Junior Lie

[hukturn 0]

Okay, avoiding all of the discussion about kids don't need composite sticks (which I agree with but my son met goals we set up last year), I need a little information. I am leaning toward a Statsny curve on a Sherwood T90. Why? Low flex point. He does not flex his stick much (7yrs old) but I am hoping it may encourage him a bit. He wants an open face which is irrelevant to me since he has no difficulty handling with his Ovi CCM 252 Youth.

But, I checked his tape and at the end of last season he was playing on the heel. Last week, checking the tape, he is wearing the toe. He has probably grown 4-6 inches since the middle of last season. I believe the Youth Ovi 252 is a 5.5 lie and the Statsny Sherwood is a 6. He has traditionally played more upright and tight but it seems to vary over the past few months. Thoughts on lie and stick? General thoughts?

[ponder 0]

No personal experience in this, but if the way he holds his stick as well as his body itself is constantly changing, so that he regularly needs different lies, maybe a curve with a good sized rocker would be a good idea? There's still a "right" lie, even with a big rocker, but the rocker would make it so the contact is generally always somewhat close to mid blade, makes having the wrong lie have less of an impact on your game.

[AIREAYE 248]

Lies are going to be different for each company, so it's tough to judge and compare. Best thing to do is to try it in store and hold it pretending you've cut it while standing on a raised surface roughly skate height (or even put your feet in a pair if they let you).

be mindful of how much you cut as that will affect how much blade is on the ice as well.

[Chadd 916]

I would see how the stick wears for him and then adjust the length accordingly. Kids are remarkably adaptable to small changes in length or lie. The good news is you can always add a plug back in to make it longer.

[hukturn 0]

Thanks, everyone. Will check him closer to see if his stance has changed. Maybe that will explain the wear on his tape in two separate places.

[Chadd 916]

If he was using the same stick all season and grew that much, chances are that the wear is showing that the stick is now too short.

[Jarick 5]

If I understand you right, he's using the same stick after growing taller, and the tape wear moved from the heel to toe? That makes sense; as he gets taller, the stick gets shorter and is held more upright and close to the body, which makes more wear at the toe.

When you're stick shopping, get something as close to his preferred length as possible in a lie that makes it so the blade is as flat as possible on the ice while he's in skates. I wouldn't worry about kickpoints for a 7 year old.