Sizing a goalie stick is extremely important as a goalie, because your stick has many purposes. Aside from deflecting pucks and making passes, a goalie stick is used as a tool to provide balance in your stance. The most important measurement for a goalie stick is the paddle height (wide portion of the stick), which is traditionally measured from the heel of the stick to the beginning of the paddle shoulder (where your fingers wrap around).
The paddle height is so important because it sets up the depth of your ready stance and, when properly sized, optimally positions your blocker.
The term “ready stance” means something different for every goalie, so it is extremely difficult to have a formal sizing method; however, you are able to check if your goal stick is the right size for you. To start, put your goal skates on (if you want to be as accurate as possible, put your leg pads and blocker on, too), take your ready stance, and look for the following:
- 1) The entire stick blade is flush to the ground, while being 1 to 2 inches in front of your feet.
- 2) If your stick blade is flush to the ground, you will want the inside edge of your blocker lined up on the outside edge of your leg pad. This is to ensure that there is no double-coverage; if your blocker is overlapping with your leg pad, your stick is too short. If your ‘seven-hole’ (space between arm and body) is open, your stick is too tall.
It is common for children to use taller sticks, relative to their height, because their stance depth isn’t usually as aggressive as a seasoned goalie.
Another thing to consider, but isn’t as crucial, is shaft length. If you are just starting out as a goalie, or you aren’t comfortable playing the puck, do not cut the length of a shaft because it serves to counteract the bottom-heavy weight of a goal stick, keeping the centre of gravity as close the middle as possible. There is an exception to this rule, however, for those comfortable playing the puck—cutting a shaft down will make puck handling easier, and allow you to bring the puck in closer to your body, which makes for a better power transfer while shooting.
Note: Be careful with Bauer goal sticks: they measure about 2” shorter than all other brands due to a different paddle height measurement.
