At LAX World, a specialty lacrosse chain with 12 locations in Maryland and four other states, STX is one of the sport's big three brands, said Jerry Scott, LAX World general manager.
"All three are pretty popular, but locally STX has a better market share than any other brands in our stores," he said. "It's the most popular lacrosse head in the market."
The latest STX sticks bear little resemblance to the company's earliest products. Designs and materials have evolved since Tucker revolutionized a stick that had been made entirely of wood for centuries.
After he graduated from Hopkins and joined Wm T. Burnett, his family's business, Tucker began experimenting with synthetic lacrosse heads during the 1960s
In 1970, he got a patent for the synthetic lacrosse stick and founded STX. The plastic stick caught on with athletes so fast that by the 1971 NCAA Lacrosse Championship, every goal scored was done so with an STX head. STX introduced the first aluminum handle in 1973 and the first mesh pocket in 1974.
The company now holds more than 100 patents and has branched into other sports. STX debuted its first putter in 1980 and its first field hockey stick in 1993. Patents include one for an interchangeable golf putter face insert and one for a "vibration dampening" field hockey stick.
Tucker, now chairman of Wm T. Burnett, still works in the STX office and encourages employees to stick to his founding vision.
"It was his vision," Gogan said, "that every kid in America should be playing lacrosse."
lorraine.mirabella@baltsun.com
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