The STX Proton Power lacrosse head is undoubtedly one of the most talked about lacrosse heads in the sport. The head has the perfect shape for max ball control with deadly accuracy when shooting and catching the ball. It is molded with an aerodynamic and streamlined concept that ensures the head stays lightweight and hard-wearing and ensures consistent performance in the game.
The great thing about this head is that it is designed with STX Forward Cant technology for quick ball release, faster passing and faster shooting. This head is especially suited to forwards and is NFHS certified.
See www.lacrossegearreview.com/heads/stx-proton-power-lacrosse-head-24153 for the review.
The good aspects
Tight fit for STX shafts
Generally speaking, I’ve noticed that the STX heads attach more tightly on lax shafts than heads made by other brands. It barely fit on a STX handle, and I could hardly fit it on a Maverik handle. The Maverik handle was a little larger. The guideline is that all lacrosse heads are compatible with all shafts, but more effort or tape may be necessary if you mix the brand of lacrosse head and handle.
Mid and high pocket, great for shooting
I strung a mid-pocket which was quite simple. The ball felt very nice and it was really smooth when adjusting from cradling to preparing for a shot on the cage. The pinch looks fairly nice and made for much better ball hold. A shooters pocket would certainly also perform pretty well too. Do not insult this head by stringing a low pocket. It was made to shoot, string a mid or high pocket.
The scoop is kind of flexible, but this is to provide the flex for shooting. This, together with the Forward Cant, results in you getting great retention and you can even feel the “whip” while shooting.
Great channel, accurate passes
You only need to look at the face of the head to see it is not NCAA compliant. It does not have the longer parallel sidewalls stretching out from the throat. The gradually diverging opening performs fine and the mid-pocket I had strung up was amazing. All my feeds and shoots were very accurate.
The tip of the Proton Power scoop makes for a nice balance between being ground-ball friendly and accurate. Some heads are designed with a really pointy top that leads to a very good pocket channel but you are not able to pick-up a ground ball. While others have got a top like a spade, making ground balls very easy, but your shots are not as precise as you’d like. This lacrosse head is very good, but if the top were any flatter I don’t think the pocket would be as accurate.
Not bad for ground balls
The rear of the scoop is sleek enough so that there is no ridge to lift the top of the lacrosse head off the ground when going for ground balls. The catching area is broad enough which results in a larger area to pick up the ball with. You could get some flex if you go aggressively at a ground ball.
Produced for attackers
The Proton Power from STX is designed for feeding and shooting and consequently is seriously suitable for midfielders and forwards. If you’re not chiefly a goal scorer, there are more suitable midfield heads that are available.
A very good option for face off
If you take the odd face off, this head will definitely hold up well. The sleek sidewalls get close to the ground, which surely is a benefit. The low amount of stiffness means it’s not possible to take the most intense face off, but more nimble faceoff tricks should be okay. The head isn’t likely to hold its shape for very long in a faceoff, but the lax head is easily forced back into shape, if it doesn’t revert by itself.
The not so good aspects
Simple to string, but challenging to make legal
My first try at stringing this lacrosse head was illegal. The ball wouldn’t roll out of the throat when held up and tilted forward. I had to change the side-wall strings near the throat to make sure they didn’t get in the way and also adjust the base strings to be sure the ball didn’t get trapped at the rear of the ball stop. These were only minor adjustments, but with the chance of further pinching from normal wear and tear this could possibly result in being something you will have to deal with often. Stringing a low pocket isn’t strongly recommended.
For lovers of traditional stringing, you’ll be a little bit annoyed to learn that there are only two holes in the bottom. You’ll have to put two leathers through each hole or be extremely creative in coming up with another solution. The stringing slots are really tight so you have to work to get the string through many of them. If you are burning the nylon ends you will need to ensure that they’re thin because if you have a fat end it will not slide into the holes. But when your pocket is set in and the strings are tied off, they don’t move.
What is up with the ball-stop?
I’m unsure exactly what the particular purpose of the island ball stop is. I wasn’t able to pinpoint any kind of real benefit. The manufacturer say it’s designed to reduce weight, but it would be only one or two grams at most.
Keep an eye on the pinch
As a rule with heads which have a narrow pinch, you’ll want to make certain it doesn’t pinch a lot, causing it to be non-compliant. One tip is to set a bit of wood just a bit larger than a lacrosse ball between the side walls exactly where they pinch to help keep it compliant. Field hockey balls work just as well.
Not the sturdiest head available
The STX Proton Power lacrosse head is not the firmest head on offer. The scoop was designed to flex, so if a rigid head is exactly what you feel you need, this is not the lax head for you.
Not necessarily the best choice for defense
This lacrosse head is simply too bendable for defence. You get no real impact with a poke check, aside from the tip hour-glassing out. But it is not designed for defence so I don’t view this as being a problem.
Summary
If you’re a forward, how could you not absolutely love this lacrosse head? There undoubtedly are other heads stronger, stiffer, lighter and everything else. But the STX Proton Power lacrosse head captures the essence of what lacrosse is all about. This lax head is a goal scoring weapon of mass destruction.
This lax head isn’t engineered with All Climate Performance so use caution in case you are playing in extreme weather. The heat especially, as the lacrosse head currently flexes quite a lot. The lightweight aspect and the added flex could possibly have an affect on its durability, but nevertheless this is a fantastic lacrosse head.
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