We don't sell directly to the consumer. Instead, we partner with innovative lacrosse companies to develop shaft technologies. We focus on research, testing, prototyping and shaft manufacturing because that's where we excel. Our brand partners are then able to bring these technologies to the consumer. This innovation process starts in our research and testing facility that we lovingly refer to as the Playground.

The standard product testing that is done in the Lacrosse industry is generally a variation of the “Wack” or "Whack" Test which involves a couple of players hitting or “Wacking” sticks. Some do what might be called a “Tree” Test where they try to bend the stick around a tree trunk.  While there are many proponents of these tests and they may claim good results, the problem is that they are difficult to duplicate and are impossible to measure with any sort of accuracy. That is where lab testing is valuable. While it is very difficult to exactly duplicate how a shaft is used in games, lab testing can be measured very accurately and the test can easily be repeated or verified by another lab. That allows us to compare one test and shaft even if they are tested by different people on different days. Once we have a quality product in the lab we can take it to the field.

Tests done at our Labs to assist us in developing our Lacrosse Shafts include:

• Three Point Bend Test: We use a load frame capable of up to 60,000 pounds and the shaft is supported at each end and a load is applied in the center of the shaft. We record the load required to deflect the stick at every 0.1” of deflection until the stick fails. This gives a “Stiffness profile” as well as the maximum strength of the shaft.  For a player, this tells us how “strong” the shaft is and can also relate the above mentioned “Tree Test”. 
• Drop Test: This is an Impact test in which a load is dropped on the stick from a specified height and we repeat the test until the shaft fails. It is a pretty severe test and very impressive to watch.
• “WACK” Test: this is a new test that is just being readied for lacrosse use. It simulates a player hitting another stick during play and is programmed so that we can vary the speed of the impact from about 40 mph to about 85 mph. 
• Tensile Strength Testing: Also known as tension testing, is a fundamental materials science test in which a sample is subjected to uniaxial tension until failure. The results from the test are commonly used to select a material for an application, for quality control, and to predict how a material will react under other types of forces. This test is strictly for raw material quality control to ensure the foundation of the shaft (the material) contains the desired properties.
• Chemical analysis of our materials to verify the quality of our materials and our process.
• Hardness is measured on the Rockwell scale.
• Performance Testing: True Temper has multiple MLL and NLL players, NCAA college teams, recent NCAA All-Americans, and some of the best high school players in the country tagged as the TT Performance Fitting Team.  We host our Performance Test Days 6-8 times a year.  Per our mission, we innovate to provide performance improvement without sacrificing durability.  Once our shafts pass our Lab Tests, we host our performance tests to know if we’re driving performance through the shaft:  shot speed, hand speed, release time, accuracy, the SPIN effect, and many position & player specific characteristics.  We do this with a double blind test in order ensure we are receiving validated and repeatable feedback
• Field Testing: Field testing is the final phase of product development and ultimately determines if a product is successful or not.