worried i went too low on flex

[bgdawg019 9]

hey guys, if a stick has too low of a flex rating, or you are playing with a stick that's too " whippy" for you, what can be some of the downfalls? I ask because I just got a tacks stick in a 75 but I feel like my shot is so much better with a rbk ribcor 85 flex. I cant tell if its the stick of the flex. I also have a older s-19 in a 75 flex that shoots just about as well as my ribcor.

little info about me.

5' 9"

220

play forward and cut my sticks down to about 2" below my chin on skate. so I use a shorter stick.

thanks

[bg9 12]

When a stick is too whippy for me, I feel it on slap shots and snap shots. It feels like the stick doesn't full "kick", like I get the full return of the stick on the follow through, not at the point the puck comes off the blade. You lose speed on your shot for sure.

I use 75 and 85 flex sticks, I'm 5'11", 240lbs. The lower flex takes a bit of adjustment. Kickpoint, flex and style of play all factor into a sticks performance.

[kr580 2]

The S19 and RibCor are both low kickpoint sticks. The Tacks is a mid kick point stick. The Tacks is definitely going to feel different than the other two because it bows towards the middle of the shaft whereas the other two flex down closer to the blade. They shoot very much differently and it'll just take time to get used to it. I'd recommend trying out a stiffer flex with mid-kick too as they tend to feel more whippy than low-kick sticks in general.

[bgdawg019 9]

I must say the when I shoot with the tack stick, the release feels slower to me. thanks for the feedback.

[kr580 2]

I must say the when I shoot with the tack stick, the release feels slower to me. thanks for the feedback.

I have the same feeling with mid-flex sticks. It feels sluggish, like I'm waiting for the flex to max out and then release where as the low-kick sticks load and release almost instantly. Then again I don't take many slap shots so mid-kicks aren't quite geared towards me.

[bgdawg019 9]

Glad I'm not alone on this. Thanks again for the input. I think I'm just a low kick guy.

[t6lock 24]

I think if you use it enough, you will get used to it. My theory is it's all about muscle memory and when you're so accustomed to the release of a 85 flex, you might feel like the lower flex is taking an extra tick longer to release.

[psulion22 402]

Interesting. I have the opposite problem. I need to go down in flex to get the same kick and velocity, especially on full wristers, when I go from a low-kick to a mid-kick. I prefer the pop and feel of my Nexus 1000 over my APX2, so I bought Nexus 1000s in the same 87 flex as my APX2. They are wayyyy too stiff. There's hardly any flex in them at all and there's no kick on wristers and slapshots (though quick snap shots and wristers off the toe only are very hard). Dropping down to a 77 flex has made a huge difference. My wrist shot is now about as hard as it's ever been.

I'm going to the Bauer expo at my rink tomorrow, so hopefully I'll get out on the ice to try some different options and get this figured out once and for all.

[Chadd 916]

I must say the when I shoot with the tack stick, the release feels slower to me. thanks for the feedback.

When you have a stick that flexes, you have to match your release to the flex of the stick. A lot of people never learn to do it because they are constantly jumping from one model/brand to another.

[bgdawg019 9]

When you have a stick that flexes, you have to match your release to the flex of the stick. A lot of people never learn to do it because they are constantly jumping from one model/brand to another.

that's a good point too, I just maybe need more stick time with it.

[Chadd 916]

that's a good point too, I just maybe need more stick time with it.

Just remember that with a lighter flex, you can't "force" the shot. You have to work with the stick to get the best results. For example, you can't get a harder shot by whipping your hands faster. When you want to get the shot away quicker, you take less ice and load the stick a little less. The nice thing about the softer flex is that you can often get the load by simply starting your shot and not having to add extra down force at the start to pre-load the shaft.

[bgdawg019 9]

Just remember that with a lighter flex, you can't "force" the shot. You have to work with the stick to get the best results. For example, you can't get a harder shot by whipping your hands faster. When you want to get the shot away quicker, you take less ice and load the stick a little less. The nice thing about the softer flex is that you can often get the load by simply starting your shot and not having to add extra down force at the start to pre-load the shaft.

I am gonna try this out next time I get some stick time. thank you

[psulion22 402]

Just remember that with a lighter flex, you can't "force" the shot. You have to work with the stick to get the best results. For example, you can't get a harder shot by whipping your hands faster. When you want to get the shot away quicker, you take less ice and load the stick a little less. The nice thing about the softer flex is that you can often get the load by simply starting your shot and not having to add extra down force at the start to pre-load the shaft.

I think this is where my experience comes in. I need the extra flex to load the stick on a mid-kick because my natural shot doesn't have much of a down force. I've been practicing on pushing my hands down to load the stick, and that is why I think I'm seeing harder shots. But I need the extra flex on quick shots off the toe and snappers when I don't have the time or motion to load the stick.

Thanks for the info!

[ktang 34]

Youtube of Kessel shooting with a lower-flex stick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1HUUJxZtJU

[bgdawg019 9]

i started messing around with hand placement, and i have noticed a pretty big improvment. sort of the way the video above was posted. thanks for the help