Buying your first ice hockey stick shouldn’t be a big deal. Follow this simple ice hockey stick guide, buy a good starter stick and USE it!
Which Hockey Stick Is Right For Me?
The Short Answer
My advice is to go with an inexpensive wood hockey stick ($20-$40 range) for your very first stick. Our first stick mantra is to go with a basic version of everything. It should have:
- Right or left handed - based upon how you prefer to hold the stick
- Length - Junior/intermediate/senior to get the correct length
- Blade pattern – slightly curved blade
- Flex - Standard or regular for your size of stick (junior/intermediate/senior)
The Long Answer
Here is more information on what I consider to be the most important factors in selecting your first ice hockey stick.
Right handed or left handed stick?
Right handed sticks are ones that you hold with your left hand on top and your right hand down the shaft. Just remember that the hand that is placed lower on the shaft will tell you if the hockey stick is right or left handed (right hand on the handle and left hand down = left handed stick).
If I am right handed, does that mean I want a right handed stick? No, not necessarily. There is a strong school of thought that suggests that your dominant hand be the one that is placed at the top of the stick on the handle to optimize for stick handling accuracy. This would mean a left handed stick for a right handed player.
I have seen coaches ask new players to pretend that they are digging a hole with a shovel to determine which hand is on top and suggest the player get a stick that matches their grip pattern. I also see coaches suggest that the new player get a stick with a flat blade (no curve either way) and let the player figure it out on their own.
Right handed versus left handed isn’t an automatic decision and it really comes down to which way feels more comfortable to you.
Length:
Getting the length right is critical. Your hockey stick needs to be long enough to reach to approximately your chin when you are standing in skates and the hockey stick is held vertically in front of you (with one end on the ground or ice). Hockey sticks come in a few standard sizes: junior, intermediate and senior. The ranges for stock lengths for these sizes are:
- Junior hockey sticks run 46 to 53 inches
- Intermediate are about 54 inches
- Senior run about 56 to 63 inches
You will most likely need to buy a stick longer than what you need and then cut it to proper length. See the “Preparing Your Hockey Stick” section below for how to cut your stick to length.
Blade Pattern:
If you are going down the path of starting with a flat blade, then your decision is already made. If you are going to get a curved blade then there are multiple features to pay attention to.
- Curve depth – There are some pretty aggressive curves on the market, but they are not for you :-) The curve depth should be less than ½ inch, Your ability to make and receive passes on your back hand will be impaired if you get a stick with an exaggerated curve.
- Open or closed face – The blade face angle refers to the angle of the blade from the bottom to the top of the blade. If you can see a lot of the front of the blade when looking straight down from the top of the handle, it is an “open face”. If you don’t see the front face of the blade it has a closed face. Your first stick should have a face that is pretty close to vertical with only a slightly open or closed face.
- Toe shape- Toes come in square and round configurations. Pick the one that you think looks the coolest.
- Blade Lie – lie refers to the angle of the blade relative to the shaft of the hockey stick. Most hockey stick lies range from 4 to 7. Stick with a common lie around 5.5 to get started with. You want to master your technique with a moderate blade pattern before advancing to a specialized blade pattern.
Flex:
Flex is a measurement of how stiff the hockey stick is. When you take a shot, the pressure you apply with your lower hand causes the hockey stick to bend. This bending is good, up to a point, because it helps accelerate your shot when the hockey stick snaps back. The right flex is one that has the most flex that you can still bend when you shoot. Again, go with a standard/regular flex for your first stick.
Preparing Your Hockey Stick
Preparing your stick for action requires three things:
- Cut your stick to the proper length. When you are standing in your skates, the top of the stick should be around your chin when it is held vertically in front of you. When in doubt, start a little long since you can always cut a little more off. I fine tooth saw works best (ex: a miter saw or hack saw).
- Tape the blade (cover from heel to toe with black or white cloth hockey tape)
- Tape the handle to provide a better grip. This usually consists of a knob of tape on the very end of the stick, and a layer of tape wrapped 6-8 inches down the shaft starting from the knob.
More Advanced Hockey Stick Information
After you have played ice hockey with your new stick for a while and master your technique, you’ll learn more about the finer points of hockey sticks like blade patterns and hockey stick flex. Try out the sticks of other people whenever you can to learn your preferences. The first wood stick you bought will be a good back-up stick when you make your second hockey stick purchase. When you are ready to learn more, check out the Hockey Stick Expert site at http://hockeystickexpert.com for lots of info on Ice Hockey Sticks.
Now go get your stick and get out there and play!
3 years ago
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