Sticks

Picking a good hockey stick is more complicated than it may seem. Along with the wide price range in today’s twigs, there are a ton of variables you should take into consideration. At the end of the day, your stick will be the most personalized piece of equipment in your arsenal of hockey gear, so it’s worth having an understanding of the different factors that come into play.

Before we get to the smaller details, let’s start with the basics. Hockey is not an easy sport to learn, and it’s even more difficult if you have the wrong handed stick.

Lefty or Righty

It isn’t uncommon for new skaters to assume right-handed people need right-handed sticks. The hand at the top of the shaft acts as the puck-handling “control center,” so many players who are right-hand oriented actually find left-handed sticks more comfortable.

To be certain, try holding a stick both ways. It all comes down to what feels right for you.

Length

Using a stick that is a couple inches too short or too long will have a big impact on your game. To accurately measure, stand up straight and hold your stick vertically.

If you are wearing skates, the shaft should reach your chin or a few inches below.
If you are not wearing skates, your stick should be at or a couple inches below your nose.

All hockey players have their own preference about their preferred stick length. Generally, defensemen prefer using longer sticks to widen their reach and add more power to their shots, while forwards tend to find stick-handling easier with shorter sticks.

If you accidentally cut your twig too short, don’t panic. You can have a wooden stick extension inserted at most pro-shops. It will cost around $5 and won’t create any noticeable differences to the weight/feel of your stick.

Flex

Even if you haven’t started playing yet, you may have noticed how NHL players bend their sticks when they shoot. Flex refers to how stiff or “bendy” a stick feels when you apply force.

On the shaft of all composite sticks, you can find a flex rating, which measures how many pounds of force bends the stick one inch. Having a good flex rating will help you increase the power behind your shots, so take your size and strength into consideration when looking for the right stick flex.

It won’t hurt to use a flex rating that is a little too high or low, but there are consequences to using a twig that is way too stiff or way too flexible.

If the flex rating is way too high, you’re going to be firing flutter pucks that will probably be too slow to find the back of the net.
If the flex rating is way too low, your stick will be more likely to break when you take hard shots.

Remember that cutting your stick shorter will increase its flex rating and overall stiffness. This chart will help you estimate the right amount of stick flex for you.

Age Group	Height (ft)	Weight (lbs)	Recommended Flex Rating	Stick Length
YOUTH	3’0 – 3’10	30 – 65	20 – 25	38 – 44
	3’6 – 4’2	40 – 70	30 – 35	45 – 49
	3’10 – 4’8	50 – 80	40	45 – 49
JUNIOR	4’4 – 5’1	70 – 110	40 – 52	50 – 54
INTERMEDIATE	4’11 – 5’4	95 – 125	55 – 60	55 – 58
INTERMEDIATE	5’2 – 5’8	100 – 140	65 – 70	55 – 58
SENIOR	5’5 – 5’10	125 – 175	75 – 80	57 – 61
	5’7 – 6’1	150 – 200	85 – 95	58 – 62
	5’10 – 6’4	180 – 235	100 – 105	60 – 63
	6’1 +	210 +	110 – 115	60 – 63

Kick-Point

The kick-point is the area of your stick that flexes the most when you shoot. There are two different kick-points made to enhance different kinds of shots.

Low-kick points are best for quick releases. If most of your shots are wristers and snaps taken below the circles, a low-kick point will help you catch the goalie off guard.
Mid-kick points are best for lethal clap bombs and powerful wristers. If you find yourself taking most of your shots around the blue line, a mid-kick point is better for you.

Blade Pattern

There are an overwhelming amount of different blade patterns out today, and the right choice comes down to your playing style and personal comfortability. Before you pick out a new curve, it will help to have a basic understanding of the several blade-pattern factors that affect your shooting, passing, and stick-handling.

Location refers to the area of the blade that curves most. When you shoot, the puck should “roll” off the blade before it leaves your stick, so the curve location will affect your shooting accuracy, power, release, and puck control.

Toe curves are best for getting shots off quickly and controlling the puck. These blade patterns are usually used by forwards.
Mid curves are best for maintaining shooting accuracy. They’re usually preferred by the two-way, “all-around” guys.
Heel curves are best for taking powerful shots. Most often, heel curves are used by defensemen.

Openness refers to the angle of the blade and how much “loft” it has. Having more loft will make it easier to elevate the puck quickly, but having too much may create passing and stick-handling difficulties.

Open blade patterns allow you to elevate pucks easily and quickly.
Closed patterns help improve shooting accuracy and puck control.
Slight curves are the “best of both worlds” option that will not restrict your shooting or puck control.

Lie

Lie measures the angle of the shaft when the blade is flat on the ice, and is usually shown as a number between 4 and 6. The higher the number, the more upright your stick will rest.

If you have the wrong lie, your entire blade will not rest on the ice when you’re playing. You probably wouldn’t notice any drastic puck-handling restrictions, but your blade will tear faster at its toe or heel. The most important factor to consider is your height, but there are a few other things to pay attention to.

Do you skate low to the ice or more upright?

Upright skaters need a higher stick lie.
Low-skating players need a lower lie.

How close do you prefer to keep the puck?

Forwards usually prefer keeping the puck close to the body with a shorter stick that rests more upright. This requires a higher lie.
Defensemen tend to look for a more flat-resting stick to provide a longer reach. This requires a lower lie.