Stringing Mesh Vs. Traditional

When stringing a lacrosse stick commonly there are two main choices to be made, a mesh pocket or a traditional pocket. These two pockets have many different options and give a player a different feel for the ball in their stick. Before mesh was invented every lacrosse stick was made of a traditional leather netting. These leather based traditionals were strung on a wooden stick along with a “catgut” for the sidewall. Mesh and traditionals today are strung on plastic heads attached to a metal shaft. Stringing traditionals keeps the art alive and gives stringers a stick to be proud of when playing lacrosse.

The beauty of lacrosse is that within the regulations that keep a stick legal for play someone can string them in any way they desire. From mesh pockets, traditionals, half and half pockets, or duct tape leathers as seen online; the possibilities are endless! When stringing a traditional, normally a stringer has 3 options, a basic traditional, a heat pocket, or pita pocket. Of course there are variations of these traditionals but most follow the same rules. One of the main advantages to a traditional pocket is the feel of a players personal stick. A pocket is strung up with 4 leathers and the ball follows the two middle leathers creating a channel. This gives the head consistency in an athletes stick. With 2 leathers on either side of the ball, they creates ball control and stability in the stick. Feeling for the ball in someones stick all depends on the type of pocket a person has. By having a defined pocket the ball has minimal room to move and will not shift; whereas a baggy pocket will allow the ball to move throughout the pocket for various movements. A baggy pocket is great for one handed cradling and split dodging. A more defined pocket is better for shooting and keeping the ball high in the stick and ready to dish out. Mesh pockets tend to shift more than traditionals because of the mesh having to conform to the ball rather than the cross-lace of a traditional having certain tension determining where the ball will sit. Cross-lace is an important factor in the effectiveness in traditionals.

In the 3 types of traditional pockets introduced earlier all the variations depend on the cross-lace. Cross-lace that only has a single knot or interlock are generally in pita pockets and basic trads. The heat pocket however utilizes the double over knot which keeps the cross-lace in one place, not allowing the knots to move. Once the leathers on a traditional cinch the cross-lace moves minimally. Using cross-lace instead of mesh pockets give the user the ability to tighten or loosen the strings to conform to the ball perfectly in the pocket. This of course takes a lot of time. Stringing a traditional can take hours at a time whereas mesh pockets take at most a half hour to string. As trads are much more complicated than mesh pockets, stringers normally prefer to better their time and not even bother with leather pockets.

Stringing and using a traditional pocket both is more effective than a mesh one and can be an art. Being able to match different colorways of cross-lace and leathers with a head is both an art and stress reliever. This hobby gives the player a stick to be proud of when playing and relaxes a person from everyday stress put on us as students or employees. Traditional pockets will proceed to stay around as more people learn to string them and will be an art few endure to master.