advice required on what flex and curve for beginner

[kancell 0]

hi folks, done a bit of searching for a suitable thread but cant see any so thought i would post this thread.

i started playing hockey about 6 months ago, using a two piece sherwood aluminium stick. This was fine to start with, but as i've gotten better, and used friends composite sticks, i feel i am ready to take the next step.

unfortunately there are very limited choices in local hockey shops in scotland, so i would more than likely buy one on the internet. i have seen a place in the UK selling mission toxic 12k sticks for $100 from $160, which is reasonable for UK prices. they have these in hossa 100 flex and ribiero 85 flex, but im not sure what would suit me better. i am 5' 10" and 180 lbs, i am learning to slap shot but for now dont often try them in games. any advice you could offer would be much appreciated.

[gagner89 0]

I would highly recommend starting with something of 85flex, or preferably even less.

Most people that I know and play with started on a very moderate curve like the Easton Modano or something similar.

[kancell 0]

is flex something that you should sort of future proof yourself with, or would i be making things tougher for myself by using a 100 flex already?! my pal has offered me an excellent condition warrior syko for $80 but once more its also 100 flex

[HattrickSwayze 3]

I'm not sure about flex, but I would recommend starting with a relatively mild curve. A Forsberg/Modano seems to be pretty popular. That way you stay comfortable with your backhand, or learning on your backhand. I think starting with a big curve can kinda take away your confidence of using it. It'll benefit you in the long run if you can use both backhand and forehand effectively.

[sds 0]

is flex something that you should sort of future proof yourself with, or would i be making things tougher for myself by using a 100 flex already?! my pal has offered me an excellent condition warrior syko for $80 but once more its also 100 flex

No. When and if you are ever ready to make that jump - that stick will be in your rear view mirror. I would go with the Nike Bauer 77 flex or any of the whip flexes out there. If your choice is only between the 2 listed go for the lower one.

[legiahockey 3]

id go with the 100. i go through 85's to quick. you would probably destroy a 75 flex. id go for your friends syko. good price and not a bad stick to start. whats the curve? a good mid curve should be good.

[armada 0]

I'm about the same size as you and also relatively new to the game. I have been trying to find a right stick that compliments my style of play and so far I found out that 100 flex is too much for me: I can't get any leverage out of it on any of my shots. 85 flex is much better but I'm still lacking the load up. With 77 flex I can whip the puck around a lot easier and make long crisp passes but the biggest gain is in my shot. First time I shot with it I couldn't believe that was my shot, I can actually feel the stick flexing and doing a lot of the work for me. I'm not in the position to tell you what to buy but I recommend you to play with a low flex stick before you buy any of the ones you mentioned.

[Jarick 5]

You should be able to hold the stick in the store, push down slightly, and load it without too much effort. I'm 5'8" and cut the stick down to my chin on skates and I like a 75 flex. If you're particularly strong or like a longer stick, go with an 85 flex. Otherwise I'd try a 75 flex or so.

For the curve, PM9/Forsberg/Modano/Zetterberg/Fedorov/etc is a good straight blade that forces you to learn technique properly.

[t3ch 0]

I just started playing last week, so my insight is limited, but I bought two different sticks to get an idea as to what i like more. An Easton S5 100flex forsberg and a Nike Bauer One70 77flex Lindros.

The 100 flex is really stiff at times and feels a bit harder to manage the puck with. I also seem to have a hard time flicking the puck how I want to with it. I'm not expecting to be awesome off the bat, but I did play street hockey for a few years so I'm not exactly incompetent with a stick. I'll be using the lower flex next week, though I will probably bounce back and forth as my skills progress to see what suits me better.

[stick9 905]

Stick with the shaft/blade combo, but got with a tapered shaft and blade....same feel and performance as most one piece sticks. So, if you don't like the curve you don't have to trash the entire stick.

For your weight and level, I wouldn't go over the 85 flex range and stick with mild curves for now. A mild mid curve wouldn't be a bad choice.

[kancell 0]

hi guys, thanks for all your help on this. i have decided to get a more whippy stick, max of 85 flex, as per your advice. i may be limited with regards to which curve i can get, but i'll look for something fairly straight.

Right, better get hunting on the internet!

[B19Kress 0]

I started with a Draper pro stock ( just below my chin for length) and I switched to a P88 (about and inch above my chin) and absolutely love it.. whenever i buy new sticks it will be a P88 forever..

Just my opinion..

[Rustpot 1]

hi guys, thanks for all your help on this. i have decided to get a more whippy stick, max of 85 flex, as per your advice. i may be limited with regards to which curve i can get, but i'll look for something fairly straight.

Right, better get hunting on the internet!

The Forsberg/Modano/Zetterberg/PM9/Tkachuk/Fedorov is one of the most popular curves and offered in every flex from companies that have a similar curve. It all really comes down to what works best for you though. I've played with guys that can pick up any stick and feel good with it, where as I can't use mid or toe curves at all anymore.

Mission, Warrior, TPS, Easton, CCM, RBK and Bauer all offer 75 flex senior stick (in some cases intermediate, and in Easton only the SE16 right now). They'll call it Mid (CCM/RBK), Whip (TPS) or 77 (Bauer) as well.

[kancell 0]

Hey guys, just a quick update! i had a look on ebay last night with my friend for suitable sticks. he came across a seller offering 2 brand new nike one90 sticks with 87 flex and naslund P92 curve, set with a reasonable starting price. luckily only one person apart from me put in a bid, and we got the two sticks (one each) including delivery for £120, about $240! This isnt bad considering they sell for about £180-200 EACH in the UK. obviously im very impressed with this bargain of £60 for this quality stick, and hopefully this should last me for some time!

[armada 0]

Good buy but don't forget that if you need to cut the stick the flex will increase. I still recommend for you to try a low flex one of these days though.

[Hockeydog 8]

You should try and determine the lie you need as well as flex. Nothing worse than learning to play hockey with a lie that is way off. Buying online you'd have to guess unless you can sample a few other players stick and know the lie of those sticks.

[kancell 0]

i would have tried a lower flex stick but the only ones in my LHS were intermediate and too short. however they had one50 sticks in with naslund curves for £60 and i considered buying one as i liked it and the height was perfect. luckily that night we found the one90 sticks and ended up getting the one90 for same price as one50 in LHS.