The right head for your spot.
Lacrosse heads look similar from across the field. They're not. Here's the cheat sheet for picking by position.
Attack
You live in traffic. Tight defenders, short releases, lots of dodging. You want the tightest pinch available, deep pocket placement for hold, and aggressive offset so the ball sits low and stays put when you get checked. Mid-to-high whip for sharp finishes inside.
Try: ECD Mirage 3.0, STX Surgeon 1K, Warrior Burn XP2-O, Maverik Optik 3.0.
Midfield
You do everything. GBs, dodges, finishing, feeding, riding. The head needs to compromise — moderate pinch, balanced pocket, mid whip. Avoid extreme attack heads (too narrow for catching on transition) and extreme defense heads (won't shoot accurately).
Try: StringKing Mark 2V, ECD Rebel Offense, STX Stallion Omega, Nike Lakota 4.
Defense / LSM
You're on a 60-inch pole. Your job is poke checks, ground balls, and clearing the ball. You need a wide face for intercepting passes, reinforced sidewalls that won't fold under checks, and a stiff pocket that throws crisp outlets. Low whip — overhead clears need to fly flat to your middies.
Try: StringKing Mark 2D, Maverik Tank 2.0, ECD Rebel Defense, STX Hammer Omega.
FOGO / Faceoff
You're a specialist. Whole different head category. You want a shortened throat so your hand can get closer to the ball during the clamp, and your choice between flex (deform around the ball) and stiff (clamp-and-counter) depends on your technique.
Try: StringKing Mark 2F or Mark 2F Stiff, Warrior Burn FO.
Goalie
You need the widest, deepest legal head — typically 10-12 inches wide with a 5-inch pocket. Stiff plastic so a shot doesn't fold the head and reduce save area. Low whip for accurate outlet clears to your middies on the break.
Try: STX Eclipse II, STX Eclipse III, Warrior Nemesis QS, StringKing Mark 2G.
Box: a quick translation.
Box players run more pinched heads, deeper pockets, and shorter shafts than field. The box game rewards quick releases in tight spaces — your stick should be a finisher's tool. Defenders in box use field-style stiff heads, just re-strung deeper.
Try: ECD Mirage 3.0 Box, Gait Torq 3, Warrior Evo V, Warrior Fatboy K-Pro shaft.