Stick lie & length

[CigarScott 132]

I've been toying with the idea of getting a very low-lie stick after trying out ones that were 5.5-7 lies and having too much heel on the ice and missing passes since they go under my my blade if they're towards the toe. I'm 6'5" but have rather short legs and really long, neanderthal arms so I've been looking at going for a sub-5 lie twig so my right arm isn't bunched up and that I can hold my stick under my gut. 🙂 I was looking at something like this: https://www.prostockhockey.com/hockey-sticks/player-sticks/left-scott-harrington-alpha-qx-95-flex-stick/

I came across these sites and it looks like good info to me but what do I know? I still got the "the stick should go to your nose without skates on" from LHS. 

http://www.cuthockeysticks.com/

http://www.goldyshockey.com/general-info-tips/hockey-stick-length-lie/

Edited August 9, 2018 by CigarScott

[McDougalfaschnitzer 32]

What stick are you currently using? Would you happen to have a picture of you playing to see where your hands are when you skate? 

[flip12 714]

Nice find! I've been wondering if Harrington uses Crosby's pattern. Looks a lot like it. Kind of like a PM9 with a flatter heel rocker...

Anyway, I'm not that tall, but still on the taller side and with long arms and I can't use a really long stick for the life of me. 5 lies or lower work best for me and I usually cut my sticks from around my chin to my Adam's apple barefoot. Basically, the LHS isn't wrong in saying that's a general starting point for people today, but it isn't the end all, be all. Just look at Crosby, who uses that pattern or something incredibly close. I think he cuts his sticks around his chin, barefoot. If a shorter stick feels good to you, go for it!

[puckpilot 312]

It's all personal preference. But there's always give and takes. A lower lie may help you keep your blade flatter, but it may make it more difficult to get your weight over the stick to take a shot. Etc.

With that said, there's a simple solution to getting all of your blade on the ice without changing your lie or the length of your stick. Simply rotate your wrist and close the blade face. When you catch a pass, you really don't want your blade to be completely vertical. You want to close the blade and cup it.  

My 2 cents.

[Isles12 8]

If you've got an old stick you don't like or don't use that much you could cut it down and try out some different lengths to see what works for you

[Fat Buzz 70]

Puckpilot is 100% correct with his advice.  With proper technique, you can totally set aside stick measurements.  Yes, a different length or lie might help... but even then, you still want to learn and use proper techniques.  

Im 5’8” barefoot.  The average uncut stick is usually ridiculously long for me.  Earlier on, I used that length... but I had to be even more focused on technique, otherwise pucks would be sliding right under my blade and I’d be whiffing on shots... etc.  I immediately jumped to your conclusion and lowered my lie.  Yes, it made things a little easier... but I was still required to maintain control over a stick that was way too long.  Finally, I went back to a 5.5/6 lie and cut the stick.  This brought the blade to a better position, as well as improved my ability to handle the stick.  

The bottom line is that technique always comes first.  But after that, you need to find the best balance of length and lie for your body/stance/preferences.

You’re tall, but mentioned that your proportions are off (short legs/knuckle dragger arms).  Try cutting a stick to a length where the blade lays on the ice evenly, and see what you think.  It will also help with the hand positioning you are looking for. If you later realize that you did prefer the old length... THEN look into a lower lie.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 10, 2018 by Pocketmonster18

[dimpledballs 8]

12 hours ago, Pocketmonster18 said:

Im 5’8” barefoot.  The average uncut stick is usually ridiculously long for me.  Earlier on, I used that length... but I had to be even more focused on technique, otherwise pucks would be sliding right under my blade and I’d be whiffing on shots... etc.  I immediately jumped to your conclusion and lowered my lie.  Yes, it made things a little easier... but I was still required to maintain control over a stick that was way too long.  Finally, I went back to a 5.5/6 lie and cut the stick.  This brought the blade to a better position, as well as improved my ability to handle the stick.  

 

 

How did you manage the flex after cutting the stick? Did you use a 5.5/6 lie intermediate stick and cut it down so the flex wouldn't get too high? I currently use a intermediate height uncut P92 with a 6 lie and in one skate I wear straight through the tape on the heel so I'm looking for solutions. It's currently at 60 flex which I've been liking however if I wanted to get a lower flex and cut, Id be getting into junior sticks which are too short. 

[chippa13 1844]

20 hours ago, CigarScott said:

I've been toying with the idea of getting a very low-lie stick after trying out ones that were 5.5-7 lies and having too much heel on the ice and missing passes since they go under my my blade if they're towards the toe. I'm 6'5" but have rather short legs and really long, neanderthal arms so I've been looking at going for a sub-5 lie twig so my right arm isn't bunched up and that I can hold my stick under my gut. 🙂 I was looking at something like this: https://www.prostockhockey.com/hockey-sticks/player-sticks/left-scott-harrington-alpha-qx-95-flex-stick/

I came across these sites and it looks like good info to me but what do I know? I still got the "the stick should go to your nose without skates on" from LHS. 

http://www.cuthockeysticks.com/

http://www.goldyshockey.com/general-info-tips/hockey-stick-length-lie/

Stick length and lie should be a function of how you hold your hands during play and where you like to have the puck in relation to your body. There is no hard and fast rule for stick length such as to your nose without skates or the like. I prefer sticks on the shorter side and mine are nowhere close to my nose without skates. Figure out what you are comfortable with and then pick your length and lie from there.

[puckpilot 312]

2 hours ago, dimpledballs said:

It's currently at 60 flex which I've been liking however if I wanted to get a lower flex and cut, Id be getting into junior sticks which are too short. 

FYI, there are 55 flex intermediates.

Also, how tall are you? I'm 5'5 and I use 52" junior sticks. Some of them I add plugs to. Some are just perfect uncut. Just recently with True and with Bauer's 2N pro, the 50 flex junior sticks are made long. True's sticks are 54" and the new 2N pro is 53". Generally intermediate sticks are around 57" uncut.

In addition with the 2N, the blade size and shaft dimensions are the same as an intermediate stick. As far as I know, this is the only junior stick that's like this. The rest have smaller shaft dimensions. Some significantly smaller, others, like CCM only slightly. 

[Paddy 11]

On 8/9/2018 at 4:59 PM, flip12 said:

 

 

On 8/9/2018 at 4:59 PM, flip12 said:

Anyway, I'm not that tall, but still on the taller side and with long arms and I can't use a really long stick for the life of me. 5 lies or lower work best for me and I usually cut my sticks from around my chin to my Adam's apple barefoot. Basically, the LHS isn't wrong in saying that's a general starting point for people today, but it isn't the end all, be all. Just look at Crosby, who uses that pattern or something incredibly close. I think he cuts his sticks around his chin, barefoot. If a shorter stick feels good to you, go for it!

I'm right there with you. I cut an old stick extremely short and absolutely loved it, did wonders for my hand eye. That said, the 87 flex is now way too stiff for me, and I've missed some poke checks/interceptions by just an inch or two.

[CigarScott 132]

Here are the sticks that I've been using. I've been primarilly using the Warrior stick lately due to it's low flex. They all have 6-7 lie and are 64-66". I forgot to mention that I also have really wide shoulders so I hold my sticks farther apart than a lot of people so that's why I like the added length as well as playing defense and goalie in lacrosse so I'm used to longer sticks.

[flip12 714]

@CigarScott have you checked out some of BASE's low lie patterns? Seeing as you're a lefty, you might like to try the BC15 (4.5 lie) or BM12 (lie's 4 and 5 available) or BM09 (lie's 4 and 5 available). You could lessen your financial investment to find the lie and length you like by getting a shaft or two at the flex you prefer and then swapping blades in and out.

[CigarScott 132]

6 hours ago, flip12 said:

@CigarScott have you checked out some of BASE's low lie patterns? Seeing as you're a lefty, you might like to try the BC15 (4.5 lie) or BM12 (lie's 4 and 5 available) or BM09 (lie's 4 and 5 available). You could lessen your financial investment to find the lie and length you like by getting a shaft or two at the flex you prefer and then swapping blades in and out.

I looked at their site and they seemed to have the most options by far out of all of the custom stick manufacturers and I may give them a try sometime, if they ever have a sale. The only thing holding me back is the sticker shock. I've never spent more than $100 for a stick in my life so spending $230 plus whatever it costs to ship a stick to the Southern US from Canada is a bit rich for me as I'm not 100% sure as to what I want in regards to length, lie, flex, and blade pattern. Once I know for a fact that I want x length, y lie, z flex, and which specific pattern I want, I may take the plunge. Thanks for the information. 🙂

Edited August 14, 2018 by CigarScott

[smu 29]

On 8/10/2018 at 3:37 PM, puckpilot said:

FYI, there are 55 flex intermediates.

Also, how tall are you? I'm 5'5 and I use 52" junior sticks. Some of them I add plugs to. Some are just perfect uncut. Just recently with True and with Bauer's 2N pro, the 50 flex junior sticks are made long. True's sticks are 54" and the new 2N pro is 53". Generally intermediate sticks are around 57" uncut.

In addition with the 2N, the blade size and shaft dimensions are the same as an intermediate stick. As far as I know, this is the only junior stick that's like this. The rest have smaller shaft dimensions. Some significantly smaller, others, like CCM only slightly. 

Sorry for jumping in here, but I am 5'5" and I always had problems getting a flex to suit my shortness and 130 pounds. I once cut a top of the line, 55 flex Itermediat Bauer Supreme and it left me with an unusable 75 lb flex.

After this I then tried junior sticks they were good with flex and lightness, but because of their poor quality any hard pass would seem to go right through the blade no fault of mine, although it looked like I just missed the pass again!

I did find a junior stick that could take a hard pass, but you had to go to the top of the line.  A Warrior, Covert QRL, the same as the pros use, they do have great material in the blades as the pros do and now I could get those tough passes. This stick is in two flexes the 40 and 50. I have both, but not much difference, but I can really flex them while shooting on ice. Do  not trust one brand's flex over another as their is no real standards. If you can bend it on the LHS floor don't just assume it will work for you that way on the ice, you better make sure it bends easy almost too easy to get the proper flex.

The other thing about junior sticks is that they have limited blade patterns and the lie that they offer I am not sure if it is even marked. I would prefer to have a high lie closer to a 7, but there is no such thing anymore. With a high lie you can stick handle a puck when it is in close to your feet. What seems to be offered is a just a 5 or 6 variety and then you are not so sure. And of course the blade pattern stinks.

Yes you do have to get over the smaller shaft size, but it come quick and the blade is an inch smaller as well but at least now, with my size, I really love my stick. The other QRL I have is a little shorter and I pick it up a couple of times every game and notice that I do have more control, but then slip back iti my regular one just to gain a little reach.

Good luck with your quest!

 

[jgiant 0]

Could someone please clarify, in regards strictly to monitoring blade tape wear and using the correct lie...

(1) If there is more wear at the heel, then you should try either a lower lie OR a longer/shorter stick?!  (I want to say 'shorter')

(2) If there is more wear at the toe, then you should try either a higher lie OR a longer/shorter stick?!  (I want to say 'longer')

Thank you in advance, much appreciated.

[Miller55 333]

ThatThis is a great topic. It's ultimately preference and technique, but over time you find what works for you. The main thing is not to fall into the mental trap of thinking that these details make or break a player. I'm 6"1' and I used a junior shaft through hs. I weighed about 140lbs when I graduated and I did fine with 65 flex junior shafts. I play d and my arms are crazy long and I liked it. I also slouch somewhat and skate very low and wide. I have a Jr blade from Base that's a 4 lie in an int shaft that I can still use ok. At this point I weigh around 200 so I stepped up to sr just for the flex. There's no hard and fast rule 

Edited July 19, 2020 by Miller55

[Larry54 243]

15 hours ago, jgiant said:

Could someone please clarify, in regards strictly to monitoring blade tape wear and using the correct lie...

(1) If there is more wear at the heel, then you should try either a lower lie OR a longer/shorter stick?!  (I want to say 'shorter')

(2) If there is more wear at the toe, then you should try either a higher lie OR a longer/shorter stick?!  (I want to say 'longer')

Thank you in advance, much appreciated.

You have the right idea. (1) shorter. (2) longer.