Looking for a lacrosse head but not sure what you should look for? When I started playing lacrosse in the late 90s, the Brine Edge was almost literally the only option. It was a heavy, solid piece of plastic built with a one-size-fits-all mentality. Today, there’s not just dozens of heads, but multiple brands innovating every year and putting serious engineering into the design of the latest lacrosse heads.
To help you out, we’ve reviewed 10 of the most popular mid-to-high end heads from a variety of companies made for every position. Whether you’re an attacker, middie, defenseman, or goalie, we’ve got some great insight on your options.
Best Lacrosse Head Reviews 2018
Two main points to keep in mind before diving in:
First, with many of these companies, you pay for quality. It’s easy to head to the local sporting goods store and pick up whatever’s cheap, but you’ll pay for it in the long run. Do some research, consider the following criteria, and know it’s better to spend a few dollars more for a better quality stick.
Second, you’ll need to pair this head with a shaft suitable for the position you’ll be playing, so check out our review of the best lacrosse shafts of 2017 here.
Quick Guide
| Lacrosse Head Name | Ideal Position | Weight & Durability* | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easton Steal Core | All-around | 3 | |
| Epoch Hawk | Attack | 2 | |
| Brine Dynasty Elite II (Best Women's Head) | All-around (women's lacrosse) | 3 | |
| STX Super Power Plus | Midfield | 3 | |
| Warrior Nemesis 2 (Best Goalie Head) | Goalie | 5 | |
| Brine Clutch | Attack | 1 | |
| Warrior Evo 4 (Best All-around Head) | All-around | 2 | |
| Maverik Centric | Attack/Midfield | 2 | |
| Maverik Tank (Best Defensive Head) | Defense | 5 | |
| STX Stallion | Midfield | 2 |
*1 is lightest but generally most fragile. 5 is heavier and more durable
Easton Stealth Core Review
The Easton Stealth Core has a pointier tip than most other heads, improving accuracy on shots for more experienced players. This pointiness results in difficulty when going for ground balls though, so whether or not the point is a pro or con really depends on what kind of player you are and what position you play.
Cradle retention is great in the head and the head is easy to string, even for beginners.
While the pointed top is best used for making shots, it’s still nice and stiff for defensive plays. Overall it’s a spectacular stick for the price.
Epoch Hawk Review
This head is obviously for attackers and midfield players. It feels bendy enough that you won’t be doing much checking with it, ruling out defense.
It’s a spectacular head if you’re purely an offensive player though. The shape allows for quicker releases than most, and the grooved end makes it ideal for scooping grounders. It’s made for a high pocket and the design makes it easy to maintain control through even the craziest dodges.
The Epoch Hawk is best for at least slightly experienced players, with a design meant for stick tricks and plenty of holes available for stringing.
Brine Dynasty Elite II Review (Best Women’s Head 2017)
This head is a bit lighter than most other heads made for female play. It boasts an innovative sidewall design that results in a thinner side, and while the design allows the ball to sit very comfortably when cradling, it results in the head being much less sturdy. It cracks quite easily, so you won’t want to be making any defensive pokes. The design also makes for a thinner top rail, allowing for a little more confidence when scooping ground balls.
Despite occasional reports of it cracking, the head is still very stiff. Overall it feels a lot like a man’s stick, even though it stays within female regulations.
While it plays well for offensive players with a light design that allows for improved handling, it sacrifices a bit too much durability for a pure defensive player.
STX Super Power Plus Review
The STX Power Plus slightly improves on the original. It’s a versatile stick that’s mainly aimed at midfielders, but is pretty solid all around and any position player could get by with it. Great shooting accuracy with solid snap allows for quick, powerful rips with minimal drag.
This light head has a nice thin scoop that provides a wider angle for fielding ground balls when you need to. If there’s any true downside, it’s that the sidewall curve doesn’t lend itself well to faceoffs.
The low weight might account for the increased warping that occurs after intense games, but that’s true for plenty of sticks at this price point.
Warrior Nemesis 2 Review (Best Goalie Head 2017)
Goalies are gonna love this head. It’s made for more experienced players, being a little heavier that’s better suited to stop balls that catch the edge of the head. The head’s also got a slightly smaller surface area when compared to similar goalie sticks. It might take some getting used to for goalies who are used to having more net for catching.
It’s very durable and very stiff, perfectly made for blocking high-velocity shots.
The Warrior Nemesis is popular among NCAA goalies, and it’s not hard to see why. This is a great head for goalies that are up against hard shots.
Brine Clutch Review
The Brine Clutch IV is a head that’s made purely for offense. It’s highly popular among attackmen, and for good reason. Despite its thinness, it’s quite durable in all weather. The sidewalls are pretty thin to keep the overall weight low, but as long as you don’t put too much pressure on them with heavy checking, you should be fine. As I said, this is an offensive stick that wasn’t built with defense in mind.
It’s got a mid stiffness and lots of stringing options to really customize your pocket.
This is a great head for offensive players, but make sure you’ll be using it only for attacking and maybe a bit of midfield play; it won’t hold up on the defensive end.
Warrior Evo 4 Review (Best All-Around Head 2017)
This mid-weight head is nice and stiff, among the very stiffest offensive heads I’ve ever played with. It’s versatile, being a great choice for midfielders and attackers but able to hold it’s own when on defense. The forward cant (aka angle) on the head is well-suited to ripping fast shots and strong passes alike.
Warrior claims the new ‘Symrail’ design makes the head much less prone to warping, and I can attest to that. Personally, I’ve never seen any warping on it, but users online claim even when it does warp it’s easily molded back in place.
Overall this is a great choice for any player, especially at its price point.
Maverik Centric Review
The Maverik Centric is a mid-to-high pocket offensive head that’s got a narrower throat than most others. Its width, along with its flexibility, makes for accurate and very powerful shots. Not to mention the fact that it can make some decent defensive checks as well. You’ll get some solid feel whenever the ball is in your pocket.
The wide end allows for easy grounder scoops. It’s nice and light, and the only knock against this stick is it’s a little lacking on the durability side because of it.
For those who don’t like the mid-low pocket of the Optik, Maverik has crafted a great head for players who prefer a higher pocket.
Maverik Tank Review (Best Defenseman’s Head 2017)
This defense-focused stick had a wide head and is insanely stiff. The width of the head helps with scooping, though passing accuracy suffers due to the with, and ball control takes more focus and you won’t be performing any cheeky stick tricks easily.
Extremely durable, this head will hold up to solid poke checks without cracking. It’ll take a lot to ruin the Maverik Tank.
Made for physical defensemen, the Maverik Tank head will be great for you if you’re the kind of defenseman that likes aggressively applying pressure to attackers in your end. It’s a real powerhouse, yet is able to remain lightweight.
STX Stallion Review
The STX Stallion is purely for midfielders, very ill-suited to defense. It’s got lots of whip for making strong shots and quick, accurate passes. Made by STX with help from Kyle Harrison, one of the best midfielders in the game, this is designed for middies.
There aren’t many stringing options, but what’s there works for high pocket players. This head is great for cradling and control and has no issues with shooting. It’s one of the very best all-around midfield heads.
If there’s any negative, it has the potential to warp easily, and probably shouldn’t be used for extensive faceoffs, as it can easily lose its shape.
Lacrosse Head Buying Guide
As mentioned throughout the reviews, there are a couple of key factors to be considered at the start of any search for your ideal head.
Primary considerations for your new lacrosse head include:
- Primary position
- Weight of the head
- Flexibility vs Durability
Why position matters: Your role on the lacrosse field has an impact on the type of head you end up with; you’ll want one best suited for your position. As an attackman, you should be focused on lightweight sticks with a forward cant that will allow you to release the ball quickly for fast and accurate shots or feeds. On the flipside, a denfenseman can get away with a heavier head that is more rigid so that it can stand up to repeated checking and digging for ground balls.
Weight makes a difference: Weight not only makes a difference across positions, but evaluating weight across heads for specific positions is also important. The lightest of heads end up being more flexible, and are more prone to breakage or warping, especially in cold conditions.
Flexibility vs Durability: Though this concept applies to all positions, it is most important for midfielders. As the utility man of the lacrosse team, you need a head that’s going to do it all. With so many teams running offensive and defensive midfield lines, you may be able to lean one way or the other, but as a middie, you’ll inevitably end up on both sides of the ball, so balance the flexibility for fast shots and feeds against the defensive toughness you’ll need for checks and battles for ground balls.