The STX Proton Power lacrosse head is undoubtedly one of the most widely used heads in the sport of lacrosse. The lacrosse head has a fantastic shape for optimum ball handling with pin point accuracy when shooting and catching the ball. It is manufactured with a streamlined and aerodynamic design that guarantees the head remains light and hard-wearing and provides superior performance in the game.
The best thing about this head is that it is incorporated with STX Forward Cant technology for simple ball release, speedier passing and quicker shooting. This head is highly suited to attack players and is NFHS compliant.
Good
Snug fit with STX handles
In most cases, I've observed that the STX heads attach more tightly on their own lacrosse handles than heads from other brands. The head barely fit on a STX handle, and I could hardly fit it on a Maverik handle. The Maverik handle was just a bit larger. The rule of thumb is that all heads are compatible with all handles, but more force or tape may be needed whenever you mix the brand of lacrosse head and shaft.
Mid and high pocket, excellent for shooting
I strung a mid-pocket that was reasonably easy. The ball felt great and it was incredibly smooth when adjusting from cradling to winding up for a shot. The pinch is very good and resulted in very good ball retention. A shooters pocket would also function pretty well too. Don't offend this head by stringing a low pocket. It was born to shoot, go a high or mid pocket.
The scoop is sort of bendy, but this is to provide the shooting flex. This, together with the STX Forward Cant, means you get great hold and you feel the "whip" while cranking.
Great channel, accurate passes
You only need to look at the face of the lacrosse head to see it is not NCAA certified. The head doesn't feature the long parallel sidewalls extending from the throat. The gradually diverging opening functions well and the mid-pocket I'd strung up was extremely good. All my passes and cranks were on the mark.
The rounded top featured on the Proton Power scoop finds a nice balance between being ground ball friendly and precise. Some heads have a very pointy tip that makes for an excellent pocket channel but you can't grab a ground ball. While others have got a top just like a shovel, making ground balls really simple, but your feeds are not as on the mark as you'd like. This head is pretty decent, although if the tip were any flatter I don't believe the pocket would be anywhere near as accurate.
Very good for ground balls
The rear of the scoop is sleek enough so there is no ridge to raise the top of the lax head off the surface when getting ground balls. The catching area is broad enough which results in a greater area to pick up the ball with. You may get some flex if you go strongly at a ground ball.
Built for forwards
The STX Proton Power is made for shooting and feeding and consequently is highly appropriate for midfielders and attackers. If you're not specifically a finisher, there are better midfield heads available.
A superb option for face off
If you take the odd face-off here and there, this lacrosse head should hold up well. The sleek sidewalls get you near to the ground, which certainly is a benefit. The low amount of rigidity means that it'll be a challenge to take the most aggressive face-off, but more agile faceoff techniques should be ok. The lacrosse head isn't likely to hold its form for long in a face off, but the lacrosse head is quite easily bent back into shape, if it won't go by itself.
Bad
Simple to string, but difficult to make legal
My original go at stringing this head ended up being illegal. The ball couldn't fall out of the throat when held up-right and tilted forward. I needed to alter the sidewall strings by the throat to make sure they couldn't obstruct the ball and also alter the base strings to be certain the ball couldn't get trapped right behind the ball stop. These were only small modifications, but with the possibility of pinching from general use this could result in being something you will have to take care of routinely. Stringing up a low pocket is not recommended.
For the ones who prefer traditional stringing, you'll be disappointed to know that you get only two slots at the bottom. You'll have to put two leathers through each hole or devise another solution. The stringing holes are rather tight so you have to persist to get the laces through some of them. If you are burning the nylon ends you'll have to ensure they're thin because if you have a thick knob it won't slide in the holes. But once your pocket is set and the strings are tied off, they're set for good.
What's with the ball-stop?
I am unsure what the actual goal of the island ball stop is. I was not able to identify any kind of real advantage. STX say it's designed to make this lacrosse head more lightweight, but it would be only a few grams at most.
Watch the pinch
As always with heads which feature a narrow pinch, you'll want to make sure that it won't pinch too much, resulting in it being non-compliant. You can insert a bit of wood just a bit bigger than a lacrosse ball between the sidewalls where they pinch to keep it compliant. Field hockey balls work nicely as well.
Not really the sturdiest lacrosse head going around
The Proton Power head from STX isn't the stiffest head available. The scoop has actually been designed specifically to flex, so if a rigid lacrosse head is really what you think you need, this is not the head for you.
Not necessarily the best choice for defense
This head is simply too flexible for defense. You will see no real outcome from a poke check, aside from the top hour-glassing right out. But it is not created for defence therefore I don't see this being a problem.
Summary
So if you are an attacker, how on earth could you not love this lacrosse head? There certainly are some other heads stiffer, lighter, stronger and that of the like. But the Proton Power lacrosse head captures the essence of what lacrosse is all about. This lacrosse head is a goal scoring machine.
It is not designed with All Climate Performance so be aware if you are playing in hot or cold conditions. The heat especially, because the lacrosse head already bends quite a bit. The light-weight element and the added flex could have a bearing on its resilience, but just the same this is a wonderful lacrosse head.
The best thing about this head is that it is incorporated with STX Forward Cant technology for simple ball release, speedier passing and quicker shooting. This head is highly suited to attack players and is NFHS compliant.
Good
Snug fit with STX handles
In most cases, I've observed that the STX heads attach more tightly on their own lacrosse handles than heads from other brands. The head barely fit on a STX handle, and I could hardly fit it on a Maverik handle. The Maverik handle was just a bit larger. The rule of thumb is that all heads are compatible with all handles, but more force or tape may be needed whenever you mix the brand of lacrosse head and shaft.
Mid and high pocket, excellent for shooting
I strung a mid-pocket that was reasonably easy. The ball felt great and it was incredibly smooth when adjusting from cradling to winding up for a shot. The pinch is very good and resulted in very good ball retention. A shooters pocket would also function pretty well too. Don't offend this head by stringing a low pocket. It was born to shoot, go a high or mid pocket.
The scoop is sort of bendy, but this is to provide the shooting flex. This, together with the STX Forward Cant, means you get great hold and you feel the "whip" while cranking.
Great channel, accurate passes
You only need to look at the face of the lacrosse head to see it is not NCAA certified. The head doesn't feature the long parallel sidewalls extending from the throat. The gradually diverging opening functions well and the mid-pocket I'd strung up was extremely good. All my passes and cranks were on the mark.
The rounded top featured on the Proton Power scoop finds a nice balance between being ground ball friendly and precise. Some heads have a very pointy tip that makes for an excellent pocket channel but you can't grab a ground ball. While others have got a top just like a shovel, making ground balls really simple, but your feeds are not as on the mark as you'd like. This head is pretty decent, although if the tip were any flatter I don't believe the pocket would be anywhere near as accurate.
Very good for ground balls
The rear of the scoop is sleek enough so there is no ridge to raise the top of the lax head off the surface when getting ground balls. The catching area is broad enough which results in a greater area to pick up the ball with. You may get some flex if you go strongly at a ground ball.
Built for forwards
The STX Proton Power is made for shooting and feeding and consequently is highly appropriate for midfielders and attackers. If you're not specifically a finisher, there are better midfield heads available.
A superb option for face off
If you take the odd face-off here and there, this lacrosse head should hold up well. The sleek sidewalls get you near to the ground, which certainly is a benefit. The low amount of rigidity means that it'll be a challenge to take the most aggressive face-off, but more agile faceoff techniques should be ok. The lacrosse head isn't likely to hold its form for long in a face off, but the lacrosse head is quite easily bent back into shape, if it won't go by itself.
Bad
Simple to string, but difficult to make legal
My original go at stringing this head ended up being illegal. The ball couldn't fall out of the throat when held up-right and tilted forward. I needed to alter the sidewall strings by the throat to make sure they couldn't obstruct the ball and also alter the base strings to be certain the ball couldn't get trapped right behind the ball stop. These were only small modifications, but with the possibility of pinching from general use this could result in being something you will have to take care of routinely. Stringing up a low pocket is not recommended.
For the ones who prefer traditional stringing, you'll be disappointed to know that you get only two slots at the bottom. You'll have to put two leathers through each hole or devise another solution. The stringing holes are rather tight so you have to persist to get the laces through some of them. If you are burning the nylon ends you'll have to ensure they're thin because if you have a thick knob it won't slide in the holes. But once your pocket is set and the strings are tied off, they're set for good.
What's with the ball-stop?
I am unsure what the actual goal of the island ball stop is. I was not able to identify any kind of real advantage. STX say it's designed to make this lacrosse head more lightweight, but it would be only a few grams at most.
Watch the pinch
As always with heads which feature a narrow pinch, you'll want to make sure that it won't pinch too much, resulting in it being non-compliant. You can insert a bit of wood just a bit bigger than a lacrosse ball between the sidewalls where they pinch to keep it compliant. Field hockey balls work nicely as well.
Not really the sturdiest lacrosse head going around
The Proton Power head from STX isn't the stiffest head available. The scoop has actually been designed specifically to flex, so if a rigid lacrosse head is really what you think you need, this is not the head for you.
Not necessarily the best choice for defense
This head is simply too flexible for defense. You will see no real outcome from a poke check, aside from the top hour-glassing right out. But it is not created for defence therefore I don't see this being a problem.
Summary
So if you are an attacker, how on earth could you not love this lacrosse head? There certainly are some other heads stiffer, lighter, stronger and that of the like. But the Proton Power lacrosse head captures the essence of what lacrosse is all about. This lacrosse head is a goal scoring machine.
It is not designed with All Climate Performance so be aware if you are playing in hot or cold conditions. The heat especially, because the lacrosse head already bends quite a bit. The light-weight element and the added flex could have a bearing on its resilience, but just the same this is a wonderful lacrosse head.
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