Remain Flexible When Considering Hockey Stick Flex (2024)

FAQs

What should my Flex be for my hockey stick? ›

A good place to start when choosing a Hockey Stick Flex Rating is to choose the flex that matches half of your body weight. If you weigh 160 pounds, start with an 80 flex, and see how you like this option by testing it out in a shooting room. If you weigh 140 pounds, try the same process out with a 70 flex stick.

Intermediate = 50 to 70 flex (typically for ages 13 - 17, weight 110 to 150 lbs) Senior soft/regular = 75 to 90 flex (typically for ages 14 and up, weight 150 to 180 lbs) Senior regular/stiff = 85 to 102 flex (typically for ages 16 and up, weight 170 to 205 lbs)

If you're between 97 and 104 mph with the driver, you need a stiff flex. Regular – Now we are getting into the range where a majority of recreational golfers fall, and also where many LPGA pros fall. If you're between 84 and 96 mph, regular is going to be best for you.

Crosby Curve (P29)

Sidney Crosby uses a CCM P29 curve. This Hockey Stick Blade is one of the most popular in the game today and features a deep mid-curve allowing for great stickhandling and puck control.

A stiffer flex stick will help you win puck battles along the boards and faceoffs, and if you're blasting shots from the point you'll create more power. Less hockey stick flex increases your feel, better for sending and receiving passes, controlling the puck and getting off shots quickly and precisely.

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.

Remember that cutting down a stick reduces flexibility where as adding length with make the stick whippier (depending on your actual height of course).

Matthews revealed in an interview with Bauer that he likes an especially whippy stick, using an 80 flex stiffness along with a Joe Sakic curve. Most people are familiar with the P92 Sakic curve that comes stock with most brands, but the 80 flex is interesting.

How tall is a 70 flex hockey stick? ›

Alexander Ovechkin is 230 pounds and uses a 79 flex stick, which is probably a big reason for his one-timer. Sidney Crosby uses a 100 flex stick, higher than you may imagine for a skilled player.

In the late 90s, however, Hull switched to a new two-piece combo by Easton. He went from a stiff 110 flex aluminum shaft and a wood blade to awhippier 80 flex shaft and a stiffer graphite blade.

Tavares had been using a Drury-style heel curve since he was 14, but started experimenting with teammate Pierre Engvall's sticks this season before eventually ordering his own batch with the P29 curve, while also moving from a 90 flex to a 95 flex.

In general, golfers with a fast swing should use a stiff shaft and slowed swings should use a regular flex shaft. To check your swing speed a shot tracking device will be the most accurate method. Based on your swing speeds here are our recommendations: 80-95 mph swing speeds should use regular shafts.

In general, the more flexible, the more forgiving the swing and the greater distance you can achieve with less power. The stiffer the shaft, the more distance you can reach with a more powerful swing.

Recreational players average 80 to 95 mph, which calls for a softer flex. If you have a good swing but your average distance is short, there is a problem with your shaft flex. If the shaft flex is too stiff, your average distance will remain low.

If your shaft flexes too much, your golf ball will see too much loft. Of course, you do want some loft, but too much will hurt distance and make it difficult to control the ball. A golf shaft that's too flexible will make the ball fly higher, no matter what you set the loft at.

If your driver's shaft is too stiff, the clubhead may not square with the ball at the point of impact, causing slices and fades. If you can't feel the weight of the clubhead loading through the shaft, it's probably too stiff, and can cause errors and issues associated with accuracy such as these.

Flex. Generally speaking, a driver shaft that's too stiff will cause shots to launch too low, with too little spin and low peak heights. A shaft that's too weak, on the other hand, may cause shots to spin too much, fly too high, and widen dispersion patterns.

What Flex does Duncan Keith use? ›

Duncan Keith Stick Spec Check

Like you'd expect from a veteran defenseman, Keith used a stiff 105 flex stick with a heel curve.

A photo posted by GearGeek.com showed that the stick was a Bauer Supreme 1S. The significance is that those twigs were first made in 2016. Eichel and Stamkos were the pitchmen for the new line.

What really sets MacKinnon apart, though, occurs before the puck ever zooms off his 95-flex CCM blade. Aside from perhaps Connor McDavid, no one hypnotizes opponents with such rapid-fire stickhandling, while still skating at top speed.

As a whole 90% of the top 100 golfers on the PGA Tour use either an extra stiff or Tour extra flex shaft in their driver. Only a very small number of this elite group, including Brian Harman and Jason Day, use a 'softer' stiff driver shaft while not one of the top 100 uses a regular or regular+ shaft in their driver.

The regular flex golf shaft is more flexible and easier for slower swing speed golfers to swing than the stiff flex golf shaft. A stiff flex golf shaft creates more resistance in the swing of a golfer. Therefore when they attempt to hit the ball with a bit more speed, they can get the incredible distance.

In general, flex changes by about 3 flex points for every inch you add/subtract from the stick. The effects are less noticeable in the first 2 inches however, and become more drastic the further you cut.

Everyone agrees that the flex is the force in lbs needed to bend a stick by one inch. If it takes 85 lbs, then the flex is 85. Practically everyone agrees that cutting a stick shorter by 2 inches will increase the flex by about 10 units.

Right - Elias Lindholm Covert QRE 'Dressed as Alpha LX' 65 Flex Stick - Pro Stock Hockey.

Pettersson also revealed that he was back to playing with a Bauer stick, similar to what he'd used in past seasons, with an 82 flex rating.

Remember, too, you may want to replace a stick when it's not broken—it may have lost its stiffness, its pop. When a stick feels “whippy” or weak in shooting or passing, many players will buy a new stick because the old one isn't performing like it should. It's worn out—a factor that a novice may not even notice.

How tall is a 50 flex hockey stick? ›

At 60 inches the Raven Edge 50 flex is taller than a standard Junior stick and has a lower flex rating than any other intermediate stick on the market; at 60 inches and 50 flex, this stick is a perfect fit for any player under 5'7" and less than 110 lbs.

Sidney Crosby stick length is very short stick, only 54 inches long. It suits his style. He can bend low to the ice, drop his shoulder to protect the biscuit and he's able to keep the puck on a leash in tight spaces in the corners, and around the net.

Other superstar forwards like Patrick Kane, Pavel Datsyuk and Wayne Gretzky have also used mild curves throughout their careers... none of which had any trouble scoring.

“And then as time develops, I always used a stiff stick. I used like 107 when I started, then I went down to 102, now I'm at a 95 flex.

Nylander uses an ultra lightweight 2SPROXL build under a flashy black and green Supreme ADV graphic. An extended height shaft, relatively low 77 flex, and standard glossy grip finish round out the features of this awesome twig.

Dylan Larkin Stick Spec Check

Specs-wise, this stick will look pretty familiar. A W03 (Blade 1) curve with 85 Flex is about as standard as it gets, although Larkin does mix it up a little bit with a textured grip finish.

Mid-curves are the most common. They're better for stick-handling than heel curves while retaining a decent sweet spot on both the forehand and backhand. Toe curves twist down as they bend, making them great for danglers who favor quick wrist shots.

What is the flex of your stick? “The flex I used is 75. It's in between. It's something I'm used to since the (US development) program, and just stuck with it.”

Over the past few years you've no doubt taken notice of NHL players using what appears to be a massive hook! Most noticeably stars like Ovechkin, Doughty or Getzlaf are using what has become known as the Open Toe (P28 in most brands) pattern.

With that all said, the majority of NHL players use a stick with flex in the 85-100 range. Forwards tend to use a lower flex. Some players with a notable low flex are Johnny Gaudreau with a 55 flex and Phil Kessel with a 65 flex. You can see just how much bend these players get out of their stick when they shoot.

What flex should a 14 year old use? ›

5.0 Flex = Regular, 5.5 Flex = Regular Plus, 6.0 Flex = Stiff, 6.5 Flex = Extra Stiff, and 7.0 Flex = Extra Stiff Plus.

Most professional golfers use Extra Stiff Flex clubs, so unless you're headed to Augusta National sometime soon, you likely don't need one. But, if your average club head speed is 110 miles per hour or more and you're consistently hitting with a distance of around 270 yards, an Extra Stiff Flex staff could be for you.

Remember, too, you may want to replace a stick when it's not broken—it may have lost its stiffness, its pop. When a stick feels “whippy” or weak in shooting or passing, many players will buy a new stick because the old one isn't performing like it should. It's worn out—a factor that a novice may not even notice.

Proper hockey stick flex is even more important for younger players. Without the proper flex, younger players will need to compensate for a stick that's too stiff or too soft.

McDavid Curve

Perhaps the fastest growing Hockey Blade right now is the P28 “McDavid” curve. This Hockey Blade curve is a great option for players who play the game with the puck on the toe of their stick, due to the toe curve with an open face.

Once a young person reaches around 5 ft 3”), they should be comfortable with a full size sstick which is called a 36.5 inches, so you do not need to measure the stick to your hip or belly button once you reach this height.

You know, the 5.0, 6.0, 6.5 and so on printed on the shaft. These numbers correspond with flexes from “regular” to “extra stiff plus”.

Experts suggest that at the beginner level, you should opt for a regular shaft. This is because it is easy to handle and it assists you with your range. A stiff shaft is a better option for those who are more experienced at golf and have a good swing speed and driver carry distance.

What does a Shaft Flex of 6.5 mean? The equivalent of a 6.5 flex is the eXtra-stiff shaft under the LARSX labels.

What happens if your shaft flex is too stiff? ›

If your driver's shaft is too stiff, the clubhead may not square with the ball at the point of impact, causing slices and fades. If you can't feel the weight of the clubhead loading through the shaft, it's probably too stiff, and can cause errors and issues associated with accuracy such as these.

A golfer using a shaft that is too flexible may experience a ball flight that is too high, a ball that spins too much, or a shot pattern that has inconsistent dispersion.

If you have a good swing but your average distance is short, there is a problem with your shaft flex. If the shaft flex is too stiff, your average distance will remain low.