Private Team Training

From the man who taught the Russians how to play...

“After a player considers the “feel” of the stick, he must consider the lie of it. According to tests, the flatter the lie of the stick the less power it is possible to get behind the shot. This is due to the fact that when using a lie from one to three, the player has to hold his stick well away from the body.

While using a five to seven lie, the player has to hold his stick closer to the body and thus the stick can be more powerfully whipped. Furthermore, you have better puck control when the puck is closer to your feet and the stick is closer to the body, a definite advantage during scrambled play.

Shooting and passing accuracy tests made with different lie sticks indicated strongly that the close lie stick was the most effective. One must also consider the curvature of the stick blade. A stick with a straight blade is the best because the puck is easier to control. With the advent of the curved blade, backhand passing and shooting have become less of an option for many players.

The more curvature you have on the blade of the stick the less you are able to control the puck.”

The Hockey Handbook by Lloyd Percival

Copyright 1951