Nike Surge Elite Lacrosse Head Review

Nike’s lightest elite head, built stiff and built to shoot. A finisher’s head for attackmen who want to rip it from the hash and put it where they’re looking.

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Every time Nike drops a new head, my feed fills up the same week. The Surge Elite was no different. Half the stringers on Instagram called it a Lakota 3 face with a Vapor Elite scoop bolted on, and the other half just posted pocket pics. What nobody was talking about was how it actually plays when a short-stick d-middie is leaning on your hands.

So I bought one, strung it, and ran it for over a month of practices and pickup. Here’s what I found.

First Look: Who This Head Is Built For

The Surge Elite came out in late 2024 and took over from the Vapor name on Nike’s elite attack head. It’s built for attackmen and offensive middies who want tight control and quick handling, and above all, a head that shoots hard and true.

At first glance it looks maybe 60% like a Lakota 3. Put them side by side and the differences jump out. The Surge Elite has a deeper offset and a more aggressive scoop angle, and it’s a far stiffer head. There’s only one diagonal strut between the sidewalls, which usually means flex, but don’t let that fool you. Nike cut the strut count and thickened the sidewalls instead, so it plays nothing like a whippy, flexible head like the old CEO 3.

Even with that beef in the sidewalls, it comes in at just 4.7 oz thanks to Nike’s PowerForm material. That’s light enough to feel quick in your hands and stiff enough to load up on a shot.

The Nike Surge Elite isn’t on the BattleLax shelf right now. Browse attack heads that are in stock at BattleLax.

Specs look great on paper. But an attackman needs more than a hard shot. You need a head that holds up when you get hacked, cradles through traffic, and picks up GBs clean. Let’s get into it.

Shooting & Passing Accuracy

This is where the Surge Elite earns its keep. The sidewalls angle down from the throat, which builds a deeper pocket channel, and the throat itself is short and narrow. That combination locks the ball into the same release point every time. When you’re coming off a pick on the wing with half a second to rip it, that consistency is everything.

The sidewalls are also pinched in, which sets up nicely for a mid-high pocket. I threw a ton of feeds to cutters on the run, and the ball came out right where I aimed it, with no spray. The bottom rail is shaped to support the strings too, so the ball sits in a good spot for stepping into a time-and-room shot from the top of the box. If you like to shoot from distance, you’ll like this head.

Here’s the catch. It is stiff. That’s exactly what you want for velocity, but if you’re a younger player coming off a softer head, it’s going to feel like a 2×4 at first. If that’s you, look at a more forgiving attack head like the Maverik Kinetik 3.

If you’re sold on the Surge Elite, string a mid pocket using the 18 sidewall holes. It’ll dial in even more once you get through the break-in period.

Catching & Cradling

After a month with this head, the thing I noticed most was how well it held the ball in traffic. The narrow throat and slightly pinched face kept the ball locked in when I was rolling back on a dodge with a short-stick riding my hip. That’s the kind of security you want when you’re dodging from X and the slide is coming.

The mid-high pocket sits in a real sweet spot. You get quick, controlled passes without giving up hold, and the thicker sidewalls soak up contact so the ball stays put.

Now, early on, that stiffness made catching in traffic a little tougher. Hard feeds didn’t get the cushion you get from a softer head. Once the head and the mesh broke in, though, I was catching quick feeds on the run with no problem, and I came to like how responsive it is.

The weight helps here too. I could cradle one-handed without my forearm burning, and paired with a light composite handle from the BattleLax shaft lineup, long practices felt easy.

Checking & Durability

No review of an attack head is complete without talking about how it holds up when a long pole starts slashing. For a 4.7 oz head, the Surge Elite kept its shape through a lot of abuse.

It eats checks without the ball popping out, and the head doesn’t bend at the middle. Warp resistance was excellent, in sticky summer heat and in cold, wet fall ball games alike. That’s the PowerForm material doing its job.

It also held up getting dragged across turf, which matters if you play box in the off season like plenty of guys in Canada and upstate New York do. The structure stayed solid, and my ground ball pickups stayed consistent.

On the other side of the ball, it delivers a solid check without feeling clunky. If you’re a middie who rides hard and plays both ways, you’ll like how quickly it responds. It does have just enough give to recover off a check, and you can feel a little whip on contact. If you want a softer feel, the Kinetik 3 is the move.

Ground Balls & Faceoffs

The scoop is aggressive in angle but smooth across the surface, with very few ridges. Paired with a moderately sized face, it got under the ball cleanly. I didn’t have to drop my stick angle way down to scoop on the run, which means you win the GB and you’re already moving north.

There’s a slight inside curve that funnels the ball toward the center of the pocket on pickups. That cuts down on the ball rattling around on the initial grab.

It isn’t a faceoff head, but the offset and short throat gave me decent control when I clamped. The pinched sidewalls add stability, and the head didn’t warp after a few reps at the X. If you’re an attackman or middie who takes the occasional draw, it’ll get you through. A dedicated FOGO should grab a true faceoff head like the ECD Weapon X 2.0.

See it live

Want to see the Surge Elite strung up and in action? Here’s a review from YouTube.

Nike Surge Elite Lacrosse Head Review

More Surge Elite videos on YouTube

Pros & Cons of the Nike Surge Elite

Who is the Nike Surge Elite for?

Buy it if you’re an attackman or offensive middie with good hands who shoots a lot and wants a head that won’t flex on you. Skip it if you’re a beginner, a full-time FOGO, or a defenseman who needs a heavier head to throw checks with authority.

This is a finisher’s head. If you live behind the cage, work the wing, or step into shots from the top of the box, it fits your game. Middies who play both ways will appreciate how it handles checks and rides.

Newer players will be better served by something with more give while their stick skills come along. A stiff head rewards good mechanics and exposes sloppy ones.

Final Verdict

After running the Surge Elite on the field, I can say it’s a legit attack head that offensive middies can play with too. Yes, it’s stiff for beginners and the break-in takes a while. But the shot speed, accuracy, and easy ground ball pickups make it worth a look for any serious shooter.

It’ll handle the odd faceoff, but full-time FOGOs need a real faceoff head, and defensemen will want more weight behind their checks.

And I’ll push back on the social media takes calling it a Lakota 3 clone. The Surge Elite has its own design and plays like its own head.

One heads-up: BattleLax doesn’t carry the Surge Elite right now. If you want something you can order today, the attack heads below are in stock and play in the same lane.

Key details

Position

Attack / Offensive Mid

Level

Intermediate/Advanced

Pocket

Mid-high

Cost

~$110 MSRP

Year released

2024

Weight

4.7 oz

Material

PowerForm

Sidewall holes

18

Top string holes

6

Colors

• White
• Black
• LE University Blue

Attack heads in stock at BattleLax Maverik Kinetik 3 Unstrung Head$109.99 · softer, more forgiving feel Maverik Optik Force Unstrung Head$109.99 · stiff attack head ECD Ion Unstrung Head$119.99 · same 4.7 oz weight

Want more options? See our best attack lacrosse heads, the full best lacrosse heads list, or our ECD Ion head review.

Nike Surge Elite Drip Score

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