Hockey stick length

[Katzenjammer 1]

Indeed it is. I personally feel stick handling is more important for my game and is why I prefer a longer stick. I've felt like it's easier to take some shots in motion with a shorter stick but I hated losing the reach on moves when I go around people and break up passes etc.

Yeah I know hwat you mean - I feel I can make up for that, however, with the increased stick quickness due to shorter length; and, I tend to play really low and can often make up for stick length with being lower to ice, if you know what I mean. Sort of gives me best of both worlds. The best stickhandlers, it seems to me, do this.

[gxc999 7]

Yeah I know hwat you mean - I feel I can make up for that, however, with the increased stick quickness due to shorter length; and, I tend to play really low and can often make up for stick length with being lower to ice, if you know what I mean. Sort of gives me best of both worlds. The best stickhandlers, it seems to me, do this.

Datsyuk, Kane and Lemieux are fans of long sticks and are all pretty good danglers. It's just relative to your playing style, it seems. But like I said, I don't see any difference in an inch or two. Maybe I'll try something really short for fun one day. Between chin and mouth always has felt like the sweet spot for me, so why change?

Lie matters more anyway

[Jarick 5]

I notice a tradeoff between stickhandling and shooting with stick length. Wish I could get best of both worlds, but oh well.

[Chadd 916]

I've learned that it's less about the numbers on the sticks... more about how it feels.

Exactly. This isn't a mathematical equation, there is no magic formula, it's all about feel.

[gxc999 7]

Does anyone else feel a really long stick makes shooting more difficult sometimes? If I try to use something super long, like up to mid-nose in skates, my snap and slapper when in stride are both a nightmare.

[bigdmac 12]

Does anyone else feel a really long stick makes shooting more difficult sometimes? If I try to use something super long, like up to mid-nose in skates, my snap and slapper when in stride are both a nightmare.

I find it a bit easier to shoot with a longer stick. I think the perfect height for me is about my top lip, that gives me the best preformance all around. Its all about feel, just mix things up a little bit

[twistoffate19 0]

I'm 6'2'' and my stick comes up right to the middle of the bridge of my nose. I like the long stick for playing D, and it's always felt comfortable to me. I've tried shorter sticks before and it just never felt as good to me.

[Beflar 53]

If stick length makes such a difference, I assume that you guys always keep your top hand at exactly the same spot on the end of the stick. Does your pinky finger lay against the knob? Over it? Off the end of the stick? Just curious.

Ya I don't think my top hand ever moves... So for me with a long stick I always felt that I had a huge "dead zone" at my feet. I tried to work on it but I found that my shoulder of the top hand just got really tired because of the extreme angle.

I'm average height 5'11 and when my stick, after i cut it down, is against the wall with the other sticks it's still longer than 70 percent of the sticks. I think a lot of people use short sticks.

[Beflar 53]

Datsyuk, Kane and Lemieux are fans of long sticks and are all pretty good danglers. It's just relative to your playing style, it seems. But like I said, I don't see any difference in an inch or two. Maybe I'll try something really short for fun one day. Between chin and mouth always has felt like the sweet spot for me, so why change?

Lie matters more anyway

Lemieux used a short stick. At least that is what the webpage said earlier in this post. So did the great one...

[Chadd 916]

Lemieux used a short stick. At least that is what the webpage said earlier in this post. So did the great one...

You can pick a random pic from his career that will back up anything you want. The logic behind that website has so many flaws in it.

[sturdy22 28]

I'm 6'2'' and my sticks are cut to about 3 inches below my chin while on skates.

[gxc999 7]

I feel obliged to mention after a few SNPs using some of my sticks that were about 58", I switched to a 60" stick and did not like it one bit. I ended up hacking off 1-2 inches from of my sticks last night. Now none of them are above the start of my chin on skates. It just feels easier to do certain things with.

[kovalchuk71 212]

I feel obliged to mention after a few SNPs using some of my sticks that were about 58", I switched to a 60" stick and did not like it one bit. I ended up hacking off 1-2 inches from of my sticks last night. Now none of them are above the start of my chin on skates. It just feels easier to do certain things with.

For a while, I have been playing with the stick at my upper lip on skates, but I realized that the length was causing me to skate more upright and I felt like I was looking a little agility and speed. Plus it's really hard to pull off certain moves with a long stick. Started messing around with a stick around 1" below my chin and like it a lot. Forces me to bend my knees more and I feel it's much easier to stickhandle with. Haven't gotten around to shooting (still at school), but I'm really looking forward to trying it out on the rink.

[gxc999 7]

After a couple more stick n puck sessions in the last coupla weeks, I'm definitely enjoying my 57.5-58 inch stick length. It really is a good sweet spot for me, right below my chin on skates. I decided to try a little shorter stick, just for fun, so I used a friend's stick. It was about 56", and just felt a bit too short. Shooting and pulling the puck across felt odd, I think I'm staying right where I am.

[freestyla 0]

Yeah I just cut my sticks down to a little below my chin. So far, so good.

[nalindabenderz917 1]

Requests for an exception to the length of the shaft (only) may be submitted in writing to and must be approved by the League’s Hockey Operations Department prior to any such stick being approved for use. Maximum length of a stick granted an exception under this rule is sixty-five inches (65”).

The only 5 players I know that would NEED an exception are Derek Boogaard, Zdeno Chara, Hal Gill, Boris Valabik, and Myers guy from Buffalo.

Now four due to Derek Boogaard' unfortunate death

[ndlancer95 0]

Brian Boyle of NYR also? Hes a good 67'7"

[farhanshak 1]

For a while, I have been playing with the stick at my upper lip on skates, but I realized that the length was causing me to skate more upright and I felt like I was looking a little agility and speed. Plus it's really hard to pull off certain moves with a long stick. Started messing around with a stick around 1" below my chin and like it a lot. Forces me to bend my knees more and I feel it's much easier to stickhandle with. Haven't gotten around to shooting (still at school), but I'm really looking forward to trying it out on the rink.

I was having this exact same issue....and did the exact same thing and it makes a world of a difference.

also i am finding the full blade of my stick is resting on the ice, my perripheral vision of the puck is much better when I am stick handling and its easier to control with my top hand and better puck feel.

I also noticed that having a shorter stick I was having to use my hips and legs alot more and lean into shots alot more and getting much better shots off. My one timers and slappers really improved as well.

I am 5'9, i was using sticks that came upto my nose bare foot, they now go an inch below my chin without skates.

[gxc999 7]

I was having this exact same issue....and did the exact same thing and it makes a world of a difference.

also i am finding the full blade of my stick is resting on the ice, my perripheral vision of the puck is much better when I am stick handling and its easier to control with my top hand and better puck feel.

I also noticed that having a shorter stick I was having to use my hips and legs alot more and lean into shots alot more and getting much better shots off. My one timers and slappers really improved as well.

I am 5'9, i was using sticks that came upto my nose bare foot, they now go an inch below my chin without skates.

Wow, that is pretty short. Are you ending up with 120 flex sticks after you cut down an 85?

[CapsFan 5]

I'm 6'4" and I use a pretty short stick. About 4 inches below my chin off skates.

[jigsaw 0]

Can't use a short stick. I am 5'5 and I already use a 77 flex. My stick about an inch under my nose and it's already past the flex chart on the stick which makes which makes it 115 flex i think. I can flex the stick just fine but any thing more than I can't take snap or slapshots.

[squat 5]

Always used it just where my throat starts I can go shorter but would lose flex

[x-axis 44]

I think the "other factors" are your arm length and body position in your hockey stance. I have been cutting my sticks to chin height but its just a little too long and uncomfortable.

[skyscrape 5]

Brian Boyle of NYR also? Hes a good 67'7"

You never know. I m 6'6 without skates and I put a 2 inch plug in my Bauer sticks.

[ChaceR 0]

When I first started playing, I would cut my stick down to about my collar bone on skates. I just found shooting very difficult.

I recently started playing D, and tend to cut my stick more around where my sould patch would grow ( just below my bottom lip).

Of course it's all personal preference, but where is that sweet spot you we're able to find when it comes to your stick length. Where do you cut it?

Thought it would be a good topic of discussion.

Cheers!