10 years behind on sticks

[AlphaSierra 1]

Sorry if this topic has been beaten to death, my searches did not really reveal what I am looking to answer.

Background: So I have been slowly getting back into the game after a 10 year military break where I could not play. Used to work at a Rink and a pro shop and knew the gear of my day. However, I am left with a couple Easton Convex Shafts and down to my last 4 Christian Blades. All my equipment was top of the line when I played competitively, but now that I am beer league I have updated the pads and skates to more middle of the road to fit my needs. My question is on the OPS sticks these days. They did not exist when I left the game and I have never used one. For a beer leaguer, is it worth the money for a higher end stick, or are lower to middle end sticks good enough? Or are the shaft/blade combos still decent, performance wise to the one piece.

I would imagine you get what you pay for, but it seems like some of the threads indicate some of the higher end sticks are more "fragile" but perform better. And, back when I left the game I had my sticks dialed in with flex, length, and curve. But I am now 50 lbs heavier and my old set up feels a bit off now.

Guess I am looking for any opinions on how to dive into the one piece world. Thanks

[skyscrape 5]

Sorry if this topic has been beaten to death, my searches did not really reveal what I am looking to answer.

Background: So I have been slowly getting back into the game after a 10 year military break where I could not play. Used to work at a Rink and a pro shop and knew the gear of my day. However, I am left with a couple Easton Convex Shafts and down to my last 4 Christian Blades. All my equipment was top of the line when I played competitively, but now that I am beer league I have updated the pads and skates to more middle of the road to fit my needs. My question is on the OPS sticks these days. They did not exist when I left the game and I have never used one. For a beer leaguer, is it worth the money for a higher end stick, or are lower to middle end sticks good enough? Or are the shaft/blade combos still decent, performance wise to the one piece.

I would imagine you get what you pay for, but it seems like some of the threads indicate some of the higher end sticks are more "fragile" but perform better. And, back when I left the game I had my sticks dialed in with flex, length, and curve. But I am now 50 lbs heavier and my old set up feels a bit off now.

Guess I am looking for any opinions on how to dive into the one piece world. Thanks

I recently did the same thing. It depends on a few things. What position do you play? What type of shots do you like to take? What was the curve like? When I first started I started off with lower end one piece sticks. I am now hooked on the total one stick. FAR from cheap, but a cannon for me! How much will you be playing? The two piece sticks are pretty awesome! You can get a total one shaft and blade for under 200.00 but then you can bounce around blades for 60 a pop. Then when you find the curve you like best and want to go to the one piece, buy it.

[AlphaSierra 1]

Should have stated, sorry. Defense, mostly slap and snap shots. But my priority is passing and handling. Never been much of a goal scorer but I like to move the puck in the d zone, breakouts, and set ups in the O zone. And I used a pretty straight forward heel curve slightly open. But I am thinking of playing around with the curve on some of my old christians to get some better pass accuracy out of it, thinking more of a mid. Playing once a week right now.

[skyscrape 5]

Should have stated, sorry. Defense, mostly slap and snap shots. But my priority is passing and handling. Never been much of a goal scorer but I like to move the puck in the d zone, breakouts, and set ups in the O zone. And I used a pretty straight forward heel curve slightly open. But I am thinking of playing around with the curve on some of my old christians to get some better pass accuracy out of it, thinking more of a mid. Playing once a week right now.

The supreme line is awesome for slap and snap shots in my opinion! I play D as well! These sticks are cannons! I know a lot of guys who love the one80, one100, or total one. The Pm9 or p88 are good spots to start for what you are mentioning as far as the curve. Or like I said before get a total one shaft, experiment with blades, and have fun!

[Chadd 916]

As long as you aren't playing in a league with major hacking and slashing, a top of the line OPS will last a long time for most beer league players. Depending on the lie you use, a PM9/zetterberg/etc.. style curve might be a good place to start. I would try a few blades in your current shaft before making the jump to OPS, it will be a lot cheaper.

[epstud74 24]

You can always get a decent, newer shaft that fits your standard Christian blades if you're comfortable with those

Do what I did..Start out with a two piece stick using your old blades, then move on up gradually.

I agree that a high end OPS usually will hold up in a regular beer league for quite some time.

The best I've ever owned so far in a OPS is a Bauer One95 or an Easton ST as far as performance and durability.

[innotastic 12]

i would say a two piece set up will work just fine for you. most OPS sticks these days are (still) a fused two piece, with the exception of some of the newer top of the line sticks.

performance wise, most mid-line sticks will perform similarly to top end sticks. where you notice the difference is in weight and balance, specifically blade construction.

also with high end sticks, they aren't necessarily all designed for performance (over durability). the easton ST is a heftier high end stick built for more durability but still a good kick. my t100 shaft (new rm19) is a tank, but it doesn't kick. another examples would be the new CCM U+ Crazy strong. some people say the one95's/totalones are built like tanks, but my bear league team has broken more than its share of supremes; i'd say they're just above average.

[sickwilly 37]

Add another vote for the 2 piece setup. I have noticed little difference going from one pieces back to two pieces. I find that tapered 2 piece setups are a nice way to get OPS performance at a lower cost. Like otehrs said, it also makes it easier/cheaper to try different curve patterns.

I think that the RBK 8k tapered shaft is a great buy for the money if you can find the right flex for you. ($69.99 at hockeymonkey, but I think they may only have 75s and 100s). That would offer performance like an OPS. A word of caution, my RBK 11k shaft plays/feels quite a bit stiffer than the rated flex. Hockeyworld.com has some good prices on Warrior AK27s - a great standard shaft that should accomodate your older blades. It will play a bit differently (kick point will be higher up than an OPS), but they are dynamite shafts.

I might suggest only getting up to being about 1-3 years behind on your sticks/shafts/blades. Plenty of great stuff for a lot less money than this year's "latest and greatest".

[Shayno 1]

I was in similar situation.....took 10-12 yrs off, and when I last played I used the Easton "pro gold" shaft with blade.....When coming back, I stuck with what worked before, and just continued to use the 2 piece set up, and love it. I'm just pick up, beer leager, so not too competitive...but seems to be working well. "Dont fix it, if it aint Broke" By the way, did go with a shaft with more flex though( went from 100 flex, to 85-90 flex), as I dont have the strength I had before. Good luck!

[heybrady 0]

I was in a similar situation and still use a 2 piece. I bought a low end one piece for 100 bucks, but also had my old AG7100. Ended up always going back to the AG. Then I found an Easton Ultralite with an ST blade on ebay for 25 bucks and found it was much lighter than the OPS (no surprise) and performed better. It's beer league anyways. I have now gone on a quest for older Easton shafts and was able to get a ZBubble for 20 bucks and a Cyclone for 12 bucks. I think if you take an older shaft with a new blade, it is no different than an OPS in most cases. Play It Again is a good place to look.

Plus most OPS are really just fused 2 pieces anways. If I were playing competetive maybe it would be a different story, but for beer league the older two piece works great for me.

[rogerwaldrup 0]

What stick do you need for your favorite position. Buy a pro stick. You'll never regret it. When you want to get back into riding a motor cycle again. Do you buy a Harley or a wanna be Shadow or something like that? No,...you buy the Harley :-) Welcome back to the game.

[dsjunior1388 81]

What stick do you need for your favorite position. Buy a pro stick. You'll never regret it. When you want to get back into riding a motor cycle again. Do you buy a Harley or a wanna be Shadow or something like that? No,...you buy the Harley :-) Welcome back to the game.

You dont run the risk of breaking the Harley just outside the warranty period after spending 100% more in price over the middle of the road bike.

[wrangler 157]

I was off for about 25 years. I'm still using my 30+ year old Titan occasionally, instead of my ST.

I don't notice a lot of the nuances people discuss regarding sticks. I can tell the difference receiving a pass with wood, but still have to learn other differences in feel.

[OldNSlow 3]

I was in a similar situation a few years ago - took a bunch of years off and had never used a composite. If you want to try a composite, I would recommend you purchase a Bauer one95. I think the one100 has a similar blade, so that may be the way to go since one95s are getting hard to find. I would recommend against purchasing an Easton, Reebok, or Warrior as your first composite. As others suggested, a combo might be your best bet.

If a Bauer doesn't work for you, pick up a older shaft on eBay and pair it with a wood blade. The CCM/Koho blades are pretty good, and Easton blades are still decent. I wouldn't spend money on newer shafts if you decide to use a wood blade. The reason is because newer shafts have gotten so light that almost any wood blade will make your stick feel unbalanced and blade heavy.

[steelnation248 102]

I've heard that Harrow is a good choice if you're looking for a composite blade with a wood feel. I've never tried them though. They are pretty cheap too compared to other composite blades.

[jjtt99 0]

Add my vote to two piece approach. I find playing rec hockey that blades can still get worn but shafts usually stand the test of time. It's also a good way to transition to composite as you can use a wood blade attached to a composite shaft. I hope the two piece combo isn't on its way out. At my preferred local hockey store I see the amount of display space issued to shafts and blades reducing...yikes!

[wrangler 157]

I was in a similar situation a few years ago - took a bunch of years off and had never used a composite. If you want to try a composite, I would recommend you purchase a Bauer one95. I think the one100 has a similar blade, so that may be the way to go since one95s are getting hard to find. I would recommend against purchasing an Easton, Reebok, or Warrior as your first composite. As others suggested, a combo might be your best bet.

If a Bauer doesn't work for you, pick up a older shaft on eBay and pair it with a wood blade. The CCM/Koho blades are pretty good, and Easton blades are still decent. I wouldn't spend money on newer shafts if you decide to use a wood blade. The reason is because newer shafts have gotten so light that almost any wood blade will make your stick feel unbalanced and blade heavy.

I got an ST on sale, and haven't regretted it. I still get sticker shock from the prices on composite sticks. I wanted a quality stick that wouldn't break quickly, and the ST has stood up very well.

[larrivee 3]

The Dolomite DD I tried seemed really, really nice for a $149 stick. You do get the (short) warranty with a new OPS, which is nice if there is a defect.

I've had a pro stock OPS break on me the first slap shot, it's not a good feeling. I have gotten in the habit of buying 2 of whatever pro stock I am getting now- it's usually cheaper than 1 retail and I have an immediate backup on hand.

That being said, a 2 piece will give you the flexibility to get your curve dialed in before committing to a full OPS. I know my tastes have changed over the years curve wise.

[OldNSlow 3]

I got an ST on sale, and haven't regretted it. I still get sticker shock from the prices on composite sticks. I wanted a quality stick that wouldn't break quickly, and the ST has stood up very well.

I suggested the one95, and not Easton, because of puck feel. For someone that has never used a composite, I think it is tough going from wood to Easton composite. There are some people that switch between brands and materials with no problem, but there are also some that need the feedback a wood blade provides, especially old-timers like myself. Regardless, I think it is pretty well-established that the one95 blade has the most wood-like feel (and I agree), so I recommend new composite users try Bauer sticks when they convert to composite. Just an opinion.

[wrangler 157]

I suggested the one95, and not Easton, because of puck feel. For someone that has never used a composite, I think it is tough going from wood to Easton composite. There are some people that switch between brands and materials with no problem, but there are also some that need the feedback a wood blade provides, especially old-timers like myself. Regardless, I think it is pretty well-established that the one95 blade has the most wood-like feel (and I agree), so I recommend new composite users try Bauer sticks when they convert to composite. Just an opinion.

I had read that about the One95, but got the ST based on opinions I read that the feel was pretty decent, and the combination of lie, curve, and price available in the different sticks. Best decision? Who knows?

[zachary 2]

I had read that about the One95, but got the ST based on opinions I read that the feel was pretty decent, and the combination of lie, curve, and price available in the different sticks. Best decision? Who knows?

I used one of the new ST blades in one of my two piece twigs and I thought the puck feel was pretty good. Only downside was it was blade heavy but I got used to it quickly.

[Chadd 916]

What stick do you need for your favorite position. Buy a pro stick. You'll never regret it. When you want to get back into riding a motor cycle again. Do you buy a Harley or a wanna be Shadow or something like that? No,...you buy the Harley :-) Welcome back to the game.

A Harley is nothing more than a $20k vibrator. I'd buy something cheaper that makes me happy without making me deaf.

As for hockey sticks, pro stock is no better than retail, though I guess it does come across with the same "look at me" neediness as a middle aged guy on a brand new Harley. Trying to find the right combination of flex, lie and curve on a pro stock is damn near impossible for those of us that have a preference and know what we're looking for. Someone coming back after a few years off is going to find it even more difficult and end up spending way more money and being far less happy over the long run.

The Dolomite DD I tried seemed really, really nice for a $149 stick. You do get the (short) warranty with a new OPS, which is nice if there is a defect.

I've had a pro stock OPS break on me the first slap shot, it's not a good feeling. I have gotten in the habit of buying 2 of whatever pro stock I am getting now- it's usually cheaper than 1 retail and I have an immediate backup on hand.

That being said, a 2 piece will give you the flexibility to get your curve dialed in before committing to a full OPS. I know my tastes have changed over the years curve wise.

I'm a big fan of two piece solutions, especially if you can get comfortable with a retail pattern. I also like the fact that you can get the Dolomite in a tapered shaft, as I far prefer tapered shafts.

[AlphaSierra 1]

My last post didn't seem to take. A Lot of good info here to consider and I appreciate the feedback. I think I may go the two piece route until I firm up what is working with the old, heavier me. And from reading some other posts, it seems like mods to the curve is a no go? We are stuck with retail patterns?

[Chadd 916]

My last post didn't seem to take. A Lot of good info here to consider and I appreciate the feedback. I think I may go the two piece route until I firm up what is working with the old, heavier me. And from reading some other posts, it seems like mods to the curve is a no go? We are stuck with retail patterns?

Altering a composite curve will significantly reduce its lifespan.