StringKing Metal 2 Goalie Shaft Review

Lacrosse goalie shafts sure have come a long way since I first stepped into the cage.

In today’s game a goalie can attach a shaft that is extremely light and makes his or her whole stick setup feel quick and nimble. Light years better than the aluminum bricks that used to accompany our lacrosse goalie heads.

This week we’re going to a do a full review of the StringKing Metal 2 goalie shaft. We’ll take a look at features such as grip, weight, comfort, design, and price.

StringKing Metal 2 Weight

A key component for lacrosse goalie’s save making ability is quick hands.

While a few factors go into having quick hands, I always felt that the lighter my shaft, the lighter my overall stick setup and the quicker my hands would be to attack a shot.

When other goalies where opting for longer shaft lengths, I always choose an attack shaft specifically to minimize the weight in my hands.

All I can say is I wish I had this StringKing Metal 2 back in college. It’s insanely light.

The StringKing Metal 2 comes in two forms, one version weighing 142 grams and the other at 162 grams. They’re called the 142 and the 162 models and I’ll let you guess why.

With the 142 model you’re obviously getting a lighter shaft but a little less durable one. 162 is heavier and more durable.

Here’s what StringKing’s website says about the shafts:

Different goalies play with different styles. Some guys want the lightest lacrosse shaft possible to get the quickest hands they can get. But a goalie who takes the ball upfield might need something heavier and stronger to withstand all those slashes. Two weight options means you can choose the one that works best for your game.

It’s true different goalies play with different styles but even those who like to leave the crease typically don’t take punishing shaft checks the way attack, middies, and defense do so I wouldn’t worry about that.

I like to carry the ball outside the crease and I can’t remember a single time in my career when my shaft got checked really hard. Or maybe that was because I was so elusive…booom! See what I did there?

Anyways, one element of durability to mention does come from hitting the pipe to check your arc position. It’s a bad lacrosse goalie habit that I encourage keepers to eventually break however while you are checking posts you can eventually do some damage to the shaft.

As noted on my very old STX C405 shaft:

Ultimately the difference in weight comes down to preference. But I don’t know of any goalies who prefer the heavier shaft. If you’re one who likes heavier and more durable, leave a comment.

As I mentioned, I personally used the 142-gram version, and I am so impressed in the way the distribution of weight is perfected. It is without a doubt one of the lightest shaft on the market. All praise the (String)king.

I have zero complaints in the weight department and with the way it operates as well, I can’t find anything wrong with it.

StringKing Metal 2 Grip

Different lacrosse goalie shafts have different grips.

For us goalies, we want the shaft to have a strong grip so our hand position doesn’t slide when making contact with a shot during the save.

The StringKing Metal 2 doesn’t have the best grip I’ve ever felt. It’s a little slick for my liking. That said, it’s not bad as almost never shifted in hands during saves.

Compared to some of the other top goalie shafts on the market, such as the Warrior Evo diamond shaft, it doesn’t have quite the same level of grip, but was pretty close.

When you compare the StringKing Metal 2 to other goalie shafts that have the same price point, the Metal 2 has exceptional grip!

Overall, really no complaints in this department, just not the strongest available.

StringKing Metal 2 Design

If you like goalie shafts that don’t have much detail but have a clean finish, then you’ll love the StringKing Metal 2.

The company went with a clean finish with the logos embedded very discretely on the sides of the shaft.

It comes in 3 colors – nickel, black, and silver. I personally tried out the nickel version.

Some might argue that it doesn’t have enough design on it as other shafts do, but if you prefer solid finishes that look professional and clean, then this shaft looks amazing.

It all boils down to preference at the end of the day, and I personally love the clean look of the StringKing Metal 2 goalie shaft.

Comfort

Few shafts give issues in terms of comfortability, and the Metal 2 is not one of them.

I felt instantly comfortable as soon as I got between the pipes, easily navigating the shaft to each shot. Cradling with the StringKing Metal 2 goalie shaft attached to my head also felt very smooth.

My hand positioning felt natural immediately, and I never felt my hands getting tied up, which can be an issue with some shafts depending on the weight and/or feel.

The Metal 2 does have the normal hexagon shape. I never thought I’d have to mention that but then I ordered an STX Eclipse 2 goalie head which came with the STX Outlet that has a curved back which takes time to get used to.

No matter what level of play you are currently at, the StringKing Metal 2 should easily be comfortable in your hands from the moment you make the first save with it.

Also, it should be noted that the shaft is not too difficult to shorten if you want to play with a custom length.

Overall, I’d say the StringKing Metal 2 is one of the most comfortable shafts on the market, especially with its weight, its ideal for practically any goalie of any level.

Durability

Durability is a key factor with lacrosse goalie shafts. The last thing a parent wants to do is replace an expensive shaft because it broke.

Put it this way, buy the right goalie shaft and you might not ever have to buy another shaft in your life.

As mentioned earlier, the StringKing Metal 2 goalie shaft comes in a more durable version, at the expense of 20 grams more weight and 20 dollars more expensive.

However, personally I believe the 142-gram holds up well. Shots hardly did anything to the shaft, keeping its shape almost flawlessly.

I purposely had a defender check the shaft to see how it held up there was just a small scrape (seen in photo above), nothing major. With the Metal 2 142 version being so lightweight, I had figured a few good checks would make a dent, but the Metal 2 held up.

I also checked the post pretty hard and same thing. Props to StringKing for finding the balance between weight and strength in this shaft, and really no complaints.

If you’re super worried about durability, go with the 162 model but be warned you’ll be sacrificing quickness. In my short time playing with the 142 I’ve found the durability to be more than sufficient.

StringKing also includes a 6 month durability guarantee where if its breaks or deforms in the 1st 6 months, they’ll replace it for free.

StringKing Metal 2 Price

In the last piece of this StringKing Metal 2 review let’s discuss price.

The shaft is listed at $109.99 for the 142 gram version, and $129.99 for the 162 gram version.

You can pick it up online at LacrosseMoney.com or StringKing.com.

I think this is a good price point for such a high-quality shaft.

One of the best goalie shafts I’ve ever tried is the Warrior Evo Pro Diamond goalie shaft, and that retails at $159.99.

Other than the finish on the shafts, StringKing’s metal 2 holds up to it in pretty much every aspect compared to the Warrior Evo. It even outperforms it in weight as the Metal 2 much lighter.

All that for a price of $50 less. Use that extra 50 spot for other lacrosse goalie gear.

So the price point is in the middle in general when it comes to lacrosse goalie shafts but it’s inexpensive for the quality you’ll be receiving.

Video Review

My friend Patrick put together a good video review of the shaft. Check it out:

Conclusion

To recap, the StringKing Metal 2 goalie shaft is in my opinion, is one of the most lightweight and comfortable shafts on the market. The only downside I felt was threatening it was its finish on the metal, not allowing for a top-notch grip.

However, even then, the grip really wasn’t too much of an issue, or constant problem. I loved the way my hands felt on it, and throwing outlets was smooth and consistent.

The durability also was amazing, not bending a bit on some heavy checks. This is important if you want the StringKing Metal 2 to be the last goalie shaft you ever purchase.

Overall, I think this shaft should fit any goalie on any level of play.

You can pickup the StringKing Metal 2 on LacrossMonkey.com:

• StringKing Metal 2 162 for $129.99
• StringKing Metal 2 142 for $109.99

Until next time! Coach Damon

Anyone out there used this shaft? Anything I missed in this StringKing Metal 2 goalie shaft review? Leave me a comment down below.