Developing a new sports product is always a gamble into the unknown. With lacrosse sticks, this is doubly true – the final shape of the head fundamentally affects its playing characteristics, and once an injection mould is made, there is no going back. That is precisely why the team behind the Czech brand The Good Stick Co. decided to take a different path and make the most of the possibilities of rapid prototyping.
Thirty prototypes are still cheaper than one bad mould
„The mould for producing a single lacrosse head costs around 2.5 million crowns,“ explains Petr, co-founder of The Good Stick Co. However, such an investment is not worthwhile unless the result is perfect.
Instead of expensive final production runs, about thirty prototypes were created. Each differed from the previous one in some way—in shape, width, angles, or the placement of reinforcements. The team gradually tested various options and gathered feedback directly from the players.
„Robert printed everything at home, we tried various materials and switched to resin as we got closer to the final shape,“ Petr describes.
Right here is where one of the greatest advantages of 3D printing becomes apparent. Instead of taking the risk of an expensive and difficult-to-modify mould, it is possible to quickly verify, alter and re-test ideas. Furthermore, each subsequent iteration costs only a fraction of the price compared to producing a new tool.
A Czech product, created step by step
The final form, which is used for production today, was created only after months of testing, modifications and dozens of printed prototypes.
„Looking back at it, without 3D printing we would never have created a product that we would be satisfied with. Every test moved us a step closer to something that makes sense not only on the pitch, but also for the community, says Petr.
Furthermore, The Good Stick Co. relies on maximum local production. The moulds are created in Liberec, the aluminium handles come from Pardubice, the cords are manufactured in Vrbno pod Pradědem, and the end caps for the handles are supplied by a company from Ústí nad Labem. The company's headquarters can then be found in Radotín, Prague, where lacrosse has a long tradition and a strong community.
The story of The Good Stick Co. beautifully demonstrates that 3D printing is not just a tool for prototyping, but above all a way to significantly reduce risk when developing new products. Thanks to rapid prototyping, even small teams can develop products that would have required multi-million pound investments just a few years ago.
And if you are interested in lacrosse, check out the website The Good Stick Co. or lakros.cz and try out this sport for yourself.
