How to choose a hockey stick

Three things decide most of it: the size class, the length, and the flex. Get those right and everything else is preference. Pick the size class for the player’s body, stand the stick up to check length, and start your flex near half your body weight in pounds. Then choose a color, because that part is up to you.

Start with the size class

Sticks come in classes built around player size, not gender. We make three, one honest build per size:

• Senior: 77 flex, 385 grams, about 65 inches (165 cm). For adult players.
• Intermediate: 50 flex, 320 grams, about 62 inches (157 cm). For growing players.
• Junior: 20 flex, 260 grams, about 58 inches (147 cm). For younger players.

If a player is between classes, go by weight and strength over age. A light adult can be happier on an Intermediate.

Check the length

Stand the stick on its toe in front of you. In shoes it should reach somewhere around your nose. On skates, closer to your chin. Taller players and defensemen often like a touch longer for reach. Forwards who stickhandle in tight often like it a touch shorter. You can trim a stick down, so when in doubt, start longer.

Pick a flex

Flex is how much the shaft bends when you load it. Lower number bends easier. A rough starting point is half your body weight in pounds, so a 150 pound player lands near a 77. That is a start, not a law. Prefer quick wrist shots and you can go softer. Prefer heavy slap shots and you can go stiffer. We cover the details in hockey stick flex, explained.

Left or right handed

This is about which hand sits lower on the shaft. Lower left hand is a left-handed stick, lower right hand is a right-handed stick. Not sure? Hold a broom the way that feels natural and see which hand ends up on the bottom. Every Maila stick comes in both, at the same price.

Material matters more than logos

A one-piece carbon fiber stick is lighter and transfers more of your energy into the puck than an old wood or two-piece stick. Every Maila is 100% carbon fiber. If you are weighing the jump, read are carbon fiber hockey sticks worth it.

Then choose a color

Here is the part nobody else lets you do. Black was taken, so we went the other way. The color has nothing to do with how the stick plays and everything to do with picking one out of a rack at a glance. More on that in colored hockey sticks.

What you get

Each stick ships with a velvet bag and a regulation-size puck. Shipping to the US is free, with duties and taxes already in the price, so there is no customs bill at the door. If it breaks in normal play within 30 days, we replace it once, and manufacturing defects are covered for a year. You have 30 days to return an unused stick. Full details live on the FAQ.

Still deciding? Find your stick walks you through it, or just go shop hockey sticks and sort it by color.