What stick do you use

[jjtt99 0]

Wood? Is this something new? Who manufactures it? I've never heard of it so I trust it's a secret military material that is starting to penetrate mainstream society. Damn kids and their crazy ideas -- wood sticks. What's next leather goalie pads stuffed with horse hair?

[MDE3 0]

Hey...I just cannot resist a bandwagon......while we are on the subject of high end stuff for the masses...I think the whole industry..both ice and inline has gone way overboard on the chase for ultimate performance...much like golf...

There is no question that there may be some performance gains from the use of lightweight composite materials, but at the prices they sell for, the money would be much better spent aquiring more practice time. The illusion we can purchase performance is promoted throughout the sporting industry, from the advent of "air Jordan" shoes, through all we see in tennis raquets to golf clubs to the hockey equipment discussed in here.

The concept that players at the minor youth levels and even through the adult rec levels now "must have" what is rapidly becoming "throw away" high end equipment, actually only affordable to those who earn their living by playing the sport at a high level, is well made.

There are two fundamental problems with this. A) it is making a sport, which is already pricey, out of reach for more and more players and families. and B) it fosters the illusion that talent can be purchased, not developed.

[Chadd 916]

I don't disagree that most people don't need OPS. That said, Yzerman and Gretz didn't have an option other than wood when they came into the league. Gretz was one of the earlier aluminum shaft users and used a composite shaft near the end of his career. Now he's using a Response+ when he plays.

I think tapered shafts and blades are the way to go. All of the benefits of OPS and you can replace the blades. I actually save money buying OPS, they last a lot longer than any wood stick did for me.

[Bauer_freAK 0]

I still can't believe so many ppl on this board use OPS. At the rate that they break, you'd figure that people would catch on that these sticks are overpriced shit.

Furthermore, it amazes me whenever I walk into my LHS and see some 8 or 10 year old kid lugging around an OPS which btw, their parents are usually willing to buy! The kid's 8 for cryin' out loud! He doesn't need a $200-300 stick, and my guess is that 90% of the players on this board don't either, considering that likely few, if any, of us are even major junior or minor-pro players.

Remember when Gretzky put up his 215 point campaign? He used a wood stick. Remember when Sakic or Yzerman came into the NHL? They used wood sticks. People used to score goals using wood sticks, so there's not really any reason that they can't do it today with wood sticks (other than the fact that the manufs pay them to use their sticks). Sure wood breaks down eventually, but wood doesn't snap in two like their overpriced composite counterparts.

Let the wood revolution begin! (Yeah, sure I'm dreaming, but hey, sometimes that's all you have)

it is proved that the shots with composites are harder and faster than with wood!

[Chadd 916]

it is proved that the shots with composites are harder and faster than with wood!

That's not true.

[Bauer_freAK 0]

it is proved that the shots with composites are harder and faster than with wood!

That's not true.

....told me my LHS

[Gongshow11 1]

doesn't mean its true plug

[JR Boucicaut 3789]

You get a faster shot release with a composite stick, however the shot is not faster or harder.

[Chadd 916]

it is proved that the shots with composites are harder and faster than with wood!

That's not true.

....told me my LHS

Many LHS employees don't know that much and some of the ones that do are often misled by sales reps.

[thejackal 46]

You get a faster shot release with a composite stick, however the shot is not faster or harder.

But with a faster release you can produced a better shot when there's less time to wind up, like in game situations.

[mack 44]

Depends on if that's needed or not. I think maybe one of our d-men use a OPS and they couldn't break glass with their shot to begin with.

[JR Boucicaut 3789]

...it gets it off faster. It'll work for the pros, but us adult leaguers have time to shoot...

[estovlo2 0]

I definitely notice (and have been clocked with) faster shots with a composite shaft. I don't know, maybe a certain feature on it helps me shoot better such as the handle shape or grip or something.

[Chadd 916]

I definitely notice (and have been clocked with) faster shots with a composite shaft. I don't know, maybe a certain feature on it helps me shoot better such as the handle shape or grip or something.

Or the flex is more suited to you.

[estovlo2 0]

Yeah, that's probably it. And the fact that most shafts don't lose flex or flex a different way after a lot of use.

[PiKappaPhi 0]

love my hull 2 pieces. Actually, its worse than love, I have an addiction. I will be trying out the response plus of his soon, so I will let you all know if I am still a huge fan of 2 pieces. Sometime tells me it will behard to wean me off of 2 pieces though...

[Eazy_b97 1]

For the record I put up a review on a wood stick the other day. I've found my shot to be faster, and harder with it, but it seems to lag off of the stick. I think I decided 2 pieces are the best way to go for me, once the Bauer wood tapered blades come out I'll be looking into tapered shafts/blades more than I am right now.

I also switched to OPS for the cost. I found that wood blades were breaking every 2 to 3 ice times and graphites about double (5 days a week I was on the ice).

[thejackal 46]

Why go OPS if you're breaking graphite blades? For the record what were the ones you were using at the time?

[Eazy_b97 1]

I was primarily using UG then UL blades, I went OPS to give it a chance to see how it was. I was breaking about $100 + cdn worth of blades a month, I figured OPS wouldn't be a bad choice if the blades could hold up. They did, plus it cut down on the shafts as well. I was never really into the Focus Flex blades, so I never gave them a chance. I found OPS helped my shot and I generally got them replaced under warranty so it wasn't a bad option for me at the time.

[mack 44]

I'd love to bust out the woodies but the problem is keeping a decent flex for any amount of time. That and the inconsistencies.

[2048 0]

Also, whoever said that if you're too weak to use a comp blade, it'll hurt your game was completely right. I'm probably too weak to flex the blade while I shoot and I definitely notice a difference in my shot velocity between comp blades and wood blades. I always got off harder shots with a shaft+wood blade than a shaft+composite blade. Just a shame that I love my inno pro selanne curve too much to switch to wood.

[Cavs019 708]

easy, i went back to my drury si core grip the other night, and as expected it was like reconciling with a lost friend. Only reason i was experimenting with the sakic was because i got a sakic stealth and si synth blade for cheap, so the lack of a drury made my choice the sakic by default.

[Eazy_b97 1]

easy, i went back to my drury si core grip the other night, and as expected it was like reconciling with a lost friend. Only reason i was experimenting with the sakic was because i got a sakic stealth and si synth blade for cheap, so the lack of a drury made my choice the sakic by default.

I know, I know. It's a pain I know all too well. Damn LHS and their little kid curves! I have no hard feelings against the Sakic curve, but............but it's just not Drury. I may have to re-attempt the tranformation again if I go through with my plan of tapered combo's. However I do have a Si-Core grip in mind for X-mas. B)

Jesus, I almost forgot. The Drury was a reason I kept with OPS as well. The fact nobody carries any Drury graphite blades (in my area).

[LetsGoWings13 0]

why is the drury going out it is such a popular curve so many pros use it i used to love that curve i had a rocket with it but when i broke it they stopped making that curve in int.

[LkptTiger 1]

I still can't believe so many ppl on this board use OPS.  At the rate that they break, you'd figure that people would catch on that these sticks are overpriced shit. 

...and my guess is that 90% of the players on this board don't either, considering that likely few, if any, of us are even major junior or minor-pro players.

Sure wood breaks down eventually, but wood doesn't snap in two like their overpriced composite counterparts.     

1) Personally, I notice a great difference in the quickness of my shot with an OPS. I find them to help me get the shot on the way much faster, and I also find them to be much more accurate and responsive then wood sticks.

2) I don't think you can make that assumption. I'm pretty sure there is a considerable number of members on this board who are still in high-school (myself included) playing at the AA, AAA and prep-school levels (some of us, probably, with the potential to make it to the ranks which you speak of), where the equipment used can and does make, at the very least, a slight difference. I'm also certain that there is a large number of guys playing in house leagues and things of that nature who really couldn't find any difference in sticks, skates, what-have-you. If those guys want to spend the money on a SyNergy, or an XN10 or even a Stealth because they want to have the latest, God-Bless 'em. I, for one, buy what I feel suits my preferences best.

Wood sticks break more then just about any OPS. Early last season, I decided I wanted to give wood sticks another go, so I went and bought myself six of them. I snapped each of them within the first month of practices before games started up. However, the I bought four Innovative True-1s (Fedorov pattern, 300 flex) back in April, and two of them still feel brand-new (of the broken ones, one broke awhile ago on a hard slash, and the blade of the other one snapped a few days ago).