The hour has come: it’s time for you to buy a new shaft. Maybe it’s your first time buying a shaft rather than a complete stick, or maybe you’re a veteran player with tons of experience shopping for gear. Either way, the game has continued to evolve over the past few years, and shafts have changed with it. Here are the first steps to take to help you in your search for the perfect new addition to your game.

Picking Your Material:

Even for experienced players, it can seem like all lacrosse shafts are alike – after all, they serve the same essential purpose. But, a closer inspection reveals distinctions in material, engineering, and technology that have major performance effects whatever your level of play.

In today’s lacrosse world, there are 2 main types of shaft: a composite (made of carbon fiber) or an alloy (made of metal). Carbon fiber composites can be more expensive than alloy shafts, but they have some major advantages and benefits over their metal counterparts: they have a natural feel, they boast both impressive strength and a light weight, and they can take a lot of climate-based stress (they stay cool in warm weather and warm in cool weather). All in all, carbon fiber shafts have become increasingly prominent and dominant in the retail market, and there are tons of options to choose from.

Picking Your Carbon Fiber:

While most lacrosse brands offer carbon fiber composites, the quality of shaft isn’t the same from company to company. When picking your new composite, be sure to consider the features and technology of the shaft. Epoch Lacrosse takes pride in their attention to detail and commitment to tech and engineering, and it shows as they lead the carbon fiber revolution with their composite shafts.

Shafts are Epoch’s specialty, used by players like Matt Rambo and Dylan Molloy as well as collegiate programs like the University of North Carolina women’s team. The nature of Epoch’s composite shaft and innovative Advanced Carbon Layering technology allows engineers to carefully adjust the level of flex, durability, and weight in each shaft. Just like in hockey, flex is especially important when looking at shafts because different flexes are suited to different styles of play. For example, do you like to take step-down shots, make tight finishes, or shoot on the run? Your playing style, whether it be power, speed, or a dynamic combination of the two, can help determine whether you’d be better served by Epoch’s stiffer, softer, or in-between flexes respectively. In addition, all Epoch shafts have Slip Grip technology that provide a consistent feel in any weather condition. Best of all, whereas competitors source their shafts from foreign countries, all Epoch shafts are made in the USA.

Epoch also knows that player preference matters: everyone is looking for something different in their shaft. For that reason, their engineers dedicated their time to designing shafts that match the tendencies of each individual athlete. If you’re a women’s player, check out the Dragonfly Air iQ 9. This shaft, the lightest handle in the game, is a product of epoch_labs, a division that showcases Epoch’s in-house design team and engineers. Or take a look at the Dragonfly Purpose for a light-to-mid weight shaft with increased durability.

On the men’s side, the Dragonfly 9 offers a light-to-mid weight shaft with proportional durability. If you’re looking for a stick that’s capable of taking the most extreme wear and tear, consider the mid-weight Dragonfly Integra with the most durability in an Epoch field shaft. Both options boast HD Resin technology that increases the mechanical strength of the shaft and directly benefits the preexisting tech within it.

The result? Epoch shafts are the some of the most technologically advanced and highest performance shafts in the game. In addition, they’re offered in a variety of geometries (concave and ergonomic, for example) depending on personal preference. They also come with different flex iQs designed for specific styles of play to help you take your game to the next level.