What to Look for in a Midfield Lacrosse Head

With so many heads that are suitable for middies on the market, it can be difficult to choose one. Which is best for you depends on your style of play and preferences.

To help you decide which makes the most sense for you, I listed out 7 things you should consider when comparing the best middie lacrosse heads.

1) Face Shape

Whereas most attackmen prefer very narrow heads and most defensemen prefer wider heads, there is no one common face shape that most midfielders look for. 

You’ll notice that the heads listed above vary in how pinched they are and their overall face shape. Some are very pinched like most attack heads, while others a bit a wider.

I recommend that less advanced players choose a wider head to help with catching. D middies often prefer wider heads as well to give them more surface area for laying checks. More advanced players should look for narrower pinches to increase control and accuracy.

2) Weight

You’ll also notice that the heads above vary a lot in weight. Assuming strength and durability are equal, the lighter head is usually the better option. Lighter heads allow you to move your stick faster, increasing your shot speed compared to heavier heads.

For midfield heads, anything under 5 oz can be considered light. Heads that are over 5.5 oz or so are noticeably heavier and may slow you down a bit. Combining a relatively light head with a light (but strong) shaft can give you one of the best lacrosse sticks for midfielders possible.

3) Stiffness & Durability

Even the lightest head won’t function well if it is a complete noodle or breaks regularly. 

Unless you are a faceoff man, you typically should be looking for a stiff head that won’t flex during scoops and when getting checked. 

You also want to find a head that will stay stiff and won’t break over time. Often, heads start out stiff when they are brand new but become more flexible in high temperatures.

4) Pocket Placement

Finding a head that is designed for your ideal pocket placement is also important. 

The easiest way to tell where a pocket should ideally go on a head is by looking for where the max offset (or where the bottom rail is the lowest) is. 

For example, heads like the Kinetik 2.0 above, have a high offset that make them great for high pockets. Heads with a lower offset, like the Warrior Evo 5, are better for low to mid/low pockets.

Most midfielders (myself included) prefer mid to high pockets that give them a bit more whip for shooting on the run and outside shots, but it really comes down to personal preference.

5) Scoop

Since middies spend a lot of time in transition and on the wing for faceoffs, they often have to pick up a lot of ground balls. This makes having a good scoop crucial. 

Look for a scoop that has a nice rounded shape to it that makes picking up ground balls smooth. 

Scoops that are more angled/rounded (when looking down your stick) allow you to pick up balls at a higher angle in relation to the ground. Flat scoops, on the other hand, force you to bend over a lot which may slow you down.

6) Stringing Holes

Back in the day, heads often came with 10 sidewall holes or less. This made it really difficult to string different kinds of pockets simply because you were limited by the number of holes.

Luckily, most head manufacturers took note of this common pain point and offer 15+ sidewall holes. 

Even though it shouldn’t be a problem for most heads, it’s worth checking out the stringing holes of the heads you are considering to make sure there are enough and the size/shape looks good for your stringing preferences.

7) Strung vs. Unstrung

The last thing to consider is whether to buy a strung or unstrung head.

In the past, I would have recommended going with an unstrung head so you could string it yourself or have a friend string it for you.

More recently, however, a lot of companies such as ECD and StringKing have started offering much better string jobs on their strung heads, making them viable options.

If you decide to go with a strung head, do some research to see if customers typically like the string job and if it meets your preferences. Avoid factory-strung pockets—which are typically very shallow and poor overall—at all costs.