Need blade pattern advice

[danielb 0]

A question about sticks for a centre, I've been using a Nike Velocity composite stick with the St Louis (PM9) blade pattern for the last couple weeks which I'm really liking the low lie and the lack of a curve as it means I can use my backhand a fairly well. It seems to have helped my passing considerably compared to the Nike P88 Lindross woodie I'd mainly been using before, I also have an easton and an sherwood woodie that I bought when I was totally new to the sport and thought that all sticks had the same blade pattern like field hockey!. So far the lower lie sticks with less radical blade patterns seem to agree with me more.

Are there any other sticks/blades from other manufactures worth looking at? The RBK Crosby pattern looks interesting as it is also lie 5 but has more curve, the Easton Inigla (sp?) pattern looks similar to the PM9 too.

Any advice would be most appreciated!

PS: I've looked in the blade DB but allot of the terms are still lost on me

[Jarick 5]

I'd say stick with the PM9. Great learning curve. I keep coming back to it.

Similar would be Bouchard, Forsberg, Modano, Tkachuck, Fedorov, they're all clones.

One thing I've learned with it: try shooting off the toe/mid toe for quick wrist and shap shots. Works very well and gives an accurate shot.

[InTeN5ITy 7]

I'd say stick with the PM9. Great learning curve. I keep coming back to it.

Similar would be Bouchard, Forsberg, Modano, Tkachuck, Fedorov, they're all clones.

One thing I've learned with it: try shooting off the toe/mid toe for quick wrist and shap shots. Works very well and gives an accurate shot.

couldent agree more

[danielb 0]

I'd say stick with the PM9. Great learning curve. I keep coming back to it.

Similar would be Bouchard, Forsberg, Modano, Tkachuck, Fedorov, they're all clones.

One thing I've learned with it: try shooting off the toe/mid toe for quick wrist and shap shots. Works very well and gives an accurate shot.

Cheers for the advice, I think I have a wooden Forsberg stick so I'll use that as my back-up instead of the Lindross (P88) as the Lindross just feels wrong now I guess the difference is the lie mostly?

I've heard the easton sticks are very good and as my gear is mostly NikeBauer (except for Easton skates, RBK helmet and a itech cage) I was thinking of experimenting with another brand like Easton or RBK for a second composite stick to see if there was much difference...

If I'm practicing face-offs initially am I better using my cheap wooden sticks than my composite stick? I couldn't believe how dead my wooden stick felt receiving passes on Tuesday when I used it for a shift or two instead of the composite (mostly just to see if there was a noticeable difference).

[ramensandwich 1]

yeah, i can't use wood too much, because i'm used to ops with a "hot" face like the synergy st.

[flyerman 0]

I'd say stick with the PM9. Great learning curve. I keep coming back to it.

Similar would be Bouchard, Forsberg, Modano, Tkachuck, Fedorov, they're all clones.

One thing I've learned with it: try shooting off the toe/mid toe for quick wrist and shap shots. Works very well and gives an accurate shot.

Cheers for the advice, I think I have a wooden Forsberg stick so I'll use that as my back-up instead of the Lindross (P88) as the Lindross just feels wrong now I guess the difference is the lie mostly?

I've heard the easton sticks are very good and as my gear is mostly NikeBauer (except for Easton skates, RBK helmet and a itech cage) I was thinking of experimenting with another brand like Easton or RBK for a second composite stick to see if there was much difference...

If I'm practicing face-offs initially am I better using my cheap wooden sticks than my composite stick? I couldn't believe how dead my wooden stick felt receiving passes on Tuesday when I used it for a shift or two instead of the composite (mostly just to see if there was a noticeable difference).

My rule of thumb for beginning players -- kids or adults -- is to use a wood stick with as little curve as possible. The Forsberg is a great choice. If the lie 5 is working for you, you might also want to try a Heatley, which is a slight mid curve. But be careful because I have seen Heatley pattern wood blades that look like a banana compared to my Heatley composite stick. I am not sure if Easton offers their Classic woodie in a Heatley, but they do offer it an Iginla, which is a similar mid-curve but in a lie 5.5. Less curve will help you better learn to receive, pass, and shoot off of your backhand, and it will force you to shoot correctly instead of using a big curve as a crutch.

If, after a while, the wood sticks don't do it for you -- meaning they are not responsive enough, snappy enough and feel dead -- then I suggest going to a composite shaft/wood blade combo. That way you can maintain the best feel for the puck while you keep working on your fundamental skills AND have the durability, stiffness, and constistency a composite shaft offers. And you can experiment with different wood blade patterns, saving money because you're not buying a new OPS everytime you see a blade you want to try.

Just my 2 cents from my own expereince when I was a kid learning to play, and from helping adults who are new to the game now. Wood just "gives" more feel and is the best place to start.

[The Stranger 0]

... be careful because I have seen Heatley pattern wood blades that look like a banana compared to my Heatley composite stick.

Really? That's weird, its usually the other way around.

[flyerman 0]

... be careful because I have seen Heatley pattern wood blades that look like a banana compared to my Heatley composite stick.

Really? That's weird, its usually the other way around.

Really? I have noticed HUGE variance in wood blade patterns in terms of lie and curve, esp. from Easton and TPS. I bought this Heatley blade for a friend of mine needing a slight curve, lie 5, and it was like a 3/4" banana with a lie 4.5 when compared to my Synergy ST Heat. I once bought a Sundin R2 wood blade (supposed to be a lie 5), and it was around a lie 6. Go figure....

[Andoy 5]

Sometimes it's just best to stick with what you have for now while you're learning the game. There really isn't a 'centerman's curve' out there. It's all personal preference. Over time you'll figure out what you're looking whether it be more curve or loft or figure out that your modo pattern is alright.