Hockey sticks are no longer simple slabs of wood. We help navigate the complexity.

Flex Calculator

Sticks today are made from composite materials selected by genius scientists. If you are a player or purchaser that wants to make sure your stick provides maximum performance, you have come to the right spot. The purpose of this website is to provide provide tools and resources that help you make an informed hockey stick purchase, primarily focusing on the flex of a hockey stick.

Hockey Stick Flex Calculator

Use our Flex Finder below to calculate your ideal flex.


Flex Finder

Enter your information below to find your flex

Height
Weight
Shot Preference
Strength
(be honest)

Find My Flex

Finding the right flex for your individual playing style is important. A good rule of thumb is that your flex is approximately half your body weight. This is for an average player, though, and is not the rule for everyone. Several factors that influence your flex selection include:

 
Your height and weight

The length cut down from your stick

The type of player you are – offensive, defensive, shooter, passer, stick handler

Primary shot type – slap shot, wrist shot, snap shot

Use our Flex Finder above to get precise recommendations based on your personal attributes and playing style. This is our hockey stick flex calculator which uses our proprietary algorithm to determine appropriate flex recommendations.

How do these influence flex calculation?

Height – The shorter your height, the higher the flex since you’ll likely cut down your stick and make it stiffer.

Weight – The heavier your weight, the higher the flex since your body weight will naturally apply more flex.

Shot Preference – If you take a lot of slap shots, you’ll want a higher flex to handle the increased force you are applying (as compared to a wrist/snap shot).

Strength – If you are stronger than average, you’ll want a higher flex to handle the increased force you are applying.

Playing Style – If you are a stick handler primarily, as a general rule, you should choose a lower flex because you get a better feel of the stick.

This is the science of hockey stick flex, but your stick selection is a personal preference. Please use this information as a starting point in your selection process. These are guidelines, not rules. If possible, try and borrow some of your teammates’ sticks during practices to test different types. Trade sticks with someone who is your same size and let them experiment with your stick also.

What if I cut down my stick? Does stick size matter?

Sticks usually come in four different sizes – youth, junior, intermediate, and senior. Generally speaking, each of these sizes coorespond with your age, weight, and height according to the chart below. Each type is a different length on average.









Type

Pounds

Flex

Youth

0-60

30

Junior

60-100

50

Intermediate

100-150

75

Senior Mid

150-170

80

Senior Regular

170-200

85-90

Senior Stiff

200+

100
Because you normally cut your stick to size you will affect the flex of the stick. Many sticks have markings that indicate different flexes resulting after a stick is cut down. The stick will actually become more rigid (i.e. the flex gets higher) as it is shortened.

Here is a great chart from Bauer laying out the resulting flex depending in the number of inches cut from their stick (NOTE – THIS IS BAUERS GUIDE ONLY AND MAY NOT APPLY TO ALL STICKS):

IMG_2984.JPG

Here are height/weight/length/age groupings based on different types of sticks:

Senior
Height – 5′ 6″ and taller
Weight – 120 lbs and heavier
Stick Length – 58″ – 63″
Age – 14 yrs old and older

Intermediate
Height – 4′ 6″ – 5′ 3″
Weight – 120 – 160 lbs
Stick Length – 56″ – 57″
Age – 11 – 16 yrs old

Junior
Height – 3′ 9″ – 4′ 9″
Weight – 50 – 120 lbs
Stick Length – 50″ – 54″
Age – 6 – 11 yrs old

Youth
Height – 4′ 0″ and under
Weight – 60 lbs and lighter
Stick Length – 46″ – 48″
Age – 7 yrs old and younger

Some players will cut their sticks shorter than others. For example, danglers that fancy crafty stick handling as a pillar of their game will benefit from cutting their stick shorter than normal. This allows them increased maneuverability in tight spots and a better feel while stick handling. On the other hand, defensemen that blast slap shots regularly and rely on their reach for effective poke checking will benefit from a longer than normal stick. This provides more power and length of reach. Again, personal preference trumps textbook knowledge on this topic, so cut your stick to the height you that makes your gameplay most comfortable.

The rule of thumb for cutting your stick is that it should come to your nose with the toe of the blade on the ice, your skates on, and the shaft of the stick parallel to your body. Without your skates on, it should come to your chin using the same measuring technique.

Our flex calculator above assumes that you prefer a stick length average for your height.

Why is hockey stick flex important?

Choosing the right flex will have a direct effect on the speed of your shot. When the stick flexes it acts as a spring which creates energy that accelerates the puck. If you choose a stick with too much flex, however, your shot speed will decrease because there is not enough resistance to spring the shaft forward. You need to balance the amount of flex with durability of the stick. If your stick is too flimsy it is much more likely to break.

How is flex measured?

Flex is a measurement of the amount of pressure required to bend the stick one inch. It is measured on pounds.

How does stick material impact flex?

Composite sticks have many more options than wood sticks for flex. The biggest difference is the kick point that you get with a composite stick. The kick point is the location on the shaft where your stick flexes. The lower the kick point, the stronger the snap that you get from the flex recoil.

Still Have Questions?

Leave your question in the comments section below and our team of experts will respond promptly.