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STICK SCHOOL

PART 1:

CURVE STYLES

  • TOE CURVE

    Toe curves bend more towards the end of the blade and they are the most popular curve style today. Toe curves look great and offer certain advantages like being able to cradle the puck better while stickhandling and quickly snap shots off the toe.

  • HEEL CURVE

    Formerly the most popular curve style in the 90's and early 2000's a heel curve is an open wedge type curve that starts right at the heel. Normally they are quite straight with no actual curve... think pure loft like a golf iron. Heel curves are more suited for long range wrist shots and slapshots.

  • MID CURVE

    A mid curve is normally a gradually opening curve which doesn't have enough toe to classify as a toe curve or isn't open enough at the heel to be called a heel curve. Mid curves are not specialized and they don't do one specific thing extremely well, instead they are only "decent" at a lot of different things.

  • FLAT CURVE

    A flat curve is exactly what it sounds like, very straight with a slight angle and normally a slightly open face, but not open enough where it becomes a heel curve. Flat curves are generally reserved for pass-first players.

STEP 2:

BLADE SHAPE TERMS

  • TOE SHAPE

  • MAX BLADE HEIGHT

  • ROCKER

PART 3:

FINDING THE RIGHT LIE

  • HIGH LIE (6+)

    High lie typically means a measurement of 6 or above. A high lie is great for players who skate in an upright position and stickhandle close to their body, or pull the puck in tight to their feet while shooting.

  • LOW LIE (under 5.5)

    Low lie typically means a measurement of 5.5 or below. A low lie is great for players who skate in a hunched or crouched position and stickhandle far away from their body or shoot in motion (while staying crouched).

  • ROCKERED LIE

    A rockered lie means the blade can rock back and forth so you can bring the stick in tight and use the toe of your blade when you need a higher lie, or move your stick out further and use the heel when you need a lower lie.

The 5-10 generic curves sold in stores are referred to as "retail" curves. Retail curves normally have a name attached to them i.e. "the Kane" even though most times that player does not use that curve.

Professional players have the luxury of creating their own custom curve which we refer to as a "pro curve" meaning it's the curve that the professional player actually uses while playing.

Check out: Pro Curve vs. Retail Curve

The curve recommendation tool can help you apply the knowledge you have learned on this page to find out which curve will be perfect for you!

Our 3D visualizer can help you see every angle of all the pro curves in our lineup along with a detailed description for each curve.

We track the 50 top scorers and the curves they are using here:

Curve Tracker

WHIPPY (LOW) FLEX VS. STIFF (HIGH) FLEX

  • WHIPPY FLEX (85 OR BELOW)

    "Whippy" means a lower flex, in other words the stick bends more. For senior sticks we consider 85 flex and below to be whippy. A lot of people incorrectly think their flex should be half their body weight but this is not the rule you should be using with today's technology. The PRO founder as an example is a big unit at 6 ft. 250 LBS. but still prefers a 70 or 77 flex. The young stars coming into the NHL today with their mind-bending quick release shots are a result of them growing up with the newer stick technology + a lower flex so that shots can pop off their stick with ease. There is however a sweet spot where your flex can become too low and you lose power on your shot.

  • STIFF FLEX (90+)

    "Stiff" means a higher flex that bends very little or not at all. For senior sticks we consider 90 flex and above to be stiff. Stiff flexes are being phased out over the past decade due to all the benefits that come from using the latest stick technology paired with a lower flex. However not every player is using their stick for quick release snapshots and stiffer flexes have their own advantages. A stiff flex can help you win puck battles and also can improve your slap shot. Stiff flexes are more popular among defensemen or gritty players that play a tough or heavy game.

HOW DOES CUTTING YOUR STICK

IMPACT THE FLEX?

FLEX IS ALWAYS MEASURED AT STANDARD HEIGHT! (Standard Height = 66" top to floor for senior)

Cutting your stick shorter will make the stick feel stiffer while adding height will make the stick feel whipper. As a general rule for every inch you remove or add, you can multiply that number of inches by 2.5 to find the new flex.

Example 1: adding a 2 inch extension to a standard height 77 flex stick: Since we are adding height we need to subtract flex points as the stick will feel whippier so 77 MINUS (2*2.5) = 72 FLEX

Example 2: cutting 2 inches off a standard height 77 flex stick: Since we are removing height we need to add flex points as the stick will feel stiffer so 77 PLUS (2*2.5) = 82 FLEX

It depends on the build. The Red Line model uses the most up to date high end materials and feels similar to current top end models from both Bauer and CCM in terms of flex. Our Third Line build is comparable to CCM top models from 2013-17 before they switched materials, and has a softer and whippier feel compared to the Red Line. The G63 has no retail good comparison but feels a bit stiffer than the Red Line, whereas the model E feels a bit whippier.

As stated above under the low flex explanation, we always suggest players to use the lowest flex possible (without losing power on their shot) in order to take advantage of current stick technology. Using a lower flex will help to get a very quick and ease release on snap shots which has become the most popular shot style in today's game.

QUICK SUMMARY ON

PRO MODELS

  • RED LINE / BLUE LINE

    The Red Line is our top of the line stick made with the most up to date materials and designed to compete with the top models on the market today such as the Hyperlite or Jetspeed FT6.

  • Third Line

    The Third Line is our second tier value option that is made to feel comparable to the unique feel of CCM sticks from the 2013-17 era such as the Ribcore Reckoner.

  • G63 & Model E

    The G63 is designed to feel comparable to Bauer's G3 pro build, a very popular option among pro players. The Model E is designed to feel old school and comparable to classic Easton's like the Synergy and Stealth.

  • HOW TO MEASURE

    The most accurate way to measure height is with the stick standing straight up against a wall, and then measuring from the top of the stick straight down to the floor. Using this measurement, standard Bauer senior retail sticks from the store are 65" while CCM sticks are 66" - Our standard height measurement is 66" and our extended height measurement adds 3 extra inches for a total of 69" - NOTE: Flex for extended sticks is still measured at standard height (See Section 2: FLEX)

  • PROS & CONS - SHORTER STICK

    Short sticks are much better for stickhandling and control of the puck. A shorter stick also makes it easier to pull the puck in tight to your feet for pull and drag shots. The down side of a short stick is a limited reach and the flex can feel stiffer which can negatively impact quick release snapshots. However you can always order a lighter flex and cut it down to your desired height. For a better idea of how height impacts flex see Section 2: FLEX.

  • PROS & CONS - LONGER STICK

    A longer stick will give you a longer reach which is especially helpful for defensive poke checks. In general longer sticks also have more room to bend (think about trying to bend a ruler vs. a pencil) meaning it's easier to "use the flex" to improve shooting. The down side of a longer stick is it becomes more difficult to control the puck and dangle especially when making quick moves.

SHAFT SHAPE OPTIONS

  • SQUARE (MID)

    This is a standard issue square shaft with the sharpest corners and feels similar to the Nexus shaft from Bauer or CCM's (T) shaft. Available with a mid kick point only.

  • ROUNDED SQUARE (MID OR LOW)

    The rounded square shaft is the same dimensions as the square shaft with slightly rounder edges. The rounded square is also similar to the Nexus shaft from Bauer or the Jetspeed from CCM. The rounded square shaft is the only option available with both mid and low kick points.

  • SUPER ROUND (LOW)

    This is the roundest and thinnest shaft shape in the lineup and features a low kick point. The super round shaft is the ultimate shaft for those seeking a quick release with a lot of pop. The super round shaft is only available with a low kick point.

  • TAPERED HANDLE

    For custom sticks we have a tapered handle option for the square shaft which means the top 4-5 inches of the shaft become thinner and more round which creates a unique top hand grip.

MID OR LOW KICK POINT?

We suggest using a low kickpoint for players seeking a quick release, and a mid kick point for players that desire a powerful, heavy shot.

  • SANDPAPER

    The most common option also known as Z-TAC or Sharkskin. The sandpaper blade has a gritty, sandpaper-like finish and can help to create friction with the puck while using less tape on the blade.

  • MATTE

    The matte blade is a flat finish with no light reflection. The matte blade is purely a cosmetic feature on the stick and does not have any performance benefits.

  • GLOSS

    The gloss blade is a highly reflective finish that reflects light. The gloss blade is purely a cosmetic feature on the stick and does not have any performance benefits.

  • TEXTURED RETAIL

    The textured retail blade is a fine mesh texture that you will find on almost every top of the line retail stick today in stores. The textured retail finish has the same advantages as a sandpaper blade.

CLASS DISMISSED

NOW YOU CAN USE YOUR NEW KNOWLEDGE TO FIND YOUR PERFECT STICK:

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