Short Stick = Amazing

[TBLfan 25]

Did you say a lie of 7?! Is it your usual mid-hook curve or something different? I might need to get my hands on one.

[Rustpot 1]

Same here, TBL. I love the 6 lie, but I'm still curious on what a 7 might do, letting me go down a few inches.

I use a 6 lie, 63" stick, and I'm 6'. It comes to my chin on skates, nose off. I learned to stickhandle with my top hand above my hip really close to my body, I probably need to cut 6" off to get the stick away from my body and my bottom hand higher on the stick.

[troy 12]

I have an Eric Lindros GU in my room and it comes up to just below my nose on skates. I'm 5'9" and he's 6'4" just to give an idea. He uses a lie slightly higher than 5.

[TBLfan 25]

Same here, TBL. I love the 6 lie, but I'm still curious on what a 7 might do, letting me go down a few inches.

I use a 6 lie, 63" stick, and I'm 6'. It comes to my chin on skates, nose off. I learned to stickhandle with my top hand above my hip really close to my body, I probably need to cut 6" off to get the stick away from my body and my bottom hand higher on the stick.

I had a bonk curve on my v120c and it was my favorite stick because of the curve/lie. If I could get my hands on a R8 with a lie of 7 in a good curve and an 85 or slightly lower flex(I'd be cutting it more than a couple inches) I might stock up and chop the stick down.

With these 5.5 lie sticks and such the short stick requires a really deep knee bend and my right knee just isn't that healthy. I have to be a little lazy because of it.

[flyerman 0]

I notice that over the years my sticks have gotten longer and longer. When I was a kid playing in the early 80's, we all seemed to cut our sticks pretty short; mine came to just above my collar bone (with skates). Now my stick comes to my chin with skates (or just above the tip of my nose without).

My lie has also changed over the years. I used to use a 4.5 lie as I skated really low to the ice with a deep knee bend. Now I'm using a 5.25 and it wears perfectly evenly. Unfortunately, I think that shows my skating as become more upright, as the longer stick should translate into needing to still use that real low lie. I must be getting old....

If my back was more limber like the old days, I know that cutting my stick shorter really helps with my stickhandling and control. I do miss that. But at least my shot is a lot harder and I can reach for pucks better, esp. along the boards.

I play with this kid now who's a forward and his stick is ridiculously long -- like to the top of his forehead (with skates!). I don't know how on earth he can control the puck, but he's actually pretty damn good, and he has one hell of a shot with all the whip he gets.

I once played in Vermont with this guy who's stick came to well below his sternum. His nickname was "putter."

And I think it's a bit of a misnomer that a real short stick means less shooting power. I grew up outside of Philly and I remember Reggie Leach used an extremely short stick when he played for the Flyers....and they didn't call him the Riverton Rifle for nothing. He had a scorcher!

[kukakid 0]

I use a pretty short stick, comes up to about my collar bone or maybe a little lower. I've tried longer sticks but I just can't get a good feel for the puck with them.

[Jason 65]

I'm 5'10" and my stick is 56" long so it comes to about my adam's apple. I find that for me it is the best length for stickhandling. I do skate with a pretty deep knee bend. I use the forsberg curve (5 lie), but I can still handle the puck close to my feet if i want to. It just depends on where my top hand is. If its further back behind me, the blade stays pretty flat on the ice.

[halfmoonyote 0]

Did you say a lie of 7?! Is it your usual mid-hook curve or something different? I might need to get my hands on one.

TBL - No, and that's what makes it even more strange that I'm having success with it. The Foote pattern is basically a Lids/Jovo clone. If you want one, hit me on the PM.

[TBLfan 25]

darn, I gotta get away from these heel curves again. Last week I was at the top of the crease as I go to roof two pucks like I normally do I send the puck about 40 feet into the air over the glass... Then I send one about 35 feet into the air in the same spot. :(

Unrelated pm sent.

[Abubaca 0]

I think that everyone's individual game, and level they play at is really the determining factor.

I'm 32, and have been playing for about 20 years. Since my adult (grown up) years, I've always used a short stick, and I've always been a strong stickhandler. The other day at pick-up, I broke a stick and had to borrow a buddy's stick, which for me was, per "the rule", right at my nose. I liked it, but my handling was off a good bit. Anyhow, I put a plug in my stick and have been playing with it for a few weeks now. EVERY part of my game has improved, except stickhandling. -and at my age and level, my heroic stickhandling moves are few and far between!!!!! :lol:

As for the shot, well, you CAN have a short stick and a crazy hard shot. BUT, that being said, all things being equal, the simple physics/mechanical advantage are such that a longer stick will provide a harder shot.

[joelnmich 0]

I use a longer stick to play Defense....but I'd rather use a shorter stick for skill moves...since I'm playing above my level on Defense the longer reach makes me an effective defensive defenseman.

[thejackal 46]

hull and macinnis both had short sticks, while guys like souray, phaneuf and pronger like longer sticks. it depends on your shooting style really.

[topshelf11 0]

I bought a Mike Keane game used stick, and couldn't believe how short it was. He is a little shorter than me, but his stick was 3-4" shorter than mine.

Topshelf,

Is that Dino in your avatar or do my eyes deceive me?!

Hells yeah. He was my hockey hero. When I was a kid, I looked alittle like him, and played a similar style-smaller guy, go to the net, score on tips and rebounds. My coach stuck me with the nickname Dino and changed my number to 20. We even wore North Stars colors.

[Archangel#16 1]

I cannot use a short stick at all. I always play with a long stick. As some background, Im 5'8 and rarely if ever cut my sticks. Very odd because I'm a winger and I can get a really good bend in but for some reason I just dont feel comfortable with a shorter stick. At least its good for when I have to cycle back to D and pull of a poke check or try and block a pass

[krwwc6 0]

I go back and forth between a short and a long stick. I'm currently using a longer stick. I like it because I can poke check a lot easier. Poke checking the puck just doesn't happen as much as it should these days.

[qmechanic 17]

Pretty much every coach I've ever had has told me to use a short stick. My stick comes up to my chin on skates and I use a 5.5 lie stick. Some people say that they like ahort stick because it causes them to bend their knees more. I tried making my stick an inch longer (with lie 5) and I actually felt like I was getting even lower than before (maybe because of the lower lie). I didn't like how the puck was so far away from my body, so I switched back to my short, lie 5.5 stick pretty fast.

Some thoughts about why I think a short stick is good. Obviously stickhandling is better because any motion of your hands will translate to a larger motion of your blade on a shorter stick as compared to a longer stick. With a short stick, it is easier to handle pucks near your feet. It is also easier to protect the puck with your body. With a long stick, it's easier to do poke checks and to reach for passes. However, in a game situation, it's better to be chasing after a bad pass than to have to stop and turn around to pick up a puck that hit your skates. As already mentioned, shooting and passing is heavily dependent on individual technique. If you remove shooting and passing from the equation, then a short stick is more advantageous than a long stick.

[oggy_3 0]

Last practice i actually cut down my stick and found my puck control im proved tremenously but i found when i went to pass i was missing the pass.

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

Obviously stickhandling is better because any motion of your hands will translate to a larger motion of your blade on a shorter stick as compared to a longer stick.

that makes no sense at all. its the other way around. moving a stick, say, 10 degrees, leads to a larger distance traveled by the blade on a longer stick.

[qmechanic 17]

Obviously stickhandling is better because any motion of your hands will translate to a larger motion of your blade on a shorter stick as compared to a longer stick.

that makes no sense at all. its the other way around. moving a stick, say, 10 degrees, leads to a larger distance traveled by the blade on a longer stick.

Yes, sorry, I realized that what I said was wrong after I got into bed last night. What I should have said is that the moment of inertia of a long stick is larger since the "heavy" blade is farther away from the pivot point where your hand is. So it takes more torque to move the stick.

[flyerman 0]

I guess after my game last night I'm still searching for that "sweet spot" feel regarding the length. My stickhandling and control in tight just isn't where I want it. I go back and forth, but I'm going to cut mine down just a little more 'till I feel I have that feel, comfort and control. It's amazing to me what just a little difference in length makes -- even like 1/4-1/2"shorter changes everything. Might sound silly, but that's how it is for me. So, my stick will end up coming just under my chin with skates on.

Esp. with an OPS, the shorter stick really seems to help with feel. I notice that with wood blades I can still have that feel and control with a longer stick -- more cushion gives me a little more leeway I suppose.

[TBLfan 25]

The thing I like most about a shorter stick with a high lie is being able to dig pucks out of your feet for a quick shot, when the lane is clogged. A flick of the wrist and it's top shelf or close enough to top shelf to get over the goalies pads.

[Rustpot 1]

http://images.sportsline.com/u/gettyimages...01_1024x768.jpg

Apparently, Modano agrees. Must be under his armpit for crying out loud.

[foresburg21 0]

is that an ak27?

[cougarscaptain87 12]

ive used the same size sticks since i was 12 years old, and im 18 now. my stick comes between my crooked colar bones and my adams apple WITHOUT skates on, ive just been to afraid to try somerthing different.

[Hidious 0]

hull and macinnis both had short sticks, while guys like souray, phaneuf and pronger like longer sticks. it depends on your shooting style really.

Pronger, really? He looks like he has a very short stick to me.

Edit: Not sure but it looks to me lke he had a long stick ealier i his career but now plays with a shorter one.