What are the parts of the hockey stick
One-Piece Hockey Stick – One piece hockey sticks are complete with shaft and blade fused together and don't have to be assembled. This single piece configuration is the most common for hockey sticks and it guarantees that the stick meets the manufacturer’s specifications.
Two-Piece Hockey Stick – Less common nowadays than the 1-piece stick, the blade and shaft of the 2-piece stick are separate units. With a 2-piece hockey stick you can mix-and-match shafts and blades to your liking. And if one part breaks, you can usually salvage the other and reuse!
Butt end – The top end of the hockey stick where your top hand holds the stick – opposite end of the hockey blade.
Blade Heel – The heel of the hockey stick blade heel is the back part of the blade where the blade meets the hosel of the shaft.
Blade Lie – The measurement of the angle between the hockey stick blade and shaft, and determines where the blade sits on the ice. These numbers range from 4-8 degrees. A common stick lie of 5 corresponds to approximately 135° angle. Each additional lie number—greater or smaller—corresponds to a 2° greater or smaller angle (6° lie would be 133° – and 4° would be 137°). The ideal lie is when the blade of the stick lies flat and is in most contact with the ice surface while the skater is in playing position. The stance and height of a player will determine the best lie. However a hockey stick with a lower lie is better suited for defensemen, taller players, or players who tend to keep the puck farther from the body. Greater stick lies are usually chosen by forwards and players who keep the puck closer to the body. Check out the article Hockey Stick Blade Guide to learn how to tell if your lie is correct.
Blade Pattern and Curve – Hockey stick curves and blade patterns determine the blade lie, curve type, curve depth, face angle, blade toe, and blade length. Although curve and patterns are usually named by NHL players, the player names change relatively frequently, but the number code stays the same. For example, P92, W03, P29. Click here to view our Hockey Stick Curves & Patterns charts.
Blade Curve Depth – The actual, measurable amount of curve to a hockey stick blade is the amount of curve in the blade. You can measure the curve depth by laying the stick flat with the blade curve down on the surface. Measure the point of maximum curve between the blade heel and blade toe to determine the amount of curve depth.
Blade Face Angle – Describes how much of the face (or front) of the blade you can see when looking down at the ice. Face angles are referred to as “Open” or “Closed.” The more open the blade is, (you can see more of the front of the blade when looking down) the easier it is to lift the puck, or get a shot off the ice quickly. Closed, or just slightly open blade face angles are better for stick handling, catching passes and using your backhand. Many feel that developing players should use a less open pattern to help develop both their shooting and stick handling abilities.
Blade Toe – The toe is at the opposite end of the blade heel. Toe shapes are round, square, and a combination of round and square.
End Plugs – Also called butt ends, these are composite or wood stick shaft extensions that are glued into the butt end of a composite hockey stick shaft and are used to increase the length of a hockey stick. These are great if you can't find a stick long enough. There are different sizes for junior and senior hockey stick end plugs.
Flex – Hockey stick flex is the stiffness rating of a hockey stick and a measure of how flexible it is when force is being applied to it. The higher the number, the stiffer the stick flex. A general guideline to finding your stick flex is taking half the player's body weight (aA 200-pound skater would use a stiffer 100 flex) however there are other varibables and it ultimately comes down to personal preference. A 100 stick flex takes 100-pounds of pressure on the shaft to bend the stick one inch. The most common measurements for stick flex are:
- Youth (Approximately 30 flex) 0-60 pounds
- Junior (Approximately 50 Flex) 60-100 pounds
- Intermediate (60-70 flex) 100-150lbs pounds
- Senior Mid (Approximately 75 flex) 150-170 pounds
- Senior Regular (Approximately 85 flex) 170-200 pounds
- Senior Stiff (Approximately 100 flex) 200+ lbs pounds
Be sure to read everything you need to know about hockey stick flex numbers, what to consider when choosing a flex, and many other FAQ in our hockey stick flex guide.
Grip Shaft vs Clear Shaft – Grip is a more popular finish to the hockey stick shaft, as the texture applied helps provide a better grip with wet hockey gloves and less spinning in the player’s hands particularly when shooting the puck. Clear, sometimes called non-Grip, can be either a matte or gloss finish. This non-texture stick shaft allows the player to move his/her hands more freely along the shaft, particularly with dry gloves, but may need additional hockey tape to prevent the stick from slipping and spinning when shooting.
Kick point – The kick point is the specific flex zone of where the stick that is designed to flex the most at point of impact and pressure. Kick points are broken down into the following categories:
- Mid Kick — Mid kick are the more traditional types of flex profile. The bend is in the middle of the hockey stick and are designed to give the feel of wood and early composite hockey sticks.
- Low Kick — Flexes at the bottom of the stick in the taper and towards the blade. Designed for a quicker release as the leaded energy has less distance to travel.
- Constant Flex — A variable flex that is designed to react to the player’s bottom hand. The stick flexes from the bottom hand and down the shaft.
- Dual-Kick — Similar to the constant flex in that the flex responds to the player’s bottom hand—instead the dual-kick flexes in two points: 1. When the bottom hand is lower down the stick shaft, this stick will kick higher in the shaft to load more power, and 2. When the bottom hand is higher up, the stick flexes for a quicker and more accurate release.
- High Kick — Uses the entire stick to load and release energy to the puck—flexing at the top of the stick shaft. Loads the energy from the top portion of the stick.
Left hand versus right hand – A player is either a right-handed shot or left-handed. If you hold the top butt end of the stick with your right hand and have your left hand down the shaft, you’re a left-handed shot. Vice versa, if your left hand is holding the butt-end and your right hand is down the shaft, you’re a righty.
Hockey Stick Length – Hockey sticks come in variety of sizes, with lengths matched to the size of the hockey player. A good rule of thumb when sizing a hockey stick is when a player is wearing hockey skates, the top of the stick should reach to the chin; while in sneakers, the stick should reach the nose. However the length of a stick is a matter of personal preference and position the player plays. A general guide of standard stick lengths:
- Junior = 46-53 inches
- Intermediate = 54 inches
- Senior = 56-63 inches
Shaft – The hockey stick shaft is the long length of the stick between the butt end and the blade. Composite shafts and blades can be purchased separately mixed-and-matched to a player’s specifications as a 2-piece stick.
Stick Wax – Stick wax is a wax compound rubbed onto the tape of the stick blade to keep the blade dry, prevent ice and water from sticking to it, and provide a bit more grip and feel of the puck on the stick blade.
Tapered shafts – The lower portion of the shaft., a A tapered shaft provides a lower kick point. The thickness, design and shape of the taper impacts the velocity of shot releases.
What is the difference between Composite and Wood hockey sticks
Composite Stick or Wooden Hockey Stick - How do you light the lamp?
Being the rink rats that we are at Pure Hockey, we constantly hear and see the never-ending debate between composite and wood hockey sticks. Even with the amazing popularity of composite sticks in hockey, there are still a good number of players who prefer wood hockey sticks. The biggest question we hear is, “Why composite?” or “Why wood?” So the great hockey stick debate rages on.
Much like everything else in this great sport we love, the choice of wood over composite (or vice versa) is very much personal preference. Don't let us try to fool you and start thinking that what you've been told all along with composite hockey sticks is all smoke and mirrors; this would not be true. Everything that you hear and know about composite sticks are certainly true. The reason composite sticks have become so popular of late is the combination of weight reduction, flexibility and performance. Notice we did not say durability. Composite hockey sticks are very much durable, but it doesn't make the deciding factor between the two.
Weight
The lighter weight feel of the composite hockey stick does offer a huge benefit. In an age where everything needs to be thinner, lighter and faster – the composite stick offers just that. A lighter weight stick provides quicker speed, which can improve the velocity of your shots. On the other hand the wood hockey stick does offer a totally different feel. Because of its bulk, you are constantly working on your strength, this means that over time you will build up the shot velocity similar to what you would find with the composite stick.
Flex
Flexibility is a one sided debate. Composite sticks run away with this one, not without a fight though. Most wood hockey sticks are starting to come with flex choices—for the most part only staying around the 90-100 flex. This is nothing compared to what composite hockey sticks offer though. Composite sticks are designed specifically to flex at a certain point. Most true one piece composite sticks (the $200+ models) have the lowest kick point; this height can vary at different price points though.
Performance
When flexed, composite hockey sticks create an energy transference within the stick. This transfer flows from the flex point down through the blade creating an extra little push at the release of your shooting motion—much like something you might have seen from an aluminum bat or golf club. Beware of this though; too much flex may cause the puck to take off in a direction that you didn't intend it to go. The denser wood hockey stick however does not have this exact effect for a couple reasons. The first being that it isn't hollow and wood acts as a deadening agent of sorts—this means that you don't get that increased velocity off your shot like you would with the composite stick. On the other hand, a harder pass will be easier to control with a wood stick than a composite for this same instance. The other reason is the lack of significant flex; since most wooden sticks are limited to their flex, you are more likely to see shots stay in the direction that was originally intended.
Our two cents
So where do you go from here? Ultimately it's your choice. Since flex can be an issue at a distance—keep in mind your position. If you are a defensemen where most of your shots come from around the blue line—try to keep the flex on the stiffer side. Since a defensemen might take more slap shots than a forward, you will still be able to get a good flex and the puck won't fly away when you shoot from a distance. Forwards: whether you're a playmaker, grinder or sniper, each flex can benefit you tremendously. Where snipers and playmakers may stay at a softer or lower flex, this option allows for a quick release to catch the goalie off guard. On the other hand, a slightly stiffer feel for a grinder will allow for a bit of extra strength in the corners and in front of the net avoiding unwanted breakage during gameplay. As for the whole composite vs. wood debate, we will leave you with this: Try using a wood stick during practices if your preference is the added performance of the composite. The sometimes heavier feeling wood stick will act like a weighted donut on a baseball bat. This added weight will build strength and speed when you switch to your game hockey stick.