AboutZander Berlinski Expertise I can answer all questions concerning lacrosse. I am the founder of ZB Lacrosse Company so I am an expert on all different types of equipment and sticks as well as custom stringing. I am also an avid player of the game so I can answer most technical questions about rules.
Experience Player for 15 years, founder of ZB Lacrosse Company, advanced custom stringer, extreme knowledge of the game and everything around it.
Question Hi I'm starting high school this fall and I'm hoping to play for their lacrosse team. I have been using the same stick for 2 years and now it is pretty beat up. Do you have any recommendations for what shaft and head I should get? I'm a middie but I might try out to be a goalie, so regular sticks and goalie sticks would be very helpful. Thanks.
Answer Josh,
It all depends on how much you are willing to spend. Assuming you do not want to spend a ton of money on all of the highest price things I will lay out a couple possibilities for you that are good quality and affordable.
First lets talk about shafts. For shafts I would go with the Warrior Krypto Pro. It is very light and strong for a good price. This is the shaft I use. If you are not looking to spend that much go with the warrior Kryptolyte. It is a little bit heavier and weaker than the Krypto Pro but still a great shaft. If you were to get a goalie shaft I would get the kryptolyte because it is cheaper and you do not need the extra strength in goal since you aren't being checked.
When buying a head I would buy one unstrung and get it custom strung by the professionals at ZB Lacrosse Company. Unstrung heads are cheaper and you will be getting a much higher quality pocket which will help your play greatly. Factory stringing (the stringing that comes on the stick when you buy it "strung")is very low quality and can affect your play in a negative way. Visit www.zblax.com for all of their stringing styles and color schemes. I would go with a hard mesh pocket as it is very consistent, has great hold, and a smooth release. This is the perfect combination for a middie. They have very high quality pockets, unmatched customer service, and very fast turnaround time. I know they are closing for a month in a couple days so maybe you would want to buy your stick strung to use it and then just wait to get it re-strung when they re-open on July 27th but it is definitely worth the wait.
Now that I have established that I think you should buy your stick unstrung, lets talk about field heads for a middie. There a many different ways you could go with this one. If you are willing to spend the money I would go the Brine Clutch. It has a great pinch for ball control and accuracy. It is also very light but is durable enough to withstand hard checks. It is a great overall head and this would be my main suggestion. If you do not want to spend this much money I would go with the Warrior Evo 2.0 which is another great head. If you are going to compromise for one of the two, I would compromise on getting a cheaper shaft as the head is more important.
Finally, goalie heads. I would go with the STX Eclipse. It is very durable and flexible so it will last for a while. It has a great stopping area size and although it is a little pricey, I think it is worth the cost. If you weren't looking to spend that much on a head then I would go with the Warrior ODB.
Hope this helps and feel free to ask if you have anymore questions. Also be sure to check out www.zblax.com for all your custom stringing needs.
