In order to effectively adjust your polocrosse racquet net, it is important that you understand the mechanics of the polocrosse racquet, particularly the net.  Being quite complex in its manufacture, the polocrosse net is made from one single length of string some 10 metres long tied into an intricate series of knots that form the crucial components of any good polocrosse net.

The Pocket is the seat at the bottom of the net that holds the ball firmly in your racquet once you have gained possession.

The Ramp is the front of the net that serves as a ball chute and is responsible for both channelling the ball down into the pocket when catching and, more importantly, when you go to throw the ball it is the ramp that accepts the ball from the safety of the pocket and delivers it to the front of the racquet in order to execute a throw.

Understanding these two components of the polocrosse net allows you to understand the mechanics of the racquet.  When the racquet is carrying the ball, the ball resides in the pocket as shown in diagram A.  As the racquet is drawn back to throw, the ball moves out of the pocket and onto the ramp (B) and finally as the throw is executed the ball, under the force of the throwing action, is propelled down the ramp and out of the head of the racquet (C).

So in order for your racquet to perform optimally, it is critical that both the pocket and the ramp are adjusted correctly.

Fast or Slow

You may have heard a number of terms when people talk about how they like their racquets set, including 'shallow', 'fast', 'deep', 'slow', 'hooky', etc.  For the purpose of this guide, we will use the terms 'Fast' (meaning the ball comes out of the racquet easily when throwing) and 'Slow' (meaning the ball often gets stuck when throwing or takes substantial wrist action to throw).

Ideally everybody would like the perfect racquet that holds onto the ball whenever you are carrying it and throws the ball quickly and easily when you want to get rid of it.  Ideally, this guide will allow you to adjust your own racquet to achieve this happy medium.

FAST As you will see in the diagram at top left, the black line marks the path out of the racquet that the ball will take down the ramp.  The ramp in this instance is rather steep and as such the second diagram at left shows how the racquet only need be tipped 45 degrees before the ball can roll onto the Ramp and out of the racquet.

SLOW Alternatively the slow net pictured at right shows how if the ball follows the path of the black line out of the ramp, the racquet must almost be at the vertical point to release the ball.

This is the most common area of net adjustment - by simply adjusting the steepness of the ramp you can usually tailor any brand of racquet to throw as fast or as slow as you would like.

Fast Racquet In Carrying Position	Slow Racquet In Carrying Position
Fast Racquet In Throwing Position	Slow Racquet In Throwing Position

How To Make The Adjustments

To Make the Racquet FASTER, loosen the knot identified by the red circle
slide knot up string A. Whilst performing this adjustment it is important to ensure strings X & Y remain the same length. By doing this you effectively pull the top of the ramp back to the back of the net, making it steeper and ensuring the ball runs out of the ramp easily.

To Make the Racquet SLOWER, loosen the knot identified by the red circle
slide knot down string B. Whilst performing this adjustment, it is important to ensure strings X & Y remain the same length. By doing this you effectively loosen the top of the ramp towards the front of the racquet making it not as steep and allowing the ball to remain in the net pocket for longer.

NOTE: although the adjuster knots are shown in our diagrams as being on one side of the racquet head, they are positioned on both sides of the racquet and must both be adjusted equally whenever making net changes.

Traps For New Players

Keeping The Ramp Smooth
It is important that the ramp for dispensing the Polocrosse ball is kept smooth.  In certain cases, you may find that the ball is becoming hooked up in the racquet's own net.  Typically this is caused by the ramp being uneven and the ball, as it rolls, picking up net instead of rolling over it.

The diagram at left shows how a racquet with an uneven net would cause difficulty. The ball ramp shows where the unevenness would be in such a racquet and how the ball could pick up the net on its way out of the racquet.

To Make the net even, loosen the knot identified by the blue circle
slide knot up or down string B to allow the ramp to flatten out.  Whilst performing this adjustment, it is important to ensure strings X & Y remain the same length.