Confused about this statement on stick flex

[shoot_the_goalie 277]

Read this statement on a hockey retailer's website and I'm very confused by it.  Wondering if someone could clarify.

 

"So years ago, in an effort to help players understand the relationship between stick length and flex some brands began to show what the flex of a your stick would feel like when cut down. (e.g., if you have an 85 flex and remove 6 inches it will feel like your playing with a 100 flex).   This method has good intentions,  but starts to get confusing for people when they get sticks at different heights.  For instance if you were to purchase two 85 flex sticks, the first being a retail model that comes with a standard 60 inch shaft and the second being a pro model with a 66 inch shaft, wherever you choose to cut the stick you will have the same amount of leverage, therefore they will feel the exact same!"

 

Not sure I understand how if you have a 60" 85 flex stick and a 66" 85 flex stick that they would feel exactly the same if you cut them both down to say 57"?  I understand that they would both still technically be 85 flex sticks, but I would have assumed the 66" stick cut down to 57" would FEEL way stiffer than the 60" stick cut down to 57".

 

Can anyone explain this?

 

 

[Bbd94 26]

2 hours ago, shoot_the_goalie said:

Read this statement on a hockey retailer's website and I'm very confused by it.  Wondering if someone could clarify.

 

"So years ago, in an effort to help players understand the relationship between stick length and flex some brands began to show what the flex of a your stick would feel like when cut down. (e.g., if you have an 85 flex and remove 6 inches it will feel like your playing with a 100 flex).   This method has good intentions,  but starts to get confusing for people when they get sticks at different heights.  For instance if you were to purchase two 85 flex sticks, the first being a retail model that comes with a standard 60 inch shaft and the second being a pro model with a 66 inch shaft, wherever you choose to cut the stick you will have the same amount of leverage, therefore they will feel the exact same!"

 

Not sure I understand how if you have a 60" 85 flex stick and a 66" 85 flex stick that they would feel exactly the same if you cut them both down to say 57"?  I understand that they would both still technically be 85 flex sticks, but I would have assumed the 66" stick cut down to 57" would FEEL way stiffer than the 60" stick cut down to 57".

 

Can anyone explain this?

 

 

They're saying however much you choose to cut the stick. An 85 flex 60" cut down 6 inches will feel the exact same as an 85 flex 66" "pro shaft" cut 6 down 6 inches. 

 

60-57 is 3, while 66-57 is 9. The way they would feel the same is if you cut 3 inches off a 60" stick and that SAME amount off of a 66" stick, leaving you at 63" in total. 

[shoot_the_goalie 277]

That makes sense.  Thanks for clarifying.

[flip12 699]

I thought they were saying, if you cut the stick or sticks down to where they're equal heights, then they will feel the same. The reason why this could be is because of a difference between how the shafts are flex tested and rated at the factory and how they're used by players. In flex testing, the shaft is laid down on two support arms so that it sits horizontal, and then a robotic arm presses down on it checking the force required to make it flex a certain amount, say an inch. This method is used for the same flex rated stick, regardless of how long the stick is. They don't compensate for the ordered extra length and make the longer shaft slightly stiffer. Now, when a player takes the sticks out and starts using them, the flex will feel different if the sticks aren't the same length, because there will be more leverage on the longer one, requiring less force to flex it.

 

If what I wrote doesn't make sense, search for some of the hockey stick factory videos and see where they check the flex of the shaft--you'll see what I'm trying to describe. The setup of that checking method nullifies the leverage advantage of a longer shaft by testing the shaft in the middle at a length that's consistent for all of their shafts. It's a simple way to set the station up, but if you think about it, there would have to be a much more complicated setup if factories tested each shaft at its production length.

[flip12 699]

TL;DR:

A 66" 85-flex shaft easier to load on the ice than a 60" 85-flex shaft because increased leverage.

A 66" 85-flex shaft cut down 6" will feel the same as an 85-flex shaft that came from the factory 60" long.

 

Other differences can cause 85 flex to feel true or not (flex point, calibration, etc.). An 85-flex shaft is rated 85 regardless of its length.

See how they do the testing in videos to see why.

[shoot_the_goalie 277]

9 hours ago, flip12 said:

I thought they were saying, if you cut the stick or sticks down to where they're equal heights, then they will feel the same. The reason why this could be is because of a difference between how the shafts are flex tested and rated at the factory and how they're used by players. In flex testing, the shaft is laid down on two support arms so that it sits horizontal, and then a robotic arm presses down on it checking the force required to make it flex a certain amount, say an inch. This method is used for the same flex rated stick, regardless of how long the stick is. They don't compensate for the ordered extra length and make the longer shaft slightly stiffer. Now, when a player takes the sticks out and starts using them, the flex will feel different if the sticks aren't the same length, because there will be more leverage on the longer one, requiring less force to flex it.

 

If what I wrote doesn't make sense, search for some of the hockey stick factory videos and see where they check the flex of the shaft--you'll see what I'm trying to describe. The setup of that checking method nullifies the leverage advantage of a longer shaft by testing the shaft in the middle at a length that's consistent for all of their shafts. It's a simple way to set the station up, but if you think about it, there would have to be a much more complicated setup if factories tested each shaft at its production length.

 

See.  That's what I thought the statement was referring to in the first place and why I was confused.  So I guess essentially, if the kick point is in the same place on both a 60" and a 66", then regardless of how much you cut off, the stick is going to feel the same since the kick point is not altered?  What's confusing though, is that then wouldn't the 60" feel like a true 85 flex, for example, and the 66" would not feel like a true 85 flex in reality, cause at 66" length wouldn't it feel whippier?  Would those extra 6" on the pro stock be like a "free flex" zone where it would only feel like a 85 flex if you cut it to 60"?  I had assumed that on pro stocks that were longer than retail, the kick point was higher up the stick accordingly so that the flex rating was true to the original length of the stick.

[BubblesNConky 0]

To tag along on this post, if I tested a stick at 60" long and 95 flex, to get a similar feel flex wise would I stay at 95 flex at 66" or go up to say 105? Thanks for any insight.

[bnr032 11]

to try and answer the above BubblesnConky -

When the sticks are tested - the holding support arms positions are not moved - so the stick flexes - are rated over a fixed length of the stick - by adding to the end of it (by plug, or longer material (ie pro stock) - This wouldnt affect the sticks machine rating. the machine is fixed distances.

 

In reality when you hold a stick and flex it you have the ground (one part of fixed 'support') and your top hand (other part of support) - as people usually hold the stick at the end - this makes a difference as the gap between ground and hand varies with stick length.

 

TL:DR - buy the 66" 95 rated stick - it will be the same once cut down to 'your prefered' length.

 

 

[BubblesNConky 0]

Ok, thanks for the explanation it makes perfect sense. The reason I asked was I was looking to use a stick around 65-66". I just wanted to be sure before I pulled the trigger on anything. Again thanks for taking the time to break it down for me.