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Gear Review: LAS America Shaft by 1 Lacrosse

Company: 1 Lacrosse / Product: LAS America ShaftPrice: $99

It’s the 4th of July! Why would we review anything other than the LAS America shaft by 1 Lacrosse? In honor of this great holiday, we wanted to make sure we did our part to spread the love and give everyone a chance to be patriotic.

While The Lacrosse Shop has had the LAS America shaft in stock for some time, we have neglected to review it. To help you in your shaft shopping, here is the full rundown on the LaxAllStars America shaft.

I have been playing with my own LAS America shaft since last summer, definitely an ideal amount of time to test a shaft. It’s been through tournaments, indoor chumash, practices and I’ve even lent it out to a couple of players to use while I re-strung their sticks. Needless to say, it’s been through a lot.

Appearance… +9.0

While some of you may call me Benedict Arnold for not giving the appearance a two, I have my reasons. The America shaft has some incredible graphics and details all over the stick, but a flashy stick may not be for everyone. Other than that, the appearance is great. Who wouldn’t want to combine their three favorite things into one incredible product: America, Lax All Stars, and lacrosse!

LAS America Shaft by 1 Lacrosse
She’s a real beaut, ain’t she?

The shaft is covered in little silver stars that really help accent the red and blue LAS logos neatly placed near the middle. The actual logos and graphic work is perfectly balanced. There isn’t too much going on, but there is no doubt that this is a custom shaft.

Grip… +7.5

The grip is definitely one of the nicer features of the shaft. The shaft has a rubbery feel to it that isn’t overbearing but allows you to have great control while moving your hands around. I only used a little tape at the bottom of my shaft and where my top hand is for shooting and that was perfect. Even in wet situations, the stick handles just as well as any heavy duty grip.

LAS America Shaft by 1 Lacrosse
One hand, no problem.

After a while though, like all grips, it wears down. I still haven’t noticed any change for the worse though, and the shaft doesn’t feel slippery or hard to handle. While the grips and some of the paint may have worn off, I would still say it’s fairly good considering the amount I have played with it over the past year!

The LAS America Shaft
One year later. Still grippin’, still rippin’.

Weight… +7.5

Unless a shaft is feather light or feels like a sledge hammer, then it really isn’t memorable – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. At 6.5 ounces, the weight isn’t super impressive, but it doesn’t hold you back either. I paired mine up with the STX Super Power and it was a perfect balance for me.

The Scandium alloy used has been recognized as one of the lighter metals in shafts lately, while still being strong and tough against impact. Lorne Smith of Warrior Lacrosse came to Boise last winter for a little shooting clinic and was talking about becoming so comfortable with your stick that it turns into an extension of your arms. I love that idea and would like to think that a shaft I don’t think about on the field is helping me get to that point – now if only I could reach my end of the bargain.

The LAS America Shaft
The LAS America Shaft in action.

Strength/Durability… +7.5

1 Lacrosse claims that this bad boy is 20% stronger than other Scandium handles and has the greatest strength to weight ratio in the game. That’s a pretty bold claim but in the time I’ve played with it, I couldn’t agree more. I’ve had some defenders lay some very heavy lumber on my stick, as well as having to body up on some pretty big guys while playing defense. No matter what the case was, I was able to come away with it unscathed and ready for more.

The LAS America Shaft
Light enough, tough enough, ready for action.

All claims aside, the results are proof enough for me that the shaft can stand both, a dodger barreling down on you, and the constant impacts from a season of defense and checks.

Value… +10.0

Coming in at $99 I don’t see how you could go wrong, especially when many shafts of this quality hit the three digit price range easily. When I look at purchasing a shaft, I think about several things. The most obvious being weight, strength, and grip, but also the price to quality ratio of finding the most valuable shaft for the cheapest price – this shaft is definitely on the right track there.

The LAS America Shaft
Elevator going up.

Overall: 8/10

And you thought we’d hold a bias! Not a chance when it comes to gear reviews!

If anything, we put even MORE stress on the LAS America shaft because we knew the expectations would be high. If you’re looking for a shaft that will be light enough to keep you moving on the field, but tough enough to stand the test of time, I would definitely recommend checking out the LAS America shaft by 1 Lacrosse.

It may be a little patriotic, but so was Nathan Hale, and he is forever remembered in history for it. Hopefully this shaft has a little better ending though.

The LAS America Shaft
Bang.

Whether you go around them, or through them, the LAS America shaft is always game ready!

Know of some gear you wish we would review?  Hit us up in the LAS Tipline and let us know what you think we should review next.