Taping a lacrosse stick is not mandatory for the lacrosse player. However, there are some benefits to taping a lacrosse stick, especially as the lacrosse stick is often made of slippery aluminum.
Lacrosse players do not have to tape their lacrosse sticks. To improve ball control, lacrosse players will tape their sticks on the bottom of the stick.
We will break down all the benefits of taping a lacrosse stick and why it is in your best interest to tape it.
What Kind Of Tape Should I Use To Tape My Lacrosse Stick?
When taping a lacrosse stick, we recommend using the Pro lacrosse tape made by A & R Sports. Not only is this tape extremely cheap, but it’s also the official tape of Major League Lacrosse.
The tape comes in black and white colors so that you can coordinate properly with the matching undertone of your stick.
A & R Sports has been one of the leading brands in sports accessories over the last 20 years and makes a great product. The tape itself is 1.5″ x 10 yards when completely rolled out. This is enough tape to wrap your stick multiple times.
This tape has proved wonders for us and will continue to do so.
Reasons To Tape A Lacrosse Stick
It’s not necessary to tape a lacrosse stick, but we highly recommend you do it. Here are a few reasons why you should tape your lacrosse stick.
Improve Grip
The first and most obvious is the grip. It is important to have an efficient grip on the lacrosse stick to generate enough force and energy to the stick through your lower body.
Have a loose or slippery grip on the stick and misfire the shot an inch or two to the right/left. As we know, every inch matters when shooting a lacrosse ball; it’s the difference between a goal and a potential turnover.
Another important aspect of having tape on the grip is controlling the stick and the ball in wet or acclimated weather. You know what I mean if you’ve ever played a game in wet weather. If your stick isn’t taped, the stick becomes extremely slick.
Shot and pass control is what make successful lacrosse teams dominate. Taping the stick will help with both of these aspects.
Using Tape As A Teaching Aid
For younger athletes, taping the bottom of the stick is a great teaching tool for hand placement.
As a younger player gets used to his stick for the first time, the bottom hand will tend to slide up and down the stick as they will try to catch and deliver the ball any way they can.
To build a strong foundation, the bottom hand must be at the bottom level of the shaft to create sling tension so the ball will propel out of the head.
Simply wrapping 6-8″ of tape at the bottom of the shaft will help with grip and help remind the player to keep that hand lower on the shaft.
See Our Complete List Of Helpful Lacrosse Articles Here.
Preserve The Stick Shaft
Adding an extra layer of tape to the aluminum shaft can help preserve the damage lacrosse still will take during a game.
Men’s lacrosse allows players to hit others with their sticks to free the ball from the opponents. When this happens, the stick naturally absorbs impact and will start to weather out.
Taping the stick will add another rigid layer to the stick to help prevent any paint scrapes or contact made by players swinging at it.
We recommend taping as much of the bottom half of the stick as possible to solidify the grip and any contact opponents will make to save the lifespan of the stick.
Alternatives To Taping A Lacrosse Stick
There currently is one alternative on the market ( that we’ve found) that can replicate tape and help with the teaching component of lacrosse. That is “sniper skin.”
Sniper skin is a grip that can be reshaped to any lacrosse stick to serve as a grip for lacrosse players.
The Sniper Skin is easy to put onto the shaft and completely customized for any stick. Benefits of using Sniper Skin:
- Lightweight – The one-piece sleeve doesn’t add bulk or awkwardness to the shaft
- Customize – There is a variety of colors, and you can adjust the grip to your liking.
- Less Wear & Tear Than Tape – Tape will get dirty over time, especially if your team practices and plays on grass. Sniper Skin helps eliminate wear and tear over time.
We found the sniper skin on Amazon, and it currently comes in 4 different colors to match your team best.
Of course, this is just another preference over the tape. I enjoy taping my stick each week so it’s ready for the game. It’s completely up to you. However, we recommend you try both to see which grip best suits your style.
Conclusion
Taping your stick can be beneficial for players of all ages. The grip, tape, and type of tape job can vary depending on the player. We recommend using a simple wrap job of going 6-8 inches up from the bottom of the stick, shown in the video below by one of the greats of the game, Paul Rabil.
Taping your stick properly can increase your overall comfort in delivering the ball to a teammate or the back of the net. If you’re new to taping your stick, above is a fantastic video of Paul Rabil, one of the most notable lacrosse players, taping his stick and his technique.
It’s important to tape the stick in a way that is both comfortable and maximizes control.
How do you tape your stick? Do you use tape or the sniper skin? Let us know in the comment section below!