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About This Page: This is a discussion on Hockey Players Forum within the LetsGoKings.com forums, at Los Angeles Kings Hockey Fan Forum. http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/7442238
Well, I totally disagree with the article.
The author states that composites are less accurate for shooting which nulifies their advantage? Really? I'm sure he's never used one. I
The author states that composites are less accurate for shooting which nulifies their advantage? Really? I'm sure he's never used one. I would only agree that they're harder to receive a pass with.
He mentions that the MLB only allows wood bats because aluminum is too much of an advantage. Well, if baseball stadiums had moved all of their fences back 20 feet (a rough equivalent of modern goaltendending equipment and technique), the MLB would encourage aluminum in order to keep scoring. Since I started playing 15 years ago, there is now noticeably less net to shoot at. I think NHL goalie save percentages are probably too high these days.
I do like the weight of the composite that I use (a balistik stick...22 caliber). But I also use wood as well (Damn Bauer 1000 Supreme with the Lindros curve keeps me coming back). I love it when I have been slashed by a guy with a composite stick onto my woodie and his breaks...love it!!!!!!!!!!
yeah you can't compare aluminum bats and composite sticks. at least goalies get to wear pads...
i read this article a few days ago and think it's total crap. the goaltending equipment has changed more and so has the style. the goalies are getting better, faster, and BIGGER (physically, not just the pads). THOSE are the reasons why scoring is harder, not the sticks.
the only thing that can be taken away by going composite is feel and even that is debatable according to some. i highly doubt accuracy is different between the two. if anything, a composite stick will be more consistent over time where as a woodie will go to crap if you use it long enough. i have used a wood all my life, but the first time i touched a composite i knew i would never go back. there's a reason why the sherwood factory is stopping the wood. they can't keep up with the technology. you know how superstitious the pros are. if it was THAT good, they wouldn't have switched over to the newer sticks. and i bet gretzky was misquoted on that one. or does he wish the nhl would go back to his old aluminum sticks too? rofl...
I like wood personally because stickhandling is better (lower hand moves easier up and down the shaft .... no masturbation jokes, please). And laminated wood sticks (Easton Z-carbon) are still damn light in weight.
I wouldn't object to a mandated return to all wood sticks if for no other reason than as a way to lower the cost barriers to play this sport. Don't tell me that you can seperate the pros vs. the amateurs with different rules/restrictions: (a) kids are always going to pester their parents for the best equipment their heroes use, and (b) the stick companies didn't invest all this money in composite stick technology so they could sell only to a few thousand pro players.
This is also why I'm against that new heated-skate-blade technology. $500 disposable skates weren't enough of a money pit? Now we need $300-400 add-on electrical blade systems, too? If the hockey powers really want more people to play they'd be trying to lower the costs, not raise them, and get their money back in volume.
__________________ "Run for your life from any man who tells you that money is evil. That sentence is the leper's bell of an approaching looter. So long as men live together on earth and need means to deal with one another -- their only substitute, if they abandon money, is the muzzle of a gun."
-- Atlas Shrugged
I use a one piece composite (Mission Hex1) because of the lightness along with the thinness of the blade.
I need a lighter stick since my carpel tunnel surgery and I haven't found a wood stick that has worked yet. I'll give the Easton recommended here a shot in the next month or so.
Shooting the puck with a composite gives me better wrist/snap shots but seems to be less effective (for me) on slap shot, not that I actually use this shot much.
The stickhandling for me and the ability to move my stick quickly for defensive purposes is why I'm still using one.
If I could find a Northland type of stick that I did use (a long time ago) I would certainly not use the composite stick. If my kid starts to play hockey he will never have one (unless he's paying for it).
On the heated skate thing. I HATE plastic heat-molded skates. I use graf but really wish the skate makers would return to the mostly leather made skates. Trust me - you'll skate better even if your skates weigh more.
Last edited by Rocket; November 22nd, 2007 at 10:25 AM.
Easton graphite with a Joe Sakic blade. I prefer wood but have been unable to find a wood stick with a Sakic curve so I went graphite.
I'm using an Easton "Z carbon" wood stick which has a sakic curve.
I would be all over a sherwood 5030 coffey except they don't make them tall enough for me (I'm an even 6 foot with barefeet). Even the z carbon I'm using right now is a bout a tape width too short for me.
if anything, a composite stick will be more consistent over time where as a woodie will go to crap if you use it long enough.
?! In my experience a composite stick will be shattered all over the ice and replaced before a wood stick ever losses anything.
It's all wood sticks for me. I tried a composite and just didn't like how it left in my hands. I don't know exactly what it was, maybe weight, flex, how solid it felt, whatever, but it just didn't feel right, so I stick with wood. Currently using a CCM 492 Tacks with Recchi blade.
... On the heated skate thing. I HATE plastic heat-molded skates. I use graf but really wish the skate makers would return to the mostly leather made skates. Trust me - you'll skate better even if your skates weigh more.
If you're refering to my comment, I was referencing the recent announcement of heated-blade technology (microprocessor + battery in the plastic blade holder, doing a controlled-charge of a heater in the blade to reduce skating friction).
It was not a comment about therma-form boot technology -- to reduce break-in time of new skates -- that came out in the early-to-mid 90's. I never imagined anyone could find fault with that, but hey, live and learn.
?! In my experience a composite stick will be shattered all over the ice and replaced before a wood stick ever losses anything.
It's all wood sticks for me. I tried a composite and just didn't like how it left in my hands. I don't know exactly what it was, maybe weight, flex, how solid it felt, whatever, but it just didn't feel right, so I stick with wood. Currently using a CCM 492 Tacks with Recchi blade.
if you don't take off the tape and make sure the wood stick is properly maintained, the wood stick will fall apart before the composite will. with a wood, you'll need to take care of it after every game. the wood will be more affected by the wetness and the abuse before the composite will. i love the wood sticks, but for overall consistency i have to give it up to the composites. i just love the composites just because my experience over the years, but i'm sure for the regular rec player would be fine with the wood but a composite wouldn't be a bad decision at all.
edit: sorry i had a few to drink so i will re-read this tomorrow and edit the parts that don't make sense haha :P
Last edited by yipperzz; November 24th, 2007 at 11:27 AM.
I used wood for a loooonnnng time (favorite was the Bauer 3000 with the Linden pattern) even though I had a bunch of different shafts laying around. I could never find a blade pattern I liked, so I never used the shafts. For ice with the heavier puck, wood seemed to flex better and I had a better shot with wood. I had snagged a pro model Victoriaville when I worked for the Ice Dogs (back in LA a llllloooonnnnnggg time ago) that was perfect, but I was scared to use it because it might break. Backhand, wrister, snap, slap shots were perfect.
Then I started playing roller again a few months ago, and with the lighter puck, wood sucks! I stumbled upon the Bauer Naslund pattern, and it is awesome as well. I am now using this whippy as hell Louisville lockjaw shaft with that blade and it is perfect for roller. I tried using a one-piece stick with the same pattern, and it felt like a toy. They way it flexed was way too weird and it felt like there was no blade on the stick. With a wood or shaft/blade, you could feel that there was something down there. But it is a moot point now because I am sacrificing the Victoriaville stick to the Ballistik gods and having custom wood blade made.
And another thing that the article did not bring up: Composite sticks are fragile as all hell. You get a little nick on the shaft of a wood stick, you will be fine for a while. You get a little nick on a composite stick, goodbye stick. There are a lot more broken sticks nowadays, and it is very noticeable when a guy winds up for a one timer and the puck doesn't go anywhere because his stick shatters.
__________________ Larry Holmes kicked me and punched me!!
I recently went back to wood sticks because I just can't justify spending 5-10x the price on a composite stick. Also I have a hard time finding a pattern and flex I'm happy with. I LOVED the Louisville TPS Tkachuk pattern but I prefer a whip flex or a medium flex. Seems the only thing you can find in the stores these days is super stiff and has some insane curve to it. That's great if you weigh 225lbs but it just puts too much load into my wrists, hands and arms and I just can't load the stick for a quick, accurate wrist shot. I do think my slapshot was much more accurate with a composite but I just prefer the wood for feel and flex. I did find a Louisville wood shaft/carbon blade stick that was sweet but fragile. I never liked aluminum and two piece sticks. But to get back to the article, I think the writer is full of it. The only drawback to the new one-piece sticks in the pro game is how often they seem to break. Goalies have been given the advantage for too long with their massive pads, shooters needed something new.
__________________ "This franchise hasn't won anything in 39 years, and we still sell out games…. We have to reward those people. We have to believe we can win. The rest becomes details." Luc Robitaille
Wood is what's good for hockey 
Birdman
