Durability of Intermediate sticks...

[Tailboard Jockey 25]

He also wasnt paying for his own sticks so he didnt care about how long they last.

What pro does?

[Chadd 916]

I'm 5' 10" and use 95-112 flex sticks. I encourage you to build upper body strength and see what a high flex stick can do for you. I once bought 3 Easton Int sticks for super cheap (65 flex) and broke them all on a weekend. Never again

Not knowing how to shoot with a lighter flex has nothing to do with durability. Anyone that thinks they should shoot the same way with a 112 or a 65 is an idiot, not a savant.

[Andoy 5]

the thing with whippy flexes is to let the stick do the work for you. many people don't quite get that and end up cranking them like they're 100 flex sticks. of course they will break.

[1q3er5 1]

argh! to add fuel to the fire i read (not sure what site) that some high profile NHL'ers use some very low flexes for their weight / height. I read Ovechkin who is definitely over 200 pounds uses only a 80 flex, i doubt he has to cut it much - thats less than half his weight! and some slo-mo camera's show his stick BENDS ALOT so i wouldn't be surprised if it was true. Phil Kessel is another name that i've heard uses an lower flex, well he has that promotion video of himself taking a wrist shot that shows him bending the crap out of his stick aswell.

I'm 5'10 but only 150 and i'm just recently thinking about intermediate sticks. I exclusively take wrist shots - it takes me longer than it should to really load up a wicked wrist shot, i'm sure in my case a lower flex will let me get power on my shot faster without me really having to dig deep to get leverage. i guess all you guys who are my height that weigh 20 pounds more who have to cut their sticks are the ones getting screwed by the flex ratings.

I wonder if sherwoods 4 inch "flex free zone" at the top of the stick works - supposedly you can cut 4 inches off without affecting the flex at all. I'm guess they just fused a 4 inch piece to the top of the sticks or something to that effect.

[1q3er5 1]

Disagree (i.e. Brett Hull)

First hand experience here.

All do.

So true!

But will your hands be too large for the smaller shaft size?

i held a intermediate total one and a senior total one side by side once and could not tell if there was a difference in the dimensions - if there was, it must be really small

[Axxion89 32]

There is a difference, but its not major. Lucky for me, my small hands feel good with an int or a Sr

[rdmt83 0]

im 5'5" and about 140 pnds...I have been using a Sr 75 flex dolo cut down several inches (prob closer to 85) and I have no problem with nice hard wrist shots but slap shots (which I rarely take) are really hard on my wrists/arms. I just picked up a int 70 flex dolo and cant wait to cut it down a bit and try it out. I have a good feeling its going to be just about right for my size/strength. I dont usually break sticks shooting so Im hoping durability wont be an issue. anyone else my size using something similiar?

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

im 5'5" and about 140 pnds...I have been using a Sr 75 flex dolo cut down several inches (prob closer to 85) and I have no problem with nice hard wrist shots but slap shots (which I rarely take) are really hard on my wrists/arms. I just picked up a int 70 flex dolo and cant wait to cut it down a bit and try it out. I have a good feeling its going to be just about right for my size/strength. I dont usually break sticks shooting so Im hoping durability wont be an issue. anyone else my size using something similiar?

durability should be fine as long as you adjust smoothly to the lower flex. Hell I can use a 65 no problem and I'm around 220

[spam_and_eggs 0]

I have a quick question if anyone knows the answer.

I'm 5'1, 160lbs so I use INT sticks and have to cut down a lot! I was thinking of getting a mid price vapor stick. Will cutting down 8 or so inches affect the intelli-sense thing in the shaft? If so, would it still be worth getting?

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

I have a quick question if anyone knows the answer.

I'm 5'1, 160lbs so I use INT sticks and have to cut down a lot! I was thinking of getting a mid price vapor stick. Will cutting down 8 or so inches affect the intelli-sense thing in the shaft? If so, would it still be worth getting?

just disregard Bauers marketing.....................if you don't mind using a 90+ flex stick, then cutting an intermediate stick down 8 inches is fine

[bobapower 0]

I'm 5'5" 146. I switched to a Int stick 1.5 years ago. It was a Warrior AK27 55 flex (2 piece). I cut off 6-7" (43") and it was still very whippy. I had a great wrist shot with it. That stick lasted just 1 month. Not from a shot but maybe a faceoff.

I then bought a Int Dolomite shaft - 70 flex. Cut off 6" to 44".

It has been over a year and the stick is still alive and kicking.

I did have to replace the blade a few months back but so far the shaft has been durable.

I only take wrist shots and snappers and the Dolo works well for me.

I take a lot of faceoffs and stick checks so I am amazed that the shaft is still intact.

Switching from SR to Int stick has led to the biggest improvement to my shot.

Not only are my wrist shots harder, they are also more accurate since I don't have to lean and shoot as hard as I can.

I also finally developed a nice snap shot.

I also have a int x:60 (65 flex) OPS. I don't use it much since the curve (backstrom) is too big for me.

The stick does feel stiffer than my Dolo despite a lower flex rating.

[Machinehead2k5 32]

I've used 50 flex sticks all the way up to 85 flex sticks. The 50s and 65/67s you have to let the stick do the work for you. I'm 220 and I have a wicked wristshot with a fast release due to not having to "load" the stick as much as a 75/85 flex stick. But to each their own. You just have to try the flex that works the best for you. I shoot mainly wrist/snap shots with the occaisional slap/one-timer.

EDIT: I never play center though when using a 67 sub flex stick. Broke a shaft off of a faceoff due to the torque.

[donkers 31]

I switched to intermediate sticks about 2 years ago. I wish I had done it sooner. I'm only 5-7 and 170. Intermediate sticks are perfect for me uncut.

[bobapower 0]

I have been using an intermediate Warrior dolomite 70 flex (2 piece) for past couple years.

I cut 6" so the flex is probably in the 80's.

It is quite stiff and I don't flex the stick much ( I am 5'5", 146 lb).

Last month I switched to an intermediate Warrior Covert DT3 55 flex one piece and love it.

I can flex the stick and fire off good wristers and snap shots.

I think 55 to 60 is probably the right flex for me.

Last night (only 3rd game with the DT3), my stick broke in a beer league game. I don't know the cause, but I play Center where I take faceoffs. I also stick check a lot so my sticks take some abuse.

I had a similar experience with a 55 flex AK27 where it broke after a month.

Does anyone have similar durability experiences with sticks below 70 flex?

It could be just bad luck, but my 70 flex Dolo is a tank.

[yipperzz 28]

I was using a 75 flex Senior DT1 and it took some good abuse. Lately I've been playing center more and taking a lot of faceoffs. I tried going down to a 70 flex Int. DT1 (same year) and it pieces started chipping off much faster than the senior. But it could just be bad luck or a bad stick. It's lasted a lot longer than I expected though and I don't think it was structurally damaged. If you're pretty abusive with your sticks, I can see it probably snapping sooner than mine. Other than faceoffs I'm doing most of my abuse/damage on the blade vs. the shaft. It's probably been 6 months of ~2 days a week beer league hockey.

[rawkstar 45]

I've used senior and int sticks from various manufacturers, my experience is they are identical to senior in every way except length and flex. Same length blade, same size shaft, shorter stick and lower flex. Once you get to junior/youth sticks you get a smaller blade and a thinner shaft, but int sticks are exactly the same dimensions as senior except they are shorter and have lower flex.

I would not be surprised if they are manufactured the exact same way as senior sticks, in my experience durability has been exactly the same as senior sticks, no different whatsoever.

I'm 5'10 180, I can flex a senior stick and get a good shot, but int feels way easier to use and Int sticks come at the exact length I like to cut my sticks down to so I don't have to cut them, plus they're cheaper and sometimes easier to find the right curve on clearance than it is with senior.