The MLL 20th season is now here and now featuring the new Signature Pro S1 lacrosse ball as the official lacrosse ball of the league. With many options to consider for the official ball of the MLL, the Signature Pro S1 lacrosse ball, which has been in development with other top professional leagues for years, was chosen as the official lacrosse ball for its impressive quality and advantages. The use of the Signature Pro S1 as the official lacrosse ball of the MLL marks the 3rd professional lacrosse league to use Signature Premium Lacrosse Balls, and we can't wait for even more lacrosse players to get Signature lacrosse balls in their sticks.
Many lacrosse fans have had questions about the design, features, and performance of the new Signature Pro S1 lacrosse ball, and we're here to help answer any lacrosse ball questions. We also can't wait to once again show why Signature Lacrosse is leading the industry with innovations set to propel the sport of lacrosse. The Pro S1 is our latest development for the advancement of lacrosse. We’re thrilled to have Signature Lacrosse balls being used for the 20th season of the MLL, and getting the Pro S1 out to all of our loyal customers is extremely exciting too.
Pro S1 MLL Official Ball Frequently Asked Questions
Because the Pro S1 is such a radical change from the conventional lacrosse ball, lacrosse players and fans have had a lot of things to be curious about. To help everyone understand exactly why the Pro S1 does what it does and how it does it, we prepared this list of frequently asked questions-
When is the Signature Pro S1 coming out?
Guess what? The Signature Pro S1 is out right now! That's right, the official lacrosse ball of the MLL is on sale right now; and you can get it while supplies lasts. This limited quantity pre-order wont last forever, so if they're sold out, sign up below to get an email when we have more of the Signature Pro S1 in stock.
What’s the difference between the Signature Lacrosse Pro S1 and a regular lacrosse ball?
Regular lacrosse balls can’t even compare to Signature Premium lacrosse balls, and Signature Lacrosse Pro S1’s are a whole different story altogether. A conventional lacrosse ball is perfectly round besides any indentations of logos, while the Signature Lacrosse Pro S1 features an engineered textured surface covered in individual dimples. The idea behind this design was inspired by the science behind a golf ball, and Signature Lacrosse applied this technology into a shape that’s completely original to lacrosse. Aside from the difference in the design, Signature Lacrosse Pro S1 Lacrosse Balls are made in Hyper Yellow; another technology the Signature Lacrosse team was able to take from the millions of dollars invested by another sport - Tennis. And while we "borrowed" the idea of easier visual tracking from tennis, making a lacrosse ball that worked that well was another story.
Aside from the design and color, the weight and chemical composition of the Signature Pro S1 Lacrosse Ball are the exact same as your Signature Premium lacrosse balls and meet the CLA standards. Who knows, you may even start seeing them in other leagues and tournaments around the country.
Why is the Signature Pro S1 color so important?
It's easy to think “lets just make a lacrosse ball that's the color of a tennis ball," which is exactly what our Founder, Dan Soviero asked our talented team at Signature Lacrosse to do, but actually getting our proprietary premium rubber formula to match the pantone of the world's best tennis ball is very tall order. The process took over 3 years of development and over 10 prototypes to get the perfect color that didn't sacrifice the quality that Signature Lacrosse is built upon.
We put so much time into getting the color right for better digital and on-field visibility that we missed out on 2 NLL seasons that could have included the Signature Pro S1. And all that was worth it to see the beauty that is the Pro S1 in Hyper Yellow, possibly one of the most researched and sought after colors in sports.
What’s the difference between the Signature Pro S1 and the NLL Signature Lacrosse prototype?
The only difference between the NLL Signature lacrosse ball prototype that was tested the last 2 seasons and the Signature Pro S1 is the Hyper Yellow color. The actual shape and texture of the Signature Pro S1 is the same as what was used in the previous prototype. And, the current Signature Pro S1, while closer than ever, may not be the final version of the lacrosse ball of the future. We are already working to make an even better version of the official lacrosse ball of the MLL and we'll never stop working.
Is there a difference in weight between the Signature Pro S1 and a regular lacrosse ball?
While one would think that the "extra" dimples could create a heavier or lighter lacrosse ball, depending on the size, Signature Pro S1's are the same weight lacrosse ball as a Signature Premium. This is to keep our lacrosse balls consistent, another quality that we pride ourselves upon here at Signature Lacrosse.
Why does the Signature Pro S1 have more lift then a normal ball?
The Signature Pro S1 lacrosse ball was inspired by the technology behind golf balls, and the use of dimples improves the aerodynamics of the ball reducing drag which decreases pressure and increases lift as the ball moves through the air. With a smooth lacrosse ball the air detaches from the ball as the ball flies through the air which creates a low pressure zone as pictured below. This zone is what causes drag, which acts almost like a vacuum sucking the ball back (drag), slowing it down in the face of the wind.
The Pro S1's rigged design causes the air flow to detach from the ball and then reattach at every crevice, which creates turbulence. Instead of impeding the flight of the ball, these tiny pockets of turbulence allow the closer layer of air to travel more tightly around the lacrosse ball.
A more attached air flow creates a smaller wave of air flow, which creates a smaller low pressure zone and thus less drag. Lift is also increased as a result of Bernuoli’s Principle, which states “as the speed of the airflow is increased the pressure of the air flow on the ball is decreased creating lift.
With less wind resistance, this aerodynamic shape allows the Signature Pro S1 to move over greater distances, at faster speeds, with less effort than a regular lacrosse ball.
Signature Pro S1 Fast Facts
- The sport needs a ball we can identify with. If you draw a basketball, football, volleyball or even baseball (not sure why anyone one would draw this, go Mets!), you immediately know what it is. You draw a lacrosse ball, it’s a circle on a page - no one knows what it is. By having a ball identifiable to the sport, it will increase the macro branding of the sport and grow the visibility of our game!
- Improve control and speed and you get the perfect formula for growth… More goals = more viewership | more viewership = more $’s in the sport | more $’s in the sport = our sport grows! (I never was a big math guy, and this looks like a pretty good formula to me)
- Increase digital visibility which will improve viewership again leading to more growth. And make it easier on the goalies to see the ball since we kind of screwed them on all the other aspects of the new Pro S1 ball.
- Last but not least, there is an opportunity to make the sport safer, as we continue to grow the amount of people playing this great game, and play speed gets faster, players bigger and stronger... injuries will also increase. By lowering the compression deflection of the ball, and requiring a tighter variance, we can reduce the amount of pounds per square inch of force transferred on impact, making the game safer.
- Because progress is what we are all about!