Wood End Plug Extensions Vs. Balance of OPS Sticks

[lpgbackups 17]

Hi, i just realized that i cut some of my sticks a little too short, and im considering adding an end plug to them.....not much, about 1.5 inches. Would that have an impact on stick balance/general performance or not at all?

i imagine adding 4 or 5 inches could really screw things up...

but how about 1.5?

[Chadd 916]

Not really much of a difference, it may make the blade end feel a little lighter due to the small amount of weight added in your hand. I also think it helps dampen vibration a little bit too.

[TeamHonda401 54]

My Vapor XXXX has about a 1.5" wood plug in it and there isn't much of a difference between that and an uncut stick of equal length. I'll echo what Chadd said about the blade light feeling and the vibration dampening. If you are super picky about your stick's balance, then you might be able to tell a little, but performance will be almost equal.

[raganblink 82]

Quite a bit of players cut off ~1.5-2 inches off their stick, and then add an endplug in it to that exact length. I do it as well and love the feel of it compared to a stick without an end plug in it. Vibrations are cut down to almost none, and overall it just feels better. Can't really put my finger on it.

[lpgbackups 17]

Wow....i went from expecting something bad to expecting something good.

Thanks guys

i'm heading to my local Canadian Tire to buy 2 of these mofos!

[CommodoreColt 19]

I've been thinking of doing the same thing. Blade-heaviness is a fact of life when you're using low and middle tier OPSes.

I tried a short wood plug on one of my heavier sticks, and the improved balance completely mitigated its weight disadvantage. It's a strange phenomenon... it's a stick with a greater total weight than any of my other ones, but my arms perceive it to be lighter because the center of mass is moved away from the blade.

[IPv6Freely 2096]

Wood plugs effectively stiffen the stick too, don't they? I'm asking because I've considered buying intermediates, cutting them down, and then adding a plug back to their original length (which happens to be typically exactly the length I like). Would that work to, say, make a Bauer Intermediate 67 into more of a 70?

[malcb33 99]

Yes, they do but unless your cutting more than a couple of inches, it's nothing to dramatic.

[Chadd 916]

Wood plugs effectively stiffen the stick too, don't they? I'm asking because I've considered buying intermediates, cutting them down, and then adding a plug back to their original length (which happens to be typically exactly the length I like). Would that work to, say, make a Bauer Intermediate 67 into more of a 70?

Depends on the plug, the stiffness of the wood will vary from one to the next.