OPS vs Two Piece: Advice

[MrWizard 0]

New to the forum, first off, just wanted to say that this is a great forum.

On to the topic, I play in a ball hockey league (concrete or sport court), and I find that I don't break sticks, I destroy the blades. It wasn't until recently that I found a stick that wears evenly on the blade (Warrior Mac Daddy - Draper), as everything else I had tried usually wore out/cracked at the heel. Even still, I'm tired of buying new sticks every time I ruin a blade.

I've thought about going to a two-piece set up for a long time (so I can just replace the blade) but I don't know where to start. I prefer sticks with a low kick point and that is my primary concern.

Obviously due to my success with the Mac Daddy, I've been inclined to try out an AK 27 and Draper blade combo, but I don't know anything about kickpoint on two piece sticks.

All advice/suggestions/recommendations are welcome.

[K9 Unit 1]

ak's are mid kick point, if you like the warrior feel and want low kickpoint then go with the dolomite, however there are other nice options out there too, rbk 8k, the new x:60 etc. etc.

i suggest you check whats the lie on the draper your using as warrior makes more than one lie on each set of curves so that you won't mess up your purchase

[MrWizard 0]

ak's are mid kick point, if you like the warrior feel and want low kickpoint then go with the dolomite, however there are other nice options out there too, rbk 8k, the new x:60 etc. etc.

i suggest you check whats the lie on the draper your using as warrior makes more than one lie on each set of curves so that you won't mess up your purchase

How do I check the lie? From what I've read on the web, it's a Lie 5, but is there a way to confirm it?

I'm not stuck on Warrior or anything, just the first stick that I can remember that wore evenly. The only other one that has come close was a CCM Vector V10 Ovechkin curve.

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

ak's are mid kick point, if you like the warrior feel and want low kickpoint then go with the dolomite, however there are other nice options out there too, rbk 8k, the new x:60 etc. etc.

i suggest you check whats the lie on the draper your using as warrior makes more than one lie on each set of curves so that you won't mess up your purchase

How do I check the lie? From what I've read on the web, it's a Lie 5, but is there a way to confirm it?

I'm not stuck on Warrior or anything, just the first stick that I can remember that wore evenly. The only other one that has come close was a CCM Vector V10 Ovechkin curve.

warrior offers the draper curve in lies of 4,5,and 6 if I'm not mistaken. The lie should be labeled where the curve name is I believe.

[K9 Unit 1]

it should say so on the shaft of the stick

IF it is a lie 5, you'll be looking at 5.5 on pretty much every other company (obviously there'll be slight differences)

[chippa13 1844]

My recommendation would be to just bring the stick you like with you to the store and then you can line up potential replacements against it and see what matches up.

[MrWizard 0]

No such luck. Just says "DRAPER 85 FLEX".. Can't see it anywhere on the stick.

My recommendation would be to just bring the stick you like with you to the store and then you can line up potential replacements against it and see what matches up.

Unfortunately, matching up the stick doesn't tell me anything about the kickpoint, which is really my primary concern.

[K9 Unit 1]

i believe the macdaddy's draper is a lie 5 and its before they offered 3 sets of lies but don't take my word for it.

any tapered shaft should do the trick for low kick point

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

I could have sworn last time I went to one of my lhs's the mac daddys had the lies labeled. I could be imagining it all though hahaha

[Chadd 916]

No such luck. Just says "DRAPER 85 FLEX".. Can't see it anywhere on the stick.

My recommendation would be to just bring the stick you like with you to the store and then you can line up potential replacements against it and see what matches up.

Unfortunately, matching up the stick doesn't tell me anything about the kickpoint, which is really my primary concern.

The original Draper, the one you have, is the one that Warrior calls a 5. It is more like a 5.5 for other brands. The Macdaddy is also a "true OPS", in other words, the shaft is constructed in one piece and then a blade is fitted at the end of the shaft. There is not a blade inserted into the shafts like "fused" OPS like Synergys or Dolomites. It is unlikely that you will find a shaft and blade combination that shoots exactly like the Macdaddy for that reason.

To go off on a bit of a rant here, far too many people get wound up about having the right kickpoint yet they still don't get their stick to flex or kick in the first place. I'm not saying it is true in this case, just an observation in general. I had a sales rep tell me that "the kickpoint is in the blade" when talking about one of their sticks a couple years ago. In other words, he was telling me that the stick wasn't supposed to kick and somehow you were supposed to load the blade and it would provide the extra zip. Things like this are why I don't listen to most sales people and make my own decision.

I could have sworn last time I went to one of my lhs's the mac daddys had the lies labeled. I could be imagining it all though hahaha

New ones do, old ones didn't to the best of my knowledge

[MrWizard 0]

The original Draper, the one you have, is the one that Warrior calls a 5. It is more like a 5.5 for other brands. The Macdaddy is also a "true OPS", in other words, the shaft is constructed in one piece and then a blade is fitted at the end of the shaft. There is not a blade inserted into the shafts like "fused" OPS like Synergys or Dolomites. It is unlikely that you will find a shaft and blade combination that shoots exactly like the Macdaddy for that reason.

To go off on a bit of a rant here, far too many people get wound up about having the right kickpoint yet they still don't get their stick to flex or kick in the first place. I'm not saying it is true in this case, just an observation in general. I had a sales rep tell me that "the kickpoint is in the blade" when talking about one of their sticks a couple years ago. In other words, he was telling me that the stick wasn't supposed to kick and somehow you were supposed to load the blade and it would provide the extra zip. Things like this are why I don't listen to most sales people and make my own decision.

Thanks for the help. I figured I'd have to sacrifice something for the convenience of a two-piece stick. I definitely love the way the MacDaddy shoots, which is one of the reasons I've been tempted to stick with an OPS.

I'm pretty sure I can get the stick to kick..I know that I can generally feel a difference when I'm using a mid kick point vs a low kick point, especially considering I never take slapshots..

[cptjeff 0]

Nothing's going to shoot exactly the same, but try getting a tapered shaft, dolo or synergy are two great ones, and then using a tapered wood blade. Draper is 5.5 lie for most brands, a sakic should be a very close match in easton.

Or you could get a S15 shaft. It tapers then flares out to accept a standard blade, and those will be easier to find, especially in wood, and they shoot pretty well.

[adam14 182]

But if he's destroying blades, why would he want wood? They would get wrecked even quicker.

[cptjeff 0]

But if he's destroying blades, why would he want wood? They would get wrecked even quicker.

Cheaper, and rougher surfaces kill composites much much faster then ice.

ABS would be a good idea too.

And if he still wants composite, they make standard composites. Nothing stopping him.