Grow the Game®

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on reddit
Share on whatsapp

Gear Review: Charge Head by Under Armour Lacrosse

[rwp-review id=”1″]

Company: Under Armour Lacrosse / Product: Charge HeadPrice: $79.99

After checking out the Lax Pro Stringer, our buddy Larry Hastings sent over a couple Under Armour heads for us to check out. After all the hoopla with Under Armour and NCAA lacrosse last year, I was really curious to see how Under Armour would react and what they would do to better their offering in the lacrosse world. Initial impression? Okay, you’ve got my attention.

Appearance… +10.0

Looking past the “highlight” color of the head, the aesthetics look great on this head. I don’t hate the highlight color, but it was a little loud for my tastes, thankfully they also offer it in white and several other colors. The structure of the head kind of reminds me of an STX X2 with the zig-zagging braces along the sidewall, while the actual view from the sidewall (see below) reminds me a lot of the Warrior Revolution. Either way, both of those efforts don’t hurt in making a nice looking head.

The last Under Armour head I reviewed had some dufus looking hole clamps along the top wall. While it’s great to see UA trying to add their own technology to the lacrosse world, that’s one thing I won’t miss. Maybe it’s the Team 22 and Gait influence in Under Armour now, but I could see them making strides in the industry with efforts like this one.

Stringing… +7.5

While there are plenty of holes along the sidewall, as you will notice in the picture below, they are kind of paired as you get further down the stick. While it didn’t majorly inconvenience me, there were a few times I would have rather moved the sidewall up or down a little bit into the space is where there aren’t any holes.

Again not a huge inconvenience, but in a world of total customization, it’s the little things that can make a difference. On the plus side though, the design and structure of the scoop actually works to protect the top lace from wear, which on grass might not be a huge issue, but indoors is really nice to have.

I strung this one up with the Lax Pro Stringer, so that definitely helped in how well the pocket turned out, but I would say this stick is meant for a mid, maybe a mid-high pocket.

The Charge Head by Under Armour Lacrosse

Stiffness… +7.5

Where the sidewall structure might remind me of an X2 and other really stiff defensive heads, the stiffness does not. By no means is this head flimsy, it isn’t nearly as stiff as the X2. To me, this basically means that instead of a defensive only head, now I could see myself using it as a midfielder. I took a lot of face-offs with it and each time the head bounced back to its normal shape. I really like heads like this that don’t have a natural pinch to it (looking at you Proton family). Even after repeated bends, it should return to its normal shape. So far, so good.

I feel like the rest of this ties into durability so that’s move on.

The Charge Head by Under Armour Lacrosse

Durability… +7.5

For 4.7 ounces, this head has the opportunity to get a 10 and then some. The only reason I’m even docking it 2.5 here is because of the time frame I was able to test it out in. I feel confident in saying that it would last a long time in play, but as I’ve come to find out, I’m not nearly as rough on my heads as some people, so the jury is out.

Nonetheless, I feel a little sadness parting with this because I would LOVE to continue playing with this throughout the year. I tend to play both ways a lot and I feel this is always a great judge in seeing the full durability of equipment. You are able to see how well it can both take and give checks, as well as the more specific points of performance per each position. Offensively, the shape of the ball helps to hold the ball nice and low. Defensively, it can give checks like and scoop up gb’s like no one’s business.

I will say that I’m not a huge fan of the throat of the stick, more so the connection to the shaft than anything else. The top and bottom of the shaft are well covered by the head, but it cuts back up to the throat on either side, leaving it open to wobble a little or even possibly break if enough pressure was put on it.

Charge head by Under Armour Lacrosse

Value… +10.0

Ringing in at $79.99, I wish I could give it more points. This is a great price point for Under Armour to not only enter the market (used lightly), it is a great price to gain a great amount of loyalty by a lot of people interested in trying out some new equipment. If you are looking into getting a new stick, I would definitely recommend checking the Under Armour Charge out.

The Charge Head by Under Armour Lacrosse

Overall… +8.2/10

Under Armour’s “2nd effort” in the lacrosse world is making out to be a great one. Unfortunately for me, I have to give this head away, fortunately for you all, one of you gets to receive it for free. I’d dance around in a white body suit if it meant winning this thing, would you?

I’ll give you a little sneak peek at the next Under Armour we will be checking out and giving away, but it is also a solid showing. Meet the Nitric U head by Under Armour Lacrosse…

Nitric U Head by Under Armour Lacrosse

Got some gear you wish we would review? Hit us up and let us know what you think we should review next.