How To Tape Your Stick For Better Puck Control And Stickhandling

[@kenkirkham6903]

I tape my stick blade up the shaft as to save it from all the hacking & slashing that occurs in my league. Also I like to run a single strip along the base of the blade, front to back, to provide a little cushion for receiving passes & to extend the wear/tear of usage (just my personal preference as a beer leaguer). Great video, thanks for sharing.

[@edgard.brownjr.1896]

I’m coaching a U10 travel team. And, I’ve seen my players applying wax to their sticks for 15 min.. And, they have played multiple games/practices with the tape shredding off of their sticks. Your video is very helpful in addressing those two issues. And, I do appreciate that you address youth hockey specifically because there are some very key elements that need to be covered. I look forward to your future videos.

[@isaboteur2562]

Your video about skates and how they should fit etc...BIG help. I'm all ears w this channel now.

[@jatollar]

Most sticks come with a grippy coating on it that is better than tape so I just tape over the plug and put a small knob of tape. I can't speak to lizard grips or anything else, but this is the grippiest thing I've tried. In my opinion this also enhances the "feel" of the puck compared to the dullness of tape. I call it the Rene knob after my teammate because I haven't seen anyone else try it or even ask about it so I'm pretty sure he invented it.

[@chrislockhart3905]

Great video, I'm changing the way I tape my kids sticks tonight! I would love to hear your opinion on how long sticks should be for a youth player. I always cut them around the chin but found that my players are having a hard time staying low so the stick seems too short. We got a new stick and I cut it at his nose but now his stick handling has suffered....maybe the new tape job will help!

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

Great idea!

[@bryant6251]

I keep my son's stick under his chin to force him to bend his knees. If it's longer he'll stake more stiff and upright.

[@pvtrayfinkle4989]

I find my u11 kids with sicks that are too short can’t keep their heads up when stick handling because they’re bent over too far.

[@DonnyTsunamiGG]

Just figure out what is most comfortable for the kids in question. Matthews stick is almost to his chest with skates on, and Bedard’s stick is to his eyebrows with skates on. Also depends on position. Just have to be on top of properly coaching technique.

[@dino_1972]

Thanks. My son started about a year ago and as I was noob I checked YT as well for doing the tapejob. White cloth tap, little knob but a little further as you did. Than I tape from heel to toe and at the toe overlay an inch for the last 3 overlaps so I can cut it down. Since I saw you video, I start with the toe with 4 pieces and cut it down. Than starting at the heel and overlap to the toejob. He likes a little black magic with the puck over the tape on the toe and a slice from toe to heel and on top of the blade. After finishing that I do wax it a bit with howies. New tapejob before each game (so 1 game and 2x training), some other players tape are almost hanging around in pieces on their blades :(

[@quickdry3]

(nice video, great pace to the delivery of info, kept it moving the whole time) as an inline/roller player first, i've always had very minimal tape. I don't puckhandle with the bottom edge of the blade (which slows it down as well), or the top edge, so just a strip works well. (Single strip is better with tapes that aren't howies or renfrew, those have horrible glue. Rather than rubbing a puck on the tape, the back end of a screwdriver to get some heat and pressure in there and 'melt/force' the glue onto the stick and into the tape a bit more as well. Wax also helps 'seal' the edges of the tape together, which also helps with the bad glues of howies/renfrew). But truth be told, the tape benefit is minimal to non-existant for 99% of game situations, it's helpful in michigans or whatever... which, is not part of my wheelhouse. So many euro kids coming through, especially in czech just don't use any tape at all. I might prefer the 'twist' method for the top knob, it's easy to tailor the knob width(length?) to the right size. Anyway, one thing I'd say is that weight at the butt end isn't as big a deal as at the blade end. I like a minimal butt end, not even a full hand's width - with modern grip sticks I just want to feel the end of the stick, I don't need extra grip - but even a monster end isn't such a problem as heavy blades since there is very little movement of the stick at that end. Any additional weight at the blade end is magnified by the length from the fulcrum. (This is more of a comment for new people/viewers/readers learning, or who are setting up their kid's sticks. Buy the right flex stick, cut it to the proper size, use minimum tape, let the stick user learn with the best chance of success and gear that works for them now, rather than gear theyll grow into and won't fit them till 10 years from now) tip: if your kids are playing multiple times a day, and their gloves get wet/moist and they're losing grip... rather than needing to candy cane tape the shaft, through a $5 travel hairdryer in their bag, mine has lasted me over years, logged enough flight miles to go around the world a bunch of times, dry gloves, dry shins/elbows, and none of that awful "wet sloppy gear" feel.

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

Inline is very different since there is no water on the blade. For that, I would check out that adhesive blade strip that just came out

[@quickdry3]

@@SwansonX7Hockey something lilke the reztek? My last team in europe had a deal with them, it's not bad, lighter and 'better' than tape but expensive if you had to pay for it. Easier to do michigans/lacrosse type stuff - but actual game stuff, meh. Which moves in ice are you thinking of that aren't fairly specialised that actually need that sort of grip and would fail if the surface was slippery? I haven't measured, but the blades now have texture, and the ice puck edges also have texture, so you'd get mechanical keying and I don't think melt water is enough to have the puck hydroplaning when you try to put some spin on a saucer. (tbh I think a lot of our hockey is the mental side, we can come up with reasons why we do these little things - but much of it is actually because your subconscious knows you did that thing the day you got the hattrick, and the day you didnt was the game you gave that bad turnover, so always do the thing from the hattie game. Hell, even when I know something is nonsense, I still do it... because what if...)

[@DonnyTsunamiGG]

Bedard puts a longer sock on his stick because of how long his stick is. His stick is to his eyebrows with skates on so his stick is toe up a bit more than anyone else so the puck contacts deeper in the heel while he’s stick handling. I assume where you stop taping depends on how long your stick is.

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

@Healthy_Scratch Great observation! Yes, for a player like Bedard, because his stick is longer, the angle of the stick can cause more puck contact toward the heel, which is why he tapes higher up. But for most youth players, especially when they’re still developing their skills, we generally recommend a shorter stick-around collarbone to chin height when they’re on skates. This shorter stick makes it easier for younger players to develop better hand skills and puck control. For older, more experienced players like those in college or the pros, longer sticks can be beneficial once they've mastered the fundamentals of stickhandling. The content I'm creating is focused on educating youth parents, so the recommendation is based on what's best for skill development in younger players. Hope that helps clarify, and thanks for the great comment! Coach John

[@gcs8889]

It's funny how things change. When I played in college (NCAA D1) and growing up, the buttendz things were a joke. Over the years though I've slowly grown on them, and playing with generally only pro stock gloves, I'm finding that the palms on my gloves now last a lot longer and I have a better grip on the stick. I think the key was finding a grip that minimiced my old tape job on top of the stick.

[@davetechme]

Enjoying all the tips and insights. Thank you for sharing! Hopefully there's something in your library for improving my snapshots. 😄 As for my 50" 60 lb mite, she was using a 30 flex for the past month or so but went back to a 20 since she preferred shooting with it instead for the majority of her season. Do you think going down to a 10 would be counterproductive? Her sticks are chopped to lips on skates. I forget how much that is exactly.

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

Yeah. I would strongly consider it because it’s the flex after the cut that matter. Right now I have a 54 inch, 63lbs girl who is 9 in a 18 flex after cut.

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

For reference I coach a ton of very high end 2014 girls and most are in a 10 flex or 20 flex pre-cut. A mix of true, ccm and Bauer sticks.

[@edwardlbc562]

Im a Goalie. I can tell you, personally i dont ever notice the difference when the puck is on black or white tape of a players stick! Thats a myth. 😂

[@pvtrayfinkle4989]

This is exactly how I’ve always taped mine and my kids sticks, great vid…

[@davidcologgi7397]

I love lizard skins. I find half of a 99cm roll is the perfect length for me to get a glove +1". Works great as I can swap the tape and reuse the knob cover and bottom wrap.

[@johngisbourne7197]

Hockey is by far the best sport for individuality. So much different gear to wear and use, nothing comes even close. great video though, thx.

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

Skates and sticks are really it. Everything else is typically team issued.

[@michaelrivera6545]

Thoughts on the grip tape stuff coming out for the blade or sticks with a grit surface on the blade? Have you tried any yet?

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

I have tried it and the kids also. I loved how quick my blade felt on ice. I didn’t love the grip and felt that when it got wet, I could tell the puck would slip during a shot.

[@briandavid5988]

I have found if I tape from heal to toe the snow builds up less in the tape creases. Taping from toe to heal seem to increase the snow in the creases

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

Intersting.

[@deftones7599]

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience .i definitely gonna improve my taping work for my kids.

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

Awesome!

[@a47mlb]

As a beer league goalie, I’ve never noticed, or cared, what color tape is on a stick that’s chucking a puck my way.

[@NarvTheMainEvent]

Ok

[@yodaddamilkman8422]

Same same

[@mudbucket1650]

I never cared until someone had a glow in the dark neon green tape. Drove me nuts.

[@kevinsmith-uw4mj]

Really would enjoy how you calculate the change in flex of stick if you cut it.....and how you decide depending on age and weight what a kids flex range should be! Thanks for info on wax.

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

Great suggestion!

[@kevinsmith-uw4mj]

@@SwansonX7Hockey great insight.....really appreciate the details.....have a great nite

[@paulsunseri4927]

I think he took your comment as a suggestion for a future video. As for calculating flex change with a cut, I’ve really only seen some manufacturers actually put lines down the top of the stick that shows what the flex changes to if you were to cut it at that line. Other than that, I’m not sure there’s an exact science to it. Usually it’s said to take half your weight and that’s the recommended flex rating but I’ve got two kids, same height, who are just under 80lbs, one who likes to snap it quick with a 20 flex and another using a taller but cut 30 flex because that’s just what he likes. Unfortunately it’s more trial and error finding what works best but I’d start with getting a stick that is already the right size without cutting. The flex on youth sticks are likely appropriate for a player using it at its uncut length, but you can figure out preferences to fine tune from there at least. Good luck!

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

Flex from what I’ve seen on sticks, I believe Bauer prints it. 1 inch cut 3+ flex points added. My formula and it’s not perfect is 1/2 the kids BW - 10-15 flex points. Now that being said you have to take into consideration player strength. This is also after the stick is cut

[@kevinsmith-uw4mj]

@@paulsunseri4927 thank ypu

[@cglasford1]

Hey @SwansonX7Hockey I can't seem to find the video you referenced a couple times about how to choose the correct stick for your kids. Do you have a link? My son is a mite, he's about 4ft tall and 46lbs and he's using a warrior with 20 flex because that was the lowest flex I could find, I wasn't aware of 10 flex but I did have to cut some off of it and now I'm concerned it might be too stiff of a stick for him. I know the rule of thumb is ~50% of their weight for the flex. Should I get him a 10 flex or just roll with the 20 flex?

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

Here you go. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4nVeHWBgZVnr5Ysi=DbPt3f46yzkarc1_

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

Sorry here is the link. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3asZ3mpjbJ0rrssi=xfvOjXi2UUFR6fFf

[@tsraponi]

why have any grip tape at all? composite stick handles aren't slippery, the material feels like it has a lot of friction already, especially when grabbing it with a hockey glove. i've never experienced slipperyness/lack-of-grip on the bottom hand, which doesn't have any grip tape. i don't think grip tape is necessary or solving any actual problems, i think it's just tradition from the wooden stick era i'm also not really convinced that tape on the blade is that beneficial. so many blades now come with rough texturing that is enough for puckhandling and getting spin on shots. the blade itself feels like it has a higher coefficient of static&kinetic friction than howies hockey tape (which feels pretty smooth, really, especially after it gets wet). this just feels like tradition from the smooth wooden stick era as well why not just go completely tapeless?

[@shrimpanzee8510]

You make good points! The only reason I would tape the blade and especially over the entire toe, is to keep wear down on the blade. I’ve known blades to split and start chipping and taping over that helps a lot

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

When the blade get well, it is extremely slippery. Wax repeals the water and the tape adds friction. Im played tapeless just for phone and its really hard to spin the puck.

[@tsraponi]

makes sense. assuming you don't have wax, would you still prefer wet tape over a wet blade? great videos by the way, keep it up@@SwansonX7Hockey

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

Wet tape will have more friction. What the wax helps, is keeping the snow build up off.

[@quickdry3]

plnty of people do. there isn't really any need for tape at the butt end per se, it isn't the tape that I care about it's the feel of the little ridge at the end of the stick. You might remember many years ago Mission made a little curved butt-end plug with a finger hook. It looked like a "Curtis Curve" but for player sticks. It didn't take off and vanished, but interesting idea. that said, tape may also be required to satisfy the rules. IIHF Rule 10.1 about sticks "The butt end of the stick must be covered by a form of protection. If the cap at the top of a manufactured stick (i.e., metal or carbon) has been removed or falls off, the stick will be considered dangerous equipment." So, a layer of tape can provide that 'protection', and a layer of tape over the top of your shaft can either keep the butt plug in (who wants to lose a butt plug in the middle of play :p ) or cover that there isn't a plug in there at all. Either way, it's something to keep overzealous referees away (or other teams making equipment check requests)

[@holliefitzzz]

different channel to most but i like whats being done here

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

Appreciate it!

[@geneh2972]

I too tape a thin width knob but that's all I use there. I don't see a point of taping a handle. With the amazing tech of the manufacturer's grip, why cover it with tape?

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

It definitely comes down to personal preference! I've experimented with no tape, Lizard grips, and traditional tape over the years. Personally, I find that traditional cloth tape works best for me, especially from a friction and control perspective. It gives just the right amount of grip without feeling too sticky or heavy. But again, every player has their own feel for what works best for them.

[@ahmedhussein448]

Great video thanks man! Do a stick length video !!

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

This video covers it in detail: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3asZ3mpjbJ0rrs

[@bobbykonnight6609]

Great info! Thanks for sharing.

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

Glad it was helpful!

[@1TreeStudio]

heel to toe because that way the overlap isn't collecting ice when you skate : )

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

What if you use wax?

[@eliminator87]

It totally makes sense

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

Thanks for watching

[@buffalOMsoldier]

good video but would appreciate an adult player version, as well as beer leaguer recommendations 🍻🍻

[@jeepsterbidon]

While every game might be optimal, I doubt most of us benefits from the extra performance vs the waste It generates. High performance hockey programs, and pro … maybe. But all kids, most teenagers and most adults are probably ok with extending their tape job to “noticeable wear”… nb if game depends a lot on how “tough” the games are on the stick blade. Just my 2 cents…

[@BWT599]

If my Tovi stick doesn't make me a Beer League legend, I'll come back to this video 😅

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

Beer league GW matter too!

[@RyGuy2156]

Great video, how would you rate Howies tape wax?

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

I haven't personally used it on a stick however based on seeing, I would say slightly more then candle but less then sex wax.

[@NarvTheMainEvent]

Sex Wax is the ONLY Wax

[@misterjon366]

An old school white candle stick is the best (and cheapest).

[@BryanCaballero74]

what was the other wax in the black box? @@SwansonX7Hockey

[@andrewbouchard7266]

i have an extension that’s heavy

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

I believe they make composite ones now.

[@Vancouverallday]

So basically he saying that you aint Patrick Kane chill with that

[@direwolf6234]

with a synthetic stick why even bother to tape it ? seems like they would surface it like tape .. also why white tape ? ... black tape would hide the puck better to fool a goalie ...

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

If you're using it for dryland or roller, it might work fine without tape. However, when the blade gets wet, you’ll lose friction, which will take away from puck control and your ability to spin the puck. That’s where tape helps keep control and performance consistent on the ice.

[@ftds2881]

Bros yappin

[@SwansonX7Hockey]

Of course

[@JamieMcConomy]

As a beer league goalie, I’ve never noticed, or cared, what color tape is on a stick that’s chucking a puck my way.