Blade Pattern for Mite?

[Bender01 0]

Okay, sounds crazy...my son is 7 and I gave up saving a few bucks on youth sticks because they usually break just above the blade after a month or so.

His latest stick is a junior warrior 40 flex with the Draper hook on it.

For his age, he's got a great wrist shot but he struggles a bit on the backhand (shot). Practices a lot off ice but has a difficult time lifting the backhander while moving, even with a high follow through and trying to catch it while pulling it into the backside of the blade. . For his next stick, would you guys recommend backing off the Draper hook a bit and going with something like a kovalchuk or P88 in Bauer? (I think the draper equivalent these days is kopitar and that P92 in Bauer is close to that?)

I realize this stuff is 99% technique, but at 7 I'd like to provide him with the best "fit" to help as much as possible. What I obviously want to avoid is going with less hook and taking something off his really solid wrist shots. E.g don't want to sacrifice that for slightly better backhand if he's better off with the hook and continuing to work on the backhand with the draper.

Appreciate any thoughts I didn't play as a kid and it would have been a Sherwood straight blade if I had...so could use some advise.

Thanks

[Chadd 916]

The two biggest factors for backhands at that age are strength and technique. When it comes to the pattern, I've always thought that flatter is better for backhands. Or at least something that isn't as rounded on the back, like a heel or toe curve. I don't think swapping among those curves is going to have much of an impact on his backhand, unless it's a matter of getting a better lie or rocker for him.

[bruins89 1]

i use p92 as well and backhands can be hard if you move to your backhand then try to get it off in the same motion. if im going fast theres a good % chance i fan on it. i usually have it on forehand and slide it over and 'chop' at the puck. it works well for me

[stuie7 6]

The two biggest factors for backhands at that age are strength and technique. When it comes to the pattern, I've always thought that flatter is better for backhands. Or at least something that isn't as rounded on the back, like a heel or toe curve. I don't think swapping among those curves is going to have much of an impact on his backhand, unless it's a matter of getting a better lie or rocker for him.

QFT.

Over the past 6 or 7 years I've swapped back and forth between retail Lidstrom/P02 and a pro 'Banana' curve , both very open. The more consistently straight Lidstrom was clearly better for backhands, but with time and persistence the difference became negligible. I personally think that you'd be best to stick with what he knows and he'll get there in the end, he's got plenty of time!

As for the Briere goal, I agree at taking a 'chop' at the puck. Mine's just like that, but about 99% slower... Ha!

[jeffg 13]

modano or pm9 is what I would suggest. Learn to stick handle and shoot (both forehand and backhand shots). At your son's age he is still developing. He will thank you later in life when he will probably be one of the few players on his team that is able to use both side of his stick blade. Watch your son's next game and see how many players can successfully use both sides of their stick blade (passing or shooting).

[Bender01 0]

Thanks for the input guys, some things I hadn't considered. On the wrist shots he pretty much pinches the puck so rocker isn't an issue but on the backhands I think sometimes he barely catches the puck with the bottom of the stick because the rocker is fairly pronounced and it fans off the the side either way. I like the idea of just chopping it it vs trying to cleanly lift it while pulling it in from the forehand. When I finally have up on the youth sticks because they kept cracking at the bottom, I figured I'd go whole hog and get a nice hook since the options were finally there at the junior size. In hindsight perhaps that was a disservice at the younger age and I should just get a more benign pattern so that he gets more used to working it more with both sides. I'll probably wait for him to hit a growth spurt and then try a mellower pattern.

Thanks

[akravetz 29]

My son, also a first year mite (after two years in mini-mites) is still in a straight blade. We are avoiding a curve for now as his stick skills are not fully developed and we are working on his handling and backhand. Our biggest problem is that we don't have time to take him to "stick and puck" which are always during the day but often go to open or public skate. As a result, his skating is super for his age (cross-overs on both sides and backwards crossovers on one side). But he likes to skate fast and often overskates the puck. We live in an townhouse with no backyard or garage so the of him playing with a tennis ball is nice but not something I want to try inside our little house. Thoughts on how to improve stick handling and would a curved blade as some suggested above help in this situation. I am not really worried that much as he's six and frankly, he is not the second coming of the Great One .

But like all hockey parents you get caught up in the rat race. I want him to have fun and am grateful for his skating. That, to me, is the key to all. So I'll end and read more in the archives here.

Andy in Peoria

[TeamHonda401 54]

Thoughts on how to improve stick handling and would a curved blade as some suggested above help in this situation.

If you have some front steps, one thing that works alright is practice shooting against the front steps with a street hockey ball. It gives the little guy different targets/levels to shoot at, and also returns the ball to him after the shot. The biggest downside is the fact that he is shooting at the direction of the house. A small soccer net or similar device placed at the top of the steps could negate any potential house damage.

[Chadd 916]

My son, also a first year mite (after two years in mini-mites) is still in a straight blade. We are avoiding a curve for now as his stick skills are not fully developed and we are working on his handling and backhand. Our biggest problem is that we don't have time to take him to "stick and puck" which are always during the day but often go to open or public skate. As a result, his skating is super for his age (cross-overs on both sides and backwards crossovers on one side). But he likes to skate fast and often overskates the puck. We live in an townhouse with no backyard or garage so the of him playing with a tennis ball is nice but not something I want to try inside our little house. Thoughts on how to improve stick handling and would a curved blade as some suggested above help in this situation. I am not really worried that much as he's six and frankly, he is not the second coming of the Great One ™.

But like all hockey parents you get caught up in the rat race. I want him to have fun and am grateful for his skating. That, to me, is the key to all. So I'll end and read more in the archives here.

Andy in Peoria

A curved blade will help him carry the puck while skating. Coming from a straight blade, even a mild curve should help him significantly.

[bandits_5 18]

I dont think the curve of the stick is all that important. Mites can adjust easily. Shaft size and length are much more important factors in a little guys development , than curve. All too often , I see parents just saw off an old stick of theirs , and give it to junior. But Juniors hands are way too small for that big shaft.

[Chadd 916]

I dont think the curve of the stick is all that important. Mites can adjust easily. Shaft size and length are much more important factors in a little guys development , than curve. All too often , I see parents just saw off an old stick of theirs , and give it to junior. But Juniors hands are way too small for that big shaft.

Bigger curves make it easier to lift the puck. That's a huge deal to kids at that age.

[Bender01 0]

Andy, as a few others have said, a slight curve will help him hold the puck. The other thing is that shooting and stick handling are skills that kids can work on off ice with very little space. I used to think we had to hit stick and pucks but have found the most bang for the buck just working on these a little bit everyday at home.

For stick handling you can use a stick handling ball, green biscuit or just a golf ball works perfectly fine. Work on simple things first like left right (east west) focusing on rolling the top wrist to cup the ball and trying to keep head up. Then progress to left right-wide, north south etc. in no time you will see massive improvement. We even do this occasionally inside on carpet and then work figure 8s etc. try to turn it into a fun game vs practice and it works well. You can YouTube search stick handling drills skipper skills and get all sorts of ideas. He might even like watching the video vs hearing it from you.

Same with shooting, Pull the car out of the garage and toss a small net or tarp against the back wall with a goal painted on it and work on shooting tennis balls, street hockey balls at it first. Get the hang of the wrister (kids usually want to scoop vs smothering the ball with the blade and following through to the net (following through high). This took some time for my son. But when he got it, it was huge. We then progressed to blue pucks on the concrete (easier to lift friction) and then went to a plastic shooting pad to make it more like ice. Now he just fires balls, blue pucks, black pucks, basically anything the can slap with the stick.

I don't push it, if he feels like it...great, if not, let it be. I'll also make cutouts or tape paper plates to different areas and have competition with him and his friends to hit them. Well set up paint cans, cones, whatever and pass for them, stick handle around them, etc and the kids have fun with the competition vs the "practice".

I've really found ice time to benefit skating and off ice to benefit stick handling and shooting. Almost all the kids I've ever met with good hands and shot, work on this stuff off ice. --it's just like kids that can play ball, but doesn't have to be done on ice.

The key is keeping it fun and not pushing it. As they get better, so follows the confidence and results. Kids naturally have more "fun" the better they do and then look forward to it. My son is far from a natural or the Great One, but has really made strides by working a little bit here and there at home.

I wouldn't let your space deter you, there's gotta be some space to stick handle and shoot. I actually started doing this at home because I got annoyed with the crowds at stick and pick and I think it's worked out better.

Here's to a fun year!

[akravetz 29]

I agree with what everyone said. My sole goal is to have my son grow up loving the game of hockey. I am short; my wife is short. The truth is very few ever make it to D1 let alone beyond. We aren't in this for the money, the scholarship or the fame. Honestly, I want him to love the game and just have fun so you are right. What we have done is we play knee hockey a lot with plastic golf balls and we'll goof off at Stick and Puff, often putting our sticks down and playing "soccer" in the corner with the puck. He really wants a curve as all his friends have one so we are going to do it.

I got this youth stick a year or so back at Target of all places. A Reebok, wooden Sid Crosby thing for $5. He loves it. it fits his hands, the curve doesn't look too aggressive and he proud as punch to say it is his. Figure that counts more than anything else.

Thanks all, and I going to take some of the practice ideas to heart. I like the steps idea.

[bruins89 1]

bender: i dont think you necessarily need to be on the ice for him to practice. i played a ton of street hockey growing up and i think that helped a lot. also have some great memories from it.

[footwdg 1]

Bender, here are my kids experience with those curves. My PW major son used these curves at these ages:

- MT major & SQ minor: Draper. Wrist shot was great, backhand so-so. A flatter blade probably would have helped his backhand, (as well as more practice) but how many kids do you see at that age with great backhands? Draper curve helped with his wrister.

- SQ major: started with the Draper, but as he got better with his wrister he was firing more shots over the next. Even passes that weren't intended to be saucer passes were getting air under them. Just too easy to get the puck off the ice. Backhand was getting better, but still average at best. Switched to Kovalchuk about a quarter of the way into season and that helped keep the wrister down. Backhand improved too and he thought he had more control with his backhand, probably due to the blade being a little flatter.

- PW minor: Kovalchuk at forward and Savard when he played D. He loved the Kovalchuk and thought it was the most versatile curve he ever used. Helped keep wristers from going too high, had better backhand control, good snap-shot and OK slapper. Savard on D as it really helped keep the puck down, but he didn't really love it as it didn't have much curve to it. Plus he came to really love and had good control of the puck, (shots and passes) with the Kovalchuk.

- PW major: Switched to Zetterberg as I bought him a Covert this season and Kovalchuk isn't available in the Covert. Zetterberg is a little more open but he says he can't really tell the difference. Great wrister, good backhand, good snap-shot and slapper is improving.

SQ major son:

- SQ minor to now: Draper. Has really helped his wrister, but you can see that as he gets better and stronger with his wrister, he can go top shelf easier and easier. Weak backhand. We'll move him to the Kovalchuk by the beginning of next season to give a little more versatility.

Over the years they've used the above Warrior curves as well as a Nash, (toe) Sundin, (mid) and CCM Ovi, (heel). I've always bought clearance shafts and replacement blades to keep costs down as well as give them a number of options as they've grown to see what they'll like best when we "invest" in a stick. Haven't used Bauers as I haven't been able to match up a lie that fits the type of curve we were looking for. Warrior has been the easiest for us to match lies and curves.

All in all, the Draper was great for wristers at younger ages, but became a little too easy to get the puck up. For us, so far, Kovalchuk, (and probably Zetteberg since they're so similar) has been most versatile. It's amazing how much better the backhand, as well as all shots get, the more they practice...... However, using a curve a little flatter on the backhand seems to have helped the process.

Best of luck!

[Chadd 916]

great first post

[Bender01 0]

Footwdg,

Appreciate the detailed response. I noticed too that even my sons passes are getting air (unintentional saucers...but almost higher) even with a sweeping motion. This past weekend most his shots were at least a foot above the net, if not higher. Its not like he's mr strength at 7, it's really exacerbated by the 3oz blue pucks they use for mites and the draper (now kopitar) hook.

So I'm ashamed to admit, but we got a new stick last night. Figured the seasons starting, now is the time to do it and bit the bullet. I really liked the mellow curve on the zetterberg and tried pushing him to the Warrior as i was really pleased on the durability of his current warrior, but he really like the bauer- the graphics looked like his first model youth stick and he was pretty bent on it.

I had him put his skates on, hold it at the point it would be cut to make sure it squared up nicely on the ground without a huge rocker or just the heel on the ground. To my surprise the Bauer 5 lie in the P88 pattern squared up really nice. I guess it make sense because others here noted that the warriors are really upright and that the 4 is more like a 5 in other mfgs.

He had a practice tonight and the few shots he took were top shelf but not over the net. Too early to tell but hoping this P88 turns out to be a right balance. He didn't do any backhands yet as the coach wanted the, to fire shots from the hashmarks without putting in the moves...so time will tell, Don't expect any miracles on the backhand because I think a lot of it is technique. Talked to him about trying to pull it in from the forehand and chop at it like Claude in the video above. Have a feeling we're at least a few years off from that move but doesn't hurt to show him.

Thanks again guys for all the insight!

[squat 5]

i use p92 as well and backhands can be hard if you move to your backhand then try to get it off in the same motion. if im going fast theres a good % chance i fan on it. i usually have it on forehand and slide it over and 'chop' at the puck. it works well for me

G roof a puck on its side play it at :27sec

[bruins89 1]

doesnt really matter, its the motion and the 'chop' thats important, i have better success doing it that way