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You are here: Experts > Sports > Lacrosse > Lacrosse > Long pole size
Expert: Jonathan Edwards
Date: 7/2/2008
Subject: Long pole size
Question
Jonathan, My son is going into 4th grade and recently completed his 4th year of lacrosse. Although he cannot use a long pole till 5th grade, we purchased him one as a reward for a great job in 3rd grade. He plays Defense and will only use the long pole when practicing by himself or with friends. The question is this: what size should the long pole be, and how much leeway do we have when cutting it down ? We'd like for him to get some use out of it. Is there some general rule of thumb like six inches taller than the user ? Thanks very much.
Answer
Gerry hey there. My rule of thumb for most kids is to cut the stick to as long as they are tall. Because he is not using it in games you don't have to worry about it being legal, but for your own knowledge a defensive shaft can only be between 52 and 72 inches long.
A couple of things to keep in mind as your son grows and starts to play with the long stick: For young players they tend to lack the core strength to really handle the long pole effectively. I was one of those kids when I was back in fifth grade. I like the d pole. It looked cool. But I couldn't control it. But if it is cut to size then he should be fine.
Also, when a young player uses a long pole he tends to stop moving his feet which creates really bad habits that are very hard to break. So make sure he keeps his feet moving and plays solid positional defense. That is the skill he needs to work on most and the one that will make him an excellent defender for the long term.
Hope that helps Gerry. Let me know if you need anything else.
Jonathan
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
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