The Player's Perspective: Avoid the composite hype. Wood is good.

Remember playing hockey with an old Wally or a Northland stick? Remember your first curved blade? Yes, there was a time when straight bladed sticks were still popular, and it wasn't that long ago for anyone over 30. We sure have come a long way from the days of buying a five-dollar wooden stick from the local hardware store.

Over the past six years or so, manufacturers and retailers alike have been increasingly pushing consumers - I mean hockey players - to abandon wood in favour of the supposedly better one piece composites. Whereas, five years ago I could choose from among over 40 different brands and models of wood sticks at one local shop, they now carry less than ten. The never ending rack of twigs stretching across the back wall of the store which used to be 100% wood, is now composite upon composite. This same store has even phased-out two piece sticks.

My good friend MT insists that I'm obsessed with my sticks. The way I meticulously tape and wax the blades. The exact same taping job on the butt end, strategically wrapped to ensure there are spiralled cords of tape where the pressure points of my hand make contact with the shaft, to maximize grip strength. Removing my gloves to melt the built up ice on the blade after every shift. The exact same weight, blade, lie, flex and length for every stick.

Obsessed? I'm not sure. Meticulous? Absolutely.

All this to say, I've spent what is probably an unhealthy amount of time weighing the advantages and disadvantages of one-piece composite sticks versus wood and two piece sticks for a beer-leaguer like me.

After much thought, and testing out just about everything under the sun, I'm not buying the hype. And unless you or your kid are playing midget competitive or better, you shouldn't either.

And so, I present to you, at risk of alienating our potential advertisers, my list of reasons to avoid the hype.

To start, I've gone through a lot of hockey sticks over the years. A lot. Some broke when taking a shot. Some got smashed against the boards or over the crossbar. Some just wore out. Most though, broke during battles, collisions, and other accidental incidents where the force exerted on the stick was just too much for it to bear.

This is the first reason why I won't be dropping a load of cash on a one piece composite any time soon. Fact is, your stick can break anytime, no matter what it is made of. Would you rather break (and replace) a $20-40 stick, or a $100-300 stick?

And so, you might say, "But the cost of composites is coming down. I now see them regularly for around $70."

Yeah, I've seen them too. The trouble is, not all carbon, and not all carbon-composite sticks, are created equal. Just as there are cheap carbon golf clubs and quality carbon golf clubs, or cheap carbon bicycles and quality carbon bicycles, there are cheap carbon sticks and quality carbon sticks. Do you really think that $70 one-piece offers the same technological benefits of a $300 Bauer Vapour XXX? Not a chance.

Fact is, the low end composite sticks are bottom of the barrel due to the materials, fabric lay up and production processes used. (If you want learn more about composites and how they work, visit Advanced Composites)

I ask you this: what do you think is better, a cheap one-piece composite or a high-end wood stick? I'd have to go with the high-end wood stick. What's more, wood sticks top out at around sixty bucks, which is still cheaper than the cheapest of the composites.

But the cost of the stick alone is not the only reason to steer clear of composites.

For the beer leaguers, non-competitive teenagers and kids, we also have to consider the benefits of the one-piece composite against our abilities. And let's be honest, our abilities don't compare to the pros and semi-pros of the world. For us, how we shoot is probably more important than the speed of our shot.

In addition to an excellent strength-to-weight ratio (meaning a strong yet lightweight stick) the most significant benefit of high-end one-piece composites sticks is that the construction materials used are laid out in such a pattern (the lay up) that the flex point on the shaft, along with the tortional control are maximized. In the most simple of terms, the stick flexes more where it needs to flex more, and flexes less where it needs to flex less.

The result is a shaft that can flex significantly, where needed, when taking a shot, thereby increasing the velocity of the puck when leaving the blade, all the while maintaining accuracy due to the tortional control. (Again, this is a simple explanation.)

Here's the rub: At our level, only a minority of goals are scored from long range or on slapshots. Most are scored in close, on wristers and snap shots. If the player isn't scoring on one-timers and other slapshots with a wood stick, they're not going to score on the same shot much more often because they have a high-end composite stick. We're just not good enough to take full advantage of the technological benefits offered by composites. (Just like I couldn't possibly take full advantage of the technology in Michael Schumacher's F1 Ferrari, should I ever get the chance.)

And then there is the question of finding the right stick you yourself, finding the right curve and the right lie. There is less selection of lie and curve among composite sticks because the moulds needed to produce composite sticks are very costly to produce. As production of wood sticks decreases we may see the variety of curves and lies in wood decrease as well, but I do still find wooden sticks on the shelves available in more different lies, and with a greater variety of curves available. Curve and lie is important because players are different heights, they skate differently and they shoot differently. As such, the blade lies on the ice differently and makes contact with the puck differently. So finding a curve and lie that fits your style and body type is important. In the case of composites, the patterns available are those made for NHL players who are, for the most part, over 6-foot tall and 200 pounds.

I don't think their patterns will work for me.

And then there is the issue of "the feel" of a one-piece composite stick. Players have been complaining for years that the feel of the puck on the blade of a one-piece composite is not as good as on a wood blade. Essentially, a wood blade dampens the vibrations sent up the shaft of the stick, thereby allowing better feel for the puck. The result is improved stickhandling. While manufacturers have been attempting to make progress on this front by injecting different materials into the blades of their sticks to mimick the dampening qualities exhibited by wood, the results, in my experience, have not been spectacular.

As I wrote earlier, how you shoot can be more important than the speed of your shot. Not to mention the fact that you'll never even get a shot off if the puck keeps falling off the blade of your stick. So, what's more important, a harder shot, or better stickhandling and accuracy?

Finally, if you want to be a better hockey player, there are a lot of other areas to improve before worrying about increasing the velocity of your slapshot by 5 miles-per-hour. If you want to be a better player, there are better ways to spend $250 than on a composite stick (or $500 on two). Take the money you save by buying wood sticks and spend it on hockey school. Become a better skater. Learn how to pass better, position yourself better, protect the puck with your body, see plays develop, see twine instead of the goalie when you shoot. Buy a gym membership. Get into better shape. Increase your strength, reflexes, endurance and speed. Get better skates.

If you really do want to use a composite stick, why not use a two piece with a wooden blade? Doing this, you get the best of both worlds: the flex point and lightness of a composite shaft with the feel of a wood blade. In addition, you have the option to replace the blade if it breaks, and at a lower cost. Both Zdeno Chara and Chris Pronger use this set up. Good enough for them, good enough for me.

Beyond all the arguments above, I have to ask whether the composite sticks really are much better. Lighter? Yes. Better? I'm not so sure.

Arguably one of the best stickhandlers in the NHL, Jason Spezza, plays with a wooden Sherwood. During the last NHL All-Star skills competition, in 2004, then NY Islander defenceman Adrian Aucoin won the hardest shot competition with a wooden stick. And I'm now seeing players who had previously used composites, Eric Lindros for example, return to good old reliable wood.

The fact is, most A-list NHLers have stick deals and get paid to use the composite sticks because it makes suckers like you and I want to dish out a few hundred dollars to buy them. The profit margins on composites is higher, and they have to be replaced just like wood sticks.

But remember, a few years ago, Nike was paying a lot of players to use their horrific moon-boot skates, Gretzky included. Great marketing does not mean you have a great product.

Eventually, the players decided these bladed monstrosities were so bad that some started breaking their endorsement contracts with Nike and the product eventually went the way of the dodo.

Perhaps, in a few years, we'll see the same thing happen with the one-piece composites. In the meantime, keep your stick on the ice.

Comments

[jeffj]

Brilliant stuff!

I got one of those high-end composites for X-mas because my sister-in-law knows an Easton sales rep. I haven't even used it yet because a) I'm just a duffer and it wouldn't help me at all, and b) I don't want the guys to see me as one of those duffers playing with a $300 stick.

[T.J. O'Connor]

Thanks for the compliment Jeff. We'll try to keep it up.

You got the stick for free, so bring it out to the rink and enjoy yourself.

[ChrisW]

Heey,

I could use some pointers on how to choose my stick. I just started playing hockey a couple of years ago after being cut from a team when i was 10 because my dad did not sharpen my skates (my version of history anyway) so i have missed all of those formative years of figuring out which sticks work the best for me. Got any pointers?

[T.J. O'Connor]

Difficult to answer your question ChrisW...I don't know how big you are, how strong you are or how well you play.

If I can give you some generalities...for now, go for a middle of the road wood stick, if you want to go with wood. The cheapest wood sticks, like a Sherwood 19K or a Vic 100 really are cheap, and you notice it. My recommendations would include the Sherwood 5030, 7030 or 9030, any Easton Classic, and the Bauer 3030 (a little more expensive, but a great stick), among others.

To start, go with a middle of the road length..not too long, not too short. Cut your stick so it reaches the bottom of your chin when you are wearing your skates.

Flex: Pick a medium flex to begin (around 95 on Sherwood's and Easton's) Unfortunately, not all brands use the same scale to indicate flex. This will take some trial and error.

Curve and lie? Again, take the Goldilocks approach...middle of the road. Not something extreme, like a Coffey pattern.

Wood sticks do break and wear out regularly. The upside is that they're not that expensive to replace. When you need to replace a stick, you can refine your selection to better suit your style and preferences as you learn more.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

[Bill]

Hey Tim,

Not so sure I agree with you. I just broke my first composite stick for which I paid $150 a year and a half ago. During that period I would normally have gone through at least a dozen $30 wooden sticks so I have saved on that basis. Maybe I was lucky with the composite (a Graf,by the way) in terms of it not breaking sooner. Apart from the cost/replacement issue, I am a little on the fence regarding quality. In my experience, the composite was lighter and didn't weigh any more at the end of a game than at the beginning. I never really "loved" my composite, however, perhaps due to an improper flex (Al McInnis, I'm not!).

anyway, I am shopping for a new stick today ... we'll see.

[T.J. O'Connor]

Thanks for the comments Bill.

For other readers who don't know Bill, he is not your average beer leaguer. Bill played a very high level of hockey when he was younger, having even played against some guys who made it to the show. He has a wicked shot and certainly has the skills to take advantage of the benefits of composite technology.

His broken Graf is sitting the back seat of my car, waiting to be cut down so I can stick a wooden blade in it and give it to some kid.

[Glenn]

Hey Tim-
Great article, and I'm glad I stumbled upon it. Like you, I'm pretty meticulous to a ridiculous level over taping my stick, etc.
Anyway, I'm a solid beer leaguer playing in the top level beer league in town. I'm 5'8" and my nickname is Penguin because I have about a 28" inseam, so I clearly have a lot of torso and short legs. I grew up ski racing so my legs are strong and I tend to play with my knees bent a lot, so my hands in result are pretty close to the ice when I play.
A had been playing with an easton synergy iginla for a while, and i broke my stick at a game and used a teammate's sherwood momentum ds comp spezza, and i went and had 4 assists in one period, so i made an immediate switch. Played with that for about 2 months. when i played with a friends momentum ds comp havlat (85 flex) this time, and i was even better and liked it more, i'm pretty sure mostly because I like the curve more and it has a higher lie, and maybe because it's a lower flex. problem is, sherwood doesnt make the comp ds in a havlat anymore. so i've been playing with a 2 piece with a wood havlat blade, but i'm not quite getting it completely.
I've been told that sticks with a higher lie, you should play with a shorter stick, and lower lie, play with a longer stick. Is this correct? And just for argument's sake, i know i have no one near the skill of havlat or spezza and never will be, but i did some searching and found pictures of both holding their sticks straight in front of them during a game, and havlat's stick came up to about the bottom of his neck, while spezza's comes to about his lip.
Anyway, any advice or thoughts are certainly welcome, thanks again.

[Chris]

I recently have broke three composite synergys in a span of 2 months. I want to go back to wood but can't find a place to buy wood sticks that are long enough for me. Where can I find light wood sticks that are longer than 53"?

Chris

[MoB xWOLFx]

I'm 200 lbs and about 6 ft. I have 5 years experience and I was wondering what composite blade you would recommend for me?

[grace]

how to tape your stick

[CB]

Good article. I am actually doing a speech on the benefits of using a two piece over the one piece. Having used wood, two pieces, and multitudes of one pieces, I chose to go with an easton ultra-lite grip and a bauer composite blade, naslund curve (much like easton's sakic). I just thought I might add another veterans point of view. for me it is composite, because I will go through multiple woods each game.

[shaan]

Good points, I use an Ak27 Warrior shaft with a composite blade. In the end it cost me like $180 which is more than a 1 piece. But this way I get all the advantages and the flexibility of 2 piece. BTW Spezza best stick handler??? I suggest you goto the warrior hockey website and watch ALEXEI KOVALEV!!!

[Rick]

kovalev rocks... he could stickhandle past anyone...

[andrew]

what nike moon-boot skates are you referring to? i'm afraid i'm too young to know what you're talking about.

you suck my bum

[ankle burg humper dink]

that is just dum up the bum