ADVICE ON BUYING A HOCKEY STICK & BEST STICK RECOMMENDATION

BUYING A HOCKEY STICK & BEST HOCKEY STICK RECOMMENDATION



Every Canadian should know what they're looking for when buying a hockey stick. The problem is, there's not a lot of good information out there, either from hockey salespeople or friends that play the game. A lot of people just say "use what works for you." Not real helpful.

Here is some advice:

First, invest in a good composite stick. It's a lot like like buying a tennis racquet. How many tennis players still use a wood racquet?

The same thinking is true of hockey sticks. You can't achieve top performance with inferior equipment, especially when your shot, stickhanding, and overall performance depend on the piece of equipment that contacts the puck.

You may know a buddy who has played all his life, uses a wood stick and can fire rockets with it. Except, guys that played hockey all their lives, maybe even played pro, can use a broom and still kick the average player's butt. Just as Roger Federer, using a wood tennis racquet, can kick the average rec tennis player's butt. It's irrelevant to your choice of equipment because the average player doesn't have their skill and never will. Buy the best stick you can afford playing against players at your level. Anything less puts you at an unnecessary disadvantage.

Second, that doesn't mean you should spend big money on just any expensive stick. A big waste of dough are sticks with weird, extreme curves used by an NHL pro. Pros play hockey 24/7 and can play with anything. You can't because you have a job and play hockey only a couple times a week.

Avoid weird curves in hockey shops. They are often discounted because nobody will buy them. They actually harm the average rec player's game. Choose a reasonably curved blade and examine it carefully. Some blades are narrow at the heel and wide at the toe, which can result in the puck going end-over-end during a quick release.

If you are 5'10 or under, try a stick with a lie 5 or 5.5. The lie is critical to how your blade lies on the ice and therefore your shot. Gretzky was 5'10 and used a 5. Taller players might consider a 6. The flex should be 65 to 80, I wouldn't go any higher. If you cut your stick, the shaft will stiffen anyway. Keep in mind your shot power comes from the stick bending when the blade hits the ice, just before the puck. Sticks rated 100 plus are too stiff to get the whip that powers the puck forward.

When you have the blade and lie sorted, buy the best stick you can afford. Look for a composite that's light and balanced. You will find cheaper sticks are bottom-heavy. A good balanced stick will likely be at least $200 to $300 unless you get older stock on sale. Should you spend that much on a stick? It depends...if you take a lot of heavy slap shots and break a lot of sticks, maybe not. But many of us take wristers and snap shots. Developing a good wrister and snap shot is critical for rec hockey players because big slap shots are often not permitted.

There are many very good sticks on the market now. Easton, Bauer, CCM, Reebok, Warrior.

My favourite is the CCM (formerly Reebok) Ribcor. The Ribcor is light, balanced and has a very fast release, low kick point (where the stick bends) and lots of "pop" nicely transferring the power of your shot into the blade. Mine is a 65 flex and the blade is a Bergeron P46. The stickhandling is awesome - very quick! I paid full price - $279.00 plus tax - and it's worth every penny.

The bottom line is a good stick will improve your hockey in the same way a good tennis racquet will improve your tennis. It's your money, your ice time, and your expectations. But if your game can't get to the next level, it may be because your equipment isn't at the next level.