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.:A Guide to Pocket Break-In:.

This guide will explain the tricks and tips of breaking in your pocket, whether it be traditional, hard mesh, soft mesh, or anything else, its in this guide.

Breaking in Soft Mesh

Theres not much to soft mesh, especially when breaking it in. Even if you try to put a pocket in it, it will just become jumble. So dont even try. It has virtually no break in, just pound it a little and its ready to go. However, if you can, just dont buy it. I seriously cant think of any advantages of soft mesh other than it has good hold. Its accuracy is horrible because it has no pocket shape. I dont know why they even make these anymore.

Breaking in Hard Mesh

Before breaking in your hard mesh pocket, you'll want to locate where you want the ball to rest. This will be the deepest part of the pocket. Some people like it right below the shooting strings so it will have extra support by the laces and a quick release. Others like it a little bit lower, like right in the center of the head. This gives it an over all larger pocket. There are conventional methods and techniques made up and passed down for decades. The easiest way is to buy either a Warrior Pocket Pounder, or a deBeer Pocket Screw. The Pocket Pounder is basically just a metal rod with a ball at the end and you're supposed to methodically hit the pocket. A cheaper and sometimes easier way is to just hold a regular lacrosse ball and constantly pound it. Some people run the pocket under warm water before pounding it to loosen the mesh a bit. The true way to get a pocket, but one without complete definition, is to just hit the wall. This will then let the pocket adjust to the ball. The pocket screw is bascially just half a wooden ball on the end of a screw with two metal wings out to each side. What you're supposed to do is put the two wings in between your lower part of the wall and the beginning of the stringing. Then you screw down the half-ball so it's pushing down the pocket. You then just leave in there for a night or day so the pocket adjusts to the force. Another cheaper way to do this is what is called the butterknife trick. Here, you take a knife or someting thin and strong. You first put the ball in the pocket and let it rest there. You then take the butter knife and slide in between the lower part of the wall and the top of the ball. This now has the same effect as the screw except for free and will never give you an illegal pocket. After you have formed the pocket, play with it. It will probably turn into a big jumble the first few times, as it takes a while to break in hard mesh. Just keep playing and forming the pocket, and soon you will have achieved an awesome hard mesh pocket.

Breaking in a Traditional Pocket

The main thing when breaking in traditional is to stretch the leathers out so they wont stretch during play. It is much easier to break in a traditional stick that has been strung properly. If it has been improperly strung, the nylons will prevent the leathers from moving, and youll never have a pocket. Given that, in my opinion the best way to break in a traditional pocket is just to pound a ball into where you want the pocket. A pocket screw or ruler-over-the-ball trick also works well. Some people will tell you to wet the leathers before doing these things. This is probably not a good idea, sometimes when you do this the leathers will warp, and your stick is ruined. Remember, use the wall, it will break in much faster that way.

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