Stick Q&A: Holding the lacrosse shaft properly
This is an e-mail exchange between a reader and me:
Dear John,
My friends on my team started taping the butt ends like an inch higher than the end of the shaft to make it shorter while playing, but does it take power and speed off the shot?
Thanks, Kenny
Dear Kenny,
What do you mean, making it shorter?
-- John
Dear John,
I meant to say speed and power off the shot because they essentially made the shaft shorter by taping the butt end higher on the shaft.
Thanks, Kenny
Dear Kenny,
I'm not sure I understand. I mean what are they doing exactly?
-- John
John,
They were putting tape maybe 2 inches higher than the end of the shaft and pretty much making it shorter because our hands will be choked up on the shaft. And I was wondering if that would slow down the shot since we're using a smaller portion of it.
-- Kenny
Dear Kenny,
Now I get it. And you are right about the loss of power using less of the shaft's leverage in your shot. But you want to use the whole shaft for other reasons, too. You never want to leave that butt end hanging as check bait anyway. If your bottom hand is on the bottom part of the shaft, nobody can check it. When a player chokes up on the shaft in a two-handed cradling situation, that's when we get those helicopter checks you see where the stick leaves the player's hands and spins around a couple times in the air before landing. That's embarrassing, letting a defender look that good so easily. -- John
