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History of lacrosse and the first lacrosse stick
Lacrosse was originally played by Native Americans hundreds of years ago. They would play against neighboring tribes and the sticks were used to score goals, pass the ball and to attack or check opposing players . The first lacrosse sticks were made of wood as well as the heads and strung with leather pockets. Not every stick looked the same either some with curved shafts and larger triangular pockets. -
The history of the head
Northeastern tribes came up with the idea of the modern look of the lacrosse stick shaft; longer than 3 feet with a crook at the end. Made out of woven leather the pocket allowed for great ball control. Lacrosse actually got its name from how thise sticks looked, for it looked like a Bishop's crosier in which the french called in "la crosse" -
Double-walled sticks
Robert Pool was the designer of the double-walled lacrosse shaft. The double-walled lacrosse shaft had made it easier to catch, throw and shoot the lacrosse ball. Lacrosse balls were first made out of either wood or just a stone and were then madeout of deerskin and were filled with fur. Double-walled lacrosse shafts werealso the forerunner for the soon-to-come plastic shaft -
Plastic lacrosse shafts
Plastic lacrosse shafts have been in use since the 1970s. The plastic lacrosse shafts arelighter, stonger and more durable than the wood shafts the Native Americans would use. Although, some MLL lacrosse players still use the wood shaft because they like the feel of them, as a Major League Baseball player still uses wooden bats. -
Modern lacrosse heads
Soft mesh is now reccomended for new players because it is easy to catch with and easier to adjust. Although they are made easier to catch with it is more difficult to throw with this type of mesh. More experienced players prefer hard or dura-mesh. Still made of nylon like the soft mesh, but these pockets are coated to make them harder, providing the reliability of softmesh, but the shooting and passing strength as the traditional leather mesh -
Modern Traditional pockets
Made out of the traditional leather, some players still use pockets strung with nylon and come in a pattern woven of 8-diamond. 6-diamond is used by players who want more whip -
Lacrosse sticks need to be different lengths
Women's sticks are generally shorter than men's, averaging at 35 1/2 to 43 1/4 inches for standard play and 35 1/2 to 48 for female goalkeepers. Men's lacrosse sticks come in three lengths: 40 to 42 inches for attack and standard play, 52 to 72 for defensive players and 40 to 72 inches for goalkeepers. Women's lacrosse sticks also have a shallower narrower head, although in girl's lacrosse you aren't really allowed to check too hard anyway -
Citation
F, R. (2011, May 26). History of Lacrosse Sticks. LIVESTRONG.COM. Retrieved September 25, 2012, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/340895-history-of-lacrosse-sticks/ -
History of lacrosse heads citation
Ferris, J. (2011, May 26). History of Lacrosse Heads. LIVESTRONG.COM. Retrieved September 25, 2012, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/348277-history-of-lacrosse-heads/?utm_source=RELARTICLES_R1
