If anyone imagines a fusion of cricket and football, most probably it is gonna be hockey. You got a bat-like object, a ball, and a goal post as well; but the excitement remains the same. 

Hockey is a fast-paced, exciting, dramatic sport, a good source of adrenaline for sure. So once you have decided that you are going to play hockey, the anxiety of the hectic process can hit you a little hard. Let’s assume that you are done with all those training admissions and you are physically pretty much prepared, then it all comes to buying gears and equipment. As it is a  fast-paced game, a lot of shields and much other equipment are required which can end up with a pretty good expense. We are here to help you out with the very first things you will think of buying Hockey Sticks.

Things to know about before buying a Hockey Stick:

Let’s just have a quick tour of the essentials you need to know before you buy a hockey stick.

• Grip: If you want a tight and tacked feeling then you can go for the grip. In case of a smooth feeling, go for no grip.
• Height: This mainly depends on your height and comfort. If you are a tall fellow, a long stick is definitely required. 
• Flex: Flex means the flexibility of the hockey stick, how much pressure can bend the stick. It depends mainly on your weight. (generally half of your pound should be the flex number. In case you are of 206 pounds then the flex should be 103)
• Kick point height: It depends on how you like to make the shot. 
• Blade pattern: This is the most personal preference. You need to try out a few hockey sticks to find your comfort zone. 

Our top ten choices:

So here goes the list of those best hockey sticks we got which you may consider buying.

1. BAUER VAPOR 2X PRO

At first glance, you will get to see the micro field two shaft dimension here which is pretty unique to Bauer. This increases the comfort level a lot. Getting down to the construction, you will see rounded corners with double concave walls, which is gonna give a secure and comfortable holding in hands. There is a huge upgrade in the material.

They have used text stream 18k carbon fiber. This one is an incredibly lightweight material, which Bauer started using in all their elite level sticks. The stick is very responsive and also does a very good job of managing impacts. For the durability, they have increased the shaft wall thickness this year, but that doesn’t reduce the playability at all. The HP molding process is putting it all together. This high performance really creates a much more consistent product in comparing others present on the market. This gives the maximum energy transfer to the puck as possible. Moving down to the taper, you will see the new XE taper here.

This is an elliptical shape taper that Bauers has been testing and trying to use it for quick release. They managed to use this taper in this model with perfection. This low kick point stick does have an extremely quick release system. Very much perfect for the close to net, aggressive shots. The design of the taper supports all these features. They made it softer on the top ¾ parts, and at the last, they have stiffened it. You will see the texturing carbon fiber coming into the blade. This is masking the max balance technology with aero foam down through the center. The stiffer outer rim and the aero foam just match the low kick point and increases the performance level. This is one of the best hockey sticks to buy in the medium price range.

Pros:

• High performance
• Lightweight
• Perfect for quick shots

Cons:

• The higher flex sticks can get a bit heavy, but after cutting, you will be just good to go. 

2. CCM RIBCOR TRIGGER 4 PRO

Right at the beginning, you will find super nice shaft dimensions. The double concave sidewalls are really comfortable for the top hand. The rounded corners give a very comfortable feeling while holding in the top hand. For your lower hand, means in the second thirds, it is actually going to flatten out in the back. So you will get a concave on the front and flat on the back. This design allows you to have better controls and stability while giving a big shot. For the bottom, it is the routine CCM design in this model, with their sigma tex 18k carbon fiber, which is one of the most elite level materials in the market today.

This is paired with the XFlow resin system. The one-piece construction process is going to provide some excellent level energy transfer directly to the puck. The entire design is going to provide great consistency and a greater balance point. Moving towards the kick point and taper, things get exciting here. Firstly if you look from the front at the bottom third, it looks like a regular Ribcor from CCM. Then looking at the back, you will find that it is convex. The front part still allows that quick release, but the convex backing prevents the shaft from twisting. This also increases the accuracy of your shots, durability, and reduces a significant amount of weight. But despite all the big changes, the low kick point works just perfectly as the other Ribcor models. You will get to see some big changes in the blade as well.

CCM used their agility blade in here. After a lot of experiments, they have softened the linear stiffness to ensure the accuracy and higher popping feature. They tried to upgrade their look profile as well. This one is definitely one of the best hockey sticks available in the market liked by all players.

Pros:

• Shot accuracy
• Lightweight
• Unique design and high technology for excellent balance

Cons:

• The price tag may seem a little high, but you will never regret paying the money or will not want to use any other stick in the future.

 3. WARRIOR ALPHA DX SL

Warrior’s entire Alpha line has some unique shaft design. Which are rounded walls and double concave sidewalls to make the stick comfortable to hold. This is a total one-piece construction to add consistency to the final product. The construction material is a minimus carbon 1400 deep carbon fiber which gives great energy transfer, makes the stick lightweight and responsive. It has a low kick point. You will find uniqueness in the taper called the Sabre taper. It allows you to have a quick-release shot at the same time you can have a long, big shot when it is necessary. You will find another big upgrade in the blade.

They have introduced new fuel core construction in the blade. It increases the performance and the durability of the blade in the long run. The blade is also not heavy, which gives a very good feel in the hand throughout the game. The Apex grip can give a tacky feeling all game long, which is liked by the beginners a lot. It is quite a good choice for the beginner stick and it is in the mid-price range.

Pros:

• Very responsive and quick shots friendly
• High strength and lightweight
• Unique color combination

Cons:

• Few cases of the chipped blade have been reported

4. BAUER VAPOR 1X LITE ADV PRO

This lightweight stick is one-piece construction, giving a good feel on the hand. You see the term LITE in the model name, and you can expect to feel no weight nearly while holding this thing. This is one of the first top-line best hockey sticks which weighs so less. It feels lighter because of the weight distribution. Getting down to the construction, this is not so traditional, a much more curved corner concave stick. Which is more comfortable for stick handling.

It has a low kick point, as expected from the quick 1X family. They have made a slight change to the taper. It has a quick-release taper plus. The total mass of the taper is increased from the previous model to prevent the blade from being unstable while shooting. The kick point of this stick is the result of a lot of engineering research. So you can easily expect the best performance from it. The blade design is also built with high technologies, so it is one of the top NHL level sticks that Bauer has ever made.

Pros:

• Very lightweight
• Filled with excellent features
• Result of all the researches of Bauer till date, so one of the highest technologized sticks. 

Cons:

• People expect a bit more durability because of the price, but the performance you will get from its lifetime, you won’t regret ever.

5. TRUE XCORE XC9 ACF

Right in the beginning, you will find rounded corners and concave sidewalls to have a great feel in the hands. You will find TRUE’s axenic technology in the construction. It gives a very good energy transfer and better power. This is totally unique to TRUE. The carbon twill fiberglass is going to give a good performance and better durability. This has a mid kick point which is really ideal for the power shooters. Moving down to the blade you will find the XCORE GEN 2.

That is a polyurethane compressible insert that you will see on the rear, which moves up all long the blade. This will give you three times longer sweet spots in the blade. It also offers a better dampening property this year. The technology keeps the puck stick to the stick during the passing, so you will definitely have a better passing experience. You will also get SmartPly technology for better balance.  Finally, there is BRt plus technology, which braided rib tubes that heel to toe preventing those twisting during the big shots, working as a backbone. It increases shot accuracy and overall durability. Most interestingly it comes with a great balance which is pretty unexpected at this price.

Pros:

• Ultra consistent thickness from top to bottom, which prevents it from breaking, so you will get good durability. 
• Very responsive
• Great balance

Cons:

• A little heavier than others, though you won’t feel it at all because of the weight distribution.

6. WARRIOR COVERT QR EDGE

Right at the beginning, you will see rounded corners and straight sidewalls, providing a very traditional and comfortable feel in the hands. The material used in the basic construction is the minimus 1200, which is a  commendable upgrade. You will find a few upgrades in the construction style as well. This is a total one-piece construction.

It has distributed the weight really well to improve consistency and responsiveness. It has a super low kick point, sped up for more accuracy than the last model. The geometry of the design improved the playability a lot. It barely takes any effort to load up the stick to get a nice hard shot off. The unique design made the shot a lot more stable. Moving down to the blade, you will get premium level durability without using the fiberglass. It is a total carbon weaving in the blade. Because of the weight balance, it feels lighter than it actually is. There is another benefit of the lightness, it increases the speed of your shot, makes it really better for the quick releases. You will find the pro Cortex grip for better stickhandling. Surely this is one of the best hockey sticks available on the market.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Comfortable stick handling
• Head to toe stiffness to increase durability

Cons:

• Takes time to figure out the best angle to shoot

7. CCM RIBCOR TRIGGER 4 PRO

Ribcor made an exciting change this year into the shaft dimensions. On the top ⅓  of the stick, you will get to see rounded sidewalls with double concave. Which is very comfortable for your top hand. Moving down to the ⅔ of the stick, it is gonna flattend out on the back. So you will have concave on the front, flat on the back. This design allows you to have better controls and stability while giving a big shot. For the bottom, it is the routine CCM design in this model, with their sigma tex 18k carbon fiber, which is one of the most elite level materials in the market today. This is paired with the XFlow resin system.

The one-piece construction process is going to provide some excellent level energy transfer directly to the puck. The entire design is going to provide great consistency and a greater balance point. Moving towards the kick point and taper, things get exciting here. Firstly if you look from the front at the bottom third, it looks like a regular Ribcor from CCM. Then looking at the back, you will find that it is convex. The front part still allows that quick release, but the convex backing prevents the shaft from twisting. This also increases the accuracy of your shots, durability, and reduces a significant amount of weight.

But despite all the big changes, the low kick point works just perfectly as the other Ribcor models. You will get to see some big changes in the blade as well. CCM used their agility blade in here. After a lot of experiments, they have softened the linear stiffness to ensure the accuracy and higher popping feature. They tried to upgrade their look profile as well. This one is definitely one of the best hockey sticks available in the market liked by all players.

Pros:

• Shot accuracy
• Lightweight
• Unique design and high technology for excellent balance

Cons:

• You will need some practice to get habituated with the shape and design.

8. WARRIOR ALPHA DX SL

Warrior’s entire Alpha line has some unique shaft design. Which are rounded walls and double concave sidewalls to make the stick comfortable to hold. This is a total one-piece construction to add consistency to the final product. The construction material is a minimus carbon 1400 deep carbon fiber which gives great energy transfer, makes the stick lightweight and responsive.

It has a low kick point. You will find uniqueness in the taper called the Sabre taper. It allows you to have a quick-release shot at the same time you can have a long, big shot when it is necessary. You will find another big upgrade in the blade. They have introduced new fuel core construction in the blade. It increases the performance and the durability of the blade in the long run. The blade is also not heavy, which gives a very good feel in the hand throughout the game. The Apex grip can give a tacky feeling all game long, which is liked by the beginners a lot. It is quite a good choice for the beginner stick and it is in the mid-price range.

Pros:

• Very responsive and quick shots friendly
• High strength and lightweight
• Unique color combination

Cons:

• Few cases of the chipped blade have been reported

9. BAUER VAPOR 1X LITE ADV PRO

This lightweight stick is one-piece construction, giving a good feel on the hand. You see the term LITE in the model name, and you can expect to feel no weight nearly while holding this thing. This is one of the first top-line best hockey sticks which weighs so less. It feels lighter because of the weight distribution. Getting down to the construction, this is not so traditional, a much more curved corner concave stick. Which is more comfortable for stick handling.

It has a low kick point, as expected from the quick 1X family. They have made a slight change to the taper. It has a quick-release taper plus. The total mass of the taper is increased from the previous model to prevent the blade from being unstable while shooting. The kick point of this stick is the result of a lot of engineering research. So you can easily expect the best performance from it. The blade design is also built with high technologies, so it is one of the top NHL level sticks that Bauer has ever made.

Pros:

• Very lightweight
• Filled with excellent features
• Result of all the researches of Bauer till date, so one of the highest technologized sticks. 

Cons:

• People expect a bit more durability because of the price, but the performance you will get from its lifetime, you won’t regret ever.

10. SHER-WOOD REKKER M90

If one is looking for good quality cheap hockey sticks, then this is the model they definitely should try. Sherwood was not that famous like Bauer and CCM for making quality sticks. But with this model, they managed to go higher with every possible detail. Firstly, it’s got a good grip feeling. When you will take it into your hand, you will feel that comfortable and intact feeling because of the grip. The blade construction is pretty much upgraded than those previous model. It is under 400 grams.

So it is pretty light. This is very balanced stick with a low kick point. For hard long passes, it plays amazing. They have used Flylite 2 technology for the balance. To increase the structural strength, they have used resinjection. It is a total package of high technologies, so you will find Graphene infused technology used for impact resistance. This stick is very responsive as well. They have used Backline XXV carbon fiber for it. Moving down to the taper, you will get a DropKick taper for quick release. The VRF.4 blade is going to make the puck controlling amazing.

Pros:

• Budget friendly
• Comfortable
• Better stick handling 

Cons:

• Durability takes a hit. But seeing the price, it is considerable.

Before you buy :

If you are a beginner, maybe you are hell level confused right now. There are so many brands, so many things to buy, so many features and as a beginner, you don’t have any clue what the brands are talking about even. 

Here goes a little advice, if you are planning to take training from someone, discuss with your trainer,  play with a few sticks, try to figure out the features your hand finds right, like the grip, flex etc. Your trainer can tell you what kind of hockey will be better for you, seeing your running speed and reflexes. So before you buy the equipment, before figuring out what you want, figure out yourself. Equipment doesn’t play, it’s you who plays the game. So you are the one who needs to be experimented,  not the equipment. So find yourself out and all the best for your hockey career.