There are generally fewer options and attributes to a women’s stick than a men’s stick due to the specific rules and regulations surrounding the stick and gameplay. There are key features you want to look for in your stick, whether you’re buying a complete stick or building your own entirely. The choices you make when building your stick will affect your ability on the field, so let us give you some tips on what to look for and what to avoid when building your stick.
The Head
The head and stringing style you choose will affect your play most. You’re going to want to look for a head with some offset. The rule of thumb for an illegal pocket is that the ball has to be peaking over the sidewall of the head, so a head with built in offset allows for better hold and a better pocket. If you choose a flatter head, this will allow for less pocket and hold, and you will lose the ball much more easily. A flat sidewall also severely minimizes the amount of whip on your release. This will lead you to adjusting your throwing motion to aim downward, which is fundamentally incorrect.
Having some offset also allows your pocket location to vary, and you can customize it for a higher or lower pocket, depending on what works best for your style of play. You can have a higher pocket for quicker catch and groundball control, and to increase your accuracy on passes and shots. You can also adjust for a lower pocket. This increases your overall control and will allow for better dodging and hold on the run. Again, this is only possible when your head has offset built into it.
How you string will also affect your pocket and the overall functionality of your head. Your top shooter is the most important, as it controls the whip on your release, as well as how taught the rest of the stick is. The tighter the top shooting string is, the more whip you will have on your release. This will also give you a higher pocket. Loosening the top string gives you less whip and will lower the pocket in your stick. The thing about the head on a women’s stick is every string affects the other strings. Be sure to keep an eye on your strings, these will move and change over time even if you do not directly change them, and this can affect your play on the field.
The Shaft
The shaft is much more discretionary and up to the player. A lot of your decision will be based on weight and feel. Some players will like a lighter shaft so they don’t feel weighed down, and others will want something a little more durable, however, with the advancements in technology, it’s entirely possible to find a lightweight shaft that is durable. The diameter also will affect the weight and durability of your shaft. Shafts generally come with a diameter of 7/8” to 1”. Obviously, the thicker the shaft, the more durable it is, but also the more it will weigh. You may want to try out or get a feel for both diameters when making a decision to see what is more comfortable for you.
Another thing to pay attention to is offset in a shaft. A lot of shafts will come with a 10 degree offset, and these will only work with a head that also has offset. If you buy a shaft with offset but have a head with no offset, your stick won’t function properly, so this is something to seriously keep in mind when building your stick.
Completes
There is a great variety of reliable and top performing complete sticks available for women. These already do the testing to see which shafts and heads pair together most effectively for you, and there are also options for every position and every style of play. This makes the process of finding a stick that suits you easier, and limits the margin of era when trying to build your own. If you are not entirely confident in your decisions when trying to find an individual head and shaft, it’s never a bad idea to go with an already complete stick.
Always be sure to vet all of your options, and get a good feel for what you are buying before you buy. Maybe do some ghost reps in the store, or walk through your passing, shooting, cradling and groundball motions in order to see how the stick fits with your game. Remember, a carpenter is only as good as their tools, so make sure you have the right ones to help you perform at the level we know you can.
