Lacrosse Talk - How to string a lacrosse stick

Hello, Alex Renaud here once again signing in from Feenix Gear. In this blog i am going to give you some very good pointers on how to properly string a lacrosse stick. You can be the fastest player on the field or the strongest defender out there, but if you can't handle the ball how are you supposed to become the star player that you one day hope to become.

The first key to realizing your dream could be as easy as properly stringing your lacrosse stick. For all of the lacrosse players reading this right now you will understand what i mean when i say: How many times have you been in a situation where your golden to pot that sweet goal and when you go to throw you stick hooks, the ball goes directly down and the ball bounces over the net, not the greatest feeling.

How about if your running on a fast break in either field lacrosse or box lacrosse and you're about to make that ever so important first pass and the ball just flies out of your stick in any direction or if you're the player receiving that pass and your strings are too tight and the ball simply bounces out of your stick. All of these situation come down to basic stick stringing.

This is why I have included a small note on how to string a stick, the trick is simply practice, practice practice. The more you play with your stick the more comfortable you will be with it, giving you better control while on the field or floor. Anyways here are some pointers that have helped me.

1. Stretch the mesh so that every hole looks the same in diameter. Soft mesh is ready to go, but durable mesh will take some stretching. If you are using durable mesh, run it under warm water to help stretch the mesh.

2. The rough side of the mesh should be facing away from the front side (see head diagram for hole placement and layout) of the stick. Fold the top row of holes over to meet the fifth row. The second and fourth rows should line up hole for hole. There should be a total of ten holes spanning the width of the mesh.

3. You are now ready to attach the mesh to the holes in the scoop.

4. Take the 54” piece of sidewall string and tie one hitch knot through the top left hole of mesh, marked with an arrow, attaching it to the top sidewall hole of the head.

5. Following the diagram and the highlighted holes, string along the path connect ing the holes in the scoop with the holes in the mesh. Upon completing the first row across, double back through the opposite sidewall hole and repeat the pattern back to your place of origin. Finish with a hitch knot around both strings, preventing any stretching.


SIDEWALL INSTALLATION

1. Starting at the second sidewall hole, tie a simple figure 8 knot to secure the string.

2. Follow the pattern in the diagram. Be sure to string the sidewall through every hole in the mesh. Be careful that you do not stretch the mesh to meet the next sidewall hole. Some mesh pieces will match up differently with different heads and may need to have the sidewall strung through two holes of the mesh before the next sidewall hole is met. Notice the Proton in the diagram, the sidewall string is strung through two holes between the third and fourth sidewall hole. End with a figure 8 knot when you reach the last hole.

3. Repeat these steps on the opposite sidewall.


BOTTOM LACE TIE OFF

There are two ways that you can tie off the mesh at the bottom of your lacrosse head.

STYLE 1
1. Using the excess sidewall string, follow the weave pattern in the diagram after you have completed the sidewall stringing.

2. Simply tie a knot to finish the string off.
Hint: This is best if you’re not sure how deep you want your pocket to be. By simply untying one knot, you can easily adjust the depth of the pocket. This is accomplished by either raising or lowering the lace through the holes in the bottom of the mesh. You can also easily take in or let out slack throughout the sidewall laces. This will allow you to adjust your pocket depth to your liking.

STYLE 2
1. Tie off the sidewall strings with figure 8 knots.

2. Use the extra sidewall nylon piece and follow the pattern in the diagram on the right.

3. Finish the pattern with a knot of your choice.

Hint: This system works best if you choose to experiment with your sidewall installation. This system's primary function is to make the depth and the width of the pocket completely separate functions from each other. If you like a deep, wide pocket, you can change the depth with the bottom lace and widen the pocket by pulling the slack out of the sidewalls. This installation process is great if you enjoy experimenting with different string styles.

Thank you to STX for providing these pointers.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and that it does come in hand when you do think about restringing your new stick.

Alex Renaud

www.feenixgear.com