What do you look for in a stick?

[hockeymass 11]

I'm in the market for a new twig and I'm having trouble differentiating between all of the choices out there (last time I got a new stick was my Si-Core, so close to 10 years now).

What do you guys look for when you're buying a new stick? Obviously lie, curve, flex, but what other things do you take into consideration?

[Sliwka 0]

Based on McGill research and personal preference for swing weight/feel. I look for wood with an 85 to 100 flex and a slight curve (preferably with a closed face).

I am an odd duck though.

[5 Minute Major 1]

I mainly look for the feel and balance.

[-venom- 0]

I don't look for much more than the main things (curve, flex, weight/feel).

I could care less who makes it, as long as it meets the other criteria.

[HockeySavants 5]

RH, mid curve, 87 or higher flex, medium to clear grip, concave shaft

[innotastic 12]

lie/rocker, curve, grip/cost, flex, shaft dimensions

in that order.

other things i consider but isn't vitally imporrtant would be flex profile, standard vs taper (i use two piece sticks), blade construction (thick/thin, stiff/soft, durability/"performance"), grip tactility, reputation of model. aesthetics has a consideration, but seeing how i use mostly warrior sticks you can guess its not a big deal to me.

[Zombies #77 10]

Based on McGill research and personal preference for swing weight/feel. I look for wood with an 85 to 100 flex and a slight curve (preferably with a closed face).

I am an odd duck though.

Sounds to me like the Easton SY50 Zetterberg pattern, my stick of choice. I am an odd duck as well.

[sickwilly 37]

I try to get a preliminary idea of a few models that I'm interested in (usually high end stuff from a year or two before to save money). I find that there's usually a good amount of feedback online about sticks/shafts/blades that have been out for a while.

I'm another person who uses mostly 2 piece setups. I generally look to the Sell forums here or buy high end stuff that's on clearance. I'm not too fussy about brand/appearance as long as the online feedback is pretty positive. By buying high end stuff, I feel like I haven't had a lot of problems with poorly-balanced shaft/blade combos. Most of the high end stuff I've used is pretty light. If I wanted to buy a new OPS, I would look for balance/feel as my #1 priority, followed by kick/shot power. Durability used to be my #1 concern when I had very little disposable income.

[mhkehoe 1]

First I try to find a model that most people review well (usually on here) and is within my budget for hockey sticks. My main consideration is the weight of the stick. Every time I have gone to a lighter stick, I find it really difficult to regress back to the heavier models. Durability obviously.

I know I like to use a little longer stick, so obviously there has to be a curve that also has a lower lie. I consider how easily I can backhand and pass with the curve. Basically anything with a heel/mid-heel curve similar to Zetterberg. Flex wise, I prefer the stick to be around a 80 flex, but I am usually stuck buying the 85 (75 feels too whippy).

With that said, I am using the Sherwood T90 85 Flex PP09 Ryan curve and I have been very happy with it. It is a little more open than I would like, but doesn't cause too many problems other than the occasional high slap shot or wobbly pass.

[HOPE 0]

-balance

-curve

-good bounce back

-shape of shaft

-kick point

-grip

-flex

for me

-balance: blade light

-curve: huge toe curve

-good bounce back

-shape of shaft: round corner

-kick point: low

-grip: yes, preferaly with bumps

-flex: 75

[Chadd 916]

First and foremost I care about performance, but you can't tell that just by picking up a stick.

[third man in 0]

I know what I like in terms of flex and curve (75, Sakic-Hall/P92) so for me it's about finding a stick/shaft that is a good bang for my buck, is balanced, and provides solid performance. I always go with a grip stick as well...for me, the more grip, the better. I'm a big proponent of buying last year's models at a discounted price when I can find them...just recently jumped on an S19 since a lot of places have them on clearance now. I'm very picky with shaft dimensions so I generally know which manufacturers to avoid. Before buying the S19, I have been using two-piece tapered shafts almost exclusively for a 5+ years now...I simply got sick of having blades crack on me. I personally don't find that much difference in terms of performance between a solid two-piece setup and a OPS to warrant the premium price, but that's me.

[PeteyPOP 0]

I look for everything that everyone has mentioned but I also....

-Look closely at the blade and shaft and look for defects, if there is 5 identical sticks that I want I'll look at them all and pick the best one

-Also take 4 or 5 of the indentical stick and compare the curves, you would be suprised how different they can be.

For me: Bauer Vapour series - 102 flex - backstrom curve - grip

[webes 0]

i use stiff sticks and they have to have a lower kick..just cant stand mid kicks on slapshots for some reason

other than that

- slightly boxy shaft

- good balance, cant be blade heavy or blade light

- stiff blade, cant have tourque

- weight isnt really an issue for me

[Sliwka 0]

Sounds to me like the Easton SY50 Zetterberg pattern, my stick of choice. I am an odd duck as well.

We can get the SY70 in Canada which is nice with the Kevlar reinforcement on the bottom of the blade.

I also use the Bobby Ryan PMP7000