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I find that 99% of the guys that can blow pucks by me are using hockey sticks.

Yep, and NHL guys are so strong they don't need the true low kick to do the work for them. So they move the kick point up to get more velocity through energy transfer and less deflection.

I asked my wife that and she told me if I messed with the pool I would need to buy a second home....... for me to live in. lol

I don't even look at it as "low kick gets off faster so goalie has less of a time to react." It's more of "I have less time to ensure proper technique and load so low kicks allow me to just quickly fling it at the net trying to get around legs or a block." The shot ends up being more consistent as the stick does more of the work for me.

Also keep in mind that most of the discussion about shot and release speed is considering the shot event in a vacuum - that being how release speed translates into the goalkeeper's ability to stop a clean shot on a static angle. But there are other variables that would affect the potential scoring ability of a shot where release speed would matter. The biggest one to me would be the presence of a shooting lane. A few milliseconds could be the difference between a shot getting through and going off a shin guard or stick blade. It may not affect the goalie's ability to stop the puck, but rather whether he has to. Another would be the total motion required to release a shot. A lower kick flex point allows the stick to load with less motion on it, meaning the puck doesn't have to travel as far in the player's stance to generate power. The difference in time it takes for the puck to leave the blade is nearly negligent, however the amount of movement and applicable time it takes to create the shot event is pretty large. A slap shot takes longer than a full wrist shot which takes longer than a quick toe snap shot. The low kick allows the player to shoot the puck with power from more hand and body positions which gives the goaltender less time to recognize the shot motion and anticipate the shot. The time the goalie has to see the shot coming off the blade is about the same. But the time the goalie has to anticipate having to look for it is much less with a low kick stick. Being able to deceive a goalie by releasing a full power shot with the hands more in front of the body, which can be used for a deke or pass as well, is more effective than just trying to blow it by him. As for why more NHL players aren't using low kicks if release speed is so important, I suspect that second part is exactly it. These guys are so strong that they can create the same release speed with a mid kick as a low kick, without the blade deflection that often accompanies low kicks as a result of the tapers used to transfer maximum energy.

Howdy, 1ms at 80mph is ~1.5". I think I'll worry about other things first. 🙂 Mark

Survey response likelihood is less about attention span and more about "value". What value are the respondents providing compared to the potential value they'll get back. This "calculation" includes their time to complete, usefulness of the information, sensitivity of the information, etc. If the value ratio isn't tipped in the respondent's favor, you are way less likely to have a strong response rate. Similarly how intimate the questions are (are you asking very personal things or not) will be added to their calculation and may be a factor if their anonymity/confidentiality is in question. Your question about "do they really get shots off quicker" is answered (somewhat) on a linked page to the Tennis Warehouse page already linked. According to the research they did, the Vapor 1X had the quickest release of the sticks they tested (20.7 ms). Worst is True A6.0 SBP at (23.3 ms). We are talking less than 3 millisecond difference between the best and worst sticks on their list. The mean/average of all the sticks tested is 22.4 ms. That gives us a standard deviation of less than 1 for all the data points provided, which would not be scientifically significant. So, is there a difference... yes. Is it one that scientifically makes a difference...no. According to Wikipedia's page on milliseconds, a horsefly's wing flap is 3 milliseconds. If a human can pick out 1 wing flap of a horsefly, I'd be amazed. So.. maybe they are "hype". So if we take the science off the table as being significant, it comes down to feel/proprioception. Stiffer blade feel vs. softer blade feel. Where the stick flexes compared to where your hands naturally fall on the shaft to give the sensation of flex back to your body. Etc.

Not really passing thru, but after I drop my kids off at the rink, I should be there in about 15 hrs. Hope you've got plenty of pucks and sun tan lotion. I'm pretty pale. See you in a bit.

I am doing a survey on Reddit, currently have 100 responses. I think the data is very interesting. Lots of players using low and mid kick sticks and very few using variable and high kick sticks. https://netorgft3775772-my.sharepoint.com/:x:/g/personal/nicholas_skateworksproshop_com/EdT_YsfCxRpLqMHBDZFlGloBnJVT6SM6jtcU_xemDPH3gg?e=khgSm0

Once you decide what tiles to go with, please let me know if you have a room to rent or ever list your place on Airbnb.

I'll make sure to tell the parents that. Thanks.