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USA Select U18 boys' lacrosse coach Steven Brooks addresses players at the 2022 National Team Development Program Combine at USA Lacrosse

A PLL Pro's Guide to Lacrosse Sticks at Dick's Sporting Goods

June 27, 2024
Matt DaSilva
John Strohsacker

Go to any New York Atlas or USA Select U18 boys’ lacrosse game, and you’ll surely see Steven Brooks’ 9-year-old son, Xander, hobnobbing with the pros and scoring the latest swag.

Brooks, the offensive coordinator for the Atlas and a head coach in USA Lacrosse’s National Team Development Program, brings Xander everywhere and coaches his youth in-house and club teams in northern Virginia. When parents Google him to learn he’s a former All-American midfielder and national champion at Syracuse who played professionally for 12 seasons in Major League Lacrosse and the Premier Lacrosse League, they ask questions. Lots of questions.

Often, they’re about sticks. There’s nothing more frustrating than seeing a player with perfectly sound mechanics throw the ball into the grass or airmail it because of a poorly strung pocket.

We asked Brooks for a parent’s perspective on lacrosse sticks commonly found on shelves and available online at Dick's Sporting Goods, the largest sporting goods retail company in the United States.

Disclaimer: This article includes affiliate links. USA Lacrosse earns a small commission on qualifying purchases. Any revenue we generate supports our mission to grow the game.

StringKing Senior Complete 2 Attack Lacrosse Stick

BEST OFF THE RACK

StringKing Complete 2 Attack

“StringKing started out as a stringing company,” Brooks said. “So when you get their sticks off the shelf, they’re already pre-strung it the way that they have been doing it for years.”

Available in black-black, black-nickel and white-silver, the StringKing Complete 2 collection includes options for intermediate and advanced (senior) players. These sticks are equipped with a Legend head and a semi-soft Type 3 mesh pocket for ball control and stability, as well as a lightweight 135 Attack shaft made of aluminum alloy (135g).

Intermediate: $129.99 at Dick's Sporting Goods

Senior: $159.99 at Dick's Sporting Goods

ECD Rebel Offense CF5 Complete Lacrosse Stick

BEST OFF THE RACK

ECD Rebel Offense CF5 Complete

“ECD is another company that started out as a stringing company, then started making heads and shafts,” Brooks said. “Right out of the factory, this is ready to plug and play.”

Strung in three designs — including a USA flag pocket pattern — the ECD Rebel O head works for players at all levels. Some pros even use it.  Paired with a CF5 carbon shaft, you get a field-ready stick with high-performance capabilities. You can easily adjust the bottom string to alter pocket depth.

$149.99 at Dick's Sporting Goods

Warrior Evo QX-O Unstrung Lacrosse Head

BUILD YOUR OWN

Warrior Evo QX-O Unstrung Head

“I used this stick all throughout my career,” Brooks said. “The reason why I love it is the stiffness, but more importantly the flexibility it has to string a low, mid or mid-high pocket.”

Warrior introduced the QX-O in 2021 as an update to the classic Evolution line. It remains one of the most popular heads on the market. Its lightweight design provides the shape and stiffness to get the ball out quickly.

$99.99 at Dick's Sporting Goods

STX SC-TI-O Lacrosse Shaft

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STX SC-TI-O Alloy Shaft

“It’s a lighter shaft,” Brooks said. “Therefore it’s more top-heavy setup, so you get a true feel of the stick and the ball in your stick at the same time.”

Released in 2023, the STX SC-TI line offers the best strength-to-weight ratio you'll find in a shaft at a very competitive price point.

$109.99 at Dick's Sporting Goods

ECD Hero 3.0 Semi-Hard Mesh

BUILD YOUR OWN

ECD Hero 3.0 Semi-Hard Mesh

“I really like the ECD semi-hard mesh for its durability and to keep the form of the pocket,” Brooks said.

ECD Lacrosse (formerly East Coast Dyes) has been an industry leader in mesh for more than a decade. Stick doctors love their products. You will too.

$24.99 at Dick's Sporting Goods