The Perfect Curve

[Jarick 5]

I went between Forsberg and Lindros until I tried open curves. Now I go between Sakic and Drury and my ideal curve would be somewhere between the two. It depends on your technique, and mine relies and cupping the puck and loading the stick, and the open curve lets me do that. It's not open to "get the puck up", it's open so when I cup the puck the blade is neutral.

[sharks25 9]

Jarick: Have you used a p106? It seems to be like a mix of the sakic and drury.

[third man in 0]

I'm another proponent of using a shaft / blade combo and trying out different curves. I used a bunch of different curves and still experiment today, I can usually adjust to anything as long as the lie is correct and the curve isn't anything too wild.

[mike_big_mac 1]

I guess I should add a reply to my own post huh? Currently I'm using the "CCM U+ Crazy Light w/ grip" in the Ovi curve. I love the stick, great performace and considering I got it on sale for half price, I have no complaints. My favourite blade/curve of all time (though they weren't highly durable from what I remember) was the Harpoon system from Bauer. I have been looking EVERYWHERE for an old GRATTON harpoon curve to have some blades made, but can't seem to find the curve anywhere. The CCM Ovi is the closest I've found to date. Man I give just about anything for a Gratton harpoon blade again!

[Jarick 5]

Jarick: Have you used a p106? It seems to be like a mix of the sakic and drury.

Not in a long time. I actually went to buy one last week but found a Dolomite on clearance for $10 more than the blade itself and went with that. It's the next thing I'll try and probably will work great.

[Buzz_LightBeer 974]

I guess I should add a reply to my own post huh? Currently I'm using the "CCM U+ Crazy Light w/ grip" in the Ovi curve. I love the stick, great performace and considering I got it on sale for half price, I have no complaints. My favourite blade/curve of all time (though they weren't highly durable from what I remember) was the Harpoon system from Bauer. I have been looking EVERYWHERE for an old GRATTON harpoon curve to have some blades made, but can't seem to find the curve anywhere. The CCM Ovi is the closest I've found to date. Man I give just about anything for a Gratton harpoon blade again!

Good News: Gratton was P106, which still exists

Bad News: Harpoon system was a flop and does no still exist

[HkY_GuY 2]

a curve it just like a woman. need to experience more then one before finding the right one. :)

[Chadd 916]

I guess I should add a reply to my own post huh? Currently I'm using the "CCM U+ Crazy Light w/ grip" in the Ovi curve. I love the stick, great performace and considering I got it on sale for half price, I have no complaints. My favourite blade/curve of all time (though they weren't highly durable from what I remember) was the Harpoon system from Bauer. I have been looking EVERYWHERE for an old GRATTON harpoon curve to have some blades made, but can't seem to find the curve anywhere. The CCM Ovi is the closest I've found to date. Man I give just about anything for a Gratton harpoon blade again!

I made up some customs off of an old ABS Gratton that I had at one point. I may still have another one laying around, but Buzz is correct, check out the P106.

[noodle3872 40]

My son picked Vanek blade to put in his shaft a couple months ago. I installed it for him but never paid much attention to the curve until we were at stick and puck a few weeks ago. The curve reminded me of when I curved the old Easton RB100's but laying the toe open a shade. We swapped sticks for a few minutes and I fell in love!!! I am now hunting Vanek, P89 or McCabe sticks.

Now my toughest decision is do I go thru Warrior Custom or My Bauer to do my sticks for this year?

[mike_big_mac 1]

Good News: Gratton was P106, which still exists

Bad News: Harpoon system was a flop and does no still exist

Yeah I knew about the Harpoon system as being a flop. Super excited to find me a P106 now! You guys rock on here!

[Stoop 1]

Well I got stuck with a very open curve to start. I could lift the puck, but had all kinds of trouble doing anything else. Based on advice on this site, I switched to an Iginla curve. I couldn't lift the puck to save my life. Worked at for a long time (weeks), both forehand and backhand, until I figured out the snap and technique to lift it.

Tried a few different curves after that, and have now come full circle back to an open face curve. I can lift it with a neutral face, but I just find I have a lot more control up and down the ladder with the open face and my particular form. I don't have any problems keeping it low.

So that's my experience. I also would say that the worst thing a beginner could do is get stuck with a curve that makes a dramatic turn or kink somewhere. As a beginner trying out a curve like that, I found that a one inch (or less) difference in where the puck was on the blade made a huge difference in how the puck reacted. I'm sure that there are people here with the skill to slide the puck with precision up and down the blade, and thus use the different sections appropriately, but not us hacks.

[JSK81 400]

Toe curves seem to be my thing. Most of them have a long, straight and usually quite closed middle portion for easier stickhandling and a toe hook which I've found out to be the best for my shooting technique.

I have no problems lifting the puck so I don't like blades with an open face that much.

[jbyun04 7]

Bauer P14 took about 1 year to get used to but now I'm absolutely loving it. The great thing is, compared to other curves, I have no trouble switching between that and the P92.

[ty_tanium 1]

P92 curve for me, when i first started using Bauer i started with the PM9. Found a great deal local for X:40 with P92 curve and never went back to the PM9

[Jarick 5]

I spent a good bit of time comparing the P14 to the P92 and it looks identical except the P14 has a bit shorter blade and a bit more rocker on the top of the toe with a squarer toe. The lie, heel rocker, curve starting point, and loft were identical. Basically someone took a P92 and chopped off the last 1/4-1/2" of the blade and then sanded down the top and bottom of the toe.

This was with a few different TotalOne and One80 sticks. I was tempted to try the P14 but decided to stick with the P92 as there was not much difference.

[Rabid Ranger 0]

Definatley a trial and error process. Started out many years ago just going for the player curve I liked (Easton/Leetch) but that was a mistake. Settled on the Yzerman and now use the Warrior Kovalchuk and Bauer P88/Kane.

[mike_big_mac 1]

Yeah I knew about the Harpoon system as being a flop. Super excited to find me a P106 now! You guys rock on here!

Hey guys, finally got my hands on a p106 and honestly, I'm doubting y'all, but it doesn't look the way I remember the Gratton curve to be. The old Gratton curve looks more similar to the Ovechkin CCM U+ pro stick I'm using now (again its been at least 10+yrs since I last saw the harpoon blade so I'm just going on memory alone and I'm probably wrong).

*On a side note, there was a sale on the CCM U+ pro sticks at my local shop. Have they changed the Ovi curve on the U+ pro? (If anyone is familiar with the U+ pro stick, it has that clear insert of some kind at the heel... the stick I was looking at today did not have that clear piece and the Ovi curve is more of a mid curve like a Sherwood Coffey, rather than the mid-heel curve with a twist in the blade.)

[innotastic 12]

Hey guys, finally got my hands on a p106 and honestly, I'm doubting y'all, but it doesn't look the way I remember the Gratton curve to be. The old Gratton curve looks more similar to the Ovechkin CCM U+ pro stick I'm using now (again its been at least 10+yrs since I last saw the harpoon blade so I'm just going on memory alone and I'm probably wrong).

*On a side note, there was a sale on the CCM U+ pro sticks at my local shop. Have they changed the Ovi curve on the U+ pro? (If anyone is familiar with the U+ pro stick, it has that clear insert of some kind at the heel... the stick I was looking at today did not have that clear piece and the Ovi curve is more of a mid curve like a Sherwood Coffey, rather than the mid-heel curve with a twist in the blade.)

I don't have first hand experience in this cause i'm a bit too young, but supposedly the p106 has gone through some changes over the years, notably after it was renamed Jokinen after Linden. Gratton I believe came some time before Linden.

the previous years ovechkin curves (i can't speak for the newest batch) was a lower lie drury clone, similar to the reebok spezza. if you were looking at new CCM sticks, you may be looking at the Crazy Ovi curve, which is his pro curve with the big toe hook. i could be misinterpreting the question altogether.

[skyscrape 5]

I ordered a new U+CL with the new version Ovechkin. Not the Crazy OVI! It is not the same as previous years. In fact I sent it back. I am not really sure what to compare it to now, but the one I got was not at all the curve that was similar to the p91a.

[mike_big_mac 1]

I ordered a new U+CL with the new version Ovechkin. Not the Crazy OVI! It is not the same as previous years. In fact I sent it back. I am not really sure what to compare it to now, but the one I got was not at all the curve that was similar to the p91a.

Hmm... I am using (not the Crazy Ovi) a version of the CL U+ pro and the curve is similar to the p91 (I compared it in the store today) and the NEW curve looks like a Coffey curve. The new curve sucks!

[skyscrape 5]

Hmm... I am using (not the Crazy Ovi) a version of the CL U+ pro and the curve is similar to the p91 (I compared it in the store today) and the NEW curve looks like a Coffey curve. The new curve sucks!

Yeah they ruined it in my opinion! Now all their curves look like deeper or shallower versions of the same one with different lies! I do not get it!

[Haggerty 144]

Drury/Kovalev/p91a is my favorite curve, tried most available retail curves and this one suites me best.

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

Hmm... I am using (not the Crazy Ovi) a version of the CL U+ pro and the curve is similar to the p91 (I compared it in the store today) and the NEW curve looks like a Coffey curve. The new curve sucks!

in the ccm catalog, they say it's similar to a sakic curve

[mike_big_mac 1]

in the ccm catalog, they say it's similar to a sakic curve

Well whatever it's similar to sucks! Bring back the old Ovi curve!

[boldfacecole 0]

Drury is my favorite:) when i first used it i hated it but i must say..its really grown on me and now i absolutly love it!