Stiffness and flexibility are inherently related to each other.
Stiffness in more technical terms is called Modulus of Elasticity, which essentially determines the solid feel of your lax shaft.
Lower stiffness creates higher flexibility, and vice versa.
A high stiffness creates more powerful checks while high flexibility creates more impact absorption to keep the ball in your stick when checked and is correlated with added whip on shots and long passes.
Ziricote is the wood for any lacrosse player who wants a ton of flex and a lightweight shaft, but still isn't willing to compromise strength.
It's flexibility is exceptionally high with a Modulus of Elasticity of 1585 kpsi, making it perfect for absorbing vibrations from opponent's stick checks to keep the ball in your stick, increasing torque on high velocity shots and far passes, and dealing out killer wrap checks when needed.
For most woods, a Modulus of Elasticity as low as Ziricote's would mean it has a lot of flex but very little strength. ——— This is absolutely not true!
Even though Ziricote has the most flex out of both Tomahawk shafts and other common woods I compare against, it still has a very high bending strength of 16,400 psi that allows it to maintain structural integrity while flexing.
This is precisely the reason it is used for archery bows; it can take a lot of force and flexes excellently.
This creates a strong wood shaft with a very flexible yet solid feel that is great for experienced lacrosse players looking to enhance their skills and perfect their game with a shaft that is unlike any other in the market.
Overall, Tomahawk lax shafts are significantly stronger than most other woods, so each wood's exceptional flexibility and checking strength are what creates different "feels" when you wind up for a stick check, take a fast shot, and throw a long pass.
Below are the same woods in terms of stiffness/flexibility.
For information on flexibility, see the Compare Shafts page or the Flex Testing page for more details.
Modulus of Elasticity (psi) --- Flexibility vs. Stiffness
Every stick I supply is made with wood superior to most/all other wood sticks in the marketplace in regards to hardness, durability, and whip, which are key to success on the playing field.
Because of this, part of the decision process in choosing one of my sticks over the others may have to do more with its appearance than slight differences in functionality.
Let's face it, every player on the field wants to let out his inner lax bro a bit. What's cooler and more intimidating than walking on the field with the exotic grain structure of a Belizean hardwood shaft?
The Ziricote lax shafts have a one of a kind, webbed, marbled grain that is often compared to rolling clouds or waves.
The wood shines beautifully with its natural luster, which speaks to why the wood is used primarily for fine art.
But don't let that fool you, Ziricote is also prized for its incredible strength and extreme flexibility, making some of the best archery bows in the world.
It is in the same ballpark as Granadillo and Mayan Cherry for durability when considering the combination of high flex and shock absorption with a good bending strength.
The most important aspect of the shaft is the type of wood it's made with.
Ziricote is an extremely strong wood from Belize; in fact, it's one of the strongest out there.
Ziricote has a Janka hardness of 1970 lbf, which to most people doesn't mean much.
The Janka scale measures the wood's resistance to indentation and overall "hardness".
This isn’t a measure of durability in terms of snapped shafts, it’s a resistance to dents, but there is correlation.
In comparison, here are other woods you may have heard of:
Janka Hardness (lbs) --- Dent Resistance
While Ziricote is Tomahawk Lacrosse's least "hard" wood, its competing with a tough crowd.
Ziricote is still harder than any other wood used for lacrosse sticks on the market and is definitely harder than metal shafts on the market, which is important in the game when you want to lay a hard check into your opponents and walk away with a dent-free shaft.
Wood varies a lot in weight from tree to tree, so no shaft is the exact same in weight.
In fact, each shaft is unique in several ways, making your shaft different from all others.
These lax shafts average around 1 lb 6 ounces, (2x the Ziricote attack shafts).
While some lax players are drawn to lighter titanium or scandium alloy shafts, they are much more expensive and considerably weaker for a difference in only a few ounces! The wood's extra ounces of partially rotational weight are utterly unnoticeable even to the smallest 85 lb member of the lacrosse team and will not pose a problem on the field.
However, that extra weight will allow you to create SIGNIFICANTLY harder checks to your opponents, making you the most feared member of your team.
Although maybe not its most important feature, a wood lax shaft won't get cold as fast as a metal shaft would.
This means that when you're playing a game on a cold day, you hands will stay warmer than everyone else on your team.
Because each brand of lax heads is different, I do not drill a hole at the top of the shaft.
If you buy a shaft, you will have to drill a pilot hole that is slightly smaller than your screw, so that the screw will go in easily when you put on your head.
If I were to pre-drill a hole, it could be in the wrong place, which will make the shaft useless to you.
Drilling a hole is very easy, and will ensure that you don't compromise the shaft's structural integrity.
Also be sure to add a butt end to the bottom of the shaft.
