Choosing The Proper Flex In A Hockey Stick

Many decisions go into choosing a hockey stick- kick point, curve pattern, style of play and brand among others. But most experts would agree the most import decision is choosing the proper flex A stick that is too flexible can lead to less accurate shots while a stick that is too stiff can detract from velocity on shots and crispness on passes. So how do you choose the best flex? There are a few factors to consider

Very basically stated, a sticks flex rating is based on the pounds of relative force required to bend the stick 1 inch. While there are other factors involved in the physics of shooting a puck, this flex rating is the industry standard across the board. For example, a 75 flex stick would require 75 lbs of force to bend a stick 1 inch. Why is this important? Every shot and pass in hockey benefits from the loading, releasing, and follow through of the flexing of a stick. The proper flex ensures the best results

Sadly, there is no exact science to choosing the proper flex but the player’s height and weight are a good place to start. Keep in mind, stick are flex rated at full height. The more you cut a stick down, the flex rating goes up. Most sticks have hash marks on them to show you the approximate increase in flex the more you cut the stick down. Asa general rule, when in doubt, most players will benefit from a more flexible stick then one that is too stiff

With the focus on flex all of the major stick companies now offer sticks in more flexes than ever before with 70 flex adult sticks, 55 flex intermediate sticks, and 4o flex jr sticks now readily available for the first time. In fact, Raven Hockey built their entire company around making sticks in multiple flexes and heights designed just for kids!

The best way to choose the proper flex is to demo the stick first. In our Stick Cellar, we have demos sticks in a variety of flexes from all the major stick companies which allows you to try before you buy in the Shooting Booth. The CCM Stick Fitter, an interactive tool which is getting ready to go live as this blog is being written, is an exciting new tool. It will help to narrow your choices and then you can demo the sticks it recommends. Pretty cool, right?

Choosing the proper flex is critical to your game and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Speak to a stick expert and demo different flexes before settling on you choice. It will make all the difference in your game

The Raven Hockey Difference

While it seems every hockey stick company is offering a multiple flex/height line of sticks for younger players, the simple truth is Raven Hockey is still the only company making stick ONLY for kids. From day 1 the Raven philosophy has simple- All Hockey Players should be using a stick with a Flex Rating that equals less than 50% of your their body weight!

Beyond just the flex story, Raven sticks are constructed in a way similar to how high end adult sticks are made so they offer unbelievable performance as well as the perfect flex point

The flagship of the Raven line is the Edge. The Edge is the latest iteration of the stick that put Raven on the map. With a shaft constructed of 3K Carbon and a blade of 25X Blackmond. This stick is everything a young player could ask for and more

The Ninja 3 has a shaft and blade made of 25X Carbon for a slightly lighter overall package and a little stiffer blade. While great for any player, we’d recommend this more in the 40 and 50 flexes.

There are many sticks on the market geared towards younger, developing players but there is still only one company that makes nothing else but sticks for younger players.

Demo a Raven Hockey stick in our Stick Cellar today!

Which Raven Flex Should You Choose? Check Out This Flex Calculator
Raven Hockey Flex Calculator

Bauer Vapor FlyLite Stick Available Now

When looking at the new Bauer Vapor FlyLite hockey stick, the feature that jumps out most is the new XE Elliptical Taper.

Based off the infamous Easton Elliptical taper, this new taper is narrower and oval shaped. This unique shape helps stabilize the lower portion of the stick and blade helping to improve accuracy and control during shooting.

The rounded corners will also improve strength at the lowest portion of the stick and lower the overall weight of the stick.

Stop in and check out the new Bauer Vapor FlyLite sticks in our Stick Cellar and try before you by in our shooting booth!

Bauer NME IX Goalie Mask

If you asked most goalies what mask was the best combination of fit, protection and value, most would tell you the Bauer NME 8 (and the NME 7 before that). With that in mind, Bauer introduced the new NME IX with a focus on improving areas of comfort, fit and protection.

Most of the focus of the NME IX goes into the new liner which is made up of 3 different types of foam.  Located in the most important impact areas, Poron XRD and IX foam provide unreal impact protection and comfort for the player. VTX Technology makes up the rest of the liner, which is a much lighter foam to reduce weight, while at the same time boosting protection.

Bauer also addressed a glaring omission by adding a new size, FIT 0.5, for younger goalies or goalies with smaller heads that are looking for next level protection.

The Bauer NME IX goalie mask continues the NME 8 legacy of offering the best performance to value ratio in hockey!

Bauer Re-Akt 150 Helmet- Now Everyone Fits In!

When Bauer released the original Re-Akt hockey helmet it was groundbreaking on many levels, particularly in how it addressed rotational, as well as linear impact. On top of that, it also checked the boxes for “mirror test” and comfort factor. The only minor complaint was it tended to fit a certain head shape. With the introduction of the Re-Akt 150, all that changes.

The brand new FreeForm Adjustment System provides independent length and width adjustment for a truly personalized fit. This system offers up to 18mm of width adjustment, which is 250% more than any other Bauer helmet. The Comfort Pod liner system uses a hinged pod design to adapt to your head shape for comfort.

A layered construction of IX and XRD foam for both high and low energy impacts. Lightweight VTX foam assists in all-around impact protection as well.

So, to summarize- Great protection, Great comfort, Great fit! Stop in and try one on and check out our great selection of colors!