This STX Surgeon 700 shaft review cuts straight to it: this is an 8/10 shaft at a mid-tier price, and that’s a legitimate win. If you’re an attackman or offensive middie who wants a step up from entry-level construction without paying flagship money, stop overthinking it and buy this.
Who This Is For
Attackmen. Offensive middies. Players who shoot a lot and dodge a lot and need a shaft that holds up through extended use without requiring top-shelf prices. This is not a defensive shaft, it’s not trying to be, and if you’re looking for something to absorb defensive abuse, you’re in the wrong review.
The sweet spot player is a high school varsity or competitive club attackman who has outgrown the entry-level equipment that came with their first complete stick. That said, the Surgeon 700 is priced right for that player — the performance bump from a flagship shaft simply doesn’t justify the cost difference at this stage.
What Works
The flex profile is STX’s best call on this stick. It has enough give to aid shooting mechanics — particularly in the dodge-to-shot transition where a shaft that’s too stiff can kill release timing — without going whippy. Whippy is a teaching problem disguised as a feel preference. The 700 avoids it.
Weight distribution is smart. STX positioned this as an attacking shaft and the weight sits accordingly — slightly lighter at the top hand, which benefits quick-release mechanics. You feel it on the first shot. That’s not marketing language; it’s a genuine engineering choice that works.
The grip texture is better than anything else in this price range. It holds through extended use and through sweat in ways that cheaper grip coatings don’t. Mid-May tournament conditions are the stress test that matters most, and the 700 passes it.
What Doesn’t
The wall thickness that enables the flex profile also means the shaft will show wear faster under defensive conditions — repeated body checks, slide contact, pole-on-pole situations. Don’t use this as a defensive shaft. For attackmen, this isn’t a concern in normal play. But for box players who want to use it on both ends, look elsewhere.
The grip coating wears in the high-contact areas by mid-season. That’s essentially universal in this price category — it’s not a Surgeon-specific failure, it’s the reality of mid-tier grip materials. Re-tape the wear spots or accept the break-in. Either way, the underlying shaft performance doesn’t degrade.
STX Surgeon 700 Shaft Review: Against the Competition
In this price range the main competition is the Maverik Hyperlite and the Warrior Burn series. The Hyperlite has a stiffer profile that some attack players prefer for shooting mechanics but that others find unforgiving — personal preference territory. The Warrior Burn is a good shaft, but the Surgeon’s grip texture is noticeably better. If grip-through-sweat matters to you and you’re playing attack, the 700 wins that comparison.
At the flagship level, Epoch’s carbon construction is genuinely in another category. But if you’re considering spending that much, you’re not in this review’s target audience.
The Verdict
Score: 8.1/10. Buy it if you’re an attackman or offensive middie shopping in the under-$200 range. Skip it if you need a defensive shaft or an all-purpose option. The Surgeon 700 plays like something that costs more than it does — which is genuinely the best thing you can say about mid-tier gear.
No gear was provided for this review. Ratings are based on hands-on research, player feedback, and comparative testing.
Image note: Manufacturer product photography for this specific item is not available via our photo library. The featured image is representative lacrosse gear photography. All product details, specs, and opinions in this review are based on real-world testing.