Notes About Health

Wood hockey sticks have been the tool of choice for many generations of ice hockey players, but that is changing. Composite hockey sticks have been penetrating every level of hockey from the NHL all the way to first year hockey players just starting out. At the NHL level composite hockey sticks are use by almost 100% of all players. Does that mean that you should be using a composite hockey stick too? As you will see, there are good reasons to go with either choice.

Composite sticks have a couple of key performance advantages over wood sticks and as stated earlier they have become very popular at all levels of play. I think the most significant improvement that composite sticks have made is the ability to change the flex dynamics of the hockey stick. These changes include moving the flex points so lower so that the loading up and releasing happens quicker. Composite stick are often weight significantly less than wood sticks and this translates into a more active stick for a player.

If you have played hockey before chances are good that you started with a wood hockey stick and that is still a good choice for today’s beginning hockey players. Wood hockey sticks are significantly less expensive than composite hockey sticks and this certainly helps the budget when you are just getting started and have to gear up with all of the equipment required to play hockey. Another advantage of wood sticks is that they impart a better feel for the puck for beginning players. After you have been playing hockey for a while you will be better able to judge the qualities of hockey sticks and how they match your style of play. That is a good point to investigate whether or not a composite hockey stick makes sense for you.

The biggest deciding factor for many players comes down to cost. Wood sticks run $15 to $50 for an excellent high end wood stick. Most composite sticks run $100 to almost $300. You have to ask yourself if there is enough of a difference in the performance between a wood stick and a composite stick to make it worth the extra money. If you are a fairly new player then it is unlikely that a composite stick will significantly improve your performance and many folks believe that you are better off learning with a wood stick due to the increase feel of a wood stick.

After making your selection you still need to choose the blade pattern to match your preferences and whether you shoot right or left handed. Your stick will need to be long enough to come up to your chin area when you are standing in skates and hold the stick vertically with one end on the ice in front of you. Hockey sticks also have a flex to their shafts just like golf clubs do. You will need a flex that woks for your skill, style on overall body weight and strength.

Like every piece of ice hockey equipment it comes down to your personal preference. Try as many of your teammate’s sticks as possible until you find the ones the feel and work the best for you.