How to String a Lacrosse Pocket

When it comes to lacrosse, your head string is personal. Different playing styles, skill levels and positions demand different stringing styles. Get started with these basic stringing techniques.

When it comes to lacrosse, your head string is personal. Different playing styles, skill levels and positions demand different stringing styles. Get started with these basic stringing techniques.

Pocket Construction

• Diamond Pocket: Tears in your diamond mesh occurs normally over time, first in the sidewalls, which sustain continual stress as the impact of the ball pulls the mesh against the sidewalls.
  

• Hard Mesh: These pockets tend to allow for quick releases and a longer break-in than soft mesh. They offer a long life span and a reliable pocket shape.
• String: Different strings have different fraying effects on the mesh over time, as well, but leather string and shooting string tend to be the most resilient and gentle.
• Sections: Top-string attaches the mesh to the stick scoop. Sidewalls and bottom string attach the mesh to the throat. Shooting strings create the shape and contour of the pocket body
• Tracks and channels are recommended for advanced players who have a consistent, controlled throw. Loose pockets are better for beginners or players who with a lot of fakes or hits.

Different Kinds of Lacrosse Pockets

Pita Pocket

This pocket works the best for attack players and middies who like lots of whip and need ball control. Materials include 4 leathers, 2 sidewalls, 4 nylon strings (2 short, 1 medium, 1 long) and four shooting strings (3 hockey lace, 1 nylon).

1. First, take the 4 leathers and put them in the stick and pull them tight. You can put a little cloth tape on the tops to prevent them from coming loose.
2. Put the sidewall strings in the holes of the head. This will be pulled tight and remain this way.
3. Take the 2 short nylons and tie a knot at one end of each.
4. Thread it through the top hole of the stick and lace it between the outside leather and the sidewall. You should make about 5 or 6 knots on the leather.
5. String these nylons tightly, pulling the outside leathers close to the sidewalls. Tie these nylons off through a bottom hole of the stick.
6. Twist this nylon, looping it around the middle leathers the same amount of times you did on the side nylons. This twist should be tight, pulling the middle leathers close together.
7. Make sure the knots on the middle leathers are in the middle of the knots on the outside leathers.
8. Now take the longest piece of cross lace and string it between the outside and middle leathers like you would in a normal 6 diamond. String this nylon loosely.
9. Tie it off at the bottom and let out some leather to make a pocket.

The Corner Pocket

This is a classic, versatile pocket configuration. Materials include 1 soft mesh piece, 2 leathers, 2 short nylons and the 3 sidewalls.

1. Cut your mesh piece to about the width of a ball. That is about 2 or 3 rows of diamonds short of each side. Burn the edges so it won't fray.
2. Lace the mesh into the top of the head on one sidewall. The mesh should reach to the outside holes at the top of your head.
3. Tie that string off and take your 2 leathers and weave them on the outside diamonds of the mesh piece. Make sure you loop the leathers around the top of the stick first.
4. Take the leathers through their normal holes at the bottom of the head and insert the sidewalls as normal.
5. Once the sidewalls are in, take the 2 short nylons and, starting in a hole at the top of the stick, weave them down, attaching the leathers, and mesh piece, to the sidewalls.
6. Tie these off and use the extra to close off the hole at the bottom of the stick where the mesh meets the head. Now add your shooting strings.
7. This pocket works the best with 3 or 4 hockey laces strung close together.
8. A piece of tape (about 1/8 inch wide) around each knot of the nylon may prevent wear and breakage at the sidewalls.

The Hard Mesh Pocket

This pocket is great for keeping whip at a minimum or playing in wet weather wet weather conditions. Materials include 1 durable mesh piece and 3 sidewalls.

1. Attach the top of the mesh to the top of the head, similar to the way you would string soft mesh.
2. Tie a knot at 1 end of the sidewall and thread it through one of the holes at the bottom of the head.
3. Insert the sidewall by weaving it on the outside diamonds of the mesh piece. Make sure to loop the sidewall around the top of the stick first.
4. Once the sidewall gets to the top of the mesh piece, put the sidewall through the top hole of the stick and start going back down, this time wrapping the sidewall around itself and the mesh piece.
5. This should be done rather loosely to give it some kind of pocket.
6. Tie it off at the bottom of the stick and then use it to attach the bottom of the mesh to the head.
7. Once the mesh is in place you can put in the whip strings. Hockey lace works best here.

The Perfect Pocket

This pocket plays with little to no whip and holds the ball tightly in one spot. Materials include 4 leathers, 5 medium nylons and shooting strings.

1. Leave the leathers through the head, leaving them loose. Add the sidewalls and leave them tight.
2. Tie off a sidewall at one end. Thread it through the hole at the top of the stick, then run it through the top loops of the leathers where they meet the top of the stick.
3. Continue with the sidewall, threading it through all 4 leathers and then tying it off at the top hole in the other side of the stick.
4. Take your nylons and thread each one of them over the sidewall at the top. Make sure you fold them exactly in half.
5. Take the 2 halves and twist loosely, knotting between 4 to 8 times around the leathers.
6. Tie the nylons off at the bottom of the head and add the whip strings. Hockey strings are recommended.

The 9 Piece Mesh

This is an all-purpose soft mesh pocket that’s easy to string. Materials include 1 soft piece of mesh, two sidewalls, 4 hockey lace shooting strings, a long piece of regular shooting string and a short piece of cross lace or sidewall.

1. Attach the mesh to the top of your stick with the large shooting string.
2. Then, starting from the top, use the sidewalls to attach the mesh to the frame moving straight down the side of the stick.
3. After you've got both sidewalls in you need to add the 4 shooting strings, weaving them in like a ladder from top (tightest) to bottom (loosest).
4. Use the short piece of cross lace or sidewall to tie off the bottom of the mesh. This should be done so that the mesh is even and there are no wrinkles in the mesh.

Goalie Mesh

This is the goalie version of the standard corner pocket. Materials include 1 piece of goalie mesh, 2 sidewalls, 2 medium nylons, 2 regular shooting strings, 1 long sidewall, 4 long hockey laces.

1. Attach the mesh to the top of the head, using the sidewall or a goalie leather.
2. Add the sidewalls, leaving them kind of loose.
3. Now, take the regular shooting strings and tie off 1 end at the top of the head, preferably on the outermost hole on the top plastic.
4. Weave the shooting string in and out of the last row of mesh on either side all the way to the bottom.
5. Tie it off at one of the holes at the bottom of the head, but leave them loose for a nice pocket.
6. Connect the mesh to the sidewalls using the medium nylons and working your way down from the top. Knot the nylons around the shooting strings about 10 to 15 times and tie them off at the bottom.
7. Use the extra sidewall to attach the bottom of the mesh piece to the head, closing off the gap so the ball doesn't fall through.

DICK'S Sporting Goods offers in-store lacrosse stringing services. Use DICK'S store locator to find a store nearest to you.