Do other companies do ANYTHING extra to play with balance of their sticks? Or does it just happen natural.

[Beflar 55]

I like the SE16, EQ50 sticks..

EDIT: Do other companies do ANYTHING extra to play with balance of their sticks? Or does it just happen natural.

[Drewhunz 3]

Nope, this is Easton's gimmick.

[interpathway 9]

gimmick.

Key word.

Golfers and tennis players have been utilizing this technology (sticky lead tape) for decades. No reason why you couldn't put some under the butt of your stick or along the underside of the tenon to achieve the same feel. Sells at local sporting goods stores for less than 5USD for a good fifty grams of it.

[Chadd 916]

Key word.

Golfers and tennis players have been utilizing this technology (sticky lead tape) for decades. No reason why you couldn't put some under the butt of your stick or along the underside of the tenon to achieve the same feel. Sells at local sporting goods stores for less than 5USD for a good fifty grams of it.

Putting in a wood plug and cutting it off flush is another way to dampen the vibrations as well as change the balance.

[Scotty 8]

Putting in a wood plug and cutting it off flush is another way to dampen the vibrations as well as change the balance.

Exactly.

Some players, myself included, will use a wood end plug both for feel and balance purposes. And you can even play with that idea even further by drilling holes or hollowing out the wood plug then if necessary.

I think Easton had a great idea with the SE16 by allocating more material in the shaft up higher for increased balance, but that idea is shot if you need to cut down the stick a bunch (which then plays with the balance even further).

[cooperalls 4]

After seeing the EQ50 weighted butt-end, I thought I'd make something similar to try on blade-heavy sticks.

I bought a 4" (1/4" diameter) stainless steel, hex head bolt, and a stainless steel nut from the hardware store. I cut a standard SR wood plug so that the "handle" is only 1/2", slightly taller than the head of the bolt. I drilled out the entire length of the plug to the same diameter as the bolt. Then I chiseled out the top of the plug so it was the width of the bolt head. This is so the head of the bolt is recessed inside the handle, and also to keep the bolt from spinning when the nut is tightened at the other end.

I don't have a scale to give an accurate weight in grams, but it's definitely heavier than the 25g EQ50 butt-end with all the weights installed. I put it in an Easton ST and it was heavy enough that it felt a little blade-light. If I were to make another one, I'd probably cut the tenon of the plug down 1" and use a 3.5" bolt. The overall weight would be a little less, and with more of the bolt threads exposed I could add or subtract nuts to increase/decrease the weight.

[Steve_v3 289]

After seeing the EQ50 weighted butt-end, I thought I'd make something similar to try on blade-heavy sticks.

I bought a 4" (1/4" diameter) stainless steel, hex head bolt, and a stainless steel nut from the hardware store. I cut a standard SR wood plug so that the "handle" is only 1/2", slightly taller than the head of the bolt. I drilled out the entire length of the plug to the same diameter as the bolt. Then I chiseled out the top of the plug so it was the width of the bolt head. This is so the head of the bolt is recessed inside the handle, and also to keep the bolt from spinning when the nut is tightened at the other end.

I don't have a scale to give an accurate weight in grams, but it's definitely heavier than the 25g EQ50 butt-end with all the weights installed. I put it in an Easton ST and it was heavy enough that it felt a little blade-light. If I were to make another one, I'd probably cut the tenon of the plug down 1" and use a 3.5" bolt. The overall weight would be a little less, and with more of the bolt threads exposed I could add or subtract nuts to increase/decrease the weight.

Did it work good for you?

[cooperalls 4]

Did it work good for you?

It was a little bit too heavy. It definitely changed the balance/feel of the stick, and cut down on vibration. I'll probably make another one that's a little shorter and lighter.

[steelnation248 102]

After seeing the EQ50 weighted butt-end, I thought I'd make something similar to try on blade-heavy sticks.

I bought a 4" (1/4" diameter) stainless steel, hex head bolt, and a stainless steel nut from the hardware store. I cut a standard SR wood plug so that the "handle" is only 1/2", slightly taller than the head of the bolt. I drilled out the entire length of the plug to the same diameter as the bolt. Then I chiseled out the top of the plug so it was the width of the bolt head. This is so the head of the bolt is recessed inside the handle, and also to keep the bolt from spinning when the nut is tightened at the other end.

I don't have a scale to give an accurate weight in grams, but it's definitely heavier than the 25g EQ50 butt-end with all the weights installed. I put it in an Easton ST and it was heavy enough that it felt a little blade-light. If I were to make another one, I'd probably cut the tenon of the plug down 1" and use a 3.5" bolt. The overall weight would be a little less, and with more of the bolt threads exposed I could add or subtract nuts to increase/decrease the weight.

I've done this before and it worked really well on a shaft/blade combo that was very blade heavy. I wish Easton or some other company would sell separate weighted end plugs like on the EQ50, it would make it much easier.

[snipey 0]

A couple of sticks I have including an Elias game used he has a wood plug inserted into the shaft so that it doesnt make the stick any toller but if just wedged into the shaft

[Jarick 5]

I've been toying with doing something similar. I bought an AK27 a couple weeks ago and it's pretty blade heavy feeling. Slappers rock with it, but it just feels sluggish when shooting compared to lighter sticks like my X60. Although a big part of me doubts that adding weight to the butt end would make the blade feel lighter when shooting...there's still mass there. Might make it feel more balanced carrying it.

[interpathway 9]

The biggest problem we all overlook is not balancing out the but end, but balancing out the blade, so there is no product on the market where you can add weights to the blade, which to me is far more important when balancing out the whole stick. If a stick is blade light no matter how much weight you add at the top it will not balance out properly, quite the opposite. thats' why you see some pro stocks with heavier blades. If a blade is too light you will have less control and less touch. Second problem is 99.9% of all customers try out the sticks in a store where it feels light and balanced, but once you're on the ice it slides to quickly over the puck so that feel of great balance in a store changes into way too much movement on the bottom.

Cheers

Most sticks are far more blade heavy than blade light, making weighted end plugs more necessary for the average consumer. If you want blade heavy sticks, throw a woodie into a shaft, pros have been doing it for years, see Jason Spezza or any pro-stock stick that is a fused shaft onto a wooden blade.

If you want to add weight to the blade, stick some lead tape along the blade's curve and cover it with your normal stick tape. Just keep the lead tape 1-2 inches above the bottom of the blade so it does not affect your contact with the puck.

[steelnation248 102]

The biggest problem we all overlook is not balancing out the but end, but balancing out the blade, so there is no product on the market where you can add weights to the blade, which to me is far more important when balancing out the whole stick. If a stick is blade light no matter how much weight you add at the top it will not balance out properly, quite the opposite. thats' why you see some pro stocks with heavier blades. If a blade is too light you will have less control and less touch. Second problem is 99.9% of all customers try out the sticks in a store where it feels light and balanced, but once you're on the ice it slides to quickly over the puck so that feel of great balance in a store changes into way too much movement on the bottom.

Cheers

Wouldn't the lead tape idea mentioned above help with this? I understand that it wouldn't be a temporary fix, but not all sticks need it, it depends on the user. Putting some higher up on the blade under the tape or around the throat might accomplish what you were mentioning.

[chippa13 1844]

Nope, this is Easton's gimmick.

Actually, Reebok claims they tinker with the balance point during the manufacturing process of the stick.

[Jarick 5]

Speaking of balance, does anyone feel a difference between a very light shaft with a heavier blade and end plug versus a heavier shaft with a lighter blade and no plug?

Ex 1: 300g shaft, 175g blade, 25g plug. Total weight = 500g

Ex 2: 350g shaft, 150g blade. Total weight = 500

[interpathway 9]

Speaking of balance, does anyone feel a difference between a very light shaft with a heavier blade and end plug versus a heavier shaft with a lighter blade and no plug?

Ex 1: 300g shaft, 175g blade, 25g plug. Total weight = 500g

Ex 2: 350g shaft, 150g blade. Total weight = 500

The balance would be different, so yes, there is a difference, question being would one be able to discern it while playing.

Take an olympic bar with 45LB plates on each side, then replace them with 50LBs on one end and 40LBs on the other. Same weight, extremely different feel. Same with your plug theory, the olympic bar would be easier to "tell" the difference though.

[Jarick 5]

Yeah I get that, more thinking if the balance point was at the same spot, total weight was the same, but more weight distributed at the ends. Like a 25lb bar with 10 pound plates on either side versus just a 45lb bar.

[Chadd 916]

Actually, Reebok claims they tinker with the balance point during the manufacturing process of the stick.

They all do to one degree or another.

Speaking of balance, does anyone feel a difference between a very light shaft with a heavier blade and end plug versus a heavier shaft with a lighter blade and no plug?

Ex 1: 300g shaft, 175g blade, 25g plug. Total weight = 500g

Ex 2: 350g shaft, 150g blade. Total weight = 500

I've never put mine on a scale to compare weights, but I would prefer to have it in the shaft as opposed to needing a plug to balance it out.

[malcb33 100]

I've been using my home made weighted plugs with great success for a while now. It might not work for everyone, but all I do is use a wooden plug (whatever size works) and then drill a hole in the top. Then I added lead sinkers and hot glue (to shop them moving around). The great thing I find is I can completely customize the feel by adding more or less sinkers.

[Jarick 5]

Malc, do you just play around with the balance before adding the glue? I do want to try either that or the bolt idea with this stick.

Rubo, I think you could probably determine the weight distribution by simply measuring the balance point of the shaft on its own. I'm guessing they're almost all fairly constant...I don't think there's a huge difference in density across relatively constant thickness shaft walls.

[malcb33 100]

Malc, do you just play around with the balance before adding the glue? I do want to try either that or the bolt idea with this stick.

I actually add a little bit of glue after each sinker, but I start with two sinkers then add from there if needed. After a while you do figure it out yourself though, most of the time I can pick up a stick and tell how many sinkers I need to add.

[interpathway 9]

Have you ever thought of drilling a hole marginally smaller than the weights and brute forcing them into place? Save the glue, more accurate weight representation (splitting hairs I know), and probably easier.

[bg9 12]

I built a Franken-stick out of a 10K that the blade broke on. I cut it down a bit, put a bit of a plug in the end, added a Drury SE16 blade, and it's my favorite stick I've ever owned. It's got the balance, the total weight, and puck feel that I love. If only I could get this stick into production....

[DEATHTRON 19]

The biggest problem we all overlook is not balancing out the but end, but balancing out the blade, so there is no product on the market where you can add weights to the blade, which to me is far more important when balancing out the whole stick. If a stick is blade light no matter how much weight you add at the top it will not balance out properly, quite the opposite. thats' why you see some pro stocks with heavier blades. If a blade is too light you will have less control and less touch. Second problem is 99.9% of all customers try out the sticks in a store where it feels light and balanced, but once you're on the ice it slides to quickly over the puck so that feel of great balance in a store changes into way too much movement on the bottom.Cheers

I've been replacing 6 inches of my shafts with a wooden plug for years (cutting shaft down six inches, replacing length with 6in. wood plug, and have loved the results. The stick feel heavily unblanced towards the end of the stick, but the feel when both hands are on my stick are are vastly different. I don't know why more companies dont try to make their sticks more weighted toward the butt end of the stick...

Zach

[Scotty 8]

I've been replacing 6 inches of my shafts with a wooden plug for years (cutting shaft down six inches, replacing length with 6in. wood plug, and have loved the results. The stick feel heavily unblanced towards the end of the stick, but the feel when both hands are on my stick are are vastly different. I don't know why more companies dont try to make their sticks more weighted toward the butt end of the stick...

Zach

All about feel. I too prefer a blade light stick. Not just balanced, but to the point where the blade's weight doesn't even seem to be down there.

Others actually prefer blade-heavy sticks. Dunno.