Attaching shooting strings to a lacrosse pocket customizes a stick to a player's throwing style. Through experimentation, players determine the correct type, number, tension and placement of strings to use to maximize the performance of their sticks. Given the variety of sticks and strings on the market -- and all the options for string placement -- players can tailor their equipment to the skills.
String Variety and Performance
A nylon cross-lace will hold its tension longer than a nylon shooting string. Hockey laces and shoelaces will stretch quite a bit and require regular tightening.
Stringing Basics
A shooting string can be woven or rolled into the head. The weave technique involves feeding the string or lace through the diamonds of the mesh. In the roll technique, half of the string or lace is laid on the back of the mesh. The other half is rolled between the diamonds and over the string on the back. The roll technique may give the stick a smoother shot release. Sticks with hard mesh heads have less need for shooting strings than sticks with soft mesh.
Top String Tight
With a tight top string, a second string that is less tight and a looser third string, the stick will deliver a ramp-like effect. The ball rolls out the pocket and is propelled by the tension of the top string.
Low String Tight
A tight lower string helps players hold the ball under pressure. But it also forces players to shoot the ball out of the scoop portion of the head. When the ball gets trapped below the bottom string, it can result in downward releases.
V and U Pockets
On a soft mesh head, a shooting string in the form an upside down V or U will give the pocket a channel structure. "These laces serve the dual purpose of holding the ball in the middle of the pocket when cradling and providing a centered, gradual release when throwing," lacrosse coach Jesse Hubbard wrote on the Velocity Soccer website. "This string should be tight enough to provide hold, but loose enough to allow a smooth release."
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