Best Lacrosse Heads

How to Choose a Lacrosse Head

Having a hard time deciding what to look for in a lacrosse head? It's definitely a difficult decision to make, but if you know what to look for, it's not impossible. 

Finding a head designed for your position is a great starting point. You can also narrow down your selection based on your budget. While many of the heads listed on this page are on the expensive side, we also have a cheap lacrosse heads guide that may be helpful if you are looking for a more affordable option.

From there, you really just have to figure out your preferences to find a head that matches them. 

What kind of preferences am I talking about? 

Let's explore a little further. Here are 7 things to consider that can help you find the best lacrosse head for you.

1) Face Shape

The face shape of your head is what it looks like when looking at it straight on. If you've ever heard someone talk about how pinched (or wide) a head is, they're talking about the face shape.

Deciding what kind of face shape you want is the easiest way to eliminate many options from your consideration. 

Generally, wider heads are easier to catch with but have less control and accuracy. More pinched heads, on the other hand, hold onto the ball better and are more accurate, but are harder to catch with.

Here is what face shape each position typically looks for in a head:

• Attack: Pinched heads, especially towards the throat. Help with control when dodging and accuracy with passing and shooting.
• Midfield: Anywhere from a very narrow face shape to a wide face shape. Middies use the widest range of heads since they are involved in all parts of the game. If you are an advanced player or play primarily offense, a more pinched head is a good choice. If you play a lot of D middie or are just starting out, consider a wider head.
• Defense: Wide heads that help with intercepting passes and have more surface area for laying checks. Some advanced defenders prefer narrow heads to help with control in transition.
• Long Stick Middie (LSM): Slightly more pinched heads than the average defenseman uses to help with control in transition and accuracy when passing and shooting.
• Faceoff: A pinched head that requires less movement in order to pinch or clamp the ball. The head can't be so pinched that it regularly gets caught in the back of the throat, though.

2) Weight

Some players consider weight the most important factor when choosing heads while others don't care as much. It really depends on how sensitive you are to changes in the weight distribution of your stick.

For example, I don't mind a heavier head too much. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not running out onto the field with a metal head or anything like that—I just find that a slightly heavier head doesn't noticeably affect my game.

Typically, offensive players prefer lighter heads that help them move and shoot faster since it requires less effort to move the head.

Defensive players, on the other hand, often opt for a heavier head that is stiffer and more durable than lighter options.

3) Stiffness & Durability

As hinted at above, stiffness and durability often have a direct relationship with the weight of the head. 

Typically, as weight goes up, so does stiffness and durability. Heavier heads have more material, which in turn makes them stiffer and more durable.

I say “typically” because there are some companies using advanced plastics and other materials to increase stiffness while keeping weight consistent or even reducing it.

Throughout this guide and my position-specific head guides, you'll see me reference stiffness-to-weight ratios. When all else is equal, finding the head with the highest stiffness-to-weight ratio—or the head with the highest stiffness and lightest weight—is the best option.

Defensemen especially should worry about finding a stiff and durable head since they are laying checks constantly throughout the game. Having a super flexible head lowers the impact of checks, making it harder to take the ball away.

As far as other positions go, most players prefer stiffer heads that won't bend when scooping the ball and getting checked. The only exception is faceoff men who often need a flexible head for pinch and pops and other moves that require them to flex their heads.

>> Check this out: Best Lacrosse Bags

4) Ideal Pocket Placement

Finding a head that is designed to have your preferred pocket placement is also very important, though it is often overlooked by players.

How do you tell where the ideal pocket placement is for a head?

The easiest way is by locating the maximum offset. This is where the bottom sidewall rail is the lowest on the head when looking at it from the side.

If that max offset is towards the throat of the head, for example, a low pocket would be ideal. Offsets closer to the scoop, alternatively, lend themselves to higher pockets.

Here is what each position typically prefers in terms of pocket placement:

• Attackmen: Typically prefer lower pockets that are good for one-handed cradling and smooth releases.
• Midfielders: Preferred pocket placement varies a lot based on the type of player. On the run shooters and outside shooters may prefer a higher pocket that gives them more whip and hold. Middies that dodge from X or carry the ball a lot may like lower pockets to help with one-handed cradling.
• Defensemen: Often go for a higher pocket that gives them a bit more whip and more control immediately after scooping a ground ball.

5) Scoop

If you've ever used a head with a poor scoop, you know how frustrating it can be.

Poor scoops make it hard to pick up ground balls, often slowing you down or causing you to miss the ball altogether. 

The best scoops allow you to pick up balls from a variety of angles and almost always feel smooth when doing so. 

Scoops that are more angled/curved when looking down your stick allow you to pick up balls at a higher angle in relation to the ground. If your scoop is more angled/curved, you won't have to get the butt end of your shaft as low to the ground as you would if your scoop was completely flat.

This is especially important for defensemen and LSMs since it's harder to get the shaft's butt end close to the ground since it's so long.

6) Stringing Holes

The more stringing holes a stick has, the more you can customize your pocket to fit your needs.

While most heads nowadays come with plenty of stringing holes, it's important to check to make sure you'll be able to string your ideal pocket based on the holes.

Besides the number of stringing holes, you'll also want to make sure they are big enough for your stringing style. For example, if you like to loop your top string around the first diamond of mesh a few times, you'll need a large top sidewall hole.

7) Strung vs. Unstrung

As you can tell above, you usually have the option of buying a strung or unstrung head. 

In most cases, I recommend buying an unstrung head and either stringing it yourself or getting a friend to do it. This allows you to string your ideal pocket instead of being stuck with whatever the company selling the head decides to go with.

There are exceptions to this idea, though. Some companies—such as East Coast Dyes and StringKing—offer great prestrung pockets that you can customize based on your preferences. 

Before going with a strung head, check to see if the company allows you to choose your preferred pocket style and read some customer reviews to see if they were satisfied with the string job that came with the head.

>> Read More: Best Lacrosse Shafts