If you are new to the game of hockey you are probably curious about taping your hockey stick. We will help you out with that.
The best tape to use on the blade of your hockey stick is water-resistant cloth tape. If you are a forward or defenseman 1 inch wide tape is best. If you are a goalie 1.5 – 2 inch tape is best. White or black are the best colors to use because white blends into the ice making and black hides the puck. This type of cloth tape is often called stick tape. It is designed to not leave any residue on your stick after being peeled off.
Keep on skating down this article, we will talk about tricks to taping your stick to save your gloves and other things that are beneficial to newbies in taping their hockey stick.
What Is Hockey Stick Tape?
Hockey stick tape is typically a non-elastic cloth-based tape that is made with a special adhesive so that it does not leave a residue on your stick after it is removed. That adhesive is only on one side, and that is the side that sticks to your hockey stick.
This tape is also water-resistant so that the melting ice does not cause the tape to peel off right away.
Hockey tape is not friction tape. Friction tape was commonly used in place of hockey tape before the 1960s. Some players still call it the Gordie Howe tape because that is what he used to use on his stick.
Friction tape is also a cloth-based type but it is completely covered in a rubber adhesive. This means both sides are very sticky. This rubber adhesive tends to transfer to many things that it touches, and in many pro arenas, it is banned from being used.
Some people also ask if hockey stick tape and athletic tape can be used interchangeably.
Hockey stick tape and athletic tape are not the same things. Both of these tapes are cloth-based however, athletic tape is used primarily on your body to support areas where injuries have occurred. Athletic tape has less adhesive and tears much easier. For these reasons, athletic tape is not a great option for the blade of your hockey stick.
Why Do I Need To Tape My Hockey Stick?
Taping your hockey stick provides a few benefits
- Protects your stick
- Adds grips
- Increases shot and pass accuracy
To begin, taping your stick will add an extra layer of protection between the blade and any outside force. These outside forces could be the puck, the ice, or another player’s stick, or skate.
You will find that the tape on your stick gets pretty tore up after a few games.
Not only does taping your stick provide a bit of protection but it also gives you added grip both on your blade and on the handle of your stick.
The added grip on the handle is a benefit but stick tape has a bit of a grit to it that will eventually wear your hockey gloves out. In a few paragraphs, we will let you know some ways we have seen other players use to prolong glove life with the way they tape their sticks.
The extra grip is a great thing for the blade of your stick. This allows you to grab on to the puck better which helps with increased passing and shooting accuracy.
Best Ways To Tape Your Hockey Stick
There are few popular options to tape your hockey stick.
Let’s start with the handle.
Commonly players use regular hockey stick tape around the handle of their stick, however, this can tear your gloves up quickly causing holes to form in their palms.
When it comes to taping the handle of your stick athletic tape or even clear hockey sock tape is a great option. Some players will even use a grip tape around the handle of their stick. Grip tape reminds me of the bandages that you get after giving blood. They are grippy but spongy at the same time.
If using grip tape, it’s a good idea to lay down a base layer of stick tape first and then finish your tape job with grip tape.
As for the ways and designs of taping the handle of your stick, there are a few different popular options.
You can go with a large knob, Small Knob, no knob, or the rope method (ribbed).
I have found that this is totally personal preference. There is no right answer here. Some players prefer a large knob at the end of their stick which they say helps them grip their hockey stick a little better, much like a joy stick.
Some players don’t like the knob being there and they just prefer a little bit of added texture on the end of their stick.
While other players like the rope or ribbed style tape job which lets their fingers rest in between each rib and gives them extra grip.
When it comes to the blade of your stick there are a few common styles.
- The entire blade (The sock)
- Heel To Toe (bits of the heel and toe are out)
- Just the tip (Half of the blade to the toe)
- Just the center
The Sock method covers the entire blade of your hockey stick. I have even seen some players cover a bit of the shaft of the stick as well. This is a great hockey stick tape-style because it adds extra protection. The area where your blade and shaft meet is an area that can get damaged relatively easily.
The most popular method you will probably see in beer league hockey is the heel-to-toe.There are tiny bits of the toe and the heel that are exposed. It’s the one I typically do unless my stick is starting to get beat up (then I do the sock method). This tape job gives you great control over the puck anywhere that it may be on your blade.
I’ve noticed players recently only taping the toe of the blade. This is for players that typically take quick wrist or snapshots from the toe of their blades. While it uses less stick tape, it leaves your balde more vulnerable to damage.
The last common tape-style I have seen is just the center of the blade, also called the 5 strand. The tape job uses the least amount of tape but leaves a whole lot of the blade unprotected. The only benefit I can think of is that it’s quick.
What Color Hockey Tape Should I Use?
NHL players mostly use white stick tape. This helps the blade of your stick blend into the ice which makes tracking your blade more difficult for the goalie.
Black stick tape is probably the second most popular option behind white stick tape because the black tape camouflages the puck on your stick a little bit.
That being said, this is beer league hockey we are talking about here. I don’t choosing the right tape color is going to make you score more goals. When I first started I wore purple tape on my stick because purple is the color of royalty!! I got shamed in the locker room, now I wear black tape.
Choose whatever color hockey stick tape is calling your name. Red is a powerful color, who knows maybe it will give you extra power on your shots!
Can I Use Duct Tape On My Hockey Stick?
I wouldn’t.
Duct tape is just not a great idea. It does not do what we need it to do, which is a rare thing to say about duct tape. Duct tape is probably the most versatile tape there is. If I was stranded on an island and could only bring one type of tape with me, it would definitely be duct tape.
However, in a hockey situation duct tape does not provide any sort of grip for the puck and it also has a messy adhesive that will eventually rub onto your gloves and be very annoying.
Avoid using duct tape on your hockey sticks.
Why Use Hockey Stick Tape
Hockey stick tape is specifically designed to be used on your hockey stick. It is a cloth-based tape with a bit of grip to it which helps control the puck more. It has been made with a special adhesive that is designed to leave no residue behind after it is removed.
For people skating out the common width is 1 inch, for goalies, you will commonly use 1.5 – 2 inch tape.
Hockey stick tape is best used on the blade of your stick. Stick tape is commonly used on the handle of your stick as well however, the grippy-ness of the tape tends to put holes in your gloves. It is best practice to lay down a base layer of stick tape and finish the handle of your blade with either athletic tape, grip tape, or sock tape.