Longer Stick Question

[wcerin 0]

I know it has been discussed many times, and I've looked through the archives, but I was wondering what you guys thought about lenght's as far as my thoughts are the longer the stick you use the more power you should be able to generate using the flex of the stick. I've tried to watch carefully the stick lengths of players in the NHL and it appears many forwards use fairly long sticks, longer in the respect of what is considered to be normal ( at the chin on skates). Does anyone else notice this, and what are your thoughts on using longer shafts. Maybe some pro's and cons would help. I am a beginner player on the shorter side, any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

[-knowlzey- 0]

If you're a beginner player I'd suggest sticking with a shorter stick for now. With a shorter stick you have more control with handling the puck. I used to use really long sticks (up to my mouth/nose) until a coach suggested I switch to a shorter stick. I now have my stick about an inch below my chin, and my shot did not suffer and my stickhandling has gotten way better. You could always try to use a longer stick, it wouldn't hurt, I just think shorter is better.

[jazz4all 9]

what if i play as defender? some says that defender need a longer stick. does it true?

[interpathway 9]

Better for poke-checking, but you don't "need" anything. As a beginner, I'd say use the standard then work from there. I'm personally using a stick below my shoulders when I'm on skates, but all PP.

[-knowlzey- 0]

I am a defenseman, by the way.

[Scoobersti 0]

I play defense as well and I usually cut my sticks to go up to my chin or slightly longer (maybe about half an inch). I've tried both longer and shorter, but I didn't really like either of them. I don't like to go longer because its harder for me to stickhandle and shorter because it makes me a little harder to shoot.

[raygunpk 0]

I have experimented with lengths over the short years I've played. Recently I've been using a longer stick, near the middle of my nose on skates. I remember using senior sticks as a kid and playing ball hockey, so I'm trying to recreate that magic =)

[TomMc#4 0]

long stick = better for shooting & defensive stuff(poke checks etc)

short stick = better for in close stick handling and battling for the puck on the boards

[florea_5 0]

if you look at some of the best forwards in the nhl they all have pretty long sticks,

i saw this video on youtube of datsyuk and it showed how he dangled, the stick he used was pretty long to

i also talked with this coach that works for the canadian ice hockey federation and he said that the trend has moved to longer sticks for better shots and providing you with better reach

[Muck and Grind 0]

I'm probably like most and have experimented with a longer/shorter stick. I settled in on a stick a couple of inches below my chin even though I mostly play defense.

What I lose in reach and shot I make up for in corner work and crease scrambles.

http://cuthockeysticks.com/

Howie Meeker is the man!

[TBLfan 25]

http://cuthockeysticks.com/

Howie Meeker is the man!

He's right. Ovechkin(whom he shows on the site in a picture that clearly shows his stick is to his chin), Lecavalier, Naslund, Hossa, Selanne, Kovalchuk, E. Staal, Healtey, Lidstrom, Kane, Toews, Rafalski and several others should severely cut their sticks shorter because they suck with longer sticks.

[Jarick 5]

I know when my teammates (lower level players who started mostly as adults) went to a stickhandling clinic, a lot of them cut their sticks down shorter.

When I first started up again a few years ago, I used a stick "cut" down to my nose on skates. Now I'm using a stick cut down to my chin on skates, or slightly above. I tried last year to use a stick cut to my sternum, but I missed every puck and couldn't do anything with it.

I do have a couple wood sticks that are already too short for me, so I suppose I'll cut them down a couple more inches and try it again this summer...I've had a lot of problems with not being able to get my shot off as quick and I've been moving to a higher lie blade anyway (better accuracy on my shots).

[fawn111 0]

I used a fairly short stick.... say an inch or so below my chin with skates and switched to one that was an inch above..... I am thinking that it might be better for me to go back to the shorter length... the reach is nice, but the longer lenght means that my left elbow (i'm a righty) is always almost uncomfortably high. This is especially true when trying to keep my blade flat... long reach is nice, but if the puck slides under the blade then what is the point

[Jarick 5]

Yeah I notice I have to consciously move my top hand up and get "on top" of the puck. Again, I'll try a shorter stick (just cut down a woodie to about 2" below my chin) next time I'm on the ice to see how it goes.

[Chadd 916]

http://cuthockeysticks.com/

Howie Meeker is the man!

He's right. Ovechkin(whom he shows on the site in a picture that clearly shows his stick is to his chin), Lecavalier, Naslund, Hossa, Selanne, Kovalchuk, E. Staal, Healtey, Lidstrom, Kane, Toews, Rafalski and several others should severely cut their sticks shorter because they suck with longer sticks.

I love it when people take a personal preference and make it a "rule" or "standard". Everyone should try short sticks and long sticks and decide what length works best for them. The problem is that parents aren't too keen on trying shorter and loner sticks when the junior OPS are coming in at $150 a pop. A ten or twenty dollar wood stick wasn't so bad.

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

He's right. Ovechkin(whom he shows on the site in a picture that clearly shows his stick is to his chin), Lecavalier, Naslund, Hossa, Selanne, Kovalchuk, E. Staal, Healtey, Lidstrom, Kane, Toews, Rafalski and several others should severely cut their sticks shorter because they suck with longer sticks.

pretty sure Hossa uses a fairly long stick.

[chippa13 1844]

That was his point.

[metalwinger13 1]

ya hossa's stick is pretty damn long.. longest one on the wings and they had one in the pro shop so i looked at it and it seemed to be taller then me and im about 5-11.

[maxamillion 3]

I'm about 6'4 and I use a stick that Marty St. Louis might like (sarcasm). I'm a really low skater, and I like my sticks shorter, about pec/shoulder height. I also use a stiff flex, which is only made stiffer by cutting it down. I use it as incentive to get to the gym haha

[in da crease 0]

This is going to come off as a rant and it's going to sound like I'm on my soapbox so forgive me for that. I fight this fight often and feel pretty strongly about it.

True, it's all personal preference but there are three facts about longer sticks.

One - The longer your stick is, the further the puck will be from your body when puck handling. There is no way to dispute that. Unless you can handle the puck like Toews or Hossa, it's a bad thing to put that puck further out than you need to.

Two - The longer your stick is, the more apt you are to skate in a more up-right stance. It may be more comfortable but it is less efficient. From the players I coach and the players I watch around the local rinks, 90% of them stand up too tall when they skate. Ironically, most of that 90% have sticks that are too long. If you are trying to improve your skating or are new to skating (like in the last 10 years), then you will sacrifice your skating with a longer stick.

Three - You may get more out of your shot... 1-5% more. With a little practice with your longer stick, you might increase your shot 2-3MPH. You also might get 3-5 shots on net in a game.

So is it worth sacrificing your skating and your stick handling to get +2MPH on your shot? NHL'ers like Hossa or Toews can pull it off because they worked on an efficient powerful stride their whole lives and handle the puck like a magician. Those guys mentioned are in the NHL and are great players because they can skate, they can handle the puck, and they have vision. Not because they shoot a little harder than the next guy.

I forgot... As for my stick, it's about an 2 inchs below my chin. That is 4 inches longer than it was when I quit playing competively 20 years ago in Juniors. I'm 40 now. The "personal preference" thing plays a bigger role now and I'm no longer looking for ways to improve my game.

[Jarick 5]

Yeah that's why I like to experiment in the off-season...if I can get a couple more shots per game or get my shot off quicker, that's a lot more useful to me than having more speed on my shot.

[sarmalidu 1]

The general trade-off I have experienced is pretty much in-line with the other posts:

Longer stick advantage: Better for poke checks, stretching for passes on the edge of your reach, easier to get shots around a defender, longer stick is easier to flex and provides a better lever arm for shots (however if you get too long it can make shots awkward as it becomes difficult to maintain proper technique when shooting)

Shorter stick advantage: Better for puckhandling, better for pulling pucks out of your feet and working in tight spaces (such as in front of the net or in the corners), lighter stick (not much but it's also a shorter lever arm so it feels like a bigger weight change than it really is). As noted before, a shortish stick can help promote deeper strides and knee-bend as it forces you to get down in order to keep your blade properly on the ice.

I tend to agree that most people would benefit from shorter sticks but some of it is just personal preference and your play style. Skill and technique are king regardless of your preference. The biggest thing is to be objective about how it works for you and to avoid jumping to conclusions about what is better without really giving something an unbiased chance. Never do anything just because somebody else is doing it.

[duch 0]

I read Howie Meekers book at the library about the stick length issue and immediately went home and cut down two of my sticks to the top of my chest height just below my chin when standing on skates. To my amazement my stick handling skill improved almost immediately and I was on the puck much stronger picking up the puck on a pass or passing off the puck to a teammate. I found it slightly harder to get away my wrist and snap shots but my one timers and slapshot velocity increased and where more accurate. I've stuck with the shorter stick since and my play has improved greatly just by following his advice. Thanks Howie.

[chippa13 1844]

Two - The longer your stick is, the more apt you are to skate in a more up-right stance. It may be more comfortable but it is less efficient. From the players I coach and the players I watch around the local rinks, 90% of them stand up too tall when they skate. Ironically, most of that 90% have sticks that are too long. If you are trying to improve your skating or are new to skating (like in the last 10 years), then you will sacrifice your skating with a longer stick.

Depends on the lie of the stick.

[TBLfan 25]

Two - The longer your stick is, the more apt you are to skate in a more up-right stance. It may be more comfortable but it is less efficient. From the players I coach and the players I watch around the local rinks, 90% of them stand up too tall when they skate. Ironically, most of that 90% have sticks that are too long. If you are trying to improve your skating or are new to skating (like in the last 10 years), then you will sacrifice your skating with a longer stick.

Depends on the lie of the stick.

Which none of these guys talking about how you should cut your stick takes in account. If I went by this guy's way to measure where to cut, the stick I've been using would need to be cut about 7 inches which would make it about 50 inches long because the lie is about 6.5. 50 inch long stick for me, who is 6'1, seems just about right.