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Q: Please give me some tips on stick taping.


A: Your stick is one of the most important pieces of equipment and it should be treated as such. The answer to your question is fairly straight forward, whatever suites you best!
      As young players, we often tape our sticks the exact same way that our dads or moms used to tape our sticks when we first started playing. We normally tape our sticks the way we do out of habit and for no other reason. As you get older, you'll start to see players taping their sticks differently. The reason why players tape their sticks differently is because it suites them best, so the secret is to find out what works best for you. How do you do that? In one word, EXPERIMENT!
      Some guys use big knobs for their grip, others us smaller knobs by ripping the tape into a smaller strand. Some players twirl the tape so its almost like a rope, and then they tape over the twisted tape for better grip. Some players shave down the butt end of their stick so that it fits better in their hands. Some players tape their blade from heel to toe while others tape it toe to heel. Some tape the entire blade while others don't. Some players use wax to help keep their blades and the tape around them dry. (A stick with fresh, dry tape will give you better control of the puck.) Some players tape the shaft of their stick so that when their gloves are wet they're still able to grip their stick properly.
      Our advice to you is to experiment. Try your teammates' sticks. Try big knobs and small. Tape your shaft like a candy cane for better grip. Whatever it is that you try, some where along the way you're going to find a technique that fits you and the type of player that you are.




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