Best Lacrosse Heads for Every Position

The STX Eclipse is a quick and sturdy piece of gear at 11.2 ounces and best known for being the first goalie head to use open sidewalls. While it's considered an offset head, the sidewalls are straighter than other offset models. Their angled design drives the ball towards the throat for better control and increased accuracy on long clearing throws.

The stringing holes offer multiple ways of modifying the pocket for the exact fit you're looking for and you can use all styles of mesh. This allows you to literally adjust and customize the STX Eclipse exactly to your specifications.

Every goalie wants this kind of control over their head and the Eclipse is simply the best goalie head on the market. It’s available in ten colors to offer you a little more self-expression but be sure to check if your league rules permit colored heads on the field before you buy.

This is a much lighter upgrade to Warrior's previous Nemesis model, employing their Noz gas assist technology which injects nitrogen into the head to deliver one of the most lightweight offset goalie heads available. But all of those air bubbles inside didn't weaken the plastic's durability as the Nemesis Lyte is stiffer than the Eclipse. Retaining the shape of the original Nemesis, the Lyte version still has Warrior's typical flared sidewall design resulting in a tighter pinch and the wide angles channel the ball securely into the pocket. This maximizes control not only in stopping the shot but when cradling and passing the ball as well.

The Base was already a pretty great head, but Maverik has worked with Adams and Turner to enhance into a head worthy for use by Team USA. First off, they made it even stiffer, for true resilience in the crease as well as making it exponentially more rigid. Maverik has also given the sidewalls a simple bracket construction on either side with reinforcements at key areas to keep the head lightweight so your response time is unhindered. You’re able to scoop up those grounders and clear them out even quicker now.

As there should be on any head at this price point, there are stringing holes galore so customizing the pocket to your liking won't be a problem. Best of all, they altered the throat design just a little bit so you get better hand placement and the widest permitted stopping area allowed to defend the cage with total confidence.

Brine gave the Eraser 2 open sidewalls a set of braces to lower the overall weight of the head even further. The result is better response times when the ball is coming at you and quicker release with greater velocity when you're clearing it back out to the field. Brine's Tru Offset design lowers the sidewalls, bringing the pocket down as deep as possible and the brackets have only added to the stiffness of the head. A wide stopping area is still a hallmark of the Eraser 2 and a thinner shaft seating offers better grip at the top hand side so your control is much improved as well. All in all, the Eraser 2 kicks some serious butt.

A lightweight head built for speed, the Shield will let you do just that between the pipes. Wide stopping area and angled sidewalls keep the ball from rebounding out of your control while retaining enough stiffness to make it a formidable obstacle to get past. This is done with STX's C-channel tech, which improves the stiffness yet leaves you just enough flex that you can still be a dominant force in the cage.

The ergonomic throat design lets you protect the ball in your possession, making the head more comfortable to grip. This leave you focused more on taking the ball from your opponent and not worried about how the head feels in your hand. STX also outfitted the Shield with a flat scoop for getting ground balls. Best of all, the Shields wealth of stringing holes lets you build the pocket any way you like.

The Clutch 3 is aptly named for the control it gives you on the ball as the narrow face creates one of the tightest pinched throats available on the market. This grants increased accuracy every time you release the ball and more strength in your shots when you're taking it to the cage. Brine revamped the face of their head, with an enhanced tapered throat that is well contoured and a V-shaped scoop perfect for retrieving and controlling ground balls while crafting the perfect pocket shape.

What really makes this attack head worth your time is its stiffness and strength. Brine's Core Tech technology enables the head to remain extremely lightweight yet resilient, and even prevents the stringing holes from cracking near the throat. As for those holes, they've been strategically arranged to allow you to string up your pocket virtually any way you choose for a fully customized pocket. Shoot with this thing and you'll see yourself finding the back of the net over and over again.

The Evo 4X continues a long tradition of heads from Warrior designed to be strong, stiff, and ready for action. The company has made the latest Evo lighter and improved the scoop, but what's really worth mentioning here are the stringing holes.

The Evo 4X offers a staggering amount of options to help you build the perfect pocket, strategically placing them all along the sidewalls for less weight and maximum strength. This is definitely one of the most versatile stringing heads in the company's stable.

Warrior has given the Evo 4X their SYMRAIL technology system to bring balance and strength to the head while keeping it lightweight. They've even bulked up the throat, an area where string holes commonly crack and break. With its thicker design, Warrior has decreased the chances of the throat holes sustaining any damage during gameplay.

The STX Surgeon 10 500 offers stiffness, accuracy and control in a Forward Cant Head, currently the lightest legal head for NCAA play that the company makes at the moment. Earlier versions of the Surgeon were heavier, but they've mastered the formula to bring you a lighter version of this head.

This head is still resilient in any type of weather due to the All Climate Performance (ACP) tech in the plastic. STX claims ACP technology will keep the head's shape intact and performing at the same high level no matter what temperature you're playing in.

Another noticeable aspect of the Surgeon is its very stiff and pointed scoop with a "smiley" shape at the top in service of a more pronounced channel. They also tweaked the throat a little to give it a more defined contour and texture to help you cradle the ball with more security. All in all, if you like the Surgeon, you're going to love the 10 500 upgrade.

The Spider has been designed for total shot accuracy while giving you the shot power every forward wants from their head. Maverik has designed attackers head with more roundness and a pronounced angle for increased momentum on the ball. There's also a nice amount of flexibility here and it would do well in face-offs thanks to a structural design focusing on bolstering the major stress zones of a lacrosse head during gameplay including the sidewalls.

The sidewalls possess an abundance of stringing holes and when using a combination of holes and slits, the Spider is one of the most versatile heads around when it comes to creating your own customized pocket. While it can be tough to achieve a good channel on rounded heads such as this, the Spider presents enough stringing possibilities to make any type of pocket you can dream up. No matter what type you prefer, this head can accommodate.

The Recon is well-suited to attackers but with its combination of features and attributes, it could also find favor with middies and defensemen as well. The XL has been designed with a narrow channel for increased ball control and it comes equipped with 10 oval stringing holes across the scoop and 16 down the sidewalls, with four at the throat. This combination offers multiple stringing options on par with the Evo 4, so your pocket can be strung however you wish.

Speaking of sidewalls, Gait uses dual braces to keep the head strong and offer a good deal of pinch while resisting warping when fielding grounders, taking face-offs and withstanding the abuse dished out by aggressive challengers. Above all, this head will endure an entire season of competition because it’s built to be durable and retain shape even when used by the most aggressive of players.

The STX Hammer U has C-channel technology for added durability at all areas of impact during gameplay through a series of curved brackets. These serve to evenly distribute any impact the head sustains to maintain its shape longer. It can handle aggressive attacks at every angle while those C-channels keep the head flexible, so scooping up grounders can be accomplished with ease.

You're also going to get a higher pocket on the Hammer U, due to the placement of the bottom rail. The four-chambered throat area keeps the head lightweight, yet resilient enough to take on all comers. This head meets NCAA and NFHS rules so it's suitable for all level of gameplay.

The RP3 comes in as one of the tightest heads on the list. In fact, some may prefer it as an offensive head but Brine has also made it one of the toughest customers currently featured on our list. Core-Tech technology sidewall design provides a perfect balance of flex and lightweight capability to help it keep its shape throughout the season without warping. It won't bog you down either, as the heads weight here is greatly reduced.

The scoop is well rounded, so grabbing those grounders will be a cinch, while the catching area is wide enough to break down those passing lanes. The tighter face will help you keep the ball in your possession through traffic, while allowing you to be aggressive with impunity, shrugging off slap checks and pokes like they were nothing. Best of all, this head offers a variety of stringing options to make customizing your pocket easy, whether you like a high or low pocket. Overall this head is a great package and reasonably priced to boot.

One of the best defensive heads on the market right now, Warrior delivers the revamped the Revo 3 with enough stiffness, strength and catching area to evenly enhance your game. Anyone who's used a Revo in the past knows their value, but with this latest version, Warrior focuses on the sidewall construction for improved transition throughout the length of the head translating to better ball control. Triple beam construction has also given the head multiple reinforcement points to make it even stiffer than previous models in this series.

The catching area on the Revo 3 has been slightly widened to allow more room to intercept passes while retaining enough pinch to keep the ball in pocket through oncoming traffic. There’s also a grip zone placed along the top rail placed exclusively for checks to maintain extended opponent contact so every poke and check gets maximum results.

Nikes Lakota Lacrosse Head has universal specs making it suitable for all levels of league play. The face shape might make you think it's best suited only for attackers but middies and defensemen will find a lot to like about this head as well. This is a stiff head without a lot of flex and will dole out its share of damage against the offense.

You get a variety of screw holes for easy application to old and new shafts alike, along with plentiful stringing options. Some players may prefer less pinch, and this is why attackers may find this head an attractive option.

There's not as much catching area here as you'll find on the other picks on our list, but the durability and unyielding firmness of this head make it an obvious choice for defensive players to consider. Reinforcements at the low end of the sidewalls give it an extra boost of strength needed to separate attackers from the ball effectively.

The X10 U is a great all around head rated for NCAA and NFHS competition. Offering a plethora of string holes in the sidewalls, this head is fully customizable no matter how you like your pocket. It's also rigid, resulting in one of the stronger heads on this list and great for aggressive poke-checking.

STX made this head with their patented forward cant design, so it's built for split second passing and shooting. There’s just the right amount of angle on the sidewalls for keeping the ball secure while you’re running up the field. The price can't be beat either with many retailers selling it for around $60, making it a good fit for intermediate and expert players alike.