Are low kick sticks just hype?

[z1ggy 81]

44 minutes ago, krisdrum said:

Phil Kessel, Johnny Gaudreau, and I'm sure countless others use low flex sticks compared to the common guideline of 1/2 body weight.  I think the days of 90, 100, 110 flexes being the norm are behind us.  Stick tech has gotten to the point where a lower flex is a more versatile tool.  I have nowhere near the skill of any of those guys, but have seen much better shots come from dropping my flex from 85 down to 65, as a 5-6, 180lber, I think the lower flex is better for me.

 

Is the ADV a low kick?  Given the Supreme badging and everything I've read, I thought it was still mid-kick.  Did I miss something?

Haha o woops I had a brain fart. My wife works for a company named Kessler. Of course I mean Kessel... and yeah days of 1/2 body weight I think are long gone. 

With the 65 flex, how do you feel the diameter is in your hands? I don't have overly large hands but I always worried the int sticks might feel too skinny/narrow.

[VegasHockey 1280]

9 hours ago, krisdrum said:

as a 5-6, 180lber, I think the lower flex is better for me.

Your height/weight combination are a good example of why the previous "method" of calculating "half the flex for your weight" is a terrible method. For you it would suggest a 85-90 flex stick but with your height and how much you likely need to cut your sticks that would make them nearly impossible to load.  I use a very short stick, for someone who is nearly 5' 11" and 180 lbs. I have always wanted to use a longer stick as my release with a longer stick is significantly more powerful and accurate. The downside is my stickhandling is a disaster with a longer stick though and I would rather be able to pass, stick handle, and feel confident on my stick as compared to having a harder shot. 

[puckpilot 312]

9 hours ago, krisdrum said:

I have nowhere near the skill of any of those guys, but have seen much better shots come from dropping my flex from 85 down to 65, as a 5-6, 180lber, I think the lower flex is better for me.

You're slightly bigger than me. I'm 5'5 175lbs. The best thing I ever did for my shot was drop flex. Unfortunately though, the best flex for me puts me into the junior stick range, 50 flex and below, and that comes with new challenges on it's own. 

[krisdrum 233]

17 hours ago, z1ggy said:

With the 65 flex, how do you feel the diameter is in your hands? I don't have overly large hands but I always worried the int sticks might feel too skinny/narrow.

A bit.  I don't have large hands either (usually a size small or medium winter glove) and there is a bit of a difference between a Int and Sr stick from my experience.  I didn't find it hard to adjust, but I think if I was switching back and forth between them, it might be more noticeable.  I think it depends on the stick too, how the shaft is spec'ed.  I have an Easton Stealth and Velocity and the Stealth feels closer to a Sr. shaft than the Velocity does.  Both 65 flex Int sticks.  I also tend to do either a spiral grip with twisted tape running under it or a grip I saw Kucherov do in a video (butt end gets 6-8 wraps of tape, then you move down and do 1 or 2 wraps less, then move down 1-2 wraps less, etc.).  So I am adding a bit of bulk for my top hand.   

[flip12 714]

1 hour ago, krisdrum said:

A bit.  I don't have large hands either (usually a size small or medium winter glove) and there is a bit of a difference between a Int and Sr stick from my experience.  I didn't find it hard to adjust, but I think if I was switching back and forth between them, it might be more noticeable.  I think it depends on the stick too, how the shaft is spec'ed.  I have an Easton Stealth and Velocity and the Stealth feels closer to a Sr. shaft than the Velocity does.  Both 65 flex Int sticks.  I also tend to do either a spiral grip with twisted tape running under it or a grip I saw Kucherov do in a video (butt end gets 6-8 wraps of tape, then you move down and do 1 or 2 wraps less, then move down 1-2 wraps less, etc.).  So I am adding a bit of bulk for my top hand.   

Aleksey Morozov used to do that grip as well: 

[BenBreeg 493]

10 hours ago, SkateWorksPNW said:

Your height/weight combination are a good example of why the previous "method" of calculating "half the flex for your weight" is a terrible method. For you it would suggest a 85-90 flex stick but with your height and how much you likely need to cut your sticks that would make them nearly impossible to load.  I use a very short stick, for someone who is nearly 5' 11" and 180 lbs. I have always wanted to use a longer stick as my release with a longer stick is significantly more powerful and accurate. The downside is my stickhandling is a disaster with a longer stick though and I would rather be able to pass, stick handle, and feel confident on my stick as compared to having a harder shot. 

I have always seen it as a very general starting point, and that the flex would be the net flex, not stick flex.  So the flex once it was cut.

[z1ggy 81]

31 minutes ago, BenBreeg said:

I have always seen it as a very general starting point, and that the flex would be the net flex, not stick flex.  So the flex once it was cut.

Flex doesn't really change though.... Just your ability to create leverage.

[VegasHockey 1280]

Looks like Gaudreau is also on the hybrid kick point bandwagon

 

[z1ggy 81]

10 hours ago, SkateWorksPNW said:

Looks like Gaudreau is also on the hybrid kick point bandwagon

 

Can we be sure it's a real FT3 and not dressed up? I assume it's legit because FT3 isn't yet on retail, right?

[start_today 770]

Or it’s got the FT3 graphics to drum up hype. We can’t know the build unless someone posts the code from the stick.  Anything else is just speculation or hearsay. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

[ParabolicActivity 48]

Errr, am I an idiot or does it say FT2?

[start_today 770]

12 minutes ago, ParabolicActivity said:

Errr, am I an idiot or does it say FT2?

Well, that’s an even better point. 

[z1ggy 81]

15 hours ago, start_today said:

Well, that’s an even better point. 

I can't zoom in enough, it looked like a 3 at my work PC but now that I'm home and on a better monitor, it seems like it's a 2 lol.

If it's a 2, then it's even more possible that it's dressed up and not a real FT2. Like the fella above says, can't be sure unless we see the MSN on the butt end of stick. 

[ParabolicActivity 48]

CCM does seem to be pushing Jetspeed very hard. I never understood why they don't dress the LK team sticks as Ribcor. 

[BruinDust 42]

On 12/7/2019 at 12:16 PM, ParabolicActivity said:

CCM does seem to be pushing Jetspeed very hard. I never understood why they don't dress the LK team sticks as Ribcor. 

It comes down to marketing. Ultimately the Ribcore brand is Reebok branding. So CCM pushed Tacks brand, and now the newer Jetspeed. I wouldn't be surprised when CCM replaces the Ribcore brand with something else for their retail low-kick stick, they'll start pushing that new line as it's pro stock team stick. 

[start_today 770]

On 12/8/2019 at 9:19 PM, BruinDust said:

It comes down to marketing. Ultimately the Ribcore brand is Reebok branding. So CCM pushed Tacks brand, and now the newer Jetspeed. I wouldn't be surprised when CCM replaces the Ribcore brand with something else for their retail low-kick stick, they'll start pushing that new line as it's pro stock team stick. 

Hasn’t Ribcore been under CCM branding for like 4 seasons now? 🧐

[nutters 218]

1 hour ago, start_today said:

Hasn’t Ribcore been under CCM branding for like 4 seasons now? 🧐

6 gens have been under CCM branding.

 

Only 1 as Reebok

[BruinDust 42]

1 hour ago, start_today said:

Hasn’t Ribcore been under CCM branding for like 4 seasons now? 🧐

6 actually, it's their oldest brand if you include the first year as Reebok Ribcore. As it's the oldest, it should have the most brand recognition among the 3 stick lines, and would be wasteful to use prime marketing opportunity such as dressing their pro stock team sticks on the what should already be their most well-known stick line. 

[ParabolicActivity 48]

11 minutes ago, BruinDust said:

6 actually, it's their oldest brand if you include the first year as Reebok Ribcore. As it's the oldest, it should have the most brand recognition among the 3 stick lines, and would be wasteful to use prime marketing opportunity such as dressing their pro stock team sticks on the what should already be their most well-known stick line. 

Or maybe they calculate that Ribcor is going to sell and make their most at risk line their team stick.

[chippa13 1844]

Unless I heard wrong, CCM is doing away with the "team stick".

[ParabolicActivity 48]

Then what will the bulk option be?

[z1ggy 81]

I think I'm grabbing a Nexus 2N pro off HSM tonight... hopefully even with the holidays I'll have it here by end of next week for use in my game.  I'm also possibly going to grab an AS2 pro and/or 1X lite and finally decide which kind of stick is best for me but they don't have my flex or curve in right now. Once they do, I'll pick one up.

I definitely prefer my FT2 over the QRL.  The blade on the QRL is like a rock compared to the CCM and I only needed about 3 minutes with it on the ice to switch right back to my FT2.

Edited December 18, 2019 by z1ggy

[start_today 770]

...seems like it might be hard to “finally decide which stick is best” for you, if you're buying something in the wrong flex and curve. Why not just wait and buy a stick in your parameters, rather than forcing the extra variables? 

[justinpryor 5]

Interesting topic would like to weigh in. 

I am a long time mid kick user. nexus and supreme. I hate all low kick sticks i have ever used. Until the flylite. It seems to do everything well. slappers, snaps and wristers. I am a hardcore shooter and take a lot of shots per game and this is the first time i have used a low kick that works for me. I hated the 1x lite for example. Bought it and put it down after 2 minutes in a game. First 2 minutes with the flylite and i couldn't believe how amazing it is.

Which leads me to believe that sticks are not hype it is 100% what suits your shot style. I dunno why the flylite works and others didnt but find what works and play with it religiously.  

[z1ggy 81]

2 hours ago, start_today said:

...seems like it might be hard to “finally decide which stick is best” for you, if you're buying something in the wrong flex and curve. Why not just wait and buy a stick in your parameters, rather than forcing the extra variables? 

I meant they don't have my flex and curve in the AS2 or 1X Lite. The 2N pro they have in my flex and curve. Maybe I need a coma in there or something but... yeah. Writing not my forte.

 

Edit: Going to edit that original post so it reads properly.

Edited December 18, 2019 by z1ggy