Stick Flex, Length and Curve: Picking a Stick That Fits

A stick that fits your size and your game makes passing, receiving and shooting feel natural. A stick that doesn't can make a decent player look clumsy. Most of it comes down to four things: flex, length, lie and curve. Handedness comes first, though.

Left or right

A left-handed shot holds the stick with the right hand on top and the left hand lower, with the blade on the left side of the body. A right shot is the mirror. It's not about which hand you write with. Many right-handed people shoot left, because the dominant hand on top controls the stick.

For a beginner who isn't sure, hand them a stick and have them pick it up as if sweeping a broom. The side the blade ends up on is usually the right choice. If both feel odd, let them try each for a few skates. Switching after years of playing is hard, so it's worth getting right early.

Flex

The flex number printed on the shaft is roughly the force, in pounds, needed to bend the stick about an inch. Lower numbers bend more easily. A common rule of thumb is to start around half your body weight in pounds. A 170-pound adult would look near 85 flex. A 90-pound kid might start near 45.

For young players, go lower than the formula suggests. Kids rarely have the strength to load a stick properly, and a stick they can bend is a stick they can shoot with. A flex that's too stiff turns every shot into a push.

Then adjust for how you play. Players who rely on quick wrist shots and snap shots often go a bit softer. Players who take a lot of slapshots, or who are strong for their weight, often go stiffer.

Cutting a stick raises flex

The listed flex applies to the stick at full length. Cut it down and it gets stiffer, because a shorter lever takes more force to bend. Cut a few inches off and the real flex can end up noticeably higher than the number on the shaft. If you know you'll be trimming a stick, start with a softer flex than you think you need. Adding an extension plug does the reverse and softens it a little.

Length

The traditional check: stand in shoes or socks with the stick upright in front of you, toe of the blade on the floor. The top should land around your chin. On skates, which add a couple of inches of height, it should reach roughly your nose.

That's a starting point. Defencemen often like a slightly longer stick for reach and poke checks. Forwards who handle the puck in tight often go a bit shorter for control. A stick that's too long pushes the puck out away from your body. One that's too short makes you hunch.

Lie

Lie is the angle between the blade and the shaft. It decides how the blade sits on the ice in your natural stance. Get into your stance with the stick on the ice. The whole bottom edge of the blade should be close to flat. If only the heel touches, the lie is too low for your stance. If only the toe touches, it's too high. Look at the tape on an old stick too: wear concentrated at the toe or heel tells you the same thing.

Curve families

Every maker offers a range of curves with its own names, and the names change often, so it's more useful to think in families.

• Mid curves bend through the middle of the blade. They're the most all-round option, good for passing and a mix of shots, and a sensible first curve for most players.
• Heel curves put the bend closer to the heel. They tend to help with heavier, harder shots from the heel of the blade and are often favoured by players who take lots of slapshots from the point.
• Toe curves bend near the tip. They suit quick release shots, toe drags and tight puck handling, but can make backhands and firm passes trickier.

Beyond where the curve sits, look at the depth of the curve and the face angle, or how open the blade is. A deeper curve and a more open face lift the puck easily but make backhands harder to control. Beginners usually do best with a moderate curve and a fairly closed face.

Putting it together

Start with handedness, pick a flex that's forgiving, set length where it feels comfortable in your stance, check the lie on the ice and choose a middle-of-the-road curve. Then play with it for a few weeks before changing anything. Most stick problems turn out to be habits, and a new stick won't fix a habit.