What does flex mean for hockey sticks?
Hockey Stick Flex is a measure of how flexible or how stiff a hockey stick is when a force is applied to it. When a player bends their hockey stick when taking a shot, it essentially turns the hockey stick into a spring storing energy. When the spring is released (when the stick unbends and returns to straight), the energy is released and accelerates the puck. Generally you want the stiffest flex stick that you can flex completely to take full advantage of the stick recoil as it snaps the puck forward. If the hockey stick is too stiff then the player won’t be able to bend it and get the extra accelerating effects. If the flex isn’t stiff enough the hockey stick will bend too much and the accuracy of the shot deteriorates. The kick point is where the shaft flexes when enough pressure is applied to bend it. Composite sticks are often engineered to have low kick points on the shaft for a quicker release. The loading of the stick happens sooner since there is less distance for the stick to
