April 1, 2008

What's up Straight Shooters,

I can't figure out what kind of pocket to use in my stick. I'm a defenseman. I'm better catching outlet passes and have better control cradling with a lot of whip, but my passes go low. Is there a way to string a pocket that offers the same kind of control with a quicker release?

- Jake Cornellier, Dunkirk, Md. (Age 12)

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Jake,

I'm no stick guru, but I think you would be best served stringing a head that allows the ball to sit somewhere in the middle of the pocket. If you string the shooters properly - no slack and not too tight - you should get a little whip and a relatively quick release. Also, in regard to shooting strings, "three across" tends to whip more than "two and a V."

That being said, the way your head is strung should have little or no effect on your catching ability. Catching outlets with a d-pole is not easy. Catching a ball that is far from your line of vision and far from your body is more difficult than doing so at your line of vision and close to your body. When catching outlet passes, try choking up on the d-pole and giving your teammate a target that is easier for you to catch.

The same method can be applied to throwing. You're basically maneuvering a mini-catapult when you leave your bottom hand on the butt end. Shorten up a bit. As you develop better stick handling and tracking skills, you'll want to utilize and take advantage of your pole's range. Therefore, lengthen the implement by not choking up. Until then...practice, practice, practice.

Best,
Matt Zash

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"Straight Shooters" runs every Sunday in the Baltimore Sun and on baltimoresun.com. The series can also be found here on Lacrosse Magazine Online at www.laxmagazine.com.

Matt Zash was a two-time All-American midfielder at Duke, graduating in 2005. He plays professional lacrosse for the MLL's Barrage and owns and operates the Lax Hut, a chain of lacrosse retail stores. Zash was also a member of the 2003 U.S. U-19 Men's World Championship team. E-mail your questions to Zash at zash@laxmagazine.com.