Lacrosse Head With Enhanced Sweet Spot

Abstract

Embodiments provide a lacrosse head having a stop member, a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a transverse wall. The stop member may be configured to receive a handle defining a horizontal centerline. The first and second sidewall may extend from the stop member in a forward direction, with the transverse wall connecting the first and second sidewalls opposite to the stop member. When viewed from a side view, a lower sidewall rail of the first sidewall may descend at a first angle, relative to the horizontal centerline, from a first rearward end portion adjacent to the stop member to a second forward end portion at a transition point of the first sidewall, and the first rearward end portion may be raised relative to a lowermost point of the stop member, such that the stop member is offset downwardly from the first rearward end portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lacrosse head comprising:
 a stop member configured to receive a handle, a majority length of the handle defining a horizontal centerline;   a first sidewall extending from the stop member in a forward direction;   a second sidewall extending from the stop member in the forward direction;   a transverse wall connecting the first sidewall and the second sidewall opposite to the stop member,   wherein the first sidewall has a lower sidewall rail, and   wherein when viewed from a side view:
 the lower sidewall rail descends at a first angle, relative to the horizontal centerline, from a first rearward end portion adjacent to the stop member to a second forward end portion at a transition point of the first sidewall, and 
 the first rearward end portion is raised relative to a lowermost point of the stop member, such that the stop member is offset downwardly from the first rearward end portion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The lacrosse head of  claim 1 , wherein when viewed from the side view, the lower sidewall rail extends generally linearly from the first rearward end portion to the second forward end portion. 
     
     
         3 . The lacrosse head of  claim 2 , wherein the lowermost point of the stop member and the transition point of the first sidewall are disposed generally on a horizontal plane that is generally parallel to the horizontal centerline. 
     
     
         4 . The lacrosse head of  claim 2 , wherein the transition point of the first sidewall is disposed lower than the lowermost point of the stop member. 
     
     
         5 . The lacrosse head of  claim 1 , wherein the first sidewall has an upper sidewall rail that, when viewed from the side view, descends at a second angle, relative to the horizontal centerline, from a third rearward end portion adjacent to the stop member to a fourth forward end portion at the transition point of the first sidewall. 
     
     
         6 . The lacrosse head of  claim 5 , wherein the second angle is generally parallel to the first angle. 
     
     
         7 . The lacrosse head of  claim 5 , wherein the first angle and the second angle are each within a range of about 3 degrees to about 15 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The lacrosse head of  claim 7 , wherein the first angle is about 5.5 degrees and the second angle is about 9 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The lacrosse head of  claim 8 , wherein at the transition point the lower sidewall rail turns upward at an angle of about 136 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The lacrosse head of  claim 9 , wherein at the transition point the upper sidewall rail turns upward at an angle of about 136 degrees. 
     
     
         11 . The lacrosse head of  claim 5 , wherein a ratio of the second angle to the first angle is within a range of about 1:1 to about 5:1. 
     
     
         12 . The lacrosse head of  claim 5 , wherein when viewed from the side view, a vertical distance between the lower sidewall rail and the upper sidewall rail is within a range of about 30 mm to about 38 mm, measured at a horizontal distance of about 34 mm in a forward direction from a rearwardmost point of an upper edge of the stop member. 
     
     
         13 . The lacrosse head of  claim 1 , wherein the lower sidewall rail defines a string hole nearest the stop member, wherein the stop member defines a thong hole nearest the string hole, and wherein a bottom of the string hole is raised a distance above a top of the thong hole. 
     
     
         14 . The lacrosse head of  claim 13 , wherein the distance is within a range of about 0 mm to about 20 mm. 
     
     
         15 . A lacrosse head comprising:
 a stop member configured to receive a handle, a majority length of the handle defining a horizontal centerline;   a first sidewall extending from the stop member in a forward direction;   a second sidewall extending from the stop member in the forward direction;   a transverse wall connecting the first sidewall and the second sidewall opposite to the stop member,   wherein the first sidewall has a lower sidewall rail, and   wherein when viewed from a side view:
 a descending portion of the lower sidewall rail descends generally linearly at a first angle, relative to the horizontal centerline, from a first rearward end portion adjacent to the stop member to a second forward end portion at a transition point of the first sidewall, 
 an ascending portion of the lower sidewall rail ascends generally linearly at a second angle, relative to the horizontal centerline, from a first rearward end portion at the transition point to a second forward end portion adjacent to the transverse wall, 
 wherein the lower sidewall rail descending portion and the lower sidewall rail ascending portion define a lower sidewall rail transition angle at which the lower sidewall rail ascending portion turns upward at the transition point, and 
 wherein the lower sidewall rail transition angle is less than 140 degrees. 
   
     
     
         16 . The lacrosse head of  claim 15 , wherein the first angle is about 6 degrees, the second angle is about 38 degrees, and the lower sidewall rail transition angle is about 136 degrees. 
     
     
         17 . The lacrosse head of  claim 15 , wherein the first sidewall has an upper sidewall rail, and
 wherein when viewed from the side view:
 a descending portion of the upper sidewall rail descends generally linearly at a third angle, relative to the horizontal centerline, from an upper sidewall rail first rearward end portion adjacent to the stop member to an upper sidewall rail second forward end portion at the transition point of the first sidewall, 
 an ascending portion of the upper sidewall rail ascends generally linearly at a fourth angle, relative to the horizontal centerline, from an upper sidewall rail first rearward end portion at the transition point to an upper sidewall rail second forward end portion adjacent to the transverse wall, 
 wherein the upper sidewall rail descending portion and the upper sidewall rail ascending portion define an upper sidewall rail transition angle at which the upper sidewall rail ascending portion turns upward at the transition point, and 
 wherein the upper sidewall rail transition angle is less than 140 degrees. 
   
     
     
         18 . The lacrosse head of  claim 17 , wherein the third angle is about 9 degrees, the fourth angle is about 35 degrees, and the lower sidewall rail transition angle is about 136 degrees. 
     
     
         19 . The lacrosse head of  claim 17 , wherein a ratio of the third angle to the first angle is within a range of about 1:1 to about 5:1 
     
     
         20 . The lacrosse head of  claim 15 , wherein the first rearward end portion of the lower sidewall rail descending portion is raised relative to a lowermost point of the stop member, such that the stop member is offset downwardly from the first rearward end portion of the lower sidewall rail descending portion. 
     
     
         21 . A lacrosse head comprising:
 a stop member configured to receive a handle, a majority length of the handle defining a horizontal centerline;   a first sidewall extending from the stop member in a forward direction;   a second sidewall extending from the stop member in the forward direction;   a transverse wall connecting the first sidewall and the second sidewall opposite to the stop member,   wherein the first sidewall has a lower sidewall rail and an upper sidewall rail, and   wherein when viewed from a side view:
 the lower sidewall rail and the upper sidewall rail extend generally linearly, and approximately parallel to each other, along a descending portion of the first sidewall, 
 the lower sidewall rail descends along the descending portion of the first sidewall at a first angle, relative to the horizontal centerline, from a first rearward end portion adjacent to the stop member to a second forward end portion at a transition point of the first sidewall, 
 the first rearward end portion is raised relative to a lowermost point of the stop member, such that the stop member is offset downwardly from the first rearward end portion, and 
 the first angle is within a range of about 3 degrees to about 15 degrees.