Durability of Intermediate sticks...

[nicksmission14 0]

Little background I'm not a very big guy. Only about 5'7.

I run into a dilemma with sticks. I prefer very flexy shafts. Only problem is even on a 75 or Whip Flex Senior shaft I have to cut off about 8 inches. Sticks become ridiculously stiff. Even off a Warrior Intermediate I'd have to take about 4 inches.

Back about 6 or 7 years ago (geez I was 17 or so back then) I had toyed with Easton Synergy Intermediate sticks, they were great. Except for the fact that I couldn't even get a full game out of them. The bottom of the shaft would snap right at the fuse point.

I'm curious how other adults have made out with more modern Intermediate sticks.

[stick9 892]

I don't seem to have an durability issues with my intermediate sticks (5' 9" 165lbs). Granted they are NCAA prostocks but it's still an intermediate shaft. I was never happy with the SR sticks flex after cutting it to length. Always seemed too stiff.

[watchgreat 4]

maybe warrior customs would be right for you. Just get a 65 senior or lower

[nicksmission14 0]

maybe warrior customs would be right for you. Just get a 65 senior or lower

Thought about that but the Widow's I've seem pretty long and I'd end up having to take a ton off them. I'm still thinking about doing a Warrior Custom, just in Int.

Just curious to see how modern one piece Int.'s are holding up. I don't think the original Synergy is a fair gauge of durability, the one's I had were out of one of the first runs too.

[reverseit 0]

The original synergies weren't that bad on reliability from my experience. It was when they got into the SL's that sticks started blowing up all the time.

I've been using INT synergy ST's for a while now. I don't abuse my sticks, I find I can get 2-3 months use until the stick just weakens and snaps right at where my lower hand would be when i shoot.

[regularjoe 1]

I'm in the same boat and I haven't had any major issues with intermediates which I've use 95% of the time. I think I've broken 3 in the past 5 years (1 off where a slapshot hit it flush and it cracked and two where it got wedged into something and someone fell on it).

And I've got plenty of marks to show where folks have taken two handers on it so I think they've been about durable as you could want.

[kovalchuk71 212]

Thought about that but the Widow's I've seem pretty long and I'd end up having to take a ton off them. I'm still thinking about doing a Warrior Custom, just in Int.

Just curious to see how modern one piece Int.'s are holding up. I don't think the original Synergy is a fair gauge of durability, the one's I had were out of one of the first runs too.

Why do you need to get a widow? Get a dolomite????

[Stoop 1]

I'm about 5' 11" and 170, and my lhs refuses to sell me an intermediate.

Ok, ok, not "refuses", but when I've asked about them they immediately answer "You'll break it."

[nicksmission14 0]

Why do you need to get a widow? Get a dolomite????

Was just using as a comparison. Even a Dolomite is a 56" Shaft I believe, which I'm currently using now.. I use a 48" Shaft, that's 8 inches off the top. If Bauer's calculations are correct it's a huge increase in stiffness. They feel it too.

[steelnation248 101]

I use a Warrior intermediate 70 flex shaft and it's 50 inches tall. The Int dolo on the customized said they were a 53" shaft, if I recall correctly.

I've had no durability problems with the shaft. I've used it as my primary stick for a couple months now. It's taken some good slashes and still looks almost brand new.

[DolomaticDangles 13]

I'm about 5' 11" and 170, and my lhs refuses to sell me an intermediate.

Ok, ok, not "refuses", but when I've asked about them they immediately answer "You'll break it."

Not true. Sure, there is more material to a 100 flex than a 70 flex, but Ive been using them for 5 years and none have broken in the shaft.

[Chadd 916]

Back about 6 or 7 years ago (geez I was 17 or so back then) I had toyed with Easton Synergy Intermediate sticks, they were great. Except for the fact that I couldn't even get a full game out of them. The bottom of the shaft would snap right at the fuse point.

That's usually an issue with your shooting form in those cases. It sounds like your shooting motion is putting way too much force down into the ice to be using a stick with that much flex. You don't need to do that in order to load a lighter flex. You simply can't shoot the same way with sticks that are 100 flex (once cut) and 65-75 flex.

[nicksmission14 0]

That's usually an issue with your shooting form in those cases. It sounds like your shooting motion is putting way too much force down into the ice to be using a stick with that much flex. You don't need to do that in order to load a lighter flex. You simply can't shoot the same way with sticks that are 100 flex (once cut) and 65-75 flex.

Makes sense. I did go from using stick that were a probably at a minimum 100 Flex to probably 75.

[Jarick 5]

Being 5'8 and cutting sticks off below the nose in skates, I use intermediates for the most part. I think I've only broken one from shooting, the Battleaxe BX10 I tested (which lasted a couple months and was an extremely high performance stick...broke on a slapper).

If you use a whippy high-end stick, I think durability will suffer on slappers. Those sticks are designed to take a certain amount of deflection and loading and then snap right back to shape. A cheap stick with more fiberglass might last longer when bent quite a bit, but will whip out and give you less velocity. There has to be a tradeoff.

But on snap/wrist shots where you're not leaning into the stick, they do just fine. I haven't seen sticks get broken more by slashes because they are whippy. They do seem to whip out over time though, kind of like if a 6' 200 lb guy uses a 75 flex senior.

Another option is stiffer intermediate sticks. At retail, Bauer offers the X60 and Total One in 75 flex at intermediate length. I've been using an X60 75 flex intermediate for a few months and they are perfect when cut to length for slappers and snappers, and it is light enough for wristers to be pretty effective as well. Warrior's 70 flex seems a hair stiffer than your average intermediate as well. I just picked up a Dolomite 70 flex intermediate this weekend and after cutting it down, it's definitely just a bit softer than the 75 flex X60 (and blade feel seems a lot softer). We'll see how it plays out, but I'm hoping it is my main forward stick and I'll use the X60 for defense and practices, because it's a friggin tank.

So my two cents...if you take lots of slappers, go with the 75 flex X60 or Total One. If you really want that whippy feel, check out a Warrior intermediate.

[stick9 892]

Intermediate sticks are made for women, or, for the 12-14 year old male who isn't strong enough to flex a senior stick, or, get his hands around a larger handle shaft. Most of these sticks have senior blades on them, which, helps transition the player into a senior stick.

If you're under 5' 10"/165lbs and you like a whippy stick, what else are you going to do....?

Jarick I'm with you. Even though I use an INT I always stick to the 70-75 flex sticks.

[Jarick 5]

Pro stock 65 flexers are impossible to find.

After refining my shot the last year or so, I'm getting more into stiffer sticks, but even then some of the senior whip flexes are too stiff when cut down 8-10". I need to feel it load or flex just a hair when I shoot. I'm not looking anymore for the stick to bend in half, but to at least get some movement. I've wasted some good money on 75 flex sticks that barely moved even when I'm taking slappers.

That 75 flex X60 was just an eye opener. Finally got a stick that gave me enough stiffness to stop losing power on my shots but could still load it up.

I'd happily be 5'10 or taller so I could use a senior stick though! The 6'3+ guys on my team who use 100 flex sticks have absolute bombs that I'll never compete with.

[watchgreat 4]

I find 65 flex pro stocks ALL the time, in many different brands.

Where is this???

[DolomaticDangles 13]

Where is this???

I'm wondering this too. Its hard to find pretty much anything under 85

[CAmmon 2]

I use int sticks and they're fine to me. I almost never take slappers so the whip in the stick works wonders for me. As far as the 65/75 pro stocks the only guy I know that is/was that low was Kessel and I'm not interested in paying 200 dollars for a stick because of where he plays and who he is.

[farhanshak 1]

I have started using lower flex sticks and loving it. The wristers and snappers and even slappers (to a degree) are amazing off of them.

I am about 5'9" 196 lbs... i try to stay between 70-87 flex and I havent had a problem.

with the lower flex sticks, I have easton shafts that are actually intermediate shafts @ 75 flex and they work amazing.

I also have 3 intermediate warrior dolomites (the newer ones (70 flex) OPS that broke which I converted to tapered shafts which are real nice and whippy too.

so far they have all been holding up (except for warrior blades of course)

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

Little background I'm not a very big guy. Only about 5'7.

I run into a dilemma with sticks. I prefer very flexy shafts. Only problem is even on a 75 or Whip Flex Senior shaft I have to cut off about 8 inches. Sticks become ridiculously stiff. Even off a Warrior Intermediate I'd have to take about 4 inches.

Back about 6 or 7 years ago (geez I was 17 or so back then) I had toyed with Easton Synergy Intermediate sticks, they were great. Except for the fact that I couldn't even get a full game out of them. The bottom of the shaft would snap right at the fuse point.

I'm curious how other adults have made out with more modern Intermediate sticks.

For what it's worth, I have an intermediate st that's still going strong after I used it for over a season and then my cousin used for a bit.

That's usually an issue with your shooting form in those cases. It sounds like your shooting motion is putting way too much force down into the ice to be using a stick with that much flex. You don't need to do that in order to load a lighter flex. You simply can't shoot the same way with sticks that are 100 flex (once cut) and 65-75 flex.

Couldn't agree more. Was using a blake wheeler dolo the other day that's atleast 100 flex and had to put a ton of force into the ice to get a decent slapshot.

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

I'm 5'7", 135 lbs. and my intermediate (67 flex) x60 stick has outlasted my senior (77flex) so far. I'd say I got a season out of the senior, the intermediate I've been using for well over a year.

I like the whip for my wrist shots, but it's kind of noodlish for slapshots. I also am weary of the springy-ness of the stick when I receive a hard pass.

[MilleniumFalcon 5]

I tried int warrior dolo pro stock 70 flex, it's a great whippy and durable stick. After breaking the blade I converted it into a shaft. It takes senior tapered blades.

[DarkStar50 679]

I wish the Drury curve was an option for Int OPS.

[ponder 0]

I wish the Drury curve was an option for Int OPS.

CCM make ints with the Lecavalier curve, which I think is pretty close to a Drury?