Stick Technique: changing grips

[Law Goalie 147]

I should first say that this came about because of a big debate on technique amongst goalies between the 'classic' grip, where the trapper hand (bottom) is oriented on the stick as it would normally be on the stick (thumb pointing down toward the blade), and the 'Turco' grip, where the bottom hand is reversed, the way a centre might in taking a backhand draw.

My question to forwards and D-men: when, how and why do you change your grip on the stick?

Some answers are fairly obvious (lower the bottom hand for a slapper), some are genuinely bizarre (Phil Esposito switching hands to shoot right, or the 'stick-between-the-legs' Marek Malik-esque move), but I think all bear some discussion.

For a start, I was wondering if anyone besides Turco-grip goalies and centremen on a backhand draw ever reversed their bottom hand. As a goalie, I can say that this hugely increases power on the backhand and general stick control, as it seems to on draws.

[AndTheySayChiCity 0]

EDIT. whoa. sorry.

i guess i misunderstood the question in general.. i thought you were talking about STICK GRIPS like the tape job you use on the top of your stick.

generally i've always shot wrist shots, so my hand positioning is much like this.

[lampliter87 8]

I play defense and am a right handed shot. There are times, specifically in corners where I may have pinned a guy against the boards, that I will switch to playing with my right hand on top of the stick to make an angled poke check if my left gets tangling up/can't reach the guy/whatever. There are also times where I will take my top (left) hand off the stick to attempt to sheild the puck from another player, but leave my right hand halfway down the stick.

Like this, but with a guy coming from the other direction:

http://www.thehockeynews.com/imgs/dynamiqu...cle_14932_2.jpg

Hope that helps.

[AndTheySayChiCity 0]

^i'm the same way.

i take my bottom hand off the stick and use that as leverage for myself.. if the guy is behind me.. sort of using my arm/hand as protection.

faceoff: i do both either one of these grips.. it just depends on where the puck needs to go or who i'm trying to get the puck to (as far as team mates)

or i'll get a little lower to the ice with my hand positioning like scott gomez in this pic.

[dangle 0]

For a start, I was wondering if anyone besides Turco-grip goalies and centremen on a backhand draw ever reversed their bottom hand. As a goalie, I can say that this hugely increases power on the backhand and general stick control, as it seems to on draws.

For a forward, I think a face-off is one of the only times they'll grip their stick with a "turco" grip. That kind of grip may give you more power and control on your backhand, but your totally selling your shot to the goalie if you try shooting that way.

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

As a defensemen, (right shot playing left D) ill move my stick from left hand to right hand if im ever caught on the right side of the rink. when the forward goes to the outside, i now have a longer reach with my stick than i would if i was reaching across my body. And as someone else said, in the corners ill switch it around here n there.

[Law Goalie 147]

For a start, I was wondering if anyone besides Turco-grip goalies and centremen on a backhand draw ever reversed their bottom hand. As a goalie, I can say that this hugely increases power on the backhand and general stick control, as it seems to on draws.

For a forward, I think a face-off is one of the only times they'll grip their stick with a "turco" grip. That kind of grip may give you more power and control on your backhand, but your totally selling your shot to the goalie if you try shooting that way.

That was what I suspected, but I'm curious to know if anyone ever throws it in there in a scramble around the net or whatever.

It's funny, but I've never even noticed the D-men switching L-R with the stick when they're caught, but once this thread tipped me to, it, I saw it happen five or six times in my scrimmage today.

There was also a bizarre call in a preseason game the other night, when a forward got called for doing the old Bobby Hull/tailback swim move to a defender. I guess the 'free hand' paranoia applies to players in possession of the puck too...

[Jarick 5]

I will grip the stick a lot lower on draws, drop my bottom hand a bit on slappers, and take off the bottom hand when trying to reach for a puck. Otherwise my hands are about shoulder width apart.

[pantherfan 0]

My bottom hand moves around all the time, kinda weird I guess. I also reverse my bottom hand if I ever have to take a draw aswell.

[gxc999 7]

I will grip the stick a lot lower on draws, drop my bottom hand a bit on slappers, and take off the bottom hand when trying to reach for a puck. Otherwise my hands are about shoulder width apart.

Agreed, very much so. I've never reversed my bottom hand intentionally except on draws...