Post edited 3:29 pm - February 3, 2010 by admin

Sometime in the past Phil asked if anyone could write a guide to selecting hockey sticks, which has apparently been met with resounding silence. I think I can help, at least for those just entering the sport. Bear in mind, though, that while I've played a good deal of intramural and pick-up hockey, I've never had any formal coaching, so I'm sure there are others more knowledgeable. This will be especially true of the subtle differences among sticks that will matter to expert players.

Please feel free to correct my misstatements, clarify what is unclear, and add what I've left out.

The main criteria in selection of hockey sticks are "handedness", lie, length, and curvature. All of these are largely a matter of personal preference.

1. "Handedness": A hockey player will decide whether s/he prefers holding the stick to the left side or the right. There appears to be no strong correlation to the person's handedness. A new player should try it both ways, and find the one that feels most natural. Sticks are labeled either L or R, but since French-speaking Canada generates large numbers of hockey players, the stick may be labeled G (gauche) or D (droit). Some sticks carry both letters, i.e. L/G. A few sticks are neutral and can be used either way.

2. Lie: This refers to the angle the stick makes with the blade. A higher lie is closer to upright than a lower lie. While there are lots of exceptions, a player who prefers to skate more upright will prefer a higher lie, and a player who prefers to skate more bent over will take a lower lie. Taller players also generally use higher lies. Again, a new player should test several different lies to see what feels comfortable. The most common lies are 5, 6, and 7. This is the rest of the labeling on a hockey stick: a 6R means a lie of 6 in a right handed stick.

3. Length: I've been told that a stick should come up to about the player's chin while wearing skates, but I find this uncomfortable. I think it's more realistic to have it come to about the armpit or a little below; again, this is preference.

4. Curvature: A more curved blade allows the puck to be flipped more effectively for better shooting, but at the price of poorer passing and receiving. A beginner should start with a gently curved stick. A neutral stick, which I referred to above in the section on handedness, has no curvature.

The blade of a stick should be taped. This helps prolong the life of the blade and improves puck-handling capability. It's always black tape, never white. The conventional wisdom is that a goalie can't see the puck as well against a black blade, but my feeling is that a good goalie will see the puck. My personal opinion is that it is black because of tradition.

The wear pattern on the tape can show whether a skater has selected the proper lie. If the wear is toward the heel/toe of the blade the skater should try a lower/higher lie.

A lot of players also tape the top of the blade for better grip.

Sticks also differ in weight; again this is personal preference.