Abstract:
A lacrosse stick for reducing the rebound of a ball caught therein. The head of the lacrosse stick has a socket for receiving the shaft, and incorporates one or a plurality of flexible elastomer pads within or as part of the handle or socket, where the head and handle meet, to damp impact and rebound. The flexibility of the damping pads produces a “give” that minimizes the rebound of a pocket after being impacted by a ball. This pocket dampening limits the movement of the ball and makes the ball easier to control and to retain in the pocket. The precise location of the dampening material on the lacrosse head may be varied to control the degree of pocket “give” in response to, for example, the force on the pocket created by a ball impacting the pocket during a catch or swinging in the pocket during cradling.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/640,358 filed 30 Apr. 2012, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/267,537, which derives priority from U.S. Provisional Application 61/390,339 filed Oct. 6, 2010. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to lacrosse sticks, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for dampening the rebound of a lacrosse stick head pocket after the pocket has had force applied to it by, for example, a caught lacrosse ball. 
     2. Description of the Background 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a conventional molded-head lacrosse stick. As shown, a typical lacrosse stick includes a handle or shaft (dashed lines) and a double-wall synthetic head  10 . Head  10  includes a generally V-shaped frame having two sidewalls  14 A,  14 B joined by a socket  11  at the narrow end of the “V” for receiving and seating the shaft. A transverse wall (or “scoop”)  16  joins the sidewalls  14 A,  14 B at the open end of the “V.” Webbing is woven between the sidewalls  14 A,  14 B, scoop  16  and stop member  18  to form a pocket. The “double-wall” descriptor applied to the head  10  refers to the fact that it has two sidewalls as opposed to the single sidewall found in traditional wooden lacrosse sticks in which the pocket is completed by a woven gut wall in place of a second, solid sidewall. The shaft joins the narrow end of the head  10  and is received in socket  11 , which includes a stop member  18  defined by a closed-ended socket, and an outer throat  12  supported by extensions of the sidewalls. The throat  12  and stop member  18  are integrally joined to form one unitary socket  11 . A screw or other fastener  22  placed through socket  11  secures the head  10  to the shaft. The modern double-wall head  10  is a monolithic structure that is injection-molded from synthetic materials such as nylon, urethane and polycarbonate as known in the art. 
     The head  10  of the lacrosse stick may be strung in one of several ways with a series of strings and/or mesh to form a pocket for catching and throwing the lacrosse ball. Traditionally-strung pockets are required by the rules of the women&#39;s game and have four or five longitudinal leather and/or synthetic thongs, eight to twelve stitches of lateral cross-lacing and no more than two “shooting/throw” strings. To facilitate stringing of the thongs, a series of upper thong holes  32  are provided in transverse wall  16  and paired with corresponding thong holes  34  in stop member  18 . To complete the pocket web, nylon strings are woven around the thongs and laced through string holes  36  in sidewalls  14 A,  14 B and one or more throwing or shooting strings are woven through the thongs extending transversely between the throwing string holes  38  on the upper portions of sidewalls  14 A,  14 B. These are typical features of a lacrosse stick and are shown generally in Tucker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,495; Crawford et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,984; and Tucker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,947, which are each incorporated herein by reference. In order to comply with the rules of the women&#39;s game, the pocket must be strung such that the top of a lacrosse ball (2.5 inches in diameter) placed in the pocket held horizontally extends above the top edge of the side walls  14 A,  14 B. The rules of the men&#39;s game allow traditional stringing but also permit mesh pockets that are significantly deeper and more forgiving. The pocket of a men&#39;s stick must be strung so that the top of a lacrosse ball placed in the pocket extends above the bottom edge of the side walls  14 A,  14 B. 
     Although the synthetic materials used in the construction of the head  10  impart many performance advantages over traditional wooden heads, the synthetic, monolithic double-wall head fails to outperform wooden heads in one critical aspect: pocket “give.” Specifically, whereas traditional unitary single walled wooden and gut sticks deflected under the force of a caught ball, the strength and rigidity of synthetics required for head durability combined with a rigid metal or composite shaft precludes pocket “give”, and more give is desirable to facilitate catching the bouncy, hard rubber lacrosse ball. Because the synthetic heads use substantially rigid materials to provide the structural integrity and durability of the head frame, the thong holes provide little deflection against which the pocket strings can pull or stretch. In other words, the thong holes in a synthetic head do not deaden the tension of the pocket webbing, as occurs, for example, when a lacrosse ball hits the pocket. Similarly, the rigid connection between the head  10  and the unyielding shaft provides no deadening or absorption of the force of the ball. 
     Notably, this pocket “give” is most critical in the women&#39;s game in which shallow pocket depth rules necessitate tightly strung pockets. As a result of the necessary tension, when a lacrosse ball hits the pocket the impact forces are returned to the ball, producing a rebounding or trampoline effect that can propel the ball out of the pocket. This makes it difficult to catch and control thrown balls, particularly balls thrown at high velocity. Indeed, for all but the most skilled players, a lacrosse ball can easily bounce out of a legally strung pocket. In essence, the pocket, strung on a rigid unforgiving frame, can acts like the strings of a tennis racquet to rebound the ball out of the pocket. Although this trampoline effect is more pronounced in the tightly strung women&#39;s lacrosse heads, the desire to absorb the impact of an incoming ball is equally applicable to men&#39;s lacrosse heads. Thus, there remains a need for an apparatus that provides the pocket “give” of a traditional wooden head while maintaining the lightness, durability, and structural integrity of modern synthetic lacrosse heads. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for dampening the rebound of a lacrosse head and pocket after the pocket has had force applied to it by, for example, a thrown lacrosse ball. 
     Unlike the substantially rigid lacrosse head frames of the prior art, which attach pocket thread to unforgiving, rigid structures, the present invention provides a flexible, energy-absorbing elastomer insert within a specially-formed handle that exposes the elastomer insert to the socket (throat and/or stop member) of the head, where the head and handle meet. The material within the handle and abutting the socket throat/stop member dampens the recoil of an otherwise rigid head and handle. The flexibility of the insert material produces a “give” that minimizes the rebound of a pocket after being impacted by a ball. This pocket dampening suppresses movement of the ball and makes the ball easier to control and to retain in the pocket, a basic fundamental of the game. The precise location of the dampening material on the lacrosse head may be varied to control the degree of pocket “give” in response to, for example, the force on the pocket created by a ball impacting the pocket during a catch or swinging in the pocket during quick, side to side rotations of the head, known as cradling, another basic fundamental of the game. 
     The present invention is generally constructed of one or more elastomeric insert(s) seated within the end of a shaft formed with a lower (fastener side) window which exposes the elastomeric insert to the inner wall of the throat  12  (see  FIG. 1 ) and preferably an upper distal cutout to expose the elastomeric insert to the opposite inner wall of throat  12  and to stop member  18 . The upper distal cutout is positioned well within throat  12 , ensuring that the upper rigid inner wall of the end of throat  12  interacts with the rigid shaft when in the throwing position in the same manner as it does in the neutral position, resulting in no “give” when force (e.g. throwing motion) is applied to the head and handle (see,  FIGS. 19, 24 ). 
     Alternate embodiments are herein described in which portions of the socket wall are replaced by one or more elastomeric wall sections, preferably a first portion on the back side of the throat and a second portion on the front side of the stop member, offset from the first portion inwardly toward the pocket. This may be accomplished by molding or cutting windows, cavities or receptacles, or otherwise omitting areas within the socket, and overmolding or insetting the resilient member(s) such that they fill the cavities made in the socket. The resilient member(s) are contoured to fill the areas of omitted socket so as to be flush with the inside surface of the socket. The throat is aligned with the socket such that the shaft passes through the throat when received in the socket. The shaft inserted into the socket firstly engages the resilient insert in the omitted portion on the back side of the socket at the throat, and optionally secondly engages the second resilient insert offset inwardly toward the pocket on the front side of the stop member. When a force is applied to the front side of the head by, for example, a ball entering the pocket, the head leverages about the socket and compresses the first resilient member against the underside of the shaft, while optionally simultaneously compressing the second resilient against the topside of the shaft. This affords a degree of freedom and allows the head to rotate backward about an axis perpendicular to the shaft and thereby dissipate some of the energy of the thrown ball rather than returning that energy to the ball. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and certain modifications thereof when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of a conventional (prior art) molded-head lacrosse stick. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the invention designed for use with a conventional lacrosse head  10  as depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged partial side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side cross-section of the modified shaft  20  for use with the embodiment of  FIGS. 2-3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the modified shaft  20  of  FIGS. 4-6 . 
         FIG. 6  is a longitudinal cross-section view of the modified shaft  20  of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the elastomeric insert  30  for use with the embodiment of  FIGS. 2-3 . 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the elastomeric insert  30  of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is an end view of the elastomeric insert  30  of  FIGS. 7-8 . 
         FIG. 10  is an opposing end view of the elastomeric insert  30  of  FIG. 7-9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the elastomeric insert  30  of  FIGS. 7-10 . 
         FIG. 12  is an opposing perspective view of the elastomeric insert  30  of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a composite cross-sectional view of the shaft and elastomeric insert of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 14  is an end view illustrating the assembled insert  30  in shaft  20 . 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the shoulder screw of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of the anchor plate  50  of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 17  is an end view of the anchor plate  50  of  FIG. 16 . 
         FIG. 18  is a side view of the anchor plate  50  of  FIGS. 16-17 . 
         FIG. 19  is a side view operational diagram of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 20-21  are a perspective view and side cross-section, respectively, of an alternate embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 22-23  are a perspective view and side cross-section, respectively, of another alternate embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 24A  is a partial section view of an embodiment of the invention in the neutral and throwing position. 
         FIG. 24B  is a partial section view of an embodiment of the invention under force of a caught ball. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention is an apparatus and method for dampening the rebound of a lacrosse head after force has been applied to it by, for example, a lacrosse ball entering and striking its pocket. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded rear view and  FIG. 3  is an enlarged side view of an exemplary embodiment of the invention designed for use with a conventional lacrosse head  10  such as, for example, depicted in  FIG. 1 . In this embodiment a lacrosse handle  20  is modified to accept a distal elastomeric insert  30 . The handle  20  with insert  30  in place is then received within the socket  11  of the head  10  as described above. The socket  11  forms a collar about the shaft  20  with walls conforming to those of the shaft  20  (which is typically rounded hexagonal, octagonal, oval or circular cross section or any combination thereof) to secure the shaft within the socket and the head to the shaft. The shaft  20  is inserted into the socket  11  until the end of the shaft abuts the stop member  18  (see  FIGS. 1, 3 ) and is there secured by one or more other suitable fasteners passing through both the wall of the socket  11  and the shaft  20 . In the present embodiment, a specially-configured shoulder screw  40  is inserted through both the wall of the socket  11  and an aperture  123  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 5 ) in the shaft  20  before being secured to an anchor plate (described below) which is embedded in the insert  30 . The aperture  123  is configured in a substantially elongate or oval shape to accommodate the intended movement and non-movement of the lacrosse head as described herein. In other words, the elongate shape enables deflection or movement of the screw in the direction parallel to the length of the shaft  20  when force is applied to the front of the head (e.g., as by catching a thrown ball in the pocket), but locks the screw against the rigid shaft wall to prevent movement when force is applied in the opposite direction (e.g., throwing motion). In addition, the elongate shape prevents the screw from loosening during play by moving in a direction perpendicular to the shaft. Again, the screw is locked out against and bounded by the rigid shaft wall in a direction perpendicular to the shaft. 
     It should be noted that relative terms such as for example “upper,” “lower,” or “top,” “bottom,” are used herein to describe the invention as depicted in the accompanying figures and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context of the usage dictates otherwise, when used in reference to a lacrosse stick or head as a whole the term “front” refers to the side of the lacrosse stick in which a ball is caught and the term “back” refers to the side of the lacrosse stick opposite the “front.” It should also be noted that the figures provided herein generally depict the illustrated lacrosse stick with the pocket side of the head (i.e., the front”) facing downward. It will be apparent to skilled practitioners that the orientation of a lacrosse stick varies dramatically during play and the relative position of the elements of the present invention will similarly vary from those depicted. 
     With reference to  FIG. 3 , the shaft  20  is preferably a hollow, tubular member having walls configured to receive the elastomeric insert  30  and to expose one or more areas of the insert to the inner walls of socket  11  so as to achieve an elastic dampening effect in accordance with the invention. Specifically, the illustrated shaft  20  is formed with an inwardly-offset window that exposes a first portion  30   a  of the elastomer insert  30  to the socket  11  (see  FIG. 3 ), plus a distal cutout that exposes a second portion  30   b  of the elastomer insert  30  (or second elastomeric insert) to socket  11  and to the inner stop member  18  of socket  11 . Thus, with the shaft  20  fully inserted and seated, a lower forward portion  30   b  of the insert  30  engages the lower wall within socket  11 , and an upper rearward portion of the insert  30   a  engages the upper wall of the socket  11  at throat  12 . This way, when force is applied to the head  10  from a moving lacrosse ball, the head  10  pivots at the socket  11 , and the exposed portions  30   a ,  30   b  of the insert  30  serve as cushioned bearing surfaces. 
       FIGS. 4-6  are a side cross-section, top, and end view, respectively, of a modified shaft  20  according to the present invention. A first portion  121  of the shaft wall is omitted to define the upper window and a second portion  122  on the lower distal end of the shaft is omitted to define a lower window. The first portion  121  is diametrically opposite and offset from the second portion  122  longitudinally away from the head  20 . The elongate through-hole  123  is also provided through the shaft  20  in advance of the first portion  121  for passing a screw  40  or other fastening means. The first and second portions of removed material  121 ,  122  define opposing apertures about the central axis of the shaft  20  and are preferably situated on the back and front, respectively, of an assembled lacrosse stick. In the illustrated embodiment, the sidewalls of shaft  20  are generally hexagonal in cross-section, though any cross sectional shape (e.g., rounded hexagonal, octagonal, oval or circular) is possible. As seen in  FIG. 4 , the second omitted portion  122  of the shaft  20  wall essentially eliminates any lower wall on the front side of the shaft  20 , leaving a U-shaped cutout at the lower front, ensuring that socket  11  of throat  12  extends well over removed portion  122  so that the interaction between shaft  20  and throat  12  is not affected by forces applied to throat  12  when head  10  moves in a direction required to propel a lacrosse ball from the pocket. As seen in  FIG. 5 , the first removed portion  121  opens a substantially rectangular window opposite the optionally second removed portion  122  and axially offset therefrom. The opening of removed portion  121  preferably spans the entire width of the shaft from side wall to side wall. 
       FIGS. 7-12  are a top, side, opposing end, and opposing perspective views of the elastomeric insert  30 , respectively. The insert  30  is preferably one or more unitary elastomeric members, more preferably a polyurethane elastomer (TPU), and most preferably a SEBS compound (Styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene). A durometer hardness of from 35-65 A is preferred. A suitable elastomer is commercially available from Shore, Inc.™ in their 55 A hardness SEBS compound. One skilled in the art will understand that other suitable thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers or other suitable elastomeric material may also be used. The insert  30  is preferably molded as an elongate member that substantially conforms to the interior confines of the shaft  20  (here substantially hexagonal). The insert  30  is provided with a first raised surface feature  131  conforming to the omitted first portion  121  of shaft  20  in order to bring insert  30  substantially flush with (or slightly proud of) the outer walls of shaft  20 , and a second raised surface feature  132  that conforms to the omitted portion  122  of the shaft  20 , likewise bringing insert  30  substantially flush with the outer walls of shaft  20  when seated therein. In the illustrated embodiment a rectangular recess  135  is formed in the elastomeric insert  30  proximate the first raised surface feature  131  in which to seat or embed (as by overmolding) an anchor plate as will be described. In this way the screw  40  may be anchored to the insert  30  by threading it into the anchor plate. As seen in  FIG. 8 , the top of the first raised surface feature  131  is formed with a slight top-to-bottom angle to ease endwise insertion of the shaft  20  and insert into the head  10  of the lacrosse stick, a suitable angle being between about 1.25 and 1.5 degrees as shown. As seen in  FIG. 9 , the insert  30  may be molded with lengthwise axially-spaced cavities, channels or grooves  133  which serve to reduce the stiffness of the insert  30  and also reduce its weight. In addition to material characteristics, these internal features  133  provide another means for controlling stiffness of insert  30 . 
       FIG. 13  is a composite cross-sectional view with inset enlargements detailing elements of the invention, and  FIG. 14  is an end view, respectively, illustrating the assembled insert  30  in shaft  20  without the stick head  10  in place. The insert  30  is inserted endwise into shaft  20  as shown, the insert preferably containing the embedded anchor plate  50 , the anchor plate having been inserted or overmolded into the recess  135 . The insert  30  is fully inserted endwise into shaft  20  until the first raised surface feature  131  seats squarely within the first omitted portion  121  of shaft  20 , at which point the second raised surface feature  132 , if included, similarly slides into the second cutout portion  122  of shaft  20 . At this point the surface features  131 ,  132  fully fill the voids  121 ,  122  in shaft  20  and the exposed areas of insert  30  become damping bearing surfaces against pivoting of the shaft  20 . Preferably, the first raised surface feature  131  and window portion  121  extend within a range of from 1-3″ along the central axis of shaft  20 , and most preferably approximately 2″. Preferably, the second raised surface feature  132  extends at least ⅛ inch (3.3 mm) along the central axis of shaft  20  at the edge, within an acceptable range of from about ⅛-1.5″, and most preferably 1″. The first raised surface feature  131 /window portion  121  may be offset from the distal end of the shaft  20  by a distance equal to the length of the optional second raised surface feature  132 . The second raised surface feature  132  operates like a compression zone and the first raised surface feature  131  like a second compression zone when a ball impacts the head  10 . 
       FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the shoulder screw  40  of the present invention and  FIGS. 16-18  are a perspective view, end view, and side view, respectively, of the anchor plate  50  which can be overmolded or otherwise inserted inside insert  30 . Screw  40  is preferably a stainless or composite shoulder screw with machined screw threads, for example, 4-40 UNC 2A thread. Use of a “shoulder screw” (flat tipped) with machine threads as opposed to the standard metal screw allows for the screw  40  to bottom out on or in the anchor plate  50 , thereby providing a positive stop and preventing over-tightening of the screw against the head  10 . When fully inserted the shoulder screw  40  allows room for shifting, as noted above. A thread-lock compound is preferably used to prevent the screw  40  from backing out of the anchor plate  50  due to vibrations experienced by the screw (and entire stick) during play and particularly during stick to stick contact. Note that the shoulder portion of the screw extends through the round hole of the socket  11  of the head  10  and the elongate aperture  123  at the distal end of the aperture before being threaded into and tightened against the anchor plate  50 . When fully tightened into the anchor plate  50  the screw head is held at the surface of the stick head  10  without compressing the stick head  10  against the shaft  20 . In this way the stick head  10  is fixed longitudinally with respect to the shaft while being permitted to rotate with/at the screw  40  and against the compressions zones under force of a caught ball. 
     Anchor plate  50  may comprise an arched rectangular plate  52  preferably having two opposing rearwardly-punched elbows  54  and two side-by-side apertures  56 , which features combine to provide a more secure four-point anchoring of plate  50  when embedded inside the overmolded elastomeric insert  30 . Anchor plate  50  may be painted for better visibility during assembly. 
     In use, when force is applied to the head  10  such as from a thrown lacrosse ball received in the pocket from the front, the head  10  will pivot backwards. This rotation is depicted in  FIG. 19 . The inside socket  11  wall bears directly against the raised surface feature  131  of insert  30  (on the back of the stick, i.e., opposite the direction from which a thrown ball is received) to dampen and dissipate some of the energy of the moving ball. The raised surface feature  131  acts as a compression zone as the shaft  20  pivots within the socket  11 . If utilized, head  10  also engages the second raised surface feature  132 , adding further damping to prevent the ball from rebounding. The effect of the insert  30  is a softer, more forgiving catch of the thrown ball, damping the forces created by the ball entering and striking the pocket. One skilled in the art should understand that the hardness and physical construction of the insert  30  determines the amount of elasticity and thus resistance to rotation of the head  10 . Unlike prior attempts in the art to create pocket “give” by altering the structure of the head  10  (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,916,259 and 7,131,919), the present invention utilizes the interaction of the head and handle and facilitates head  10  movement or flex in only one direction and does not facilitate head movement in the opposite direction. Such opposite direction head movement (e.g. in the throwing direction) would be undesirable to players since it contributes variability and inconsistency to passing and shooting which require considerable accuracy and consistency. 
     A similar effect may be attained using multiple inserts (essentially sub-dividing insert  30 ), and the multiple discrete insert elements may comprise different elastomeric materials having differing hardness or elasticity characteristics to tailor the feel of the stick. Multiple insert elements are considered to be within the scope and spirit of the invention. 
     In alternate embodiments, rotation of the head  10  relative to the shaft  20  under force of a thrown ball can be achieved by elastomeric members incorporated into the walls of socket  11  rather than in shaft  20 .  FIG. 20  is a bottom perspective view and  FIG. 21  is a side cross-section of an alternate embodiment of the invention, which generally includes a lacrosse head  10  defining a pocket  3  and adapted to receive a conventional (unmodified) hollow tubular lacrosse handle  20  or shaft inserted into a modified socket  150  of head  10 . The socket  150  extends from a stop member  118  to a distal outer throat  112  and forms a collar about the shaft  20 . The walls of the socket  150  generally conform to those of the shaft  20  (typically rounded hexagonal, octagonal, oval or circular cross section), although the walls of the socket  150  need not be solid. For purposes of reference, the walls of the socket generally have a bottom  156 , a top  158  and opposing side walls  152 ,  154  (the head  10  being shown in an inverted position). The bottom and top walls  156 ,  158  of the socket  150  are configured to receive one or more resilient insert(s)  151 B,  151 A in order to achieve an elastic dampening effect in accordance with the invention similar to that described above. In the embodiment of  FIGS. 20-21 , a portion  150 B of the bottom wall  156  of the socket  150  is omitted, as is a second portion  150 A of the top wall  158  within the interior of the socket  150 . The second portion  150 A is offset forwardly/inwardly toward the pocket  3  relative to the first portion  150 B. 
     With reference to  FIG. 21 , cross-sectionally, the first portion  150 B of removed material is symmetrically positioned opposite the second portion  150 A relative to a central axis of the socket  150  and includes a sufficient breadth to allow the shaft  20  clearance to pivot within the socket  150 , even beyond the removed area upon maximum anticipated deflection of the head  10  under load of an entering lacrosse ball. In the illustrated embodiment, the side walls  152 ,  154  of socket  150  are substantially flat, parallel, and joined together at the top and bottom walls  156 ,  158 , respectively. The first removed portion  150 B of the socket  150  wall may or may not penetrate the top wall  156  of socket  150 , and in the illustrated embodiment merely forms a recess along the inside surface of the socket  150  at the throat  112  of the socket  150 . Alternately, the first removed portion  150 B may penetrate, leaving the top wall  156  unbounded at the distal end. As can likewise be seen from  FIG. 21 , a second portion  150 A on the bottom wall  158  of the socket  150  is optionally removed, offset from the first portion forwardly/inwardly toward the pocket  3  and proximate stop member  118 . The second omitted portion  150 A similarly may or may not penetrate the bottom wall  158  of the socket  150 , but rather could merely form a recess along the inside surface of the socket  150  bottom wall  158  or alternatively a window. The breadth of the second portion  150 A of removed material preferably spans from the side walls  152 ,  154  of the socket  150 . In certain configurations consistent with the present invention the second portion  150 A of removed material will overlap the first removed portion  150 B longitudinally along the central axis of the socket  150 . 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 21 , an insert  151 A of resilient elastomeric material occupies the second portion of removed material  150 A, essentially forming damping cushion at the bottom bounding wall  158  of socket  11 . The side edges of the insert  151 A may be welded, bonded, inserted, molded or otherwise affixed within the walls of socket  150 . An optional second insert  151 B of resilient elastomer material occupies the first portion of removed material in the top wall  156  of socket  150  at the throat  112 , forming a second damping pad therein. Both inserts  151 A,  151 B are more resilient than the hard-durometer material of the socket  150  walls, and may be formed of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU) as described above or any other suitable elastomeric material. In certain embodiments the performance properties (i.e., hardness, elasticity, etc.) of the first and second inserts  151 A,  151 B may differ from one another. Both inserts  151 A,  151 B directly abut the surface of shaft  20  when the shaft is inserted into the socket  150 . 
     The first insert  151 A of resilient material follows the contour of the bottom wall  158  and spans the unbounded portion of the socket  150 , extending from proximate the outermost extent at throat  112  to the innermost extent of socket  150  at stop member  118 , but not quite filling the void of the first portion of removed material. Preferably, the first insert  151 A extends at least ⅜ inch (10 mm) along the central axis of socket  150 . The surface of the insert  151 A is preferably raised or contoured as shown, and is affixed such that the outside surface of the insert  151 A seats flush with the bottom wall  158  of the socket  150  to maintain a symmetrical aperture in the socket  150  for receiving the shaft  20  as seen in  FIG. 21 . The durometer hardness of the elastomeric material of the insert  151 A can be selected from 20-95 A (ASTM D2240 type A durometer scale) to increase or decrease the relative amount of flexibility and “give” achieved by the overall assembly. A durometer hardness of from 35-50 A is preferred. The insert  151 A may be of solid construction or may have on or more voids or perforations to control (increase) the degree of elasticity and head flex or “give,” as well as to conserve the overall weight of the lacrosse stick. Again, the insert may also comprise multiple discrete elements of differing elastomeric materials having differing hardness or elasticity characteristics to tailor the feel of the stick 
     The optional second insert  151 B of resilient material conforms to the shape of the top wall  156  of socket  150  and seats within the recess formed by the second portion of removed material  150 B in the top wall  156 . The second insert  151 B likewise spans top wall  156  of socket  150 , extending from proximate the innermost extent of socket  150  at stop member  118  out along the shaft  20  to the outermost extent of socket  150  at throat  112 , and again may partially or fully overlap the first insert  151 A. Preferably, the second insert  151 B extends at least ⅛ inch (3.3 mm) along the central axis of socket  150 . The surface of the insert  151 B is likewise contoured to conform to the shaft  20  and is affixed such that the outside surface of the insert  151 B seats flush within the top wall  156  of socket  150  and maintains the symmetry of the aperture in socket  150  for receiving the shaft  20 . The durometer hardness of the elastomeric material of the second insert  151 B may likewise be selected from 20-95 A (ASTM D2240 type A durometer scale) to increase or decrease the relative amount of flexibility, but the second insert  151 B serves merely as a dampening pad and need not “give” to the same extent of the first insert  151 A. Thus, a durometer hardness of from 40-70 A is preferred. The insert  151 B may likewise be of solid construction or may have on or more voids or perforations to control (increase) the degree of damping or “give”, as well as to conserve the overall weight of the lacrosse stick. The insert  151 B may also comprise multiple discrete elements of differing elastomeric materials having differing hardness or elasticity characteristics to tailor the feel of the stick. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 24A, 24B , in use, when force is applied to the head  10  such as from a thrown lacrosse ball received within the pocket  3  from the front, the head  10  will pivot backwards and the inserts  151 A,  151 B operate similar to the embodiment of  FIGS. 2-19 . The effect of the first insert  151 A, and to an even greater degree the cumulative effect of both inserts  151 A,  151 B allow for a softer, more forgiving catch of the thrown ball, damping the force even throughout the most severe impacts as seen in  FIG. 19 . Again, one skilled in the art will understand that the hardness and physical construction of the resilient inserts  151 A,  151 B determines the amount of elasticity and thus resistance to rotation of the head  10 . As noted, a partial effect may be attained using either one of the inserts  151 A,  151 B, and a single insert is considered to be within the scope and spirit of the invention as indicated by  FIG. 24 . 
       FIG. 22  is a back view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 23  is a side cross-section of the embodiment of  FIG. 22 . The embodiment of  FIGS. 22 and 23  is similar in effect to that of  FIGS. 20 and 21 , but inverts the configuration. The first removed portion of the socket wall virtually eliminates any top wall on the back side of the socket  11 , leaving the side walls  152 ,  154  unbounded at the front. In one embodiment, the entire top wall  156  is replaced by insert  151 B, and the second removed portion on the bottom wall  158  of the socket  150  is merely a recess with sufficient clearance to accommodate an insert  151 A. The first insert  151 B of resilient material essentially forms a lower bounding wall and may be welded, bonded, molded or otherwise affixed to the side walls  152 ,  154 . The second insert  151 A of resilient material occupies the clearance along the inside surface of the top wall  158 , forming a damping pad therein. Again, both inserts  151 A,  151 B are more resilient than the walls of the socket  150 , may be formed of suitable elastomeric material, and directly abut the shaft  20  when it is inserted into the socket  11 . This embodiment is likewise dependent on the reaction of both the head and handle to the forces of an entering ball, rather than the head alone, and facilitates head movement or flex in only one direction, preserving the player&#39;s tactile feel of a lacrosse stick when the head and handle move in the opposite direction during passing and shooting. 
     It should now be apparent that the above-described method and apparatus effectively dampens the rebound of a lacrosse ball received in a head  10  pocket particularly one in which the webbing is strung taught according to the rules of the game. Having now fully set forth the preferred embodiment and certain modifications of the concept underlying the present invention, various other embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications of the embodiments herein shown and described will obviously occur to those skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically set forth in the appended claims.