Equipment: Hockey stick FEELS broken?

[JoeCool16]

Hey guys and gals,

I was playing some stick n puck today, using my composite 1 piece I've had for about a year now. I play about once a week and do stick n puck every now and then, and haven't noticed too much wear and tear, besides the taping on the blade coming off on the bottoms.

Out of the blue today, my stick started feeling a lot more whippy about halfway through stick n puck. My wrist shot is normally pretty terrible, but all of a sudden I could whip top-corner shots from the blue line, no problem!

Unfortunately, the stick just FELT broken. I couldn't find any cracks or fractures, and I tried pretty hard to force it to break (took some hard slappers, tried bending it) but nothing happened.

Still, it feels weird on the puck touch. Whips around a bit more than usual while stickhandling, doesn't take a pass quite as firmly (it is an 85 flex cut to about a 95) and the toe of the stick feels soft on the puck touch, rather than hard.

Anyone know what might be up with my stick? My friend commented that some sticks need to be 'broken in' and that maybe my stick is okay, but it feels broken.

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[AIREAYE]

Every time a composite stick flexes, loads and releases, there are micro tears in the material that, over time, will eventually lead to the stick 'whipping out'. This doesn't happen to everyone and does depend on skill level, frequency of play etc.

If you're confident in your own opinion, then maybe that's what's happening. Do you like the way it loaded? Maybe that's a sign that for your next stick, you could try a lower flex?

 

[JoeCool16]

Thanks for the expertise! I wonder though, when a stick is "whipping out", does that mean that it's pretty soon to break, or just doesn't have the stiffness and flex it did anymore?

 

[nullterm]

Probably some of the material inside has torn, but the outside is still keeping it together. It will probably fail sometime soon if it has been compromised. But as long as you aren't emotionally tied to the stick, I'd say keep playing until it breaks if it's helping your wrist shot heh.

As AIREAYE said, maybe try a lower flex, but maybe just to a 80/77 (cut to 90/87?). Or stick with the 85->95. Going all the way to a 70 or lower you'll find it too soft on receiving passes. Keep in mind, different brands and even models of sticks will feel different even if they say they have the same flex #. Atleast in store, I've found Bauers to be a bit stiffer even at the same flex #.

I have a 70 flex stick I use in the summer on my beginner team where the passes tend to be softer and I'm usually the one making the pass on D. But stick with my 85 flex in winter with my more experienced team as the passes come in alot harder.

 

[JoeCool16]

Probably some of the material inside has torn, but the outside is still keeping it together. It will probably fail sometime soon if it has been compromised. But as long as you aren't emotionally tied to the stick, I'd say keep playing until it breaks if it's helping your wrist shot heh.

As AIREAYE said, maybe try a lower flex, but maybe just to a 80/77 (cut to 90/87?). Or stick with the 85->95. Going all the way to a 70 or lower you'll find it too soft on receiving passes. Keep in mind, different brands and even models of sticks will feel different even if they say they have the same flex #. Atleast in store, I've found Bauers to be a bit stiffer even at the same flex #.

I have a 70 flex stick I use in the summer on my beginner team where the passes tend to be softer and I'm usually the one making the pass on D. But stick with my 85 flex in winter with my more experienced team as the passes come in alot harder.

Yep, my thoughts exactly. I'll use it this weekend probably, and see if it can still handle a game, and I'll get a new composite backup beforehand either way to replace it when I need to!

 

[Jarick]

It's probably cracked somewhere that you can't see. Usually when that happens to me it's about to snap on the next shot.

 

[JoeCool16]

It's probably cracked somewhere that you can't see. Usually when that happens to me it's about to snap on the next shot.

I figured that originally, but I tried pretty hard to break it after it started feeling that way. I took hard slappers, snap shots, even tried to overflex it, but it just wouldn't break.

 

[Jarick]

Ah. Well then it's probably lots of micro cracks that are killing the performance. It happens to a friend of mine who uses his sticks for a couple years until they just bite the dust, he loses pop on the shot and then they go to complete crap but he's too broke/cheap to get new ones

 

[vapor11]

I have that issue..only 1 of my sticks is in game shape and these are all from the last few years..I find a good slash will do the stick in..which in return is why it pisses me off when people do the old two handed slash in pickup like they are chopping a peice of wood..get out of here with that crap.. I have actually gotten into verbal altercations over it..we are just playing for fun..I do not get my sticks for free and I assume others do not neither

They visually look fine but flex more then usual, and in return my puck control, passing, shooting, everything takes a hit and then my wallet takes another hit because I need another stick to get that controlled feel back

 

[vapor11]

Maybe you should stop playing hockey then...

It's not even a hockey play..its a penalty

 

[ProfessorMcFatty]

I break a stick about once ever 3 months, and usually they start feeling extra whippy shortly before they break. Sometimes it messes with the kickpoint, sometimes the blade just doesn't feel right any more. Either way, it's pretty common. Just make sure you have a backup stick with you, because that stick is on borrow time.

On the bright side you've found a trait that you like in the stick. I'm still trying to figure out the perfect flex, lie, curve, length, etc.

 

[Clarkington III]

Maybe you should stop playing hockey then...

It's not even a hockey play..its a penalty

I think he's referring to blant slashes and unnecessary chops versus any actual hockey play like a poke check. In pickup it is even more unnecessary.

 

[Aucoin11*]

maybe you should stop playing hockey then...

derrrrrrrrrrr

 

[Fanned On It]

derrrrrrrrrrr

lol seriously... 2 handers in pick-up are so0o0o0 necessary!