The Five Parts of a Hockey Stick You Need to Know
From the blade to the boot, get to know the five parts of a hockey stick and what they do. Get tips on how to choose the right stick for you and how to take care of it.
The Blade
The blade of a hockey stick is the part of the stick that makes contact with the puck. It is usually made of wood, composite, or aluminum, and is curved in order to assist in shooting and passing the puck. The blade is also tapered, meaning it is thinner at the bottom than it is at the top. This allows for better control of the puck.
The Butt-end
The butt-end is the end of the Hockey Stick blade that inserts into the shaft. The blade is the long, flat part of the stick used to hit the puck, while the shaft is the long, curved part of the stick that extends from the blade to the grip. The butt-end is often reinforced with extra material to prevent it from breaking.
The Shaft
If you’re new to hockey, or even if you’ve been playing for awhile, you may not know all the parts of a hockey stick The good news is, it’s not too complicated. A Hockey Stick is made up of five main parts: the blade, the shaft, the kick point, the Lie and the toe. In this article, we’ll focus on the shaft.
The shaft is the long part of the stick that extends from the blade to the butt end. It’s usually made of wood, composite or aluminum, and it’s where you grip the stick with your top hand. The shaft is also where you can find the stick’s flex rating, which is a measure of how much the shaft bends when pressure is applied to it. The higher the flex rating, the more flexible the shaft; lower flex ratings mean a stiffer shaft.
The Flex
The flex of a Hockey Stick is measured in inches and is the amount of give or bend that the stick has. The lower the number, the stiffer the stick. A higher number indicates a more flexible stick. Each player has their own preference for flex, based on their shooting style, position, and strength. For instance, a defenseman who relies on slap shots might prefer a stiffer stick with less flex, while a forward who does a lot of wrist shots might prefer a more flexible stick.
The Kick-point
The kick point of a hockey stick is the point on the shaft where the stick starts to flex. It’s also sometimes called the “flex point.” The kick point can be low, mid, or high. Each location will give the shot a different character.
A low kick point will give you a faster shot with less power. A mid kick point is going to be a happy medium between the two extremes. And a high kick point will give you more power at the expense of speed.
