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Buying Guides Shafts

[Debunked] Wooden Lacrosse Sticks vs Carbon vs Titanium

best-wood-lax-shafts

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If you didn't know this yet, there are many types of lacrosse sticks

And each stick can be made of different materials: Wood/Bamboo, Carbon Fiber, and Metal.

When selecting a lacrosse stick there are certain things that need to be kept in mind such as the level. Are you a beginner or can play at an advanced level? Are you an attacker or defense player? Usually advanced player suggest that a lacrosse stick that has a wide based head and is light weight should be selected.

Which stick is better?

Each material has its own pros and cons, like being lightweight and strong– which you'll want to consider when choosing your next lacrosse shaft to buy.

Below we've outlined all of the lacrosse shaft materials (including wood/bamboo, carbon fiber, and metal) and show you the best lacrosse shafts available in each material.

***2019 Update***

We have been working tirelessly with our suppliers to find a stick that would be perfect for lacrosse players.  Rather than charge $150-250 for a premium stick, we made one for $99 available on Amazon.  The stick comes with everything, a killer all carbon fiber shaft perfect for middies and attackers, a prestrung head with enhanced sidewalls for better impact resistance and longer endurance. Check it out by clicking here.

Best Wooden Lacrosse Sticks 2018:

Best Wood/Bamboo: Burd Wood Shaft

Best Carbon Fiber: East Coast Dyes Carbon Fiber

Best Metal: Maverik Apollo Shaft

The 3 Types of Lacrosse Shaft Materials:

best-wood-lax-shafts1. Bamboo or Wooden Lacrosse Sticks

The bamboo and wooden lacrosse sticks hit the market years ago, and has many excellent benefits. And you may have actually noticed many defensive lacrosse players playing with a wood lacrosse shaft, like the Bamshaft.

This is for many good reasons, which you'll find below. That being said, we don't recommend using a wooden lacrosse shaft for attackman or offensive players. So defenders, listen up!

The Best Wooden Lacrosse Shaft:

Attack: Burd Wood Attack Shaft

Defense: Burd Wood Defense Shaft

Made by Burd lacrosse. They have been pioneers for wood lacrosse sticks for years and have engineered the best wooden lacrosse shaft you can get.

Burd Lacrosse is known for providing and crafting one of the best lacrosse sticks and even provides one year warranty. They have different types of lacrosse sticks available and other sports related products available.

Pros of Using a Wood Lacrosse Shaft

  • Long Lasting – Wooden lacrosse sticks are built to be stronger and last longer. The wood used to make these lacrosse shafts is durable and makes sure stability is provided.
  • Stronger Checks – This is probably the biggest reason a defender would adopt a wooden lacrosse shaft. They are heavier, and therefore pack a much harder check on attackman. They make your hit stronger by making sure you are easily able to put down your opposition.
  • Intimidation Effect – Defenders who use a wood lacrosse shaft are just plain boss. They look cool and they make a statement. And the scare the heck out of attackman. If you wish to command a game of lacrosse, this shaft is a must have.

Cons of Using a Wood Lacrosse Shaft

  • Warping – Wood tends to warp when it gets wet, and unfortunately wooden lacrosse shafts are no exception.
  • Grip – Wooden lacrosse sticks don't possess the same grip qualities as traditional carbon fiber lacrosse shafts do. Having a strong grip is important if you want to remain ahead.
  • Heavy Weight – Wooden lacrosse shafts are great if you are strong enough to use them! This is probably the biggest drawback, wooden shafts hold that they are bulky as compared to others which can be a serious problem for those who can’t carry the weight.

The Bottom Line for Buying Wooden Lacrosse Shafts:

If you are strong enough, the Burd Wooden Lacrosse Shaft packs a harder check on your opponent, look intimidating, but aren't as lightweight or flexible as a carbon fiber lacrosse shaft.

ECD Carbon Shaft Attack2. Carbon Fiber Lacrosse Shafts

The newest type of shaft on the market is the carbon fiber lacrosse shaft, also known as composite lacrosse shafts. In recent times carbon fiber lacrosse shafts have gained popularity especially with elite lacrosse players.

A favorite among attackman and offensive players, carbon fiber lacrosse shafts are very lightweight, yet very sturdy.

The leader has been Epoch Lacrosse, who launched the Dragonfly lacrosse shaft. Epoch is known for creating quality based carbon lacrosse shafts that are built using an engineered process. The shafts are sealed with a coating that provides a strong grip ensuring that players are able to play well. Wooden lacrosse shafts vs carbon fiber lacrosse shafts is the hot debate now, so we've outlined the pros and cons below…

The Best Carbon Fiber Lacrosse Shaft:

The Dragonfly Lacrosse Shaft by Epoch is the best carbon fiber lacrosse shaft you can buy on the market, and we strongly recommend it! This is because it’s designed with the aim of improving performance. Plus, it’s constructed using material that makes it lightweight while also ensuring that top performance is given.

Pros of Using a Carbon Fiber Lacrosse Shaft

  • Lightweight – Carbon Fiber lacrosse shafts are the lightest in the game. Which means that players can now focus on the game with ease. They don’t have to carry a bulky item and play as lightweight features can reduce the burden.
  • Flexibility – Using a carbon fiber lacrosse shaft will give you the best flexibility in your shaft, which can help you shoot faster. You can now focus better and play easily.
  • Strength – Having a carbon fiber lacrosse shaft will be very strong, yet not heavy like a wooden lacrosse shaft. This is a big advantage as there are very few lacrosse shafts with this ability.
  • Grip – A carbon fiber lacrosse shaft allows tons of grips and textures to be used on the shaft. Carbon fiber meets the purpose of providing a strong grip and this is exactly what lacrosse players’ need.

Cons of Using a Carbon Fiber Lacrosse Shaft

  • Too Light – Some lacrosse players prefer a medium weight for their lacrosse shafts, so a carbon fiber lacrosse shaft may not work best if that's you.
  • Durability – There are stories of carbon fiber lacrosse shafts not being as durable as others, and can break on a cross-check

The Bottom Line for Buying a Carbon Fiber Lacrosse Shaft:

Carbon fiber is one of the best sports materials out there today because it's lightweight, yet strong and flexible. It is recommended specially for advance level players who want performance and ease of use at the same time.

The ECD Carbon Shaft is an excellent option for your next lacrosse shaft, especially if you know you want a carbon fiber lacrosse shaft.

Shapes of Lax Shaft3. Metal Alloys: Titanium & Scandium Lacrosse Shafts

Most metal lacrosse shafts you see are an alloy lacrosse shaft, which means they are a blend of metals like titanium, aluminum, or scandium.

Titanium lacrosse shafts and scandium lacrosse shafts are being phased out of the lacrosse game for the most part.

After the launch of lightweight composite lacrosse shafts and carbon fiber lacrosse shafts, the titanium lacrosse shaft and scandium lacrosse shaft costs more for manufacturers to produce. If you can get your hands on a titanium lacrosse shaft, we recommend one! This shaft will help you dominate the game and improve overall performance because of the various features it offers.

The Best Metal Lacrosse Shaft You Can Buy:

Attack: Maverik Apollo Shaft

Defense: Epoch Gen6 Limited Edition

The above mentioned brands specialize in producing metal shafts that can help provide ball control and make sure that proper handling is done.

Many brands have used the perfect blend of Titanum and Scandium in this shaft to create one of the lightest AND strongest lacrosse shafts you can buy!

Pros of Buying a Scandium and Titanium Lacrosse Shaft

  • Strength – The titanium lacrosse shaft is still the strongest in the game which means that you can score well with the use of this shaft.
  • Lightweight – The titanium lacrosse shaft is very strong, yet very lightweight. This is beneficial for players who want performance combined with comfort of using the equipment involved. And guess what? Titanium lacrosse shafts do just the trick.
  • Grip – Tons of grip options, so your hands wont slip around. If you want to play well without having to lose grip this type of shaft is a must.

Cons of Buying a Scandium and Titanium Lacrosse Shaft

  • Bends – A titanium lacrosse shaft, by nature, can bend. But the benefit is that it won't break or crack. So you can bend it back into shape!
  • Slippery  – Sometimes when metal gets wet and doesn't have a grip on it, it will be slippery as this can really interfere with the overall performance.

The Bottom Line on Buying a Scandium or Titanium Lacrosse Shaft:

In a world where composite and carbon fiber lacrosse shafts have sort of taken over the market, you can't go wrong with a strong and well built titanium lacrosse shaft like the Gait ICE or the STX Sci Ti lacrosse shaft!

And be sure to even checkout the traditional wooden lacrosse sticks we recommended above! Remember, don't assume the most expensive lacrosse stick is the best!

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