Can I cut a composite hockey stick?

Newer composite sticks can be cut to specific lengths, with the right preparation and tools. The task is relatively easy and can usually be accomplished in less than 30 minutes. Remove any hockey tape that may be on the handle of the hockey stick shaft.

Can you cut new hockey sticks?

Step 1: Cutting your new hockey stick down to size

Granted, you can easily cut a stick shorter and plugs can help you add a few inches but getting it right the first time isn't hard. If you have an old hockey stick at a height you like, mark the shaft of your new hockey stick with a marker where you want it cut.

How much can you cut off a hockey stick?

Sticks get considerably stiffer as you cut length from them. Taking a senior player's stick and cutting it down for a junior will likely leave that player with a stick that is far too stiff to be effective. It's OK to trim an inch or two from a stick.

Can you curve a composite hockey stick?

Composite sticks

This can be done with a blowtorch or with the heat from an oven element. When the blade is hot it can be curved by hand or with your foot. If curving the blade by hand it's a good idea to wear an oven mitt when doing so, to protect your hands from the heat.

How do you glue a hockey stick?

Schoolyard Puck

Regular hot glue is fine although the stuff that comes on the blade is heavy duty.

How do you curve a hockey stick at home?

Take your stick and gently slide the blade so that it is floating a couple inches above the hot burner. Keep sliding the blade slowly back and forth over the heat source until you start to hear what sounds like frying bacon. The sound will be subtle. Don't pull the blade too soon.

Why do NHL players blowtorch their sticks?

Around an hour or two before a game, players assemble to heat their hockey sticks with a blowtorch. Brave Stick Hockey reports, "This enables [the players] to customize the blade's curve to their own personal liking."

Why do hockey players tape their stick blades?

The reasons are obvious: Tape makes a stick easier to hold. Tape “softens” the blade, making it easier to corral a pass, lets the puck linger in your cagey control, or allows you to snap a precise wrister through the five-hole. Tape protects the blade, helping it survive the brunt of your cannonading slap shots.

Does cutting down a hockey stick change the flex?

DOES CUTTING DOWN A STICK OR ADDING AN EXTENSION CHANGE THE FLEX? The simple answer is yes, a shorter stick will feel stiffer and will perform more similarly to a stick with a higher flex number. A longer stick will feel softer and will perform more like a stick with a lower flex number.

What Flex does McDavid use?

McDavid says the flex he uses is “pretty stiff, actually”. He uses an 85 flex that's cut down a bit. He explains his stick, curve, and flex in the YouTube video below. He says he's a guy who doesn't shoot a lot and likes to have the puck on his stick and perform stick handling.

What flex should hockey stick be?

It's pretty simple… All Hockey Players should be using a stick with a Flex Rating that equals less than 50% of their body weight. Let's use logic… Most NHL Players weigh 190-220 lbs & use sticks that are 85-110 flex.

Where should you cut your stick?

The general rule is that the end of a proper length stick should come to about the nose. However, if the player's skates are on, the stick should come up to the chin.

How much flex do you lose when you cut a hockey stick?

How much flex do you lose when you cut a hockey stick? Cutting a hockey stick down can affect how the stick feels and plays. Cutting a hockey stick down one inch will add around 3-5 flex.

Can you make a hockey stick longer?

ADD AN EXTENSION (PLUG)

Wood works, and new composite extensions can be the perfect solution. There are a few issues with extensions, however. The can sometimes become loose, composite extensions can be expensive, and when you need a large extension it can add significant weight or throw off the sticks balance.

Why do hockey players wax their sticks?

Wax increases the life of the tape and ultimately your stick by preventing water from settling on the tape. It also helps while you take shots, by reducing friction between the ice and your stick blade while striking the puck.

Should I tape my hockey stick blade?

Many players prepare their new hockey stick for action on the ice by taping the blade and the butt end. This protects the blade from wear and tear and gives you a better grip on the stick shaft. Tape on the blade also keeps moisture and ice from building up, causing the puck to slip off the blade—not a good thing.

Why do hockey players use smelling salts?

Taking a small whiff opens nasal passages, elevates heart rate, lifts blood pressure and increases brain activity. These effects are why ice hockey players think smelling salts will help with their performance out on the ice.

Do you tape a hockey stick from heel to toe?

You can tape from toe to heel or heel to toe. Heel to toe makes for easier trimming and leaves “seams” that face the heel. Start with the tape a half-inch or so from the top of the blade, on the back. Wind up and over the top of the blade, down the front side and up the back, and so on until you're done.

How much curve can a hockey stick have?

The curvature of the blade of the stick shall be restricted in such a way that the distance of a perpendicular line measured from a straight line drawn from any point at the heel to the end of the blade to the point of maximum curvature shall not exceed three-quarter of an inch (¾”). NHL Rulebook 2007.

Do hockey sticks wear out?

Even the most durable carbon stick, players note, can break in a week or can last a year. Most people cite frequency and level of play as two central factors for determining the lifespan of a hockey stick. Remember, too, you may want to replace a stick when it's not broken—it may have lost its stiffness, its pop.

Can you curve a wood hockey stick?

I curved my sherwood Coffey by holding the blade over my electric stove until I felt it was hot enough, then i stepped on it and curved it by holding it in position with my foot.

When did curved hockey sticks come out?

Until the early 1960s, hockey stick blades were typically not curved. However, in the late 1950s, New York Rangers center Andy Bathgate began experimenting with "breaking" his stick blades to impart a curve, which he found made his slap shots behave in highly erratic ways.