My experience mirrors this as well, albeit a little cheaper due to NCHL/BASE's summer promotion.
I'm really lanky and it's been close to a decade since I've found a stick that sat "right" on the ice. After trying out a ton of different blade and shaft combos, the analysis pinpointed the spot where I always pickup and/or release the puck, and I ended up with a stick that has a custom lie (different lie for each half of the blade), which has made a notable difference in my shot.
$150-175 is a lot to shell out for a stick, but it's worth it if you have anything "peculiar" about you - physically or playing style
It would be in the mid/high-end of what you would pay for a random stick.
But if you look at only the high-end pure graphite sticks, I think it would be fairly cost-effective. The fact that it is 'custom' for you is just gravy.
Totally agree that it is worth it if you are taller than the normal range of sticks.
Location: Oklahoma - Where they call a puck a ball...
Exp:
I just did my Base Stick Fitting today... it proved what I have known all along ... I'm not very good at hockey. HA! I did get cool videos of myself shooting.
If not more. The top end models for most of the major brands retail between $249 and $300. It really does make a difference.
In another thread I found some research from U of C that concluded expensive sticks do not perform any better than wood sticks. Will look for that . . .
"This correlates to what is happening on the ice where the composite sticks break after some slashes," Dryden said.
Players who prefer the composite sticks say it makes their shots harder, but Dryden expressed some reservations.
"The composite stick does load quickly and get the shot away quicker," he said. "And there appears to be a bonus about increasing the velocity of the wrist shot.
"The slap shot seems to be very comparable -- wood and composite.
"But for some reason, the composite seems to be better on the wrist shot."
Advances in composite technology have revolutionized the hockey stick and the game of hockey. Today, almost every hockey player, novice to professional, uses a composite hockey stick. Composite sticks are ideal because they combine the feel and shooting flexibility of wood with the stiffness and stability of aluminum. Composite hockey sticks may be the best on the market today, but in the future, there will always be room for new technologies.
In another thread I found some research from U of C that concluded expensive sticks do not perform any better than wood sticks. Will look for that . . .
"This correlates to what is happening on the ice where the composite sticks break after some slashes," Dryden said.
Players who prefer the composite sticks say it makes their shots harder, but Dryden expressed some reservations.
"The composite stick does load quickly and get the shot away quicker," he said. "And there appears to be a bonus about increasing the velocity of the wrist shot.
"The slap shot seems to be very comparable -- wood and composite.
"But for some reason, the composite seems to be better on the wrist shot."
Advances in composite technology have revolutionized the hockey stick and the game of hockey. Today, almost every hockey player, novice to professional, uses a composite hockey stick. Composite sticks are ideal because they combine the feel and shooting flexibility of wood with the stiffness and stability of aluminum. Composite hockey sticks may be the best on the market today, but in the future, there will always be room for new technologies.
While wood sticks can give a higher shot velocity, composite sticks can deliver a faster release. As well, a composite stick can help to improve accuracy by effectively limiting the degree of torque applied to the shaft and blade of the stick.
Ask any goalie that is in the age range that saw the change from wood, to two-piece, to one-piece composites and they will tell you the puck "jumps" off the one pieces. I played junior when only the skilled players were supplied one-pieces by their teams and it was very noticeable the difference between their shots depending on which sticks they were using. I also found guys seemed to have "heavier" shots as well.
Funnily enough, the first player I ever saw using a one-piece was none other than Dion Phaneuf. Good thing he couldn't hit the net back then either...
The Following User Says Thank You to bagofpucks For This Useful Post:
Location: Oklahoma - Where they call a puck a ball...
Exp:
How is everyone sticks? If anyone is still interested in trying them out I just saw this posted on my FB Feed.
"NCHL and their Draft tournaments are giving away free base fittings.
It’s NCHL Draft Tournament giveaway time. The Non Contact Hockey League - NCHL is proud to be partnered with BASE Hockey. BASE is a company that specializes in building a hockey stick specifically to you to maximize your potential on the ice. BASE has a fitting process, that takes about an hour, that films and breaks down your shot to see what type of stick, curve, and flex would maximize your on ice performance. We are giving away one of those fittings to one lucky person. To be eligible for the fitting you must follow us on Twitter @drafttourney on twitter. Mention @drafttourney with you favorite draft tourney experience, jersey, or where you’d like to see a draft tournament held. Pretty easy eh? Winner will be chosen at random.
Also for a second chance to win follow @NCHL and tweet/mention us with "why you love hockey."
