Lacrosse Goalie Equipment and Gear Guide

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Recommended Goalie Gear

The equipment you need to play Goalie

Welcome to the Lax Goalie Rat equipment guide section. I've compiled this set of lacrosse goalie gear as a resource for new goalies and parents who want to know what they need to play goalie.

I also have a full lacrosse goalie gear guide available as a post.

There are many great pieces of gear. So just because I list one or two doesn't mean its the only good one. Just the one I prefer.

Note: these are all affiliate links meaning I make a small commission if you decide to click the buttons and purchase. Commission or not, I honestly recommend all these pieces of gear and if you've gotten value out of Lax Goalie Rat, I'm grateful for your support!

Lacrosse Goalie

Heads

After 20 years STX finally released version 2 of their iconic goalie head. They've stiffened the frame and added more sidewall stringing holes for better pockets. Overall, it is a stronger and more versatile head then its predecessor. Checkout my full STX Eclipse II review. The Ecplise 2 is a really the standard of lacrosse goalies heads right now. It's perfect for youth and for pro's.

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The StringKing Mark 2G is an excellent goalie head offering a lot of the same features as the Eclipse 2 with a light weight, good surface area and a lot of stiffness. Many youth and even pro's including Blaze Riorden swear by the Mark 2G.

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Lacrosse Goalie

Mesh

Lots of companies are putting out great goalie mesh these days but ECD is my favorite and the favorite of a lot professional goalies. Of all the mesh sizes I recommend 12 diamond. The larger diamonds 'grip' the ball better and provide less rebounds while making outlets easier. The semi-soft breaks in quickly and is great for absorbing rebounds.

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Another great option is String King's Grizzly Mesh. Also in 12 diamond with semi-hard and semi-soft options. The Grizzly mesh is the lightest mesh I've found and yet is also pretty damn durable. String King offers a 90-day guarentee so if breaks within 90 days they'll send you another for free.

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Lacrosse Goalie

GLOVES

One of the elite goalie gloves on the market right now. Extremely solid thumb protection and a nice, comfortable fit. Seems to have best protection without compromising mobility. The STX Shield 500 are light weight and don’t have as much bulky padding as other gloves but I felt the protection to the hands was still sufficient. My full STX Shield 500 goalie glove review.

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Built on a more traditional fit profile with some additional volume in the fingers and in the back of hand compared to other gloves. Also has solid thumb protection. Suede within the glove provides a really comfortable feel and nice grip. FLOWCOOL venting technology on the back of the hand increases airflow and allows heat to disperse quickly. SHARKGEL padding in tumb increases dexterity and mobility.

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A solid option for female goaltenders as these come in smaller sizes to fit the smaller hands. Silicone gel printing on palm, thumb and forefinger for the goalie specific grip. Also a good youth glove due to smaller size and the black version doesn't appear feminine at all.

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Lacrosse Goalie

Shafts

Perfectly weighted shaft for goalie play. Rounded edges that provide a great feel in your hands. The graphics and paint do tend to chip off with wear and tear but the durability of the shaft itself is very good. Read my full review of the Warrior Kryptolyte shaft. Available in attack and goalie lengths.

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If you're looking for the lightest shaft on the market, look no further than the String King Metal 2. It comes in a few weights but the attack version at 125 grams is one of the lightest. If you like the feeling of being quick check out this shaft. Full review of the String King Metal 2 shaft.

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Lacrosse Goalie

Chest Pads

I think the STX Shield 600 chest protector does a good job combining protection with mobility. The cardiac silhouette coverage floating chest plate offers additional heart protection (very important given the new 2021 chest pad rule). There's also a stomach pad for optional, additional coverage. I still feel very mobile with this chest protector.

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Great option from Warrior for chest protection. Meets NOCSAE standards. And although it appears bulky it actually fits very snugly and allows the goalie a good range of movement. It is on the heavier side but does provide a good deal of protection. Check out my Warrior Nemesis Pro review

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Lacrosse Goalie

Helmet and Throat Protector

The current standard of lacrosse helmets. The Cascade S is the latest and greatest in both looks and protection. Comes in tons of colors and styles. Be sure the fit is perfect because loose fitting helmets can contribute to concussion fairly easily.

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While the S is the latest and greatest helmet, the Cascade R is also a solid option. It's more than sufficent in protection and because there are newer models you'll be able to find the R for a lot less money. but the R is more than sufficient and a lot cheaper. Features Seven Technology, a ground-breaking impact attenuation system to more effectively manage energy transfer from direct impact of shots. Also looks extra saucy.

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Required throat guard which attaches to the helmet to protect the throat and neck from shots. Cascade makes this model of throat piece in clear and smoke. You will need to drill holes in your helmet to install this throat guard.

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Lacrosse Goalie

Extra Gear

Given what's at stake, may be my favorite piece of gear. I definitely recommend goalies use an ice hockey goalie style jock as it provides much more protection than the average jock. I've gotten hit square in the package with a normal cup and I wish I would have been wearing this style.

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The other jock lacrosse goalies swear by is the Nutty Buddy. This jock disperses the force outwards (while other cups have the impact go inwards). The Nutty Buddy is not as bulky as other cups but still provides solid protection. For many goalies this cup is a gamechanger and gives the fealing of being protected. Review my full Nutty Buddy review here.

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Lacrosse goalies' legs can take a beating so for practice and even games for youths use these goalie pants for additional protection. Required for women high school and below.

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Lots of good options for cleats out there. But I recommend high tops as the additional material will give the ankle a little more protection in the event of a direct hit to that area.

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There's no easy way to say this. Getting hit in the shins sucks! It hurts and can ruin the enthusiasm and confidence of a young goalie. So until you're not scared of the ball strap these on to avoid punishment. Any basic soccer shinguard will do. Required for female youth goalies.

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The Lexi Shield attaches to the forhead of your helmet and helps prevent concussions by softening shots that hit you there. You can't really notice you're wearing it so it's really a no-brainer to use during practice. I don't think they're game legal yet. Here's a full Lexi Shield review.

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Lacrosse Goalie Training Gear

THE equipment YOU NEED TO Train RIGHT

This section is dedicated to items that I use to train lacrosse goalies.

Most items are standards things that you use to train any type of athlete however some are very specific to the intricacies of a lacrosse goalie.

Same with the training gear, there are many great pieces of gear. So just because I list one doesn't mean its the only good one. Just the one I prefer.

These are all affiliate links meaning I make a small commission if you decide to purchase through my site. I truly recommend all these pieces of gear and if you've gotten value out of Lax Goalie Rat, I'm grateful for your support!

Lacrosse Goalie

TRAINING GEAR

One of the oldest and yet one of the best pieces of training gear. Foot speed is critical for success as a lacrosse goalie. Every lacrosse goalie warmup should begin with a session of jump rope.

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These oddly shaped balls are going to bounce in random directions and are perfect for incorporating into drills to improve a lacrosse goalie's reaction time.

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Lots of different exercises we can do with these mini hurdles to improve agility, explosiveness, and conditioning.

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Solid footwork is a fundamental of being a great goalie. I love to throw lacrosse balls at the goalies as they go through the agility ladder.

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Performing slow side shuffles with a resistance band is an exercise that’s going to build up the muscles in our legs and hips required for exploding to the ball during a lacrosse save.

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There's lot of different goalie exercises that where we can incorporate the heavy ball.

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Exercising with these is going to build your calf muscles into beasts. If you've never used these before you'll be sore as heck the next day. Helps a goalie's quickness and explosion to the ball.

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Taking shots with these foam balls is awesome because they float and go in odd directions. Really makes the lacrosse goalie focus on seeing the ball and moving towards it to make the save

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I use tennis balls all the time with goalies. With new goalies its a great way to build up their confidence before facing live shots. With experienced goalies its a great way to take it easy during a drill where they're getting a lot of in close shots.

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I have a few drills where we use colored tennis balls and the goalie must call out the color of the ball as soon as he/she sees it. Helps to keep mental concentration high while playing goal.

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Tie this to either end of the goal post and attach to the shooter to help goalies understand arc and angle play.

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Rolling out your muscles is going to help with flexability which will provide injury maintenance and also help increase strength.

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