Why Use a Wood Lacrosse Shaft?
by Nova Kong, long-time Lacrosse Junkie and TLF member. When most of us think about wooden shafts we think of old school rigs including heads that look impossibly elderly. We remember stories told by our dads and uncles about wooden shafts splintering with the impact of a solid check. Maybe we are even reminded about the history of our sport, and the progress our equipment has made since the early days. Few of us ever seriously consider wooden shafts for regular game use. That’s misguided. The primary objection to a wooden shaft is a question about their durability. A shaft cut from hickory or properly aged oak can easily handle face offs and defensive roles. As a matter of fact, contemporary wooden shafts, when well made, are able to withstand 300 to 650 lbs of stress. That’s WAY more than a lax player who has evolved beyond the school of berserker lacrosse will ever exert on his shaft. Back when woodies broke all the time, shafts were mass produced from the cheapest stock available.
