Low Lacrosse Pocket Overview
Lacrosse pocket placement is one of the most important steps in stringing your lacrosse stick. A popular option for Attackman and Midfielders is the low lacrosse pocket due to its additional ball security and feeling during one-handed cradles used in dodging and running with the lacrosse ball. Low pockets in lacrosse heads keep the lacrosse ball very close to the throat of the lacrosse head, and this placement provides stronger control of the ball from the top hand during these cradles.
Low Lacrosse Pocket on Signature Contract
Benefits of Low Lacrosse Pockets
- Low lacrosse pockets tend to have additional ball security when cradling through heavy traffic. This is because the narrowest part of your lacrosse head is the throat of your lacrosse head, which is at the bottom of your lacrosse head. When a defender poke checks a low lacrosse pocket the tighter channel combined with the narrow point in your head will make it much harder for the ball to pop out.
- Low lacrosse pockets usually have tighter lacrosse channels but not as much whip. This is due to the incline of the pocket for a high lacrosse pocket being steeper while a low lacrosse pocket has a very gradual incline to its pocket. Having this tight channel can make shots and passes very accurate, and the low whip can make it very easy to flick the ball out with minimal effort on close shots.
- Known for being a true shooter stick, the low lacrosse pocket is very accurate and precise due to the channel mentioned above and the distance the ball must travel before it is released. Because low pockets keep the lacrosse ball farther away from the scoop, the lacrosse ball must roll all the way up the lacrosse head during a shot. This longer distance of travel before release can delay the release of your shot, but the path of the ball can be felt as it moves to a point of flight.
Disadvantages to Low Lacrosse Pockets
- With high lacrosse pockets, players will find it easier to catch the ball easier due to the pocket being near the top of your lacrosse head. With low lacrosse pockets, you will have to pull the lacrosse mesh down and anchor it to the sidewall of your lacrosse head, which creates a channel for the ball. When you anchor the top of the mesh for a low lacrosse pocket, the top is flat, and this makes catching passes more difficult for some players because the catching surface is smaller.
- High and medium lacrosse pockets also allow for much harder shots than low pockets because of how the ball moves in the lacrosse stick. Low pockets allow the ball to travel more during its path in the pocket, and the ball releases from the stick while it’s moving. This longer path has an accuracy advantage, but the ball does not gain as much kinetic energy during the wind-up when using a low lacrosse pocket.
Keys to Stringing a Low Lacrosse Pockets
- Just like stringing high lacrosse pocket or medium pocket, you should plan for your preferred shooting string style by skipping the holes on your lacrosse head where you want to place your shooting strings.
- A tighter channel on your lacrosse pocket can create additional pocket hold by gripping the ball and delaying its release. But, stringers be warned; lacrosse pocket hold is not the ultimate tool at a lacrosse player’s disposal. A well placed and well-defined channel adds a natural runway for the ball that will improve the actual feel of the lacrosse stick and help the player know the release better.
- Bottom strings on low pockets are better when they are tight, but avoid bunching up the mesh. A tight bottom string creates a true pocket for the ball, not a hole with some strings above it. Bunching up the mesh can make the ball stick in your pocket; which is an advantage, but an illegal one.
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