Curve types, care to explain?

[HattrickSwayze 3]

I felt that with composite blades, my release on shots was a hair quicker than with a wood blade. No difference in velocity that I could tell, the puck just seemed to get off my stick faster. I would assume it has to do with the composite blades being stiffer. Either that or it was all in my head.

[Chadd 916]

I felt that with composite blades, my release on shots was a hair quicker than with a wood blade. No difference in velocity that I could tell, the puck just seemed to get off my stick faster. I would assume it has to do with the composite blades being stiffer. Either that or it was all in my head.

Quicker is probably true, though the lag in the wood can add a hair of speed to your shot. Then again, that lag can also make it slightly less accurate.

[TBLfan 25]

I've been trying a tapered wood blade and I just can't get any accuracy with them compared to my composites, in general. I'm not sure whether it's the shaft/blade combo(flyweight/short hosel tps blade, flyweight is longer than my cut R2) or the blade itself. Gotta throw one in a R2, need to find a plug though. <_<

[ZurichLions 0]

Rink Rat is absolutely correct in what he says.

Let me elaborate. Heel curves indeed are best for slap shots because they have the biggest sweet spot and the majority of the curve is lying flat on the ice. It is the preferred curve of defenseman (Phaneuf, Lidstrom etc.). It makes stick handling harder because it is fairly straight near the toe. The toe curve is the hardest curve to master, it is best for toe drags and fancy stick handling moves. The mid curve is the jack of all trades, o.k. for everything but not great at one thing. Open curves make it easier to elevate the puck quickly while a straight or closed face keeps the puck down. To use a golf analogy, an open face is like a 9 iron and a closed face is like a 2 iron. Of course, the drawback is that an open face makes shooting on the back hand much more difficult because less of the blade is touching the puck.

The vast majority of players is best served with a curve that is not extrme, something like a slightly open mid curve.

[Chadd 916]

Rink Rat is absolutely correct in what he says.

Let me elaborate. Heel curves indeed are best for slap shots because they have the biggest sweet spot and the majority of the curve is lying flat on the ice. It is the preferred curve of defenseman (Phaneuf, Lidstrom etc.). It makes stick handling harder because it is fairly straight near the toe. The toe curve is the hardest curve to master, it is best for toe drags and fancy stick handling moves. The mid curve is the jack of all trades, o.k. for everything but not great at one thing. Open curves make it easier to elevate the puck quickly while a straight or closed face keeps the puck down. To use a golf analogy, an open face is like a 9 iron and a closed face is like a 2 iron. Of course, the drawback is that an open face makes shooting on the back hand much more difficult because less of the blade is touching the puck.

The vast majority of players is best served with a curve that is not extrme, something like a slightly open mid curve.

Lidstrom used a toe curve last time I saw one of his sticks, same curve he had been using for years. Just because his name is on the blade in the store doesn't mean he uses it. Someone better tell 75% of the NHL players that the heel curves they use make it harder to stickhandle too.

Posting inaccurate information with your first post is not a good way to start.

[Rink Rat 0]

By 'gives you' I meant it is easier than using a different curve. A very open face will make it harder to backhand, and a less open face will make it easier to backhand.

[Jarick 5]

Here's my take:

Lie - Lately I've been liking a higher lie with more rocker because I have a better shot with a shorter stick and more upright shooting style. The rocker gives me more blade on the ice while skating with the puck. Before that, I liked a lower lie with a flat rocker because I had a longer stick and could get more blade on the ice. I also had a more sweeping shot because of it.

Blade length - I like a little longer blade because I feel it helps me grab errant passes a little easier. I can see how others would like shorter blades for stick handling.

Curve location - I prefer a mid-toe curve because I take quick snap and wrist shots and don't have the time to roll the puck heel to toe. By putting the puck right where the curve starts, I just cup it, roll slightly, load up, release, and snap my wrists over. It's not the hardest shot in the world, but I'm letting the flex and curve do the work for me and I get plenty of shots on net, increasing the odds of them going in.

In the past, I have used heel curves which gave me more velocity on my slap shots. I don't know why. Maybe it's because the puck hits the curve sooner and starts to spin earlier. I know my wrist shots were more difficult to control. Mid curves are good at everything for me, but any loft gets compounded over the length of the blade and that makes the shots a bit difficult to keep down for me.

Loft - Having more loft gives me a bit more zing on my shots but they have a tendency to go high more often. I know I had a monster slapper with a Drury, and my shots have a lot of zing with a Sakic, but I have trouble keeping them down.

Curve size - Bigger curves tend to give me a bit more spin on the puck, which helps accuracy, but the shots come off slower and the backhand is a bit more difficult to control.

So all that taken into account, I alternate between a Lindros and a Sakic. The Lindros is great for stickhandling because the larger curve cups the puck a bit more, and I can fire accurate shots with it. The Sakic gives me much quicker shots but they tend to drift high and are a bit difficult to control. I also don't have a great slap shot because the lie seems lower and I can't get the toe of the blade behind the puck.

[lampliter87 8]

Hell I just work on my skills, but what is that worth anymore?

[Chadd 916]

By 'gives you' I meant it is easier than using a different curve. A very open face will make it harder to backhand, and a less open face will make it easier to backhand.

I disagree completely. The more important factor is the amount of curve on a stick, loft has very little impact on the velocity or accuracy of backhand shots. Bigger, more rounded curves do have a big impact as there is very little sweet spot on the backhand.

Hell I just work on my skills, but what is that worth anymore?

Work is so over-rated when you can just buy skill.

[TBLfan 25]

By 'gives you' I meant it is easier than using a different curve. A very open face will make it harder to backhand, and a less open face will make it easier to backhand.

My best and most accurate backhand is with a Lidstrom type of pattern. I can't keep the puck down on the forehand but I can easily roof it from in close with a big heel. With my mid and toe curves, backhands take more effort and aren't nearly as accurate.

[dalebert 8]

Dumb question but I know someone can help me here. What exactly is the loft of a curve?

[Chadd 916]

Dumb question but I know someone can help me here. What exactly is the loft of a curve?

The amount that the face points up instead of forward. Lindros is pretty much straight up and down so it has no loft. Drury has a face that points up quite a bit, therefore it has a lot of loft. Hopefully that helps

[dalebert 8]

Thanks Chadd. That makes perfect sense now.

[cptjeff 0]

By 'gives you' I meant it is easier than using a different curve. A very open face will make it harder to backhand, and a less open face will make it easier to backhand.

I disagree completely. The more important factor is the amount of curve on a stick, loft has very little impact on the velocity or accuracy of backhand shots. Bigger, more rounded curves do have a big impact as there is very little sweet spot on the backhand.

Hell I just work on my skills, but what is that worth anymore?

Work is so over-rated when you can just buy skill.

If the important part is the amount of curve, why do they make heel, mid and toe curves with a billion different rocker and loft designs? And why can people feel a difference?

It's not going to instantly make you a better player to change curve. But it does make a difference. I can backhand a puck much better with an Iginla then a Sakic using the same technique. Yes, you can adapt your technique, but there is a difference. Really it's basic physics. You have a flat surface, there's no vertical force component. It stays flat. You have a wedge on it, it creates a vertical force component, making the puck go up. Otherwise you couldn't make a jump off a ramp on a skateboard or whatnot, and the only difference in golf clubs would the the weight of the head.

And with a blade, if you create loft on the front, you have less loft on the back. Which decreases the vertical component you get on a puck.

Working on your skills is the most important thing. Nobody is disputing that. But a blade pattern does make a very real difference.

[dsjunior1388 81]

By 'gives you' I meant it is easier than using a different curve. A very open face will make it harder to backhand, and a less open face will make it easier to backhand.

I disagree completely. The more important factor is the amount of curve on a stick, loft has very little impact on the velocity or accuracy of backhand shots. Bigger, more rounded curves do have a big impact as there is very little sweet spot on the backhand.

Hell I just work on my skills, but what is that worth anymore?

Work is so over-rated when you can just buy skill.

If the important part is the amount of curve, why do they make heel, mid and toe curves with a billion different rocker and loft designs? And why can people feel a difference?

It's not going to instantly make you a better player to change curve. But it does make a difference. I can backhand a puck much better with an Iginla then a Sakic using the same technique. Yes, you can adapt your technique, but there is a difference. Really it's basic physics. You have a flat surface, there's no vertical force component. It stays flat. You have a wedge on it, it creates a vertical force component, making the puck go up. Otherwise you couldn't make a jump off a ramp on a skateboard or whatnot, and the only difference in golf clubs would the the weight of the head.

And with a blade, if you create loft on the front, you have less loft on the back. Which decreases the vertical component you get on a puck.

Working on your skills is the most important thing. Nobody is disputing that. But a blade pattern does make a very real difference.

that in mind, can someone suggest me a curve that is the depth of a heatley and the basic shape, but more open?

[Ahriman 1]

By 'gives you' I meant it is easier than using a different curve. A very open face will make it harder to backhand, and a less open face will make it easier to backhand.

I disagree completely. The more important factor is the amount of curve on a stick, loft has very little impact on the velocity or accuracy of backhand shots. Bigger, more rounded curves do have a big impact as there is very little sweet spot on the backhand.

Hell I just work on my skills, but what is that worth anymore?

Work is so over-rated when you can just buy skill.

If the important part is the amount of curve, why do they make heel, mid and toe curves with a billion different rocker and loft designs? And why can people feel a difference?

It's not going to instantly make you a better player to change curve. But it does make a difference. I can backhand a puck much better with an Iginla then a Sakic using the same technique. Yes, you can adapt your technique, but there is a difference. Really it's basic physics. You have a flat surface, there's no vertical force component. It stays flat. You have a wedge on it, it creates a vertical force component, making the puck go up. Otherwise you couldn't make a jump off a ramp on a skateboard or whatnot, and the only difference in golf clubs would the the weight of the head.

And with a blade, if you create loft on the front, you have less loft on the back. Which decreases the vertical component you get on a puck.

Working on your skills is the most important thing. Nobody is disputing that. But a blade pattern does make a very real difference.

that in mind, can someone suggest me a curve that is the depth of a heatley and the basic shape, but more open?

heh, one part wood heatly clone, one part heat gun :P

more seriously the pattern DB link shows me that a heatly is...

a Mid, Slight, 1/2", Slightly Open

a Warrior Draper is.....

Mid, Slight, 1/2", Open

it is also a little longer and almost the same lie, so thats what you want. Personally I'd go with the heat gun and wood blade but thats just me ;)

[Chadd 916]

By 'gives you' I meant it is easier than using a different curve. A very open face will make it harder to backhand, and a less open face will make it easier to backhand.

I disagree completely. The more important factor is the amount of curve on a stick, loft has very little impact on the velocity or accuracy of backhand shots. Bigger, more rounded curves do have a big impact as there is very little sweet spot on the backhand.

Hell I just work on my skills, but what is that worth anymore?

Work is so over-rated when you can just buy skill.

If the important part is the amount of curve, why do they make heel, mid and toe curves with a billion different rocker and loft designs? And why can people feel a difference?

It's not going to instantly make you a better player to change curve. But it does make a difference. I can backhand a puck much better with an Iginla then a Sakic using the same technique. Yes, you can adapt your technique, but there is a difference. Really it's basic physics. You have a flat surface, there's no vertical force component. It stays flat. You have a wedge on it, it creates a vertical force component, making the puck go up. Otherwise you couldn't make a jump off a ramp on a skateboard or whatnot, and the only difference in golf clubs would the the weight of the head.

And with a blade, if you create loft on the front, you have less loft on the back. Which decreases the vertical component you get on a puck.

Working on your skills is the most important thing. Nobody is disputing that. But a blade pattern does make a very real difference.

The more important factor for backhands, is the amount of curve and not the amount of loft. I'm sorry I wasn't more specific, I figured everyone would recognize it in the context of the discussion regarding backhands.

Iginla isn't as deep as a sakic and your backhand should be starting close to the heel where both curves are roughly similar in terms of loft. There is also the issue of the Sakic having a much bigger rocker and there being less blade on the ice at than with the Iginla, that is also a major factor when it comes to shooting but probably best saved for another discussion. I thank you for reinforcing my point though.

That said, you appear to be talking about elevating the puck on the backhand, not taking a backhanded shot. Since you are talking about only about that one aspect of taking a backhand shot, and not nearly as important as accuracy or velocity, you are correct that loft on the forehand makes it harder to elevate on the backhand. That said, a blade like a Lindros with a big rocker and a huge curve is harder to elevate for most people than a smaller curve with slightly more loft. Something like a Modano, for example, or even the blade that I use.

The short version is practice makes you better, not equipment.

that in mind, can someone suggest me a curve that is the depth of a heatley and the basic shape, but more open?

Draper is pretty much a Sakic clone, a fairly radical departure from the Heatley. Warrior Weight/Vanek, is probably going to play the most similar but have a little more loft.