You know lacrosse gear is important, but not all gear is made the same. Your position, style of play, age group and experience level can often determine what gear is best for you.
One of the easiest pieces of equipment to confuse are lacrosse arm guards and pads, and many beginning players may not know the difference. Here are a few keys to these types of protective gear.
Arm Pads
Popular with beginners, arm pads are easily adjustable and should slide on and off the player’s arms with minimal effort while providing protection from poke checks and some collisions. Many defensive players that don’t take the same kind of hits as offensive players favor these as they don’t need the same surface area covered and gain additional mobility in return.
Arm Guards
The key difference between arm pads and guards is how much of the arm they protect. Many Arm guards provide upper arm protection, but bend with the arm as to not interfere with performance. For the offensive players that take checks all day, arm guards are able to cover a lot of surface while still allowing the player to scoop, catch, cradle, pass and shoot.
Elbow Pads
Like with arm pads, for defensive players who don’t require heavy protection, elbow pads offer the basic protection needed but without the need to carry much equipment.
Elbow Guards
Similarly, elbow guards offer superior coverage of a majority of the arm, including the elbows, forearms, and bicep. Aggressive attackers and midfielders are able to fearlessly charge head first into high collision situations knowing their protected.
