Composite Vs. Wood Hockey Sticks

The argument among hockey players about the superiority of a wooden stick or a composite stick is never-ending. The emergence of the new one- and two-piece composite sticks has taken the market by storm, but whether wood or composite is truly better depends largely on age, skill level, comfort level and financial investment.

  1. Wood Sticks

    • Sticks made of wood are cheap and easily modifiable. The length of a wooden stick can be changed and the blade adjusted by shaving. They are stiff and have little give when used to take shots. Extended use of a wooden stick may leave it bent or warped as the wood is worn down. Wooden sticks also break easily when stress is put on the blade or shaft.

    Composite Sticks

    • Composite sticks come as a one- or two-piece stick with shaft and replaceable blades. They are lighter than wood sticks but cost more. They are built to shoot a puck harder but have a tendency to break because of the strain placed on them by shooting. The flex in a composite stick is designed to maximize velocity and maintain accuracy. There is also less choice in lie and curve due to the expensive nature of molding the sticks.

    Types of Composite Sticks

    • Fiberglass sticks are made of wood and reinforced by a fiberglass coating. They are the heaviest type of composite stick. Aluminum shafts can be used with wood or composite blades. Graphite can also be used to coat wood sticks similarly to fiberglass, but it is more expensive. Kevlar sticks are among the strongest and lightest available. Fiberglass, graphite and Kevlar sticks can be made using more than one material. Titanium sticks are similar to Kevlar but are usually not mixed with other materials.

    Composite Over Wood

    • Composite sticks are lighter than wood, which makes them easier to handle and gives a player more maneuverability with one or two hands. They also allow a player to shoot the puck harder than with a wooden stick, as the shaft has more flex in it that helps to catapult a puck off the blade, utilizing the energy created during the shot. In the last decade, composite sticks have replaced wooden sticks as the material of choice among professional ice hockey players.

    Wood Over Composite

    • The cost of a high-end wooden stick is cheaper than that of a low-end composite stick. Wooden sticks are also more resilient and break less frequently, and show signs of age with chips and splinters, while a composite stick may shatter at a moment's notice. There is a higher selection of blade types in a wooden stick. Wood shafts are stiffer, which makes it easier for novice players to stickhandle and take more accurate wrist and snap shots. There is also less vibration in a wooden stick than a composite stick.