Back to basics

[flyerman 0]

It seems that many of you use a variety of pretty expensive sticks, in terms of brand, flex, material, and blade pattern. I seem to be falling into that "trap" even after growing up with $10-$15 Christian, Cooper, Titan, Canadian, KOHO, and Sherwood wood sticks from my LHS -- and even though my budget doesn't really afford me the luxury of having hundreds of dollars worth of sticks and blades lying around.

I have converted to a completely composite set-up (Easton Synergy II with a Sherwood Momentum XD tapered blade), but I still go back to the blade pattern that I loved when I was younger -- the Coffey big mid. Nothing else feels as good to me. I even ordered custom-made wood blades from Christian in the "Coffey" pattern, but they weren't the same (I had to "uncurve" the blades they were so ridiculous). I won't even go into the conversion process from wood to composite blades.

This week I received a couple of Easton Synergy STs in the Gaborik and Heatley patterns. Of course, because I KNOW what I really want (Coffey), the Gaborik lie is too high, and the blade feels too long for me (although well balanced); the Heatley feels a bit short and small and the curve doesn't come near what I am used to in the Coffey. Plus the 100 flex Heat feels too blade heavy. So, back to the ehockey stores they will go, and out more money for shipping am I.

Part of my problem is that I had to move from New England to Kansas, and I went from being able to see stuff first hand at places like South Windsor Arena, CT to not being able to see anything because our pro shop stocks very limited inventory. So I have to order the stuff online, ask people about it in forums like this and at the rink, and then figure out that it is nothing like I obsessively anticipated it would be once it arrives.

So, I guess my point and question to you guys is: Do you find that you are constantly searching for something better (and constantly being tempted by clever marketing from these stick companies), even though you have actually already found what really works best for you (which may in fact be a relatively low cost optiion)? If not, is it that some of you actually use different sticks for different purposes (shooting stick, stickhanding stick, defense stick, etc.....)?

I think I have given up trying to "improve" on what I know works great for me in all respects. It becomes an obsession to find the next best thing, and I'd rather simplify, get rid of what I am not using, and save some bucks. Just my deal, though. Any thoughts???

[A2rhino 63]

I think I can speak for Most everyone on this site when I say; Yes we are obsessed and addicted to gear. Or as someone refered to us. We are Gear Whores. LOL!!!

[tips09 0]

It seems that many of you use a variety of pretty expensive sticks, in terms of brand, flex, material, and blade pattern. I seem to be falling into that "trap" even after growing up with $10-$15 Christian, Cooper, Titan, Canadian, KOHO, and Sherwood wood sticks from my LHS -- and even though my budget doesn't really afford me the luxury of having hundreds of dollars worth of sticks and blades lying around.

I have converted to a completely composite set-up (Easton Synergy II with a Sherwood Momentum XD tapered blade), but I still go back to the blade pattern that I loved when I was younger -- the Coffey big mid. Nothing else feels as good to me. I even ordered custom-made wood blades from Christian in the "Coffey" pattern, but they weren't the same (I had to "uncurve" the blades they were so ridiculous). I won't even go into the conversion process from wood to composite blades.

This week I received a couple of Easton Synergy STs in the Gaborik and Heatley patterns. Of course, because I KNOW what I really want (Coffey), the Gaborik lie is too high, and the blade feels too long for me (although well balanced); the Heatley feels a bit short and small and the curve doesn't come near what I am used to in the Coffey. Plus the 100 flex Heat feels too blade heavy. So, back to the ehockey stores they will go, and out more money for shipping am I.

Part of my problem is that I had to move from New England to Kansas, and I went from being able to see stuff first hand at places like South Windsor Arena, CT to not being able to see anything because our pro shop stocks very limited inventory. So I have to order the stuff online, ask people about it in forums like this and at the rink, and then figure out that it is nothing like I obsessively anticipated it would be once it arrives.

So, I guess my point and question to you guys is: Do you find that you are constantly searching for something better (and constantly being tempted by clever marketing from these stick companies), even though you have actually already found what really works best for you (which may in fact be a relatively low cost optiion)? If not, is it that some of you actually use different sticks for different purposes (shooting stick, stickhanding stick, defense stick, etc.....)?

I think I have given up trying to "improve" on what I know works great for me in all respects. It becomes an obsession to find the next best thing, and I'd rather simplify, get rid of what I am not using, and save some bucks. Just my deal, though. Any thoughts???

i am only 15 years old but in the last 2 years ive experimented with lots of different curves and flexs in most different brands and i have found exactly what i like 100 flex iginla curve (synergy II, ST, SL, Stealth) and i anticipate that i will not change in the near future anyways as i have completely fallen for the iginla curve. I am content with that combo of iggy 100 flex and i dont think i will be experimenting in the near future.

[Chadd 916]

It seems that many of you use a variety of pretty expensive sticks, in terms of brand, flex, material, and blade pattern. I seem to be falling into that "trap" even after growing up with $10-$15 Christian, Cooper, Titan, Canadian, KOHO, and Sherwood wood sticks from my LHS -- and even though my budget doesn't really afford me the luxury of having hundreds of dollars worth of sticks and blades lying around.

I have converted to a completely composite set-up (Easton Synergy II with a Sherwood Momentum XD tapered blade), but I still go back to the blade pattern that I loved when I was younger -- the Coffey big mid. Nothing else feels as good to me. I even ordered custom-made wood blades from Christian in the "Coffey" pattern, but they weren't the same (I had to "uncurve" the blades they were so ridiculous). I won't even go into the conversion process from wood to composite blades.

This week I received a couple of Easton Synergy STs in the Gaborik and Heatley patterns. Of course, because I KNOW what I really want (Coffey), the Gaborik lie is too high, and the blade feels too long for me (although well balanced); the Heatley feels a bit short and small and the curve doesn't come near what I am used to in the Coffey. Plus the 100 flex Heat feels too blade heavy. So, back to the ehockey stores they will go, and out more money for shipping am I.

Part of my problem is that I had to move from New England to Kansas, and I went from being able to see stuff first hand at places like South Windsor Arena, CT to not being able to see anything because our pro shop stocks very limited inventory. So I have to order the stuff online, ask people about it in forums like this and at the rink, and then figure out that it is nothing like I obsessively anticipated it would be once it arrives.

So, I guess my point and question to you guys is: Do you find that you are constantly searching for something better (and constantly being tempted by clever marketing from these stick companies), even though you have actually already found what really works best for you (which may in fact be a relatively low cost optiion)? If not, is it that some of you actually use different sticks for different purposes (shooting stick, stickhanding stick, defense stick, etc.....)?

I think I have given up trying to "improve" on what I know works great for me in all respects. It becomes an obsession to find the next best thing, and I'd rather simplify, get rid of what I am not using, and save some bucks. Just my deal, though. Any thoughts???

First of all, great post. I'm going to set this as its own topic as it's certainly more involved than just "what ya got?" If you can think of a better title for the topic, just change the title.

On to the topic:

I've gotten to that point myself. While I prefer a shaft that has been discontinued, as opposed to "just" a plain wood stick, I know exactly where you're coming from. I've experimented with a lot of different products over the years and finally found a combination that works pretty well for me. I'm getting to that point with a lot of my other gear as well. I think part of it is getting older and part of it is frustration when new products aren't as comfortable as the old stuff.

[DamnLocust 0]

I am, without any shadow of a doubt, a gearwhore. To be more specific, I'm a stickwhore. I constantly want to try new sticks, new shafts, etc.

At the same time, there are two constants: 100 flex and modano clones. I have/had sticks from TPS, NBH, Mission, RBK, Warrior, and Easton- all with a modano clone or a pro curve that was fairly similar.

At the end of the day my shot has a bit more kick with this stick, and I get better puckfeel with that stick, but any differences I experience is negligible.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, once you've figured out what flex and pattern is for you, stick with it. If you find that woodies work better than composites for you, stick with those as well. Nobody knows your game better than you do, and nobody can tell you what's right for you better than yourself. Don't give in to the hype.

[DarkStar50 679]

For about 4 years now, I have been addicted to Lidstrom curves. I never thought I would like the open face curve since it was the big square toe on the Lidstrom I really liked. As a D-man I do not want a rounded toe blade as are 90% of the patterns out there. I adjusted my passing and shooting with the open face blade by just turning over my wrists on the follow through. No great shakes there. As a player who cuts 6"+ off the shaft, my other OPS problem is flex. The NBH 77 is good but they no longer offer the Lidstrom clone as stock. I have used 85 Easton and 85 Mission and felt fairly comfortable with the flex. I have had issues with forearm tendinitis from a shaft too stiff. The Warrior 75 flex Jovo(Lids clone) I have used lately has felt as comfortable as any OPS I have used before. I have tried other blade patterns that are similar to Lidstrom but without the square toe and have found myself chucking them over the bench after the first shift of the game. Now I am more apt to try different Lidstrom clones from other companies but not other patterns. I don't get as much ice time as I would like to kind of "waste" it experimenting with other blade patterns. I want to be as comfortable as possible from the moment I hit the ice with the stick I have in my hands.

[Jarick 5]

Yes I switch patterns constantly. Granted I've only been playing 9 months so that's to be expected but here's been my progression:

5030 Coffey

Montreal Euro

Vapor XX PM9

XN10 / Easton ST Heatley

Endure P88

And tonight I spent an hour taking shots with a Euro that I twisted open a bit at the mid-heel. Of course, I shot about 200 pucks and that seemed to help me much more than switching curves. I got to adjust and figure out my wrister and backhand, fine tune the slapper, realize I've got a ways to go with my snapper even though it's my most-used shot, and that was a big help.

Now the only real trade off is how much loft I can get before all my shots sail over the net and how straight a blade I can get away with before I need a curve.

As for sticks, I could probably get away with a good Montreal woody. The whole reason I switched to composite was because I couldn't find any more 4400's but then of course they got a new shipment a couple months later. Now I find woodies are too whippy after a couple hours.

As someone said on here before, it's not the arrow, it's the Indian. For me an hour with a net and some pucks is much more valuable than a new stick. But hell every now and again I like to blow $50 on something new :)

[flyerman 0]

It seems that many of you use a variety of pretty expensive sticks, in terms of brand, flex, material, and blade pattern. I seem to be falling into that "trap" even after growing up with $10-$15 Christian, Cooper, Titan, Canadian, KOHO, and Sherwood wood sticks from my LHS -- and even though my budget doesn't really afford me the luxury of having hundreds of dollars worth of sticks and blades lying around.

I have converted to a completely composite set-up (Easton Synergy II with a Sherwood Momentum XD tapered blade), but I still go back to the blade pattern that I loved when I was younger -- the Coffey big mid. Nothing else feels as good to me. I even ordered custom-made wood blades from Christian in the "Coffey" pattern, but they weren't the same (I had to "uncurve" the blades they were so ridiculous). I won't even go into the conversion process from wood to composite blades.

This week I received a couple of Easton Synergy STs in the Gaborik and Heatley patterns. Of course, because I KNOW what I really want (Coffey), the Gaborik lie is too high, and the blade feels too long for me (although well balanced); the Heatley feels a bit short and small and the curve doesn't come near what I am used to in the Coffey. Plus the 100 flex Heat feels too blade heavy. So, back to the ehockey stores they will go, and out more money for shipping am I.

Part of my problem is that I had to move from New England to Kansas, and I went from being able to see stuff first hand at places like South Windsor Arena, CT to not being able to see anything because our pro shop stocks very limited inventory. So I have to order the stuff online, ask people about it in forums like this and at the rink, and then figure out that it is nothing like I obsessively anticipated it would be once it arrives.

So, I guess my point and question to you guys is: Do you find that you are constantly searching for something better (and constantly being tempted by clever marketing from these stick companies), even though you have actually already found what really works best for you (which may in fact be a relatively low cost optiion)? If not, is it that some of you actually use different sticks for different purposes (shooting stick, stickhanding stick, defense stick, etc.....)?

I think I have given up trying to "improve" on what I know works great for me in all respects. It becomes an obsession to find the next best thing, and I'd rather simplify, get rid of what I am not using, and save some bucks. Just my deal, though. Any thoughts???

First of all, great post. I'm going to set this as its own topic as it's certainly more involved than just "what ya got?" If you can think of a better title for the topic, just change the title.

On to the topic:

I've gotten to that point myself. While I prefer a shaft that has been discontinued, as opposed to "just" a plain wood stick, I know exactly where you're coming from. I've experimented with a lot of different products over the years and finally found a combination that works pretty well for me. I'm getting to that point with a lot of my other gear as well. I think part of it is getting older and part of it is frustration when new products aren't as comfortable as the old stuff.

Chadd,

Thanks for creating this cool topic! Sorry about the last couple of quoted posts I just made by mistake. You can delete them.

Anyway, I completely agree with you. I had been on a quest for the last four years to replace my old gear, all of which I lost in a house fire in '03, and the exact models of which I have never been able to find since the stuff was discontinued: e.g. Cooper Armour-Flex shoulder pads, Bauer Supreme 3000 skates, Easton Ultralite Pro gloves, etc. I have learned to settle for the closest best thing, and spent a lot of money getting there, but I still long for the old stuff which felt so comfortable and "right." I guess the only thing I don't really miss are my old Cooperalls, and the old goalie cup I used to wear as a peewee (I played forward) before I realized what my Dad had acutually bought me!

So I guess I have finally learned to stick with what works, esp. with sticks (excuse the pun). I've found that sweet contentment and am sick of getting sucked into buying more flashy crap made in China which I really don't need. Instead, I'll spend the money on more ice time and tournaments -- actually playing and practicing intstead of obsessing about what stick to buy in order to PLAY "better." Hell, some of the best players I have ever played with still use wood sticks and freakin' Doust skates (well, at least the boots)!

Don't worry, I won't use some cliche like "Old Time Hockey".........

Back to basics, boys!

[Hockeydog 8]

I think I can speak for Most everyone on this site when I say; Yes we are obsessed and addicted to gear. Or as someone refered to us. We are Gear Whores. LOL!!!

Musicians ( guitar players fer sure) call it GAS

GAS= gear acquisition syndrome !!

[Jarick 5]

I think I can speak for Most everyone on this site when I say; Yes we are obsessed and addicted to gear. Or as someone refered to us. We are Gear Whores. LOL!!!

Musicians ( guitar players fer sure) call it GAS

GAS= gear acquisition syndrome !!

Yeah and I thought I was taking a step in the right direction by selling my music stuff for hockey gear

[flyerman 0]

For about 4 years now, I have been addicted to Lidstrom curves. I never thought I would like the open face curve since it was the big square toe on the Lidstrom I really liked. As a D-man I do not want a rounded toe blade as are 90% of the patterns out there. I adjusted my passing and shooting with the open face blade by just turning over my wrists on the follow through. No great shakes there. As a player who cuts 6"+ off the shaft, my other OPS problem is flex. The NBH 77 is good but they no longer offer the Lidstrom clone as stock. I have used 85 Easton and 85 Mission and felt fairly comfortable with the flex. I have had issues with forearm tendinitis from a shaft too stiff. The Warrior 75 flex Jovo(Lids clone) I have used lately has felt as comfortable as any OPS I have used before. I have tried other blade patterns that are similar to Lidstrom but without the square toe and have found myself chucking them over the bench after the first shift of the game. Now I am more apt to try different Lidstrom clones from other companies but not other patterns. I don't get as much ice time as I would like to kind of "waste" it experimenting with other blade patterns. I want to be as comfortable as possible from the moment I hit the ice with the stick I have in my hands.

Yes. I have done the same with trying to find Coffey-like patterns ( or "clones") from different companies -- but to no avail. For instance, the Easton Gaborik pattern has a huge banana like the Coffey, but the lie is too high. The Afinogenov pattern from TPS is a nice deep closed mid-curve, but again the lie is not really a five, it's pretty much the same as the Gaborik lie 5.5. Although the Coffey is listed as a 5.5 lie by Sherwood, it is almost exactly the same as an Easton/Christian lie 5. And as I mentioned before, the Christian custom blades I ordered in the Coffey pattern were way deeper than the Sherwood specs, pretty much impossible to use until I straightened them out quite a bit with heat and force, which of course weakened them....and then caused them to crack after only a 2-3 weeks. Hence my ultimiate move to a composite blade.

Then there is always the issue of manufacturing inconsistencies between the same exact blade pattern or stick themselves. I have a Sherwood 950 tapered wood blade, a Sherwood Momentum XD composite tapered blade, a Sherwood RM7 OPS, and a Sherwood 5030 woodie -- all, of course, in the same Coffey pattern -- and every blade is a bit different in terms of curve depth, face, and lie. I guess that's to be expected. Even the pros talk about this with their custom-made sticks.

So going back to basics is not a simple as it used to be, eh?.....Anyway, I'll stick with Coffey as long as Sherwood keeps making it, and forget about trying to find the same thing in the ever elusive quest for "better, lighter, stronger" constantly hyped by these companies.

[stick9 896]

It seems that many of you use a variety of pretty expensive sticks, in terms of brand, flex, material, and blade pattern. I seem to be falling into that "trap" even after growing up with $10-$15 Christian, Cooper, Titan, Canadian, KOHO, and Sherwood wood sticks from my LHS -- and even though my budget doesn't really afford me the luxury of having hundreds of dollars worth of sticks and blades lying around.

I have converted to a completely composite set-up (Easton Synergy II with a Sherwood Momentum XD tapered blade), but I still go back to the blade pattern that I loved when I was younger -- the Coffey big mid. Nothing else feels as good to me. I even ordered custom-made wood blades from Christian in the "Coffey" pattern, but they weren't the same (I had to "uncurve" the blades they were so ridiculous). I won't even go into the conversion process from wood to composite blades.

This week I received a couple of Easton Synergy STs in the Gaborik and Heatley patterns. Of course, because I KNOW what I really want (Coffey), the Gaborik lie is too high, and the blade feels too long for me (although well balanced); the Heatley feels a bit short and small and the curve doesn't come near what I am used to in the Coffey. Plus the 100 flex Heat feels too blade heavy. So, back to the ehockey stores they will go, and out more money for shipping am I.

Part of my problem is that I had to move from New England to Kansas, and I went from being able to see stuff first hand at places like South Windsor Arena, CT to not being able to see anything because our pro shop stocks very limited inventory. So I have to order the stuff online, ask people about it in forums like this and at the rink, and then figure out that it is nothing like I obsessively anticipated it would be once it arrives.

So, I guess my point and question to you guys is: Do you find that you are constantly searching for something better (and constantly being tempted by clever marketing from these stick companies), even though you have actually already found what really works best for you (which may in fact be a relatively low cost optiion)? If not, is it that some of you actually use different sticks for different purposes (shooting stick, stickhanding stick, defense stick, etc.....)?

I think I have given up trying to "improve" on what I know works great for me in all respects. It becomes an obsession to find the next best thing, and I'd rather simplify, get rid of what I am not using, and save some bucks. Just my deal, though. Any thoughts???

Great post, so glad is was turned into it's own thread. I hear ya when it comes to sticks. Before switching to OPS's I used the same shaft (Inno 1100) for years. I had the crap luck of getting hooked on blades that would end up getting discontinued, but each one I used for a good amount of time and was quite happy. When I found the Thornton I was thrilled. Finally, something along the lines of my old favorite the Coffey. When I made the move to OPS's I didn't go with CCM. So it was off to find a new pattern. Even though I am happy with the Warrior Smyth. I would gladly switch back to the Coffey or the Thornton. So tonight instead of buying yet another stick. I'm gonna grab a Thornton or Coffey taper blade in put it in my Vapor XX. Which I never use because I can't stand the Naslund pattern. Once I go through my two Warrior's I'll either go with a taper shaft combo or convert them over to tapered shafts.

[Rabid Ranger 0]

Good thread. I'm probably in the gear whore category, although it seems in recent years I've cut back a bit, probably because I've been fortunate to find some product that I like and that has been durable. Invariably though, I also lean towards the Easton Yzerman pattern, or at something similar. I've kind of been turned off to Easton products for awhile, so have been using a Warrior Dolomite tapered shaft with a Warrior blade (Robitaille pattern) and a Sher-Wood RM 19 shaft with a Sher-Wood tapered blade (Coffey pattern!) and I've enjoyed both immensely. The area where I have most of my turnover is gloves, which I can't seem to get enough of.

[flyerman 0]

Good thread. I'm probably in the gear whore category, although it seems in recent years I've cut back a bit, probably because I've been fortunate to find some product that I like and that has been durable. Invariably though, I also lean towards the Easton Yzerman pattern, or at something similar. I've kind of been turned off to Easton products for awhile, so have been using a Warrior Dolomite tapered shaft with a Warrior blade (Robitaille pattern) and a Sher-Wood RM 19 shaft with a Sher-Wood tapered blade (Coffey pattern!) and I've enjoyed both immensely. The area where I have most of my turnover is gloves, which I can't seem to get enough of.

And freakin' gloves!!! Wish you could take the six pairs of extra gloves sitting in my closet off of my hands (again, excuse the pun). I never did find my exact Easton Ultralite Pros (I think they were the '03 model) that burned up, so I ended up trying FIVE different pairs of earlier and later versions of Ultralite and Ultralite Pros AND two pairs of different size Warrior Kingpins before finally settling on some very expensive but pretty sweet Eagle X70is MADE IN CANADA! It took me months to find them, and although they don't feel as "perfect" as my old Easton's, they are as close as I've gotten.....Good thing I'm not as picky with hockey jocks! (oh yeah, I forgot I am....)

[TBLfan 25]

Have you ever considered something like the Mission Rafalski curve? I never saw one before but based on the description I figured I'd try it out as I prefer toe or mid curves with a neutral or slightly open face.

I've searched high and low for a retail curve I really like from heel curves to toe curves and but mostly I look at mid curves. I don't recall seeing anything similar to a Rafalski in any other brand. It kind of looks like a hybrid of a coffey and a recchi with a 5.5 lie. I can take a pic if you want one.

[DarkStar50 679]

flyerman,

Doesn't it piss you off when the curve is very similar but its the lie that's different? The RBK Phaneuf/Lidstrom clone has that problem. The RBK P32 pattern lie is off just a touch enough to screw me up. Very frustrating.

[flyerman 0]

flyerman,

Doesn't it piss you off when the curve is very similar but its the lie that's different? The RBK Phaneuf/Lidstrom clone has that problem. The RBK P32 pattern lie is off just a touch enough to screw me up. Very frustrating.

Yes exactly! It drives me nuts. Worse for me is when the companies list a blade as a particular lie and I find it is really not accurate, depending upon what you are using as a base-line lie measurement, of course. Like the TPS Sundin/Afinogenov is listed as a lie 5, but is really an Easton 5.5+. The Gaborik Synergy ST I just got has a massive banana -- even bigger than my Coffey -- but it is a lie 5.5, so it won't work for me (unless I chop my stick way down, start stickhandling at my feet and begin skating upright). I know the Warrior Smyth pattern has a huge curve and a real low lie, but it is really a toe curve, not a mid-curve. So I share your frustration. The lie, and the lie profile (flat or rocker), also really seem to affect my play. That is why I'm giving up trying to find a similar blade pattern made by a different company. I'm throwing away money and always disappointed. I'm not a pro player but I know what works and what doesn't.

[Remman 0]

Companies not listing the right lies is ridiculous. I use a 6 lie, which seems to be few and far between anymore, specifically the Easton Shanahan, R.I.P. I bought a Datsyuk not knowing what it was and when I called Rbk, they said they don't list lies, that they were all the same. You'd think for a reputable company they would have some specific knowledge of their gear.

I am thinking of going the Christian custom blade route soon, after I buy up all the 100 flex original Warrior Dolomite shafts...

[Chadd 916]

Companies not listing the right lies is ridiculous. I use a 6 lie, which seems to be few and far between anymore, specifically the Easton Shanahan, R.I.P. I bought a Datsyuk not knowing what it was and when I called Rbk, they said they don't list lies, that they were all the same. You'd think for a reputable company they would have some specific knowledge of their gear.

I am thinking of going the Christian custom blade route soon, after I buy up all the 100 flex original Warrior Dolomite shafts...

Most companies do list the "right" lies, they just measure them differently. Wood blades are often hit or miss on the lies, while composites are obviously much more consistent. My Christian customs were almost identical while my Branches pattern was fairly different from one blade to the next.

[DamnLocust 0]

Have you ever considered something like the Mission Rafalski curve? I never saw one before but based on the description I figured I'd try it out as I prefer toe or mid curves with a neutral or slightly open face.

I've searched high and low for a retail curve I really like from heel curves to toe curves and but mostly I look at mid curves. I don't recall seeing anything similar to a Rafalski in any other brand. It kind of looks like a hybrid of a coffey and a recchi with a 5.5 lie. I can take a pic if you want one.

I thought the Rafalski was a Sakic clone?

[Patrick67 1]

How long is the blade on the Coffey pattern? Longer than Iggy and Warrior Smyth? Longer than Bauer P88?

Same as Sakic or shorter?

I have the curve switching syndrom big-time. It's pretty annoying because when I play puck Drury is great (and a lock), but when I play ball I like a huge mid-cuve.

The Koho 23 pattern is great, but doesn't come in composite, so I keep changing curves to find something that comes in both outdoor and indoor blades...

[Hede 2]

I´ve played with Koho 4 ore 23 pattern´s most of my hockey days. Fore ball hockey i use the Koho crossover and on ice its the Koho 4440. The 4440 is more like a composite blade. Wenn Koho stoped making them a LHS in Copenhagen got CCM to make it in the 7.0 blade design so i used them last season. But now RBK makes the pattern´s as the 1K and 2K blades. I think the 1K is the crossover and 2K is the 4440. I would love to see those pattern´s on some OPS. But fore now i going to use the Warrior Smyth.

[TBLfan 25]

Have you ever considered something like the Mission Rafalski curve? I never saw one before but based on the description I figured I'd try it out as I prefer toe or mid curves with a neutral or slightly open face.

I've searched high and low for a retail curve I really like from heel curves to toe curves and but mostly I look at mid curves. I don't recall seeing anything similar to a Rafalski in any other brand. It kind of looks like a hybrid of a coffey and a recchi with a 5.5 lie. I can take a pic if you want one.

I thought the Rafalski was a Sakic clone?

Not the one I have on my pulse! Picture a Sakic with a little less curve and a neutral face.

[flyerman 0]

Back to the "Back to Basics" topic at hand....

For those of you who coach/sell to young kids and beginning players, I am wondering if you encourage them to buy wood sticks with as little curve possible.

I do, since that was the basic mantra when I grew up playing in the early 80's. New players I work with are always asking me about this or that composite stick, and I always tell them to start with a woodie (Sherwood and Bauer woodies were my favorite) until they can actually control and move the puck well and have developed some fundamental puckhandling skills. Especially for backhand passing and recieving, it seems the wood stick with the straightest blade possible is still the best basic starting point for newbies. What do you all think?

When I was a kid, it was pretty easy to find a neutrual (straight) blade wood stick. Now, I only see a few patterns out there with just slight curves. Any suggestions I can pass on to new players?

PS. Apologies if this has been covered in another topic thread, but I thought it fit well here....

[sabre09923 0]

Back to the "Back to Basics" topic at hand....

For those of you who coach/sell to young kids and beginning players, I am wondering if you encourage them to buy wood sticks with as little curve possible.

I do, since that was the basic mantra when I grew up playing in the early 80's. New players I work with are always asking me about this or that composite stick, and I always tell them to start with a woodie (Sherwood and Bauer woodies were my favorite) until they can actually control and move the puck well and have developed some fundamental puckhandling skills. Especially for backhand passing and recieving, it seems the wood stick with the straightest blade possible is still the best basic starting point for newbies. What do you all think?

When I was a kid, it was pretty easy to find a neutrual (straight) blade wood stick. Now, I only see a few patterns out there with just slight curves. Any suggestions I can pass on to new players?

PS. Apologies if this has been covered in another topic thread, but I thought it fit well here....

I agree with everything you said. I started off with a straight woodie, and didn't figure out that I was a left handed shot until I was 4 (started learn-to-skate at 2, 12 years ago), since I had such a good backhand. Still use a slight curve (PM9 and clones) and my backhand passing and shooing is much better than everyone else's with sakics and the like.

I thought it was awesome to have my first composite (UL w/ woodie) when I was around 9. Now, it's only an afterthought.