How Fast Does Lacrosse Ball Travel? (Fascinating Data)

Assuming you have only seen it from a third person’s perspective, you would already realize that lacrosse is a very fast-paced sport that requires fast moves and quick reflexes. Of course, the only to realize how fast this game is for you to play it. The reason why this game is so fast-paced is the fact that the lacrosse ball travels so fast. But just how fast does racquetball travel?

The professionals and the top amateurs in lacrosse have an average throw between 90 and 105 mph. Naturally, the number is lower for beginners and lower-level amateurs. Meanwhile, the fastest recorded lacrosse throw traveled over 123 mph.

That being said, the speed of lacrosse balls can be extremely fast. Still, over 100mph shots are generally only made by professional players, and the more common number among the everyday lacrosse players is lower.

To learn more about the lacrosse throw speed ranges and what affects them, stick with me, and I’ll walk you through everything!

How Fast Does Lacrosse Ball Travel?

To fully understand the variations between different levels of play and the speed range of lacrosse throws and balls, we need to examine the numbers and data a little further. To do this, check out the table below.

Level of Play	Lacrosse Throw Speed Range
Junior Lacrosse	60-75 mph (97-121 km/h)
High School Lacrosse	70-85 mph (113-137 km/h)
Collegiate Lacrosse	80-95 mph (129-153 km/h)
Professional Lacrosse	90-105 mph (145-169 km/h)

As you can see, the best lacrosse shooters of a lower level can throw more powerful shots than the worst shooters on a higher level. Also, you should note that these are the common averages, but the speeds can go under or over both extremities.

You should consider that the numbers above are gotten from shooting tests during lacrosse practice and aren’t the actual numbers in a real lacrosse game. It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to monitor each lacrosse shot made during a game, as there aren’t any means to do so yet.

Thus, the shots are obtained using tools such as a velocity speed gun or a shooter radar.

Now, let’s take a closer look at what affects the speed of a lacrosse shot in a player.

What Factors Affect On the Speed of a Lacrosse Shot?

If you think that creating a fast lacrosse shot is a matter of point and shoot, you couldn’t be more mistaken. There are different aspects affecting the throw speed in lacrosse. To fully understand what’s behind the most successful and failed shots, let’s take a more in-depth look.

Player strength

Strength means power, and power means speed. So, the stronger the lacrosse player is, the better chances it has to throw a more powerful and faster shot.

Of course, technique plays a huge part in this, and strength isn’t much good without even a decent technique.

In fact, a person with mastered throwing technique can throw faster than a player that is only physically strong but lacs the proper way of throw.

Still, the player’s strength is one of the main components of the speed of a lacrosse ball.

Player age

Age often correlates with strength, but not always. Still, it’s quite an accurate way of estimating and guessing how fast would a lacrosse player throw from different age groups.

Youth lacrosse is generally played during the ages of 8 to 13, high school lacrosse from 14 to 18, and collegiate lacrosse is often started during 18 to 19. Still, other ages exist as people start college studies at different times.

Professional lacrosse can begin at the age of 18 or higher, although most are college graduates and so on.

As you might guess, age plays a huge role in the speed of a lacrosse throw, and it correlates with player strength and level of play.

Throwing technique

Probably the most important factor in the speed of a lacrosse shot is the technique.

Good throwing technique practices include things such as:

• Body rotation: Real power comes from the body and torso. Therefore, a full range of body rotation motion will create more power and speed on the shot. A stiff body rotation with a lack of movement won’t transfer enough speed on the all.
• Wrist movement: Snapping your wrist on the end of the throwing motion will force the ball out of the mesh pocket much faster, creating a more powerful shot. In addition to the increase in velocity, snapping your wrist can improve accuracy too.
• Whip: When a throw has a high whip, the ball is longer in the mesh bag during the throwing motion, creating a more powerful shot. A low whip means that the ball leaves the stick prematurely, creating a slower velocity.
• Follow-through: The follow-through is the final step of maximizing the speed of a lacrosse shot. This means that the hips, arms, and the whole act should go to the very end of the range of motion to transfer all the energy and power on the ball.

As you can see, the technique includes many areas that need to be perfected to generate a very powerful shot. The most important component of the lacrosse throw technique is body rotation.

Stick length

As you might know, there are short, long, and goalie sticks in lacrosse. They vary in stick length and head sizes. So, what is the most powerful stick in lacrosse?

Generally, shorter sticks can transfer more power on the ball and easier control. For example, if two players with the same physical and skill features would throw a ball, one would use a short stick and one long. In this case, the person holding the short stick would shoot faster.

However, this doesen’t necessarily mean that the ball would fly further. It would only have a faster initial speed, so offensive players wear it in lacrosse.

By the way, lacrosse sticks have many names. I highly encourage you to learn about them to see whether you find some new ones or recognize some classics!

What Is the World’s Fastest Lacrosse Shot?

When looking at the fastest lacrosse shots ever, the numbers vary drastically from the average joe’s shots. That’s pretty much the same in everything in life, as the best players are on a whole different level. So, what is the world’s fastest lacrosse shot?

The fastest lacrosse shot is 127.4 mph (205 kph) thrown by Nick Diegel in 2020 playing for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

You should remember that the throws doesen’t get this fast in real play as there are too many distractions and variables at play. Nick Diegel threw this incredible shot towards a velocity radar. Nonetheless, 127 mph lacrosse shot is beyond impressive, and I doubt anybody will break it anytime soon.

What Is the World’s Longest Lacorsse Throw?

Speed and length are different things, and thus, there are different numbers. A very powerful short shot can be effective because the defense won’t likely get a hold of it, and the offense gets in a great position to goal. This brings up the question, what is the longest lacrosse throw ever?

According to the Guinness World Records, the longest lacrosse shot is 162.86 yds (148.91m) thrown by Barnett Quinn of Ottawa, Canada, in 1892.

Overall, there’s not much information about it as it happened so long ago; however, Guinness World Records is a source I believe we all can trust.

Considering the numbers, that’s one heck of a throw. I challenge you to throw a lacrosse ball as far as possible and see where it lands!