Hockey Stick Length Calculator
What size hockey stick do I need? This free hockey stick length calculator answers that plus the three questions every buyer asks next: what flex hockey stick should I use, what lie should my hockey stick be, and how much does cutting a hockey stick increase flex. It is a complete hockey stick sizing guide in four calculators — hockey stick length by height with the classic chin vs nose rule (on skates and off), a hockey stick flex calculator from body weight, a blade hockey stick lie chart estimator, and a cut-down planner. Built for ice hockey; roller and street players get guidance notes too. How to measure hockey stick length, how tall should my hockey stick be, hockey stick length for defensemen vs hockey stick length for forwards — all covered below.
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Stick length finder — hockey stick length by height
The chin vs nose hockey stick rule: without skates the shaft top should reach your nose; with hockey stick length with skates on, it should reach your chin. Pick a playing style to fine-tune.
Flex recommender — hockey stick flex by weight
Rule of thumb from the manufacturers: start near half your body weight, minus 10–15 flex points. The hockey stick flex chart below shows the full ladder; this hockey stick flex calculator personalizes it.
Lie estimator — what lie should my hockey stick be
Lie (4–7) sets the shaft angle when the blade sits flat. Taller, upright skaters trend higher; shorter, deep-knee skaters trend lower. Rough guidance — confirm with tape wear.
Cut-down planner — cutting down a hockey stick
Sawing inches off the top makes a stick play stiffer — about 3% per inch. See the new effective flex before you cut, or work backwards from the flex you want to land on.
Hockey stick size chart by height
Manufacturer bands (Bauer chart). Bands overlap in real catalogs, so the calculator assigns you by the lower bound of each band — junior hockey stick size chart, intermediate and senior in one table. Youth hockey stick size chart included for the youngest players.
| Band | Height | Weight | Flex range | Stock lengths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth | Under 4 ft 2 in | Under 70 lb | 10–30 | 38″, 40″, 42″, 45″ |
| Junior | 4 ft 2 in – 4 ft 11 in | 60–100 lb | 30–50 | 46″, 48″, 51″, 53″ |
| Intermediate | 4 ft 11 in – 5 ft 5 in | 95–140 lb | 55–75 | 54″, 55″, 57″ |
| Senior | 5 ft 5 in – 83 ft 3 in | 130–1000000000 lb | 65–110 | 57″, 60″, 63″ |
Hockey stick flex chart
Computed from the half-body-weight rule (minus 10–15). Hockey stick size for kids and light juniors sits at the soft end; most adults land 70–87.
| Body weight | Recommended flex | Sensible range | Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 lb | 20 | 15–30 | Youth |
| 80 lb | 30 | 30–40 | Junior |
| 100 lb | 55 | 55–50 | Intermediate |
| 120 lb | 55 | 55–60 | Intermediate |
| 140 lb | 65 | 65–70 | Senior |
| 160 lb | 70 | 65–80 | Senior |
| 180 lb | 80 | 75–90 | Senior |
| 200 lb | 90 | 85–100 | Senior |
Hockey stick lie chart
Common retail lies and who they suit. Your estimator result maps onto this ladder.
| Lie | Approx. angle | Suits | Example patterns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5 | ≈44° | Deep-knee, shorter players | Low-lie customs |
| 5 | ≈45° | Bent stance, puck out front | Warrior W88, CCM P28 |
| 5.5 | ≈46° | Average stance (most common) | CCM P29, Easton E3 |
| 6 | ≈47° | Tall or upright skaters | Bauer P92 / P88, Warrior W03 |
| 6.5 | ≈48° | Very upright, puck close to skates | High-lie customs |
Sizing at a glance
Still asking what size hockey stick do i need? Start with the length finder, then sanity-check against the hockey stick size chart by height above. If you are unsure how to measure hockey stick length at home: stand the stick on its toe between your feet — nose without skates, chin with skates on. Torn between an intermediate hockey stick size and a senior? A stock senior hockey stick length runs 57–63 inches, so players near 5-foot-5 often cut a senior down instead of stretching an intermediate. Asking what flex hockey stick should i use for a hard slap shot? Take the recommended flex and add 5. A hockey stick too long costs you puck control and shot leverage — when in doubt between two lengths, cut. For hockey stick size for kids, use the youth hockey stick size chart row and re-check every few months: kids grow fast, and a stick that fit in September can be a lever-arm problem by January.
Frequently asked questions
What size hockey stick do I need for my height?
Use the chin-to-nose rule: with skates on, the top of the shaft should reach your chin; without skates (bare feet or shoes), it should reach your nose. For example, a 5-foot-10 player measured with skates on gets a target length of 62.5 inches (chin (on skates)) — a Senior stick, buying a 63-inch stock stick and cutting 0.5 inch. Enter your height in the length finder above for your exact number.
How do I measure hockey stick length with skates on vs off?
Stand the stick on its toe between your feet. Off skates, mark where it meets your nose; on skates, it should meet your chin — skates add about 2 inches of effective height, so the two measurements agree. Example: a 5-foot-6 player measured without skates targets 60 inches (nose = 60 in), a Senior stick with 0 inch to cut from a 60-inch stock stick. This is the same hockey stick length with skates on vs off conversion the calculator applies automatically.
What flex hockey stick should I use?
Start with about half your body weight, then subtract 10-15 flex points — that window covers the major manufacturers' guidance. A 160 lb player lands on 70 flex (sensible range 65-80, Senior band). An 80 lb junior lands on 30 flex (range 30-40). Quick-release shooters can drop 5 flex; slap shot takers can add 5. Most adult players end up between 70 and 87.
How much does cutting a hockey stick increase flex?
Roughly 3 percent for every inch removed — so a 75 flex stick cut down 2 inches plays like about 80 flex (a gain of 5 flex points), and a 60-inch stick becomes 58 inches long. Cut a little at a time and re-check the length. Planning a big cut? Buy a lower flex to start: to land on 75 flex after cutting 2 inches, buy a 70 flex stick.
What lie should my hockey stick be?
Lie runs from 4 (flatter) to 7 (more upright). Taller players and upright skaters need a higher lie; shorter players and deep-knee, bent skaters need a lower one. A 6-foot-2 upright skater estimates to lie 6.5 (about 48 degrees), while a 5-foot-4 bent skater estimates to lie 4.5. Check your tape wear: wear near the toe means try a higher lie, wear near the heel means try a lower lie. This is rough guidance, not a precise measurement.
Junior vs intermediate vs senior — how do I pick?
Match your height first, weight second: Youth under 4-foot-6, Junior 4-foot-2 to 4-foot-11, Intermediate 4-foot-11 to 5-foot-5, Senior 5-foot-5 and up (manufacturer bands overlap, so these are the lower-bound cutoffs the calculator uses). Each step up also means a thicker shaft and a stiffer flex range — Junior 30-50, Intermediate 55-75, Senior 65-110. Between sizes, most fitters recommend going smaller: a shorter stick is easier to handle, and any stick can be cut down.
Should defensemen use a longer hockey stick than forwards?
Usually yes — reach helps poke checks and shot blocking, while forwards often trade an inch or two for quicker stickhandling. For a 5-foot-10 player on skates, the balanced target is 62.5 inches; the reach setup adds 2 inches (64.5 in) and the control setup subtracts 2 (60.5 in). There is no single best hockey stick length for defensemen or forwards — start from the balanced number and adjust to your game.
Can I use the same sizing for inline or street hockey?
The same chin-to-nose method works as a starting point for inline hockey stick size and street hockey stick length, but two caveats: inline skates sit a little lower than ice skates, and many roller players prefer the stick up to an inch shorter for tighter handling on sport court. This calculator is built for ice hockey; treat the result as an upper bound for roller and street play, then trim to feel.
How do I know if my hockey stick is too long?
Two checks. First the ruler test: with skates on, the shaft top should sit between your collarbone and chin — above the nose and you are giving up leverage and puck control. Second the lie test: in your normal stance the blade should sit flat on the ice; if only the toe touches, the stick is effectively too long or the lie too low. A stick that is too long also plays stiffer than its rating because you grip lower on the shaft.
What size hockey stick does my kid need if they are still growing?
Size for today, not next year — but buy at the top of the current band so there is room. Example: a 4-foot-2 (50 in) player targets 46.5 inches with no skates, a Junior stick (buy 48 in, cut 1.5 in). For growing players, keep the shaft top at or below eye level and re-check every few months; an end plug can add length back if a growth spurt overtakes a cut.
How this hockey stick length calculator was built. Length targets come from the chin/nose fitting rule used across manufacturer guides (nose without skates, chin with skates on); size bands follow the Bauer retail chart; flex follows the half-body-weight guidance; cut-down stiffening uses the ~3%-per-inch rule; lie is directional guidance only. All four are starting points — personal preference and on-ice feel have the final say. For hockey stick length for beginners: start balanced, then go shorter for control or longer for reach.
Free tool by NRTechStudio