Editor’s note: Welcome Kevin McGuirl back to the LAX Network! He’s got more excellent stringing tips for all of you lacrosse enthusiasts. Now there’s no excuse for not being able to string to perfection. Learn it, love it, live it.
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Now that you’ve all mastered stringing your basic 10-diamond mesh pocket by following Kevin McGuirl’s earlier string instructions, it’s time to step your game up and learn how to string the triangle topstring. The triangle top string is a little more difficult to master, but its advantages are a reason why there is a growing trend in laxers lacing their wands with this method. The Triangle top string method pulls the mesh tighter and towards the front of the scoop, reducing the lip tremendously, plus it looks classy and adds more variables for customization.
So let’s get to stringing.
MATERIALS & INITIAL SETUP
2 – Top strings, approx. 1 1/2 feet long each. (Gold & Silver Pictured)
1 – Lighter, Scissors, & Pair of Pliers
First off, prepare the mesh by stretching the diamonds like we did here, folding the top row of diamonds over the next so that there are now 9 diamonds in the top row.
THE TRIANGLE TOP STRING
Next tie a knot and insert your first sidewall string through the first sidewall hole, then through the front and out the back of the first mesh diamond. Make sure that you pull the string as tight as possible, locking the mesh to the side of the head.
Next you’re going to lock in the second diamond of the mesh to the first scoop hole, but unlike in the previous tutorial, you’re just going to lock the mesh in once.
First take the string and put it through the back of the top scoop hole. Next bring the string back through the front of the second diamond of mesh, ‘tying’ it like so.
Now repeat the same ‘tying’ method again with the fourth mesh diamond and the second scoop hole.
Now, things change up slightly when ‘tying’ the sixth and eighth diamonds to the third and fourth scoop holes. Instead of going through the scoop hold first, you’re going to go through the mesh first.
Put the string through the back of the sixth mesh diamond FIRST and then bring the string through the front of the third scoop hole, locking it in like in the picture below.
Repeat this method with the eighth mesh diamond and fourth scoop hole.
Now, just like in the first mesh diamond, lock in the ninth mesh diamond with the other sidewall.
You’ve finished the first part of the triangle top string!
Pretty easy, isn’t it? Now on to the more difficult part. Don’t worry, you got it.
Next, you’re going to take the other topstring and put it through the next sidewall hole, followed by running the string through the back of the first mesh diamond to the front of the head.
Next run the string through the first scoop hole.
Once you’ve run the string through the scoop hole, you’re going to put the string under the first topstring and run it through the top fold of the mesh, in between diamonds one and two.
It should look like this underneath the fold.
Now you’re going to bring the string through the top of the fold in between diamonds two and three.
Pull the string through the back of the first scoop hole and it should look like this from the back.
Now, looking at the front of the head, bring the string down the fold between the second and third diamond, and back up through the fold between the third and fourth diamond.
Now, just repeat the same thing for scoop hole 2, 3, and 4 that you just did for the first scoop hole.
When you finish scoop hole #4, bring the string through the front of the ninth mesh diamond and put it through the next sidewall hole. Tighten all of the strings, tie a knot, and you’re done with the top string.
Here’s what it should look like from the back.
Now just finish up your sidewalls and shooters and you’re all set to lax. If you don’t know how to do so, check out my first tutorial here.
Please let me know if you have any questions, suggestions, or anything else in the comment section.
Next up…The Pita Pocket!