tension down the head without overpulling. Uneven sidewall tension leads to off-center ball control. Overly tight sidewalls cup the pocket too much, making releases sloppy. Find the sweet spot that provides just enough structure without limiting mobility.
Let the sidewalls and mesh work synergistically to form the desired pocket shape. Sidewalls give the foundation while mesh determines depth. With the right balance of mesh give and sidewall stability, you can achieve great customization with your stringing.
Tie Off To The Head With Bottom Strings
Bottom lacrosse strings act as anchors that secure the pocket to the head. Traditionally woven in a criss-cross pattern through the bottom holes, bottom strings stop the ball from falling through while also defining overall pocket depth.
Thicker bottom string materials like leather, rawhide or parachute cord provide more durability versus nylon alternatives. Double up on thicker bottom strings or use anchors for even greater strength at this high-wear area. Traditional cotton strings lack the weather-resistance of synthetics.
Be sure to test different levels of tightness with your bottom strings. Too loose and the ball release suffers, but overtightened bottoms make it hard to get the ball into the pocket. The sweet spot balances a deep ball hold with quick release through the bottom on passes and shots.
Work the bottom strings in conjunction with shooting strings and sidewalls to form your ideal pocket. Bottom strings complete the stringing job, taking it from a loose piece of mesh to a defined pocket with great ball control. Master this final step and you’ll be launching rockets in no time.
Get The Right Pocket Depth And Shape
One of the biggest advantages of stringing your own stick is customizing the pocket to your exact playing style. The depth and shape of the pocket significantly impacts ball control, hold, and release.
Shallower pockets release the ball faster while deeper pockets allow you to cradle and corral errant passes more easily. Attack players generally prefer quick release pockets while defenders opt for superior ball retention from deeper pockets.
Pocket shape also varies from player to player. “V” shaped pockets are better for holding while flatter pockets promote quicker releases. Midfielders may enjoy a modified pocket that balances hold with quick transitions.
Test out different pocket depths and shapes during stringing until you find your goldilocks zone. The beauty is you can continually tweak and adjust over time as your game evolves. Don’t settle for an off-the-shelf pocket – take the time to develop your ideal custom configuration.
With the right pocket depth and shape dialed in, you’ll immediately notice the improvement in your game through superior ball control. And isn’t that what stringing is all about?
Test Different Lacrosse Ball Placements
An ideal lacrosse pocket should hold the ball securely in the bottom while also allowing for quick releases when needed. As you string, continually test ball placement to ensure optimal performance.
Drop a ball into the pocket and see where it sits naturally. The ball should be held firmly in the lower third of the head, below the bottom edges of the sidewalls. If it sits too high, loosen the bottom strings to allow more pocket give.
Also check that the ball moves freely from side to side along the width of the head. You don’t want it cradled too deep into the left or right corners. Adjust sidewall tension accordingly to centralize pocket control.
Test passes and shots to determine if the ball is releasing cleanly or getting trapped. If it takes too much effort to dislodge, try loosening the shooters or top sidewall strings a touch. You want the ball secured, but not stuck.
Keep placing balls in different spots and practicing your throwing motion until you get a feel for the optimal depth. There’s a sweet spot where the pocket perfectly holds yet releases smoothly. Dial that in through testing and adjustment.
Make Adjustments With Shooting Cord Tension
The shooting strings are key determinants of ball speed, spin, and accuracy. Adjusting shooting cord tension during stringing allows you to fine-tune ball release.
Higher tension shooting cords provide more power and velocity on shots. But too much tension reduces feel and aiming control. Lower tension offers more finessed shooting at the cost of power.
Start on the looser side and incrementally increase tension while shooting on a goal. This allows you to isolate the sweet spot for optimized ball performance. When shots start to rise or you lose accuracy, back the tension off slightly.
Always balance top and bottom shooting string tension evenly. Uneven tensions introduce off-center ball releases and rotation. Keep adjusting until you find the harmony of whip, spin, and precision dialed in.
Don’t forget to retest tension over time as shooter materials relax. Maintain your ideal tension as the strings naturally loosen up through heavy use. Consistent tension translates into consistent shot performance.
Try Various Shooting Cord Materials
Lacrosse shooters come in a range of materials, each providing a different feel on shots. Test out varieties during stringing to find your favorite.
Nylon cords have little give, enabling maximum power transfer into high velocity shots. They can feel stiff at first but break in over time. For added control, try softer multifilament nylon shooter blends.
Synthetic leathers offer light pliability for finesse shooting. The softness provides more whip on follow through for precision aiming without sacrificing too much velocity. Leathers tend to be more durable than nylon.
Shooter leathers with textured surfaces add extra grip and ball control. Cords woven with different colors look stylish but perform the same. Waxed hockey laces are a popular old school custom shooting string.
Try combining materials, like a softer shooter up top for aim and a harder nylon on bottom for power. Mix and match while testing shooter setups on the field until you discover your ideal combination of touch, precision and punch.
Compare Traditional To Unusual Pockets
While traditional pockets with a mid-low ball hold are the norm, some players like to experiment with unique stringing configurations.
Pockets strung extra shallow allow for lightning quick releases at the cost of control. Super deep pockets bag out dramatically for elite hold but slower passing.
Try pockets with added channels, shooting rings or sidewall auxiliary cords. Evaluate if the custom touches improve performance vs standard pockets. Not all modifications translate into on-field benefits.
Test out heads strung with higher shooting cords or double runners. See if a bagged out “fishnet” style pocket performs despite its radical look. Keep an open mind and you may uncover a pocket style that clicks with your game.
At the end of the day, sticking with convention never hurts. But don’t be afraid to experiment and push boundaries – you never know what pocket oddity might bring out new dimensions in your game.
Mix And Match Different Lacrosse Mesh Types
With so many mesh varieties available, one creative way to string a pocket is combining different types in one head.
Place softer mesh up top for increased ball control and quicker releases. Use a stiffer bottom mesh for added stability and ball retention down low. This gives you the best of both worlds in the same pocket.
Some like to sandwich a piece of hard mesh between two soft meshes. The soft surround grips while the hard center adds structure. Experiment with different mesh layouts and pocket placement.
Alternate mesh strips down the head – one soft, one medium, one soft. Or try a soft nylon front with a stiffer polyethylene back. Mixing meshes allows highly customized performance.
The combo doesn’t have to make sense visually as long as it achieves the desired feel. Let your game be the judge when deciding if blended pocket meshes improve your performance.
Consider Custom Strung Stick Options
While stringing your own stick is rewarding, some players opt for off-the-shelf customization from professional stringers.
Custom stringers offer years of experience using advanced techniques the average player hasn’t mastered. This allows specific pocket personalization based on your position, skill level and preferences.
Describe to the stringer how you want the ball held, released, and handled. They can then select specialized meshes, strings, and lace patterns to match your needs. It’s easy to get in your own head – a neutral stringer translates your vision into reality.
Custom stringing services allow you to test different setups without investing in stringing supplies. Try an open sidewall attack pocket on your next stick rather than your usual tight channel. You can always tweak on the next go around.
While DIY stringing is rewarding, don’t overlook the performance benefits of an expertly customized pocket tailored to your game. It’s like getting a stick fitting from a master golf club pro.
Choose Colorful Lacrosse Stringing For Style
Beyond performance, stringing offers creative opportunities to add personality and style to your stick.
Colored sidewall and shooter strings are all the rage, allowing you to match team colors or create custom color schemes. Dyed leathers and nylons come in endless color combos to make your stick pop.
Some brands offer limited edition string colors perfect for matching custom cleats and gloves. Show your personality by intermixing bright strings with traditional whites and blacks.
Don’t forget cool string accents like metallic gold and silver. Fade the colors from light on top to dark on bottom. The options are endless when you view stringing as both functional art and athletic expression.
Add custom name, number or word lace into the sidewalls. Stitch meaningful phrases into the pocket. While performance comes first, a beautifully strung head turns just as many heads.
Shop For Complete Womens Lacrosse Stringing Kits
Rather than buying components piecemeal, lacrosse stringing kits provide everything you need in one package.
Look for kits that include a range of sidewall strings, shooting cords, and lacrosse mesh. Kits geared for women’s sticks include narrower mesh and pocket patterns designed for the smaller head size.
Starter kits provide the essentials without advanced materials while pro kits cater to experienced stringers with premium components. Consider your skill level when selecting.
Some kits throw in handy extras like stringing pliers, needle nose pliers, pocket shapers and wooden jig sticks. This takes the guesswork out of assembling the necessary tools.
Complete stringing kits take the hassle out of gathering supplies and materials from multiple sources. Everything you need comes packed in one convenient bundle.