STX Hammer U Lacrosse Head

Gone are the days where defensemen feel stuck adapting to whatever lacrosse companies make for offensive players. Finally, we have a lacrosse head made with the defenseman in mind! If you’re searching for a head that can withstand a season of you throwing lumber, look no further. The STX Hammer U might just be your choice for terrorizing attackmen.

New to the STX line in 2013, the Hammer U is an ideal option for those looking for a high strength, low weight balance lacrosse head. Engineers at STX focused on what make defensemen most effective and tailored a head to complement their abilities. STX succeeded in bringing a head to the market that satisfies the need of every defender ... plus it just looks mean.

Design

The Hammer’s shape and design, featuring a wide scoop (6 1/2 inches across the top), gives you the ability to pick off passes and grab ground balls on the run.

Scoop

With STX’s C channel technology, the Hammer offers a flexible scoop while maintaining its stiffness. It does this by distributing the stress equally throughout the bottom rail (bottom quarter) of the head during impact. This makes it optimal for scooping ground balls and throwing heavy checks in a controlled way.

Sidewalls

The durability of a head counts for a lot, and for defensemen, it’s essential to find one that can handle the wear and tear of a long season. The Hammer’s durability puts it at the top of its class. The all-around thickness of the head and three braces along the sidewall pushed towards the front of the head add a whole new level of stability without weighing it down (unstrung weight of 5.7 oz.).

If you fancy yourself as a stringer, you will be pleased with the amount of holes (13 in total) along the sidewall to help you customize the pocket to your preference. Especially if you like a mid to high pocket. Its first 3 sidewall holes on both sides are larger than the rest which allows for more than one string to be laced through each hole. It also features large stringing holes at the top and at bottom at the throat.

Its design gives even more flexibility for stringers who are looking to string traditional, lace nylons and shooting strings through the sidewall, and get creative with top strings. With all of the stringing possibilities the Hammer allows for, it makes it possible for attackmen and more offensive oriented midfielders to entertain using the Hammer.

Throat/neck

As for all defense heads, the sidewalls along the throat taper into the neck the area instead of being parallel. This reduces the angles on the sidewalls which in turns lessens the amount of warping and pinching. There is a serious amount of plastic in the neck area too, keeping your head safe and sturdy on your shaft.

Warp factor

The Hammer gives you the peace of mind to throw a variety of checks and run through ground balls. You won’t have to worry about snapping your favorite head you spent all season getting comfortable with. Overall, the design extends the life of the head even if you’re an aggressive defenseman.

Summary

While the Hammer easily meets all the requirements of a defenseman, we also expect midfielders to strongly consider it as their weapon of choice (looking at you two-way middies).

When you add up the quality strength to weight ratio, C channel technology, and stringing features, the STX Hammer U is one of the top lacrosse heads on the market today, and arguably the best choice for defensemen. It is recommended for players of all ability levels and is legal for all age levels, both NCAA and NFHS compliant, and comes in a variety of colors.