flex loading and shooting

[chippa13 1844]

You have to take into account how upright or not you are.

[Chadd 916]

Velocity and speed are different... Since I went shorter I've been "hurting" my goalies. They've been complaining about stingers in their gloves and arms during warmups. Speed, I'm not sure... but my shot must be heavier.

You may have a quicker release causing the puck to hit goalies where they aren't expecting it but speed and velocity are essentially the same.

In physics, velocity is defined as the rate of change of position. It is a vector physical quantity; both speed and direction are required to define it. In the SI (metric) system, it is measured in metres per second: (m/s) or ms-1. The scalar absolute value (magnitude) of velocity is speed. For example, "5 metres per second" is a scalar and not a vector, whereas "5 metres per second east" is a vector.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocity

Well I think in this case it's probably diminishing returns. For me, average stick is just below the mouth. Shorter is at the chin. Longer is closer to the nose. At that point, I'm sweeping the puck along the ice and can't really get much flex on the stick.

Most high school kids I see anymore are using sticks that are no taller than their collarbone. It makes it much easier to stickhandle and they all want to be able to dangle, even if they can't do anything once they get into open ice.

[pdat13 0]

I think TBLfan may mean he puts more spin on the puck. Spin will make the puck go slower, but it would have more energy and therefore be "heavier". Kinda like a tennis top spin.

[TBLfan 25]

Ok Issac Newton. How about my shots land "heavier," better?

I'm talking about warmups when the goalie is facing me, they are ready for the shot. They(being plural) have been telling me that they have noticed an increase in how heavy and fast my shot is... I can't prove the shot speed but their bruises and complains is proof enough for the heaviness of the shot.

I think TBLfan may mean he puts more spin on the puck. Spin will make the puck go slower, but it would have more energy and therefore be "heavier". Kinda like a tennis top spin.

In baseball they describe it as velocity. It's the spin that makes the ball feel heavier, which also causes more broken bats for the pitches that throw "heavier." Speed doesn't translate into the heaviness, which in SPORTS is normally termed velocity.

[Chadd 916]

Ok Issac Newton. How about my shots land "heavier," better?

I'm talking about warmups when the goalie is facing me, they are ready for the shot. They(being plural) have been telling me that they have noticed an increase in how heavy and fast my shot is... I can't prove the shot speed but their bruises and complains is proof enough for the heaviness of the shot.

I think TBLfan may mean he puts more spin on the puck. Spin will make the puck go slower, but it would have more energy and therefore be "heavier". Kinda like a tennis top spin.

In baseball they describe it as velocity. It's the spin that makes the ball feel heavier, which also causes more broken bats for the pitches that throw "heavier." Speed doesn't translate into the heaviness, which in SPORTS is normally termed velocity.

Heavier shot is all about technique, obviously yours works better with a short stick. Nobody with a clue considers heavy to equal faster. As far as broken bats are concerned, pitch location is far more important than spin. Stop digging youself a hole with bad comparisons.

[TBLfan 25]

of course pitch locations matter, but it doesn't change the fact that pitchers that are known for throwing heavy pitches break more bats.

I dont see many pitchers throwing "heavy" pitches at 2x4s. Stop being so damn dense and take my arguement as an opinion... instead of trying to prove me wrong when you've never seen me shoot and have never broken out a radar gun to prove anything.

[Chadd 916]

... instead of trying to prove me wrong when you've never seen me shoot and have never broken out a radar gun to prove anything.

Actually we have used a radar gun to test a lot of things, a guy I used to ciach with had one. You can also learn a lot from the rapidfire system that has been at the last few trade shows. I don't make things up. I have theories and I test them and go with what the results tell me.

[chippa13 1844]

As I said for myself, I skate fairly bent, hence a shorter stick is the way to go. Perhaps shortening my stick brought it down to the proper height for me so my mechanics for shooting worked better. I'd have to see video of myself to know for sure exactly what I'm doing to explain the added velocity once I went to a shorter stick.

It could be a mental illusion that since the sticks are flexing better from the mechanics that it must be from more weight over the stick. I never thought about it much and just assumed that was the reason since it seemed to make sense.

[gxc999 7]

Just because you're shooting harder doesn't mean you're shooting faster, there are so many contradictions in this department, Einstein himself would get a headache... Anyway, I've noticed that a lot of pro players prefer to keep the stick further extended away from the body when shooting, I've noticed this also works for me to an extent. Any physics reason for this?

[TheBert 0]

Just because you're shooting harder doesn't mean you're shooting faster, there are so many contradictions in this department, Einstein himself would get a headache... Anyway, I've noticed that a lot of pro players prefer to keep the stick further extended away from the body when shooting, I've noticed this also works for me to an extent. Any physics reason for this?

I've seen some NHLers start with their stick extended and the puck further away from their body, but as they release the shot, they pull the puck and stick in closer to their body. Ovechkin seems to be one guy that does this for instance.

[Chadd 916]

Just because you're shooting harder doesn't mean you're shooting faster, there are so many contradictions in this department, Einstein himself would get a headache... Anyway, I've noticed that a lot of pro players prefer to keep the stick further extended away from the body when shooting, I've noticed this also works for me to an extent. Any physics reason for this?

I've seen some NHLers start with their stick extended and the puck further away from their body, but as they release the shot, they pull the puck and stick in closer to their body. Ovechkin seems to be one guy that does this for instance.

That's more about changing the angle than adding velocity. That said, there would be some minimal amount of velocity from pulling that puck in that would be fractionally added to the shot velocity as long as the puck wasn't stopped as part of the shot motion. Confused yet?

[TheBert 0]

I follow. I just think the advantage of shooting like that is the slight change in angle that throws goalies off. The added velocity is probably insignificant at best.

[Chadd 916]

I follow. I just think the advantage of shooting like that is the slight change in angle that throws goalies off. The added velocity is probably insignificant at best.

Isn't that what I just said?

[TheBert 0]

I'd like a mulligan on that one. Going without sleep for 3 days does that to a guy.

[top 0]

Usually when this happens, I try to explain to the person that usually, not all the time its how you place your hands and hold on to your stick, how you place the puck on your blade, and in the end, if you have the right flex, curve, lie, stick length etc. I have found that with shorter sticks my snapshots and wrist shots were harder, but the slapper really took a beating, and for the longer type stick, my slapper was intense, but the rest of my shots suffered.

[thejackal 46]

is there really a direct correlation between stick length and speed, or is it all personal comfort? hull and macinnis used really short sticks, and they had the best slapshots of their generation.

[chippa13 1844]

You can add Iafraite to that list, as well.

[Chadd 916]

is there really a direct correlation between stick length and speed, or is it all personal comfort? hull and macinnis used really short sticks, and they had the best slapshots of their generation.

Hull used a 60 flex stick and MacInnis used an X-stiff or XX-stiff stick. You couldn't have picked guys who were more dissimilar, other than having a great shot. Vastly different techniques and reasons for their shot being so hard.

You aren't going to see a massive improvement in your shot simply by changing from a short stick to a long one, or vice versa. If you have have a good shot it will be good no matter what you choose to use. Use one or the other long enough, practice enough and you will do just fine with whatever you prefer.

As for the correlation, physics don't lie and are irrelevant to preference. That said, you have to use what feels best to you.

[thejackal 46]

hull spent his first 5 years in the league using aluminum shafts, aka rebars

[Chadd 916]

hull spent his first 5 years in the league using aluminum shafts, aka rebars

And when better technology came along, he switched to composite and lighter flexes. MacInnis always used wood. Both used huge curves, though they were nothing alike. As Hull got older he refined his technique, his release was just as good at 40 as it was at 20.

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

Aluminums had different flexes - not all of them were stiff. Easton used to have a medium flex in a senior length. It was the Pro Balance with the green writing, I had one.

[thejackal 46]

how many shots until they started bowing out?

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

Have no idea, but I'm sure he could get as many as he needed.

[raygunpk 0]

Is there some thread/poll on here that asks how long everybody's stick is? From what I've read most people have it chin or under.

[chippa13 1844]

Aluminums had different flexes - not all of them were stiff. Easton used to have a medium flex in a senior length. It was the Pro Balance with the green writing, I had one.

Easton also had an Extra Flex aluminum shaft way back in the day.