In "The Confident Coach's Guide to Teaching Lacrosse," authors Daniel and Michael Morris describe the lacrosse stick, known as the crosse in sport parlance, as an extension of the player on the field. As a result of this close relationship, many lacrosse players have a unique way of stringing their crosse heads to suit individual play styles. The position you play may also affect how you choose to string your stick.
Traditional
Traditional lacrosse pockets have leather strips that run vertically from the bottom to the top of the head. They have a basket-woven style to them and often take extra time to break in when compared to heads woven with mesh lacrosse heads. When strings or leather strips break in these kinds of pockets, you must remove the string and possibly restring the pocket around the broken string. Leather strips can also absorb moisture if you play in the rain, thus changing their playing property. The main benefit of this type of pocket is that it offers effective ball-handling and feel.
Hard Mesh
Mesh pockets are easier to maintain and string than traditional pockets. The mesh is a single piece of woven nylon or another synthetic fabric. Hard mesh is particularly durable and tends to hold its pocket shape well, even with heavy use. Players often soak the mesh in warm water before stringing their pockets with it to make it momentarily more pliable. The downside of hard mesh is that it greatly reduces the amount of feel you have on the ball, but hard mesh pockets require little maintenance.
Soft Mesh
Soft mesh is similar to hard mesh in that it is a single woven piece of fabric, but the material is much more pliable and often has a wider diamond structure than hard mesh. Defensive players and goalies may prefer soft mesh because it has better ball response, making it ideal for catching and blocking shots. Soft pockets deform easier than hard mesh pockets, meaning you need to replace them more often.
Shooting String Variations
Though there are three main types of backing for crosse heads, players often make their pockets unique to play style through the addition of shooting strings. Players may try to enhance their pockets by weaving the shooting strings from left to right across the head, in a V-shape or a variety of other patterns. Properly woven shooting strings can help the pocket better maintain its shape or make it easier to whip the ball out of the pocket at high speeds.
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