WHAT STICK SHOULD I BUY ?!?!
/No matter how good you are at hockey , we all stood there in front of a stick rack at some hockey store trying to figure out which stick is going to be your next choice of weapon to bring your game to the next level. To add to that choice the prices, be what they are at today we don`t want to make a mistake. So hopefully this article will be able to help you with that choice, cause at LFA we are not just an Adult Hockey League but a BROTHERHOOD, and we want to see our fellow BROTHER succeed.
There is a lot of things to look at when buying a stick , some people believe it`s a marketing scheme to make more money, but let me tell you I have tried it all , from low end sticks (cause growing up money was never always there) to the high end sticks, another thing to look at, which is important is how many times a week you play , if you play once a week then a mid-quality stick would do just fine for you , for me the list goes like this (this can change from player to player) But a good guild line to trust would be.
· How many time a week you play
· What type of player are you
· The length of the stick
· Flex profile
· Lie
· Curve
How many times a weekyou play can help you decide on a stick to buy, for example: If you’re a one time a week player , then buying a stick with elestech technology , will make no sense ( elestech is Bauer’s new technology they put in their sticks to with stand slashes and over flexing the stick , it is a residue which once the stick cracks it feels in the crack to improve the life span of the stick and keep its flex profile)
Now a days sticks are made relatively strong, so to spend the extra 100$ fora stick that you will never push to its limits, will make no difference in your performance, but only help you notbuy another stick for a while, which can still be a good thing to invest in a stick that is made to last. If you are a player who plays 3-4 times a week then a stick with elestech technology is good option for you because it will help you with the life span of the stick. Sometimes a stick does not break, but will lose its flex. (it`s whip, it`s pop) Have you ever bought a stick and when you first tried it, the stick had the best feel ever, the pop on that stick was great, the puck would fly off the blade with zero to no effort, and within time it gets less and less stiff and less pop. Well its cause the stick losses its stiffness after so many uses, the high end sticks have technology to help keep its life span. With that said the choice is yours, a high, mid or low end stick.
What type of player are you , is another factor to think of when you buy a stick, like are you a shooter a playmaker, when you like to take your shots, quick releases, one timers, full load shots, snap shots, slap shots. Today`s game the stick companies make their sticks with that in mind. I will use Bauer as a reference because they have it explained really simple. (I am not getting any kickbacks from them) Every stick company has their different models to fit the player but in Bauer.
· Supreme 1S : is for the players that fully load their stick to take a shot( slap shots )
· Nexus 1N: is made for the player that is in the middle that does not have a preference but play to the situation , it can do both quick releases and full load shots ( snap shots and slap shots )
· Vapor 1X: is made for the quick release players( snap shot )
So once you decide what type of player you are, you can then move forward and make a choice tailor made to your style of play. The next step would be what is your length you prefer your stick. This is an important step because once you cut a stick, you change its profile to what it was on the shelf. The flex point is now not at the same place, but now a little more higher up on the stick because the stick is shorter, and the stick just got more stiff . So always keep this in mind.
You will see in this chart that the more you cut your stick the more stiff it gets , it changes the feel and flex of the stick , this is important to know what stick length you are going to use , so you can then chose the right flex for you from the start.
The next step is the flexprofile you would want. They have different type of stick sizes, Junior, Intermediate, and Senior. With that said a quick guide would be
Ill will tell you a secret , which I am not proud of but it is what it is , because I’m short I cut my stick naturally pretty short. To addI like my sticks more short then the average player, because I like to keep the puck close to me when I play, so I will always be ready to shoot. With trial and error, I use an intermediate 60 flex stick, I cut my stick 4 inches, I get roughly +20 more flex so it then becomes a 80 flex , and the salesman always says I will break it on my first shot because I’m 220 pounds, (another fact I am not proud of) but I only broke one ever since last year and that is because I ran into the boards , and fell on it and broke it lol ( yes go ahead and laugh )
So always consider the amount you will cut your stick.
Next is the lie, having a good lie, is the difference in having a faster release, and the release that is always just 1 second too late, because you will have to adjust your blade to the surface of the ice and the puck every time you shoot, finding how you skate. Weather you’re a player who leans forward or one who skates straight will define the lie you will need. The lie is the angle of the blade on the ice and it depends on height and the way you stand and skate on the ice. For example:
So the middle picture is what you are looking for to have always in every aspect of your game,
The last aspect is the Curve, the one thing that every player never over looks. The curve depths help you with the style you play. If you rather keep the puck on the ice, or top shelf, pass or stick handle better .To make this choice, you have to keep in mind what type of player you are, Playmaker, Shooter, Defense.
With this chart and info hopefully boys you can chose the right stick next time, and please remember , that you are the one playing , you decide what type of game you want to play and style. Don’t let the salesman decide for you, and if you found the stick you love then great, never let it go. This is coming from someone who sleeps with their sticks, before ever sticks first use.
Take care boys and happy shooting, and let the goals and assists start adding up.
Brian Goolab
