Mesh is one topic that helps address two main concerns, in my opinion, with women’s lacrosse goalie sticks.
The first is weight, the second one is passibility.
For many female goalies strength is a bit of an issue. So a heavy stick is, obviously, going to be harder to move than a lighter stick. And one of the places we can save weight is in the mesh of the stick. Now, with larger diamonds is going to have less weight to it than, let’s say, a smaller diamond. Makes sense, there’s more mesh in the mesh. Get it?
So you might think that I would suggest using a larger diamond as possible. Well, you’d be wrong.
The trade off when you go with a larger diamond is that it takes more “oomph” to get the ball out of the stick when passing. Simply, you need a lot of strength to get the ball out of the stick if the pocket has any decent depth to it.
Now the second concern is passibility. If the pocket is too deep, or the mesh is too sloppy, it will be very hard to make a decent pass anywhere towards midfield.
So you can do one of a couple of things here:
1) Go smaller. When a goalie gets semi-decent with her hands you can go smaller. The weight gain in the mesh is marginal. We’re talking ounces, if that. I will actually have a goalie train with a shallow pocket and small mesh to work on their hand skills for both making saves and cradling. They both make it harder to cradle and to catch so depending on the goalie this added “hurdle” makes sense.
2) You can go with a larger diamond but string it a little tighter. By having a tighter pocket you may give up some rebounds but your ability to pass the ball over distance will be improved. And for most of the female goalies I have ever worked with this is a huge improvement for them.
The trade-off is when you are learning. A shallow pocket makes it difficult to catch the ball, and to cradle. But when a goalie gains some skill then they can tighten up
the pocket and go with a larger mesh to save weight.
Let me know what type of pocket and mesh you use in your stick. Feel free to comment below. And check out this solid article about lacrosse goalie sticks here.
Jonathan – The Goalie Guru
www.inseasonhome.com
I’m using a eclipse head with a 12d monster mesh. Do you think this is the right mesh for a girl? Or any other suggestions?
Sarah it’s less about what the stick is strung with and more about how the stick is strung. My general rule of thumb with the women is that I string the stick a little shallower than you might think. Mostly because I want you to be able to clear the ball effectively with some good distance. I want you to be able to get the ball upfield easily. If the stick is too deep then it’s really hard to throw unless you are jacked. I’ve seen some very strong women who can use a deep stick but the majority benefit from the shallower pocket.
I love that head/mesh combo by the way. I have the exact set up myself. I also have a smaller diamond mesh that I love also. Let me know if that makes sense to you.
Jonathan – The Goalie Guru