Expert: Zander Berlinski - 7/16/2009

Question
Zander next year I am going to be our teams main face off man.  I was recently looking at the new warrior blade fogo (or f-off) and was wondering if you thought it would be a good buy.  I do play a lot of middie during the other parts of the game too.  Also I was thinking about buying a brine magnum shaft because I have heard that it is durable and light.  I am interested in hearing your thoughts and any other suggestions. Thanks.

Answer
      Corbin,
For face-offs I think the new Warrior Blade Fogo is a great choice. The sidewall design allows you to get a head-start on clamps and it is specifically designed for all your favorite face-off moves. In terms of the shaft, I think you should go with the Warrior Krypto Pro or Brine Scandium instead of the Brine Magnum shaft. Both of these shafts have a better feel, are lighter, and are more durable.

However, one huge factor on how a stick preforms is the stringing it has. One big suggestion I have is to buy the stick unstrung and have it custom strung. Factory stringing is terrible and can really affect your play. I would send the stick to be custom strung by the professionals at ZB Lacrosse Company. You can visit their website at www.zblax.com to see all the different types of pockets they offer (click on the stringing styles/dyes tab). They also offer dyes if you want to customize your stick further. Their customer service, pocket quality, and prices are unmatched anywhere else on the market. Before purchasing your head, you may want to email them at zblaxcompany@gmail.com as they do sell select heads and equipment and may have a Warrior Blade Face-Off and/or shaft you are looking for in stock.

Hope this helps and feel free to ask if you have any further questions.

Thanks,
Zander