this ever happen to you?

[cause4alarm 6]

Recently I've been getting poke/sweep checked a lot, so I decided to go for a shorter stick for better puck control and keeping the puck closer to my body. I cut about 2 inches off my stick.

Tonight I was out on the ice when my team had a one goal lead late in the third. My center sets me up in the low slot for a one-timer and I whiff. I don't think there was anything wrong with my timing. I just missed the puck by about two inches. Then the other team takes the puck into our zone and ties the game.

(We still won in the shootout though.)

[Rustpot 1]

Over Christmas break i only brought my 2 main sticks home from college and ended up using one quite a bit for stickhandling in the garage. My first ice session after doing that, i couldn't accept a pass, I kept putting my stick short

I've since taken a third stick and cut it shorter for any time i feel like stickhandling off skates

[KennyWu 24]

I like using short sticks when i'm playing an offensive role. Having a longer stick, say one that goes up to your chin on skates, has worked better for me in defensive roles. The extra inch helps a lot when pokechecking.

[LkptTiger 1]

(We still won in the shootout though.)

You're off the hook, then...lol.

This is one of the reasons why I've always made sure that all of my game sticks are exactly the same. Not only does it satisfy my OCD, but it also eliminates any kind of adjustment (length, lie, curve, flex, feel, weight...aesthetics ;) )to a new twig should I snap one or two. I see guys walking around the rink with two or more sticks with about 3 or 4 inches in length difference between them and I wonder how they do it.

I also usually keep a couple sticks similar (same curve and lie) to those I use on the ice and cut them a bit shorter (so that they come-up to the same spot on my chest as my ice sticks do with skates on) for stickhandling and shooting without skates on, that way a little bit of work out in the driveway or street isn't going to screw with me once I get back onto the ice. I suggest you, and eveyone who doesn't, for that matter, do the same.

[KYHockey3 0]

everyone misses a one timer every once in a while!!!

you will eventually get used to your shorter stick...hopefully

[LkptTiger 1]

...nevermind...

[Alias81 0]

Best advice somebody gave me was "Leave the game at the rink." By all means realise your mistakes and try and improve yourself, but don't beat yourself up about things.

[mack 44]

That kind of stuff has happened to me and in one way or another will happen to me as much as I tinker around with sticks and such. I just do the best I can to leave it at the game.

Then I go home and put on a cilice so that I don't forget.

[LkptTiger 1]

...and I thought I was a little extreme :o I have a feeling your daughter has a very difficult 17 years ahead of her...if she lasts that long ;)

[biff44 0]

My general observation is that most players have way too short of a stick! You can see them trying to stickhandle around all hunched over and looking at the puck.

As far as the poke check, maybe you are telegraphing your intentions too often. A Dman knows the poke check is a risk, and only does it if you are coming in too slowly or if he thinks he knows what you are going to do next. Try being more mysterious. Make it look like you are going over one way, then whip the puck over to the other side quickly and go the other way! Do that enough and nobody will be trying to poke check you.

[mack 44]

...and I thought I was a little extreme :o I have a feeling your daughter has a very difficult 17 years ahead of her...if she lasts that long ;)

Oh no, she, her brother & sister are going to an optional school that my sister teaches at. There are surprisingly no Catholic schools so their punishment is going to be going to that hippie school.

[LkptTiger 1]

I thought their punnishment would be the fact that they're living in Alaska...

[cause4alarm 6]

Well, I'm not exactly contemplating suicide after last night's game. I just think it's ironic that I cut my stick and then only about 45 minutes later it comes back to bite me in the ass. I actually got on the ice late and didn't even get a chance to take warm up shots. That was because I was in the pro shop getting skates sharpened and yes, getting that stick cut. Of course, I'd be taking the whole thing a slight bit harder if we lost the game or if it had any meaning to the standings.

I also keep a shorter stick for street/floor use that's actually more proportional to my new shorter stick than to my "regular" one. (It's a converted broken OPS shaft and I only had so much length to work with.)

Either way, even after last night I'm committed to staying with the shorter stick at least for a few more games.

[mack 44]

I thought their punnishment would be the fact that they're living in Alaska...

Not as badly as how they'll be visiting North Carolina and Texas to see the out-laws.

Back to the sticks though, I'll tinker to get some for situations. Not as bad as maybe Hull was, but I'd get sticks down to the point where its sole purpose was for one-timers.

[Jarick 5]

Kind of.

My Vapor XX with a Modano curve cracked at the blade on Saturday, so I picked up a TPS shaft and Jokinen blade Monday. Right now it's about -10 in Minnesota so I couldn't take it to the rink to get used to it.

I played with it for several shifts, doing well, but I'm on defense so all I did was move the puck and block some shots. Then I get on a 2-on-0, guy passes to me, wide open net, and my shot went just outside the post.

So I grab my Vapor with the cracked blade, first shift I grab the puck on a breakaway, skate it in around a defender, and score pulling a Jussi Jokinen move. First goal I've had which wasn't a garbage deflection.

So even with a cracked blade I'm way more comfortable since I've spent dozens of hours stickhandling, shooting, and playing with one thing. And I'm off to get a PM9 for my TPS...

[slaw 1]

Recently I've been getting poke/sweep checked a lot, so I decided to go for a shorter stick for better puck control and keeping the puck closer to my body. I cut about 2 inches off my stick.

Tonight I was out on the ice when my team had a one goal lead late in the third. My center sets me up in the low slot for a one-timer and I whiff. I don't think there was anything wrong with my timing. I just missed the puck by about two inches. Then the other team takes the puck into our zone and ties the game.

(We still won in the shootout though.)

Thats not so bad. I was reffin Minor Midget houseleague in Orangeville last night. One kid who had played AAA a couple years prior was really stealing the show making the extra pass the whole nine yards. Sets up a D man who wasnt ot good at all for a onetimer. D completely misses the puck & the other team goes down and scores. Were talking winds up and stick goes right over the puck, he does a 360 and falls over. Next shift same thing happens again. Game wound up tied caue this Dman missed two one timers. Kind of embarassing.

[cause4alarm 6]

Thats not so bad. I was reffin Minor Midget houseleague in Orangeville last night. One kid who had played AAA a couple years prior was really stealing the show making the extra pass the whole nine yards. Sets up a D man who wasnt ot good at all for a onetimer. D completely misses the puck & the other team goes down and scores. Were talking winds up and stick goes right over the puck, he does a 360 and falls over. Next shift same thing happens again. Game wound up tied caue this Dman missed two one timers. Kind of embarassing.

OK. He wins.

[GSHL99 0]

It's a muscle memory issue most likely. Last season I tried this theory with using different sticks for different games. For example, if we were playing a weaker team I'd use a shorter stick with more curve on the blade for shooting. Stronger teams with quicker forwards I'd use a longer stick for poke checking and less curve on the blade to make my backhand more useful defensively. It really really bombed big time. Your body has adjusted to the stick at its former length, you'd have to readjust for the new length.

[fatwabbit 93]

had one where I tinkered with my stick just before a game. Basically the play developed where my line mate recieved the puck on the left side, near the blue line and held up the play, drawing two defencemen to him. I just kep going towards the net and he swung this perfect pass, hard and low to me. saw the goalie coming out, so i touched it in the opposite direction from where he was coming. Completely beaten, all i needed to do was backhand it into the empty net, totally missed it and the goalie recovered even before i could do anything....