stick length revisited

[gman 0]

Well I did a search on stick length and found a half dozen or so threads from the past year but none deal specifically with my question. I am messing around with new blade patterns and even with different stick lengths. I know that generally most folk recommend anywhere from your collarbone to the bridge of your nose to be the right length. From there it is PP.

HOWEVER, if you change your blade lie, or even your blade length, this is all going to go out the window. It will all affect how high the stick comes up your face, while not necessarily affecting where the blade heel hits the ice when you are skating. I arbitrarily came up with a shaft length that hits under my armpit whlie wearing socks. Then I put in a blade and it comes up to about the bridge of my nose wearing skates. Depending on the hosel length this can approach the 63" max allowed.

I am just wondering if anyone else has a method of determining shaft length that will work with different hosel lengths or blade lengths or if there is a better way to determine a proper stick length. I really like a very long stick with a low lie, but of course it affects negatively my "in the skates" puck handling and on the boards.

[bulletproof_funk 0]

I'll stand on a couple blocks about the height of my skates, angle the stick so the blade has the right lie, grip the top of the stick where I feel it's comfortable, then cut it (or maybe an end plug in your case). If I don't like it, I'll either put in a really short end plug or maybe trim the shaft a bit. This way I'm always using a stick with the right length for the blade lie I'm using.

[TBLfan 25]

Well I did a search on stick length and found a half dozen or so threads from the past year but none deal specifically with my question.  I am messing around with new blade patterns and even with different stick lengths.  I know that generally most folk recommend anywhere from your collarbone to the bridge of your nose to be the right length.  From there it is PP.

  HOWEVER, if you change your blade lie, or even your blade length, this is all going to go out the window.  It will all affect how high the stick comes up your face, while not necessarily affecting where the blade heel hits the ice when you are skating.  I arbitrarily came up with a shaft length that hits under my armpit whlie wearing socks.  Then I put in a blade and it comes up to about the bridge of my nose wearing skates.  Depending on the hosel length this can approach the 63" max allowed.

  I am just wondering if anyone else has a method of determining shaft length that will work with different hosel lengths or blade lengths or if there is a better way to determine a proper stick length.  I really like a very long stick with a low lie, but of course it affects negatively my "in the skates" puck handling and on the boards.

Yeah the hosel length has a big effect on whether your stick will be the right length. Try to find a blade you like and stick with it. I used to us a stick that was illegal(the easton abs blade had a very long hosel, from the heel to the top was about 65"). Now for roller I use a vector v40(short hosel) and that difference in hight makes my stick legal and my shot is a little better. I'm now thinking of chopping another couple inches off of it.

Don't use the chin/nose method, that's just a rough estimate. Don't cut your stick to for a blade(lie), find a blade to work with the length of your stick.

Remember when you check for the right lie to bend your knees like you do when you're skating, it makes a difference(not a big difference since most blades have a nice rocker but a difference nevertheless).

[gman 0]

Don't use the chin/nose method, that's just a rough estimate. Don't cut your stick to for a blade(lie), find a blade to work with the length of your stick.

That is what I was thinking too. However I imagine it can be kind of tedious trying handfuls of blades with your shaft at the hockey shop. Though I imagine it will be worthwhile to them if you buy their stock of whatever blade you find works...

[Dante2004 0]

Find something you like and stick with it...then you don't have to play this "game" everytime you buy a stick. Just my $0.02

[gman 0]

Find something you like and stick with it...then you don't have to play this "game" everytime you buy a stick.  Just my $0.02

Man, tell me about it.... Just the prospect of finding the one "right" combo can take alot of the experimenting we are talking about. Rest assured once I find one, I will stick with it...

[ktang 34]

How do they do custom golf club fitting (I'm not a golfer so I wouldn't know)? Maybe some of those techniques can give you ideas about how to fit the shaft and blade for you.

[TBLfan 25]

How do they do custom golf club fitting (I'm not a golfer so I wouldn't know)? Maybe some of those techniques can give you ideas about how to fit the shaft and blade for you.

i don't know a TON about golf but i don't think that golf clubs have different "lie(s)" like sticks do(not comparing a driver to a 7 Iron). I think they just measure the shaft length to the (standard) lie of the club.

What I would do is find a cheap used shaft and buy a blade that looks and feels like it will work for you. Find the lie that you like and you can try different curves. The most important thing is that you are comfortable with the stick length, because if you are leaning too far over or standing too upright you wont be comfortable.

Remember there is no rules to what works for everyone. Some guys in the NHL are 6'3+ and use sticks that are < 60" and then guys that are 6'0 that use 63" sticks. Forwards like Dave Andreychuk that used 63" sticks and guys like Eric Cole(thanks shnuggs for the correction) that use something that's the length of your standard junior stick.

[shnuggs 0]

Dont mean to hijack the thread but have a similiar question. Back during the Stanley Cup Finals -- CBC had a interview betwen periods with Eric Cole -- befoe he came back to join the team---- anyways they were talking about him playing etc etc and he metnioned that his coaches always encouraged him to use a longer stick --- so he slowly added on bit by bit a little length-- and that if you could use a longer stick use it. So my question is why is this? The only thing i can think of is for reach --- dont know why you would try to push someone who is comfortable with there stick to try and make it longer?

[TBLfan 25]

Dont mean to hijack the thread but have a similiar question. Back during the Stanley Cup Finals -- CBC had a interview betwen periods with Eric Cole -- befoe he came back to join the team---- anyways they were talking about him playing etc etc and he metnioned that his coaches always encouraged him to use a longer stick --- so he slowly added on bit by bit a little length-- and that if you could use a longer stick use it. So my question is why is this? The only thing i can think of is for reach --- dont know why you would try to push someone who is comfortable with there stick to try and make it longer?

Thanks! That's who it was Cole!

In answer to your question: A longer stick has some advantages, the most obvious and biggest being reach. With sticks as short as Cole's it can certainly effect your slap shot and snap shot(to a much lesser extent).

[Chadd 916]

How do they do custom golf club fitting (I'm not a golfer so I wouldn't know)? Maybe some of those techniques can give you ideas about how to fit the shaft and blade for you.

Two kinds static and dynamic fitting.

Static: using basic measurements and deciding what is best strictly by numbers. Wrist to floor is key for determining shaft length, much like the black beauty lie detector.

Dynamic: Usually done at a range or hitting off a mat. You hit a couple balls, then look at the bottom of the club to see where the impact is and adjust lie or length from there. Pretty similar to experimenting with blades.

[markthedeadhead 0]

Getting back to the length thing, I find the length that suits me and keep a stick at that length (or try to remember it in inches), measured from heel to buttend. I also have 3 different buttends that differ about an inch (ex. 3, 4 and 5 inches)Then, if I buy a blade that has the same or very close lie but different hosel length, I put the buttend in the shaft that keeps the same length. So if I buy a blade with a shorter hosel, I'll put in the longer buttend. Of all the blades I've bought, I haven't had 2 blades that differed by more than 3 inches in the hosel.

This way, I never have to worry about the actual blade length (heel to toe) when buying a blade, just the lie.

[top 0]

the higher the lie on yourt blade the shorter ur stick will be.. for example a lie 7 stick will be way shorter because your stick is so much closer to you then if you were using a 4.5 or 5

[markthedeadhead 0]

the higher the lie on yourt blade the shorter ur stick will be.. for example a lie 7 stick will be way shorter because your stick is so much closer to you then if you were using a 4.5 or 5

Yup, which is why I put the short buttends on when the blade has a higher lie.

[Whip 0]

Don't mean to hijack this thread but I too have a question regarding lie and stick length.

On skates my stick reaches up to my chin and since I'm fairly short my stick has to be kept short which affects my reach. Ive been using a Modano Curve with a lie of 5 with this stick length and I noticed perfectly even blade wear across the toe to the heel.

Now that I would like to expierement with a longer stick (one that would reach my mouth on skates) would I have to get a blade with a lie greater or less then 5?

I also noticed some people mentioned that some blades have a rocker, how does the rocker work? Does it mean the lie does not come into play due to this rocker?

Thanks

[DamnLocust 0]

a longer stick would require a lie lower than 5. unfortunately, not many retail blades come in a sub-5 lie. Warrior's fedorov is listed here as a 4.5, but really doesn't play much lower than all of my other 5 lie blades. The nice thing is that the curve of the fedorov matches up to your modano (3/8"mid heel slightly open, round toe).

edit: A rocker will sometimes make a plade seem like/ play like a different lie. since you're using a modano, which has slight to no rocker, a switch to a rockered blade may throw you off, and hurt more than help. You MAY be able to get away with a 5.5 lie blade with a rocker on it, saw a sakic, or possible even a bauer P88. They still won't play like any lie lower than the modano though.

[Chadd 916]

Don't mean to hijack this thread but I too have a question regarding lie and stick length.

On skates my stick reaches up to my chin and since I'm fairly short my stick has to be kept short which affects my reach. Ive been using a Modano Curve with a lie of 5 with this stick length and I noticed perfectly even blade wear across the toe to the heel.

Now that I would like to expierement with a longer stick (one that would reach my mouth on skates) would I have to get a blade with a lie greater or less then 5?

I also noticed some people mentioned that some blades have a rocker, how does the rocker work? Does it mean the lie does not come into play due to this rocker?

Thanks

You may be able to use a slightly longer shaft without any problems, just watch the wear on the bottom of the blade. If you would need to change the lie, it would probably be to something under 5. A rocker puts less of your blade on the ice but because it is rounded on the bottom, it will allow you to use the blade (to some degree) even if it is not perfect for you.

[TBLfan 25]

maybe even switch to a curve that's similar in curve but the blade is longer to help with your reach.

And like chadd said it might not hurt to extend your shaft a little longer, just keep watching the wear on the bottom of the blade.

[LkptTiger 1]

I can tell you that it's nearly impossible to make a change once you've gotten comfortable with something.

Ever since I was little, I've always used short, whippy sticks. Over the past couple years, I've been using sticks cut-down to the bottom of my sturnum (with skates on). On a few occasions, I tried leaving my sticks a wee bit longer, but I just couldn't do it. There were actually a couple practices in which I had to leave the ice for a few minutes to cut a stick down an inch or two.

I recently bought a couple new sticks - Warrior AK27 shafts with CNT Z-Carbon blades. I took the butt-ends out of the shafts and found that the sticks came to just below the bottom of my neck. I figured I'd leave 'em like that and give the "longer stick" thing another go.

The first day I had them at the rink, I stepped on the ice, took a pass and handled the puck for, I shit you not, a maximum of three seconds before I fired the puck back to the guy who had passed to me, turned around and went back into the dressing room to grap one of my Pulse Grips that had been cut to my ideal height. Later that night, I cut the Warriors down and have since fallen in love.

If I develop bad back problems in my future, I'll know why.

[Whip 0]

A couple of weeks ago I also changed patterns from the Modano to a TPS Sundin which states on the Pattern DB that was also a lie 5. I taped it up and used the same length shaft I had used with the Modano. After the game I noticed the majority of the wear near the toe and very very slight wear in the middle of the blade. Was that the rocker coming into an effect?

I'm basicly looking for a blade with lie 5 that will wear evenly along the whole blade much like the Modano but with a little more curve on it so I can raise the puck more. Since the Sundin put most of the wear on the toe would a CCM Rechi be any better?

[flashgordon 0]

Since the sundin is wearing mostly at the toe for you, it seems to be playing as a lower lie (assuming the same shaft length as with your Modano blade as you said). Try making the shaft a little longer at a time and that should (1) allow for more of the middle of the blade to be in contact with the ice and (2) allow you to lengthen your stick a bit as you originally described.

A couple of weeks ago I also changed patterns from the Modano to a TPS Sundin which states on the Pattern DB that was also a lie 5. I taped it up and used the same length shaft I had used with the Modano. After the game I noticed the majority of the wear near the toe and very very slight wear in the middle of the blade. Was that the rocker coming into an effect?

I'm basicly looking for a blade with lie 5 that will wear evenly along the whole blade much like the Modano but with a little more curve on it so I can raise the puck more. Since the Sundin put most of the wear on the toe would a CCM Rechi be any better?

[TBLfan 25]

was the hosel length the same? assuming it was a replacement blade

[Whip 0]

was the hosel length the same? assuming it was a replacement blade

Yup exactly same length hosel same length of shaft with the Modano.

Its just wierd how they both state they have lie 5 and the Sundin wears differntly.

[regularjoe 1]

Yup exactly same length hosel same length of shaft with the Modano.

Its just wierd how they both state they have lie 5 and the Sundin wears differntly.

Either it's rockered or it's not a true 5 but the Sundin doesn't play like a 5 based on my experience.