Mid to Heel

[Action Jackson 0]

Ive been using the sakic type patterns for a little while now. Recently i received a stick in the Drury type pattern as a gift. I gave the old "what the heck" thought and decided to use it. My snap shot was a little harder i believe but it was strange to me. I flubbed quite a few shots and keep pulling everything to the left. It was also hard to stick handlde on the heel and shoot off the heel and not the mid. Anybody else encounter a similar problem and have a nice adjustment?

[zachary 2]

Can't say that I know of an adjustment but maybe try shootin from the toe?

[fiimb 1]

curves are all preference. my shots are more accurate with a mid curve but my saucer passes are way more accurate with heel curves. you also want to roll your wrists over a lot more on the follow through if you're trying to shoot low with the drury curve.

i switch between a p88, p106, and rbk H-15 constantly.

[Jarick 5]

Just switched to the Drury from mid curves and really liking it. Biggest adjustment was shooting from the very heel and really roll the wrists over to cup the puck during the shooting motion. But velocity went up and accuracy went from all over to pretty dang precise placement.

[skyscrape 5]

Just switched to the Drury from mid curves and really liking it. Biggest adjustment was shooting from the very heel and really roll the wrists over to cup the puck during the shooting motion. But velocity went up and accuracy went from all over to pretty dang precise placement.

I second this! After going back to the p91a! Everything was harder and once I started rolling the wrists again it became more accurate than the other curves I had been messing with.

[Action Jackson 0]

I second this! After going back to the p91a! Everything was harder and once I started rolling the wrists again it became more accurate than the other curves I had been messing with.

I agree with both Jarick and Skyscrape, its just really strange doing everything on the heel now instead of the middle of the blade.

[skyscrape 5]

I agree with both Jarick and Skyscrape, its just really strange doing everything on the heel now instead of the middle of the blade.

For me once I got out of the "using the toe mindset" and started shooting from the heel I noticed it was a lot easier to keep my head up as well. Not to mention how much easier it is to catch one timers with it!

[Chadd 916]

curves are all preference. my shots are more accurate with a mid curve but my saucer passes are way more accurate with heel curves. you also want to roll your wrists over a lot more on the follow through if you're trying to shoot low with the drury curve.

I use a very similar motion when passing or shooting with a heel wedge. That means most of my passes are saucers and I can rarely hit the five hole.

[skyscrape 5]

I use a very similar motion when passing or shooting with a heel wedge. That means most of my passes are saucers and I can rarely hit the five hole.

Five hole is not an option for me with this curve! But it is nasty going top shelf forehand or backhand close in!

[sickwilly 37]

I'm a p92/Draper/Sakic user now. I used a Montreal Euro for about 15 years before that.

I own a Drury clone OPS that isn't really worth that much. Do you guys thing I'm wasting my time trying out a Drury-like curve if I have a bunch of other-patterned that I like already? I'm also wondering how much of a pain it might be to switch back to the stuff I like now if I get used to a Drury.

Had anyone tried the transition from mid curve/heel curve/back to mid curve transition? Thanks!

[aarondevera 0]

I made the switch from P92/Sakic to using the P91A exclusively. It was more of a fluke mistake than anything, since I swore by the P92 before switching. I decided to take on more of a playmaker role on my team, as I used to be the guy who'd shoot at the net from everywhere. Trying to bring my game to a more well-rounded level, I decided to use a buddy's Drury clone during a shift on defence. I find passes were easier to catch and could sauce 'em more accurately with a heel curve, and I didn't find my shoot accuracy to suffer much either. Just a bit of outside wrist-rolling and pucks are going where I want them to go. I found it difficult going back to the P92 after three games of using a Staal curve.

[skyscrape 5]

I went p91a to zetterbeg, to p106 mid heel, to p14 more of a toe, to sakic, to pm9, to p89, to pm9. I thought the pm9 was it, but was not satisfied. I dusted off the original p91a and it took two shots to realize that I wasted all that money prior and that the p91a was the curve for me. Passing, stickhandling, shooting accuracy, even velocity, were all better. It just flat out works for me. The best part about using all the other sticks is that each one seemed to fix another bad habit and now I come back to the p91a with a better shot than when I left it. I realize I suck with the sakic. The rocker and lie do not benefit me. With the p14 I had a helluva shot and passing was decent. My problems with the p14, the blade was too short for me and I am not a good enough stick handler to benefit from it, and my slap shot accuracy sucked. The pm9 was nice but it was tough for me to get consistent sauce passes. Plus when I was in close It was hard to go top shelf with authority.

Now the benefit I have with the p91a. My shot is harder, I do not know why. I look at it and the puck gets there, it doesn't matter if it is a shot or a pass. Saucer passes are a thing of beauty with this pattern. Backhand shots come off hot!

Problems with the p91a. If I get lazy my shot from the point is more of a field goal! And five hole is never an option.

My point of this is, try em all. FInd one that really works and stick with it. I hated the p91a at one point but realized at one point that it is the best all around curve for me. Give it a try, but if you feel like the sakic works for you, stick with it.

[Cams 7]

I've been using the P91A/Drury pattern forever. I find for me, not taking a lot of slapshots, that this pattern suits all aspects of my game. Stickhandling - no problem, passing - again, no problem. Shooting - I can put the puck wherever I want, low, high, etc. It seems like some people see the wedge shape and subconciously maybe, find that this equal loft, which is not true (at least for me). I just put a pro stock Warrior blade in my SE shaft, but have not used it yet - the pattern is a mid curve, which seems quite deep, and I am almost scared to use it. I got a pro stock blade for a good price, but I am watching a couple auctions on ebay that are more my style (Drury). I am open for change and experimentation, but I am almost certain I will always go back to the P91A type pattern. I am almost a pure wrist shot, and passer type player.

[vek 0]

Maybe its just my bad eye, but looking at the Sakic and Drury side by side, there wasn't much difference aside from an even more open toe on the Drury. Where I would cup the puck to start the shot didn't seem that much different between the two sticks. The lie seemed identical too.

The rocker might have been a bit smaller on the drury, but it certainly didn't seem even close to flat.

I would't have thought it would be all that different to get used to either blade coming from one or the other.

[Scotty 8]

It is indeed your bad eye.

The Sakic is a mid (hook) with open toe, but the Drury is a straight heel wedge with open face.

[skyscrape 5]

It is night and day for me sakic vs. staal. The rocker is quite different to me as well. It may not look like much to you but at a 65 inch stick length it is a huge difference. When I am playing the point and reach for a puck it is so much easier to snag the puck with staal over the sakic. As far as slapshots go, my slapshots are moving! I was going top shelf from the opposite goal line! It was great. But like I said every once in a while it caught the top of the glass from the other end of the ice. It had the trajectory of a solid drive!

[Jarick 5]

I was working on low, hard passes in practice last week and what I found was I really had to bring my top elbow up to keep the puck low. Could be that my stick is a little longer (above the chin in skates). A little hard to describe, but rather than swiping the puck, it was more of a pushing motion. Took a split second longer before passing, but I'm more accurate now than I was before. If I pass without thinking, it's always air mail...

Also, last night was the first team practice with the Drury and my passes on the backhand were much better. Goalie knows when I get the puck it's always a shot, but my guys were being smart and trailing the play on the other side of the ice, went up to fake the shot and a hard backhand drop to the teammates for a goal. Pleasant change from me trying to backhand pass but the puck rolling off the curved toe and going to far ahead.

[Action Jackson 0]

One thing I have noticed is that I pull all my shots to the left. ( im right handed)

[skyscrape 5]

Interesting, I tend to be more accurate with mine. This is starting to sound like golf club talk. It is all in the release of the shot like a draw or fade with a golf shot. It is a trip because I shoot dead straight with the p91a but when I shoot with a pm 9 I actually can put a draw on my slappers!

[Action Jackson 0]

Interesting, I tend to be more accurate with mine. This is starting to sound like golf club talk. It is all in the release of the shot like a draw or fade with a golf shot. It is a trip because I shoot dead straight with the p91a but when I shoot with a pm 9 I actually can put a draw on my slappers!

My putting is spot on with this pattern though :)

[Jarick 5]

On a tangent, can you imagine if golf clubs were curved in the middle of the face blade? That's one major reason my accuracy went way up.

[sickwilly 37]

On a tangent, can you imagine if golf clubs were curved in the middle of the face blade? That's one major reason my accuracy went way up.

I might be able to hit a fairway.

[Action Jackson 0]

Have any of you tried a Lidstrom/Getzlaf type curve? Whats your opinion on it as compared to a drury type.

[Chadd 916]

One thing I have noticed is that I pull all my shots to the left. ( im right handed)

Different curves require different releases. Nothing shocking there.

[skyscrape 5]

Have any of you tried a Lidstrom/Getzlaf type curve? Whats your opinion on it as compared to a drury type.

I have tried the bauer version the p02. COmpletely different imo. The rocker on the bauer seems a little more drastic and it is quite a bit more upright. I wanted it to work, but I just kept going back to the p91a and the ccm ovechkin.