The RinkFor the not so ready for prime-time players, coaches, referees, and the people that have to live with them. Discuss experiences in local leagues, coaching tips, equipment, and training.
I've been playing since 1987 and you've probably used about 10 times the sticks that I have in the past 8 years.
Pre-1992 I used whatever stick my parents gave me. My first was a white/red Titan TMP9020 (I think is the number), which my parents still have at their house. I remember using Sherwood featherlites, but not much about anything else.
1992-2001:
An Easton W.G. 99 shaft. Yes, I used it for that many years until I broke it during practice in college. It was basically the street hockey version of the Gretzky Gloss, I think it was called. I traded a few hockey cards to a kid in the neighborhood for it. I used a variety of blades with it, obviously. In the middle/early high school years I used Sherwood Coffee blades. Since 1996ish, I've used the latest Easton blade with the curves Shannahan to Forsberg to Zetterberg now.
2001:
Easton Grip. I got it to replace the best stick ever and it broke in like 2 weeks.
2001-2005:
Easton Synergy Grip one pieces. I went thought about 8 of them, then used them as shafts.
2005-current:
Easton Synergy Grip shaft. I bought 3 of them in 2005 then 4 of them in 2009. I still have 3 left. As above, I've used the latest Easton blade with the curves Shannahan to Forsberg to Zetterberg now.
I can't possibly make a list that covers every stick i have had since i started 18 years ago. All kinds of wooden junior sticks up to modern composite OPS's i have today.
As a kid I used my uncle's cut down Easton Aluminum. It was probably stiff flex chopped way down for a 5' tall kid. Yikes! I was awful then though and didn't like to play much.
Back then it was hard to find lefty sticks for some reason...very few kids I played with were lefties. Don't know why.
I have pictures and e-mails and lots of online posts about everything I've used pretty much. I could probably find another half dozen sticks and blades if I went through my post history...
Back then it was hard to find lefty sticks for some reason...very few kids I played with were lefties. Don't know why.
I'm thinking because not long ago most people thought if you were right handed, you should shoot right. More recently it's known that right handed people should shoot left.
As a kid I used my uncle's cut down Easton Aluminum. It was probably stiff flex chopped way down for a 5' tall kid. Yikes! I was awful then though and didn't like to play much.
Back then it was hard to find lefty sticks for some reason...very few kids I played with were lefties. Don't know why.
I still don't see many lefties in the US. I was on a bench for a pickup and I was the only lefty out of maybe 10 guys. Yikes.
1) First stick ever, as a squirt: some Sherwood wooden one-piece
2) The only other stick I remember from my childhood was my first Easton aluminum I got from my cousin. I still have and use it. It was my main stick along with a cheapo Bauer with an ABS blade. The Bauer blade broke, and the aluminum remained until I stopped playing a couple years later as an adult.
3) 10-11 years after stopping, I began playing again. Still had my trusty ol' Easton aluminum and broke it out of retirement. I stuck w/the Lidstrom (and similar copy) blades until they couldn't be found without spending $50 or more, so I got into using a P92 curve. Felt very similar, so I kept that up for a bit unless I found a Lidstrom/Getzlaf in the meantime.
4) Decided I'd step into the modern world and get a composite stick. Got an Easton S17 stick (Getzlaf curve / 100 flex) that lasted me about 2 months and broke in half on a slapper during warmups. Cost was about $70. I was pissed and swore off composites. Back to my aluminum. Also around this time I picked up a 2nd Easton aluminum for $15 to have as a backup, as well as a one-piece multi-lam RBK for use during outdoor inline. This thing gave me even more of a bomb shot than I already had, so I rotated it in and out of real playing with great success.
5) Later on I got the bug to try a composite again. Picked up an RBK 4K for $65 or so. I think it's an 87 flex and has a Drury curve. I wanted a Nexus but they didn't have a blade even close to what I wanted, so I went with this. I was compulsive and wanted to walk otu w/one that day.
6) Picked up a Bauer APX with a P88 curve. 87 flex cut down to a low/mid 90. Hated it at first and preferred the RBK and Easton aluminum to it heavily. I wasn't use to the kick points or the curve. After a couple sessions of stick & puck and shooting with it for a couple hours I now love it and feel like my other sticks all suck. I'm tempted to get another with a Lidstrom/Getzlaf/Drury curve.
I avoided Easton OPS early on because the blades always went soft and cracked.
I went through 2 Bauers (a XXX and a XXXX), an RBK pro-stock 7K, and a CCM pro-stock in 6 weeks. I've gone with Easton ever since (and had before, but thought I'd branch out) and they've never let me down.
Wait on a deal on previous top-end models. You'll need to spend ~$150, but the sticks perform and last.
Mostly 20-30. I think it is still the right hand dominated US. We're a fantastic culture that used to whip children for lefty tendencies.
I think it has a lot to do with kids growing up playing organized baseball. Tball was huge growing up (23 now so 89 bday) once you learn to swing a bat right, using a hockey stick to shoot left feels incredibly awkward.
As a kid I was about the only lefty playing hockey or baseball. Now it's closer to 50-50 hockey but still very few lefties whenever I've played softball.
I think it has a lot to do with kids growing up playing organized baseball. Tball was huge growing up (23 now so 89 bday) once you learn to swing a bat right, using a hockey stick to shoot left feels incredibly awkward.
I agree here.
First generation hockey parents (like mine) see "right" and assume "he's right handed, get him a right stick". I blame this decision by my parents for why I'm not in the NHL.
As a kid I was about the only lefty playing hockey or baseball. Now it's closer to 50-50 hockey but still very few lefties whenever I've played softball.
Did you get the entire field calling "LEFTY" when you came up to bat? :p
Sherwood 5030 - Coffee Curve - I went through a few of these when I first started playing roller hockey in 2007.
NB One50 Woodie - Pretty crappy, but very cheap.
Some Mission tapered shaft; maybe the "M2?" I don't remember. It was fine for what it was, 75 flex I think, but finding tapered blades was such a huge pain in the ass I sold it.
That cheap green Easton shaft everyone had - Can't remember the name, but EVERYONE had one of these for a while. It's the first non-wood stick I ever broke.
RBK 5K or 7K, 85 flex - It was a decent stick fo the price (~$35?), but it was too long for me so I sold it.
NB Vapor XVI, Int, 67 flex, PM9 - Either my first or second composite INT. It's heavy, but it's a tank, and I still have it.
NB Apollo Int 67 flex PM9 - I either got this just before or just after the XVI. They're basically the same stick. I still have this one, too.
NB Supreme One95 INT 67 flex PM9 - Wow, what an enormous jump that was, from the XVI to the One95. Probably my favorite stick of all time, fantastic performance, and it lasted a full year.
NB Vapor X60 INT 67 flex PM9 - Yuck, my most disappointing stick. I hated the feel of the blade. It became my backup after a few months because I hated it.
Another One95 - Oh yeah, back to what works. Another year of happiness.
Bauer Supreme TotalOne INT 67 flex PM9 - Better than the X60, but disappointingly weak compared to the One95. I didn't love the blade, and it only lasted 3 months.
Sherwood Nexon n12, INT, 65 flex, Drury curve - I bought two at the same time last August. It's a pretty great stick, and it's about 66% the price of the high end competitors. The first one lasted about 5 months, and the second is going strong.
Tron 405, INT, 65 flex, ??? curve - I got this because a buddy of mine swear by Tron sticks. I've barely used it as it's my backup for now, but it's light has hell for the price.
I used a variety of blades with it, obviously. In the middle/early high school years I used Sherwood Coffee blades. Since 1996ish, I've used the latest Easton blade with the curves Shannahan to Forsberg to Zetterberg now.
