Engineering a Faster Lacrosse Shot

The speed at which a lacrosse player launches the ball at the goal is a critical factor in the chances of scoring. So how can Yale’s players in crease the speed of their shots?

In the course Introduction to Engineering, Innovation, and Design (ENAS 118), the student team of Chae Young Lee, David Ewing, Melanie King, and Grayson Wagner set out to answer this. The result is the Laxometer, a practice device that gives instant feedback on a player's shots. It’s the latest in a series of innovations created at the Center for Engineering Innovation & Design (CEID) for Yale's lacrosse team - with some pretty impressive results. 

The Laxometer is a high-tech twist on the traditional fan stick - a practice device that lacrosse players use to build up their shooting speed (similar devices are used in golf and tennis). Fan sticks feature on one end fins that catch the air during movement to create resistance. They’re effective tools, but they don’t offer much in the way of feedback. That’s where the Laxometer comes in. 

With accelerometers and sensors that measure both linear and rotational velocity, it can measure how fast you’re swinging. And even before you take a look at the digital display that tells you your exact speed and other data, you have a good sense of how well you did: Hit your target speed and you bask in the recorded cheers that automatically sound off. Fall below your target speed, and you’re subjected a chorus of boos and jeers.

The Laxometer itself received nothing but cheers, including from Yale’s lacrosse head coach, Andy Shay. “It’s unbelievable what they did - from A to Z, they nailed it,” he said.

And here's the Laxometer in action: