By NH Lax and Field Hockey girl from Laconia, NH on 5/25/2007

I would NOT recommened this stick for players at any level. The pocket is so shallow it is hard to catch and cradle with. The throat is so wide the ball raddles and make learning to run with the ball very difficult. Young players will be frustrated with stick. I would recommend any of the sticks from deBeer like the Myssy or Response. Or you could try the Vibe from Brine. All three sticks can be purchased for [$]. You could also try a stick with a traditional (leather) pocket from STX like the Racy or Comet. The only downside is the traditional pockets in these stick may require some break-in time.

By NH Lax and Field Hockey girl from Laconia, NH on 5/25/2007

Do not buy this stick. The pocket is so shallow you would think that you could play tennis with this stick. Young players will find that most of the time the ball will bounce right out of their stick when they try to catch. Beware of the common error that "high sidewalls retain the ball." Sticks that are not offset and have high sidewalls limit pocket depth and make cradling harder. Basically, a stick being off-set means that the sidewalls of the stick are lower than the throat/shaft of the stick when viewed horizontally. A Stick like the Apex from deBeer with an off-set pocket allows for a deeper pocket that is still legal. (In women's lacrosse the ball must be even with or above the sidewall to be legal) Young players may find the high sidewalls compromise the potential depth of their pocket. I would recommend a beginner try a medium off-set pocket like those found in the Response and Myssy from deBeer, or the Vibe from Brine.