Different Levels Of Women's Heads

Do you know the differences?

When looking at a wall of women's lacrosse sticks, it can be very difficult to see the differences between each one and just say "they all look exactly alike!" I can assure you that during preseason, I get that from almost every beginner player and/or parent on a daily basis. Once I start to break things down for them, they start to understand why different levels of players (beginner, intermediate and expert) play with different shaped heads.

Beginner

Typically, beginners want to use a light weight stick and one that is very flat on the top scoop. I think we can all agree that learning to pick up ground balls can be frustrating in general, but as a beginner, you want to have a flat, pancake spatula looking scoop, which will make it much easier to get under the ball. All sticks, no matter what level, start off not broken in and can all give off the appearance of looking very flat. However once you pick up the stick and look at the scoop, you can usually tell if it is a beginner stick or not.

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Intermediate

To me, intermediate players have played lacrosse for a year or two but only during the spring season. They have either grown and their stick is too short for them or they want a head that has a bit more shape to it so it stays in better while cradling. These players I usually ask what position they are mainly playing-attack, midfield or defense. I usually try to direct the midfielders and defense players towards sticks that still have a flatter scoop because they are still constantly picking up ground balls. Attack players can get away with a more narrow throat in their stick because it helps direct the ball to come out of the stick straight; allowing more accurate shots.

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Advanced

These players have a stick in their hands year round and usually know exactly which stick they want because they have borrowed their friends sticks to play with. Sometimes advanced players will actually keep their current stick (because it's lucky or extra special) and simply get it restrung with a different runway/pocket.

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Even though to the untrained eye women's lacrosse sticks can look very similar and just look different because they are different colors, they do vary quite a bit. Even though it's always important to have a great looking stick, making sure you have one that meets your skill set is even more important.

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