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Gear Review: Recon XL Head by Gait Lacrosse

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Company: Gait Lacrosse / Product: Recon XL HeadPrice: $85

Editor’s Note: Please welcome Dan Bargholz to Lacrosse All Stars and Sweet Sweet Lax! Dan will be helping us review some of the newest and freshest gear throughout 2013.  Check out his first Gear Review here.

Before I get started, it is important for you to know that I have never been much of a person to try out new stuff. I have used three different heads since I started playing lacrosse in HS: the Warrior Blade, the EVO, and the Brine Clutch. I am now a few years removed from college but luckily still get to play lacrosse every week. I was recently asked to try out this head and write a review. So, here I am.

Gait Recon XL Lacrosse Head

Appearance… +10.0

Looking at head I like it. It has a very simple sidewall design, nothing too crazy. It is offset slightly and is not too wide, as you would expect from a NFHS only head. The sidewalls look pretty beefy like it will hold up to a beating. The scoop is not too
wide or too narrow and provided for easy ground ball pickup.

Gait Recon XL Lacrosse Head

My main gripe with this head was that it didn’t fit on my Gait SC55 shaft. I had to drill a new hole. I am not sure if this is on the head or the shaft, but I can say that one of them needs to fix their stuff. I don’t want to be stuck in a game and have my shaft break and not have my head fit right on the next one. Again, not sure who to blame, but I want to blame someone.

Gait Recon XL Lacrosse Head

Stringing… +10.0

I am not a stringing master, I usually use my last head as a guide for how I am going to string my new one. With all of the holes (there is a lot), I decided to try out a new string job. It was super easy to do and to get a nice channel in the pocket. I usually choose a low pocket with a U lace, then a straight lace with a nylon string at the top. This time I went with a wide U then a straight lace with a nylon string across the top. The channel was easy to create and I was using the head the afternoon after stringing it up with no issues at all.

Gait Recon XL Lacrosse Head

Stiffness… +5.0

After one of my first pokes the head bent to the side and developed a slight angle. I had to bend it back into place. It went back with no problems, but I would not want to be stuck in a game having to straighten out my head.

Durability… +2.5

After playing in the first game I was looking over the head for any issues. I only found two. One stringing hole, that I didn’t use, broke and the same one on the other side is showing signs of stress. That worries me that after a few more games some more holes might start to break. The plastic where the holes are is pretty thin, so that could be why it is a tad weak.

Gait Recon XL Lacrosse Head

Value… +5.0

Had those string holes not broken I think it would be a great value at $85, but with it breaking it makes me worry that at the price I would not want to replace it a few times during the season. Beyond that, I am excited to keep using it and to see how it will hold up. With the head’s light weight, and ease of stringing, this could be a good head for a talented young player that wants to string up his own stick.

Gait Recon XL Lacrosse Head

Overall: 6.4/10

My first reaction to the head was a little bit of frustration when I had to drill a new hole in the shaft for it to fit. Why not just make that hole distance universal? After getting over that, I liked it. I was pleased with the appearance, I am not a big fan of some of the newer heads that go all crazy with the sidewall designs. Keep it simple, please. If the head was a little bit stiffer and hadn’t bent on my first poke, I would probably go out and get one more in case this one breaks, so I’d have a backup. All in all, it was a good head and all of the holes should make it easy for a new player to practice some new stringing techniques.