Map It Out
One of the most glaring differences between lacrosse and every other sport on the planet is the player’s connection with their stick. It’s a unique relationship that really only lacrosse players can understand. Your stick is a part of you and in many ways, especially over the course of a season, becomes an extension of your body. The best sticks feel like you, look like you and act like you. From the scoop to the end cap, the customization possibilities are just about endless - especially in today’s modern game.
When we think of a stick build, we believe the best place to start is with the handle. After all it’s really the only part of a stick that actually comes in contact with your hands during play. It has to feel right, look right and be fit to withstand your playing style. We’ve offered a 7U1 Alloy shaft every year we’ve been in business because it not only provides a terrific strength to weight ratio but also it doesn’t break the bank. We pride ourselves in making products for real lacrosse players and the 7U1 gives us the ability to offer a great shaft made from a proven material that comes in a wide variety of colors for customizability - all at an affordable price point.
Although only slight changes have been applied as it relates to the material, shape and base colors, the ’23 Switchback is wildly different in terms of its graphic approach. First thing you will notice are the contour lines found at both ends of the handle - a pattern that you will recognize throughout our new branding moving forward. We symbolically and literally mapped out a shaft. We looked at where players tape their sticks, where they want the grip and where they don’t. The process through which we applied the graphic to the ’23 Switchback allowed for it to sit on top slightly and therefore create a “gripped” feeling. It’s a subtle but effective advantage especially in wet conditions. Much more than a simple aesthetic move - its a purposeful design.
After that your eyes may notice the low riding “Powell” branding towards the end cap. It’s unconventional to see branding so close to the bottom of a shaft but like everything else with this handle - there’s a reason for it. We looked at and measured the most common stop spot, the area where the best players in the world liked to end their base tape job, and made sure that the graphic ended in the sweet zone. Some players like clean and some players like loud - so we wanted to make sure that if they were looking for clean they could get it and the graphic wouldn’t carry on above their stop spot.
And it was this deep dive into the mapping out of a shaft that we figured why not create a graphic that works both ways - a true Switchback! So depending upon the players grip preference and style they have the ability to put the head on either end to create a totally different look and feel. We know, we know - you can put a head on either end of any shaft - but the ’23 Switchback’s gripped graphic was built for it. Like previously stated, the relationship between the player and their stick is special and the differences are in the little things - grab ahold of a ’23 Switchback & express yourself.
