A hockey stick's length is a personal preference, but a good rule of thumb is that a stick should reach between your chin and nose when you're wearing skates. Without skates, it should reach up to your nose. Generally, youth sticks are 38-44 inches, junior sticks are 46-53 inches, intermediate sticks are 55-58 inches, and senior sticks range from 56 to 63 inches or taller.
We also recommend asking a representative from the place you wish to purchase a hockey stick advice on choosing the correct stick for your child.
Sizing by age group and height
- Youth (ages 4-8): 38-44 inches
- Junior (ages 7-13): 45-54 inches
- Intermediate (ages 11-14): 55-58 inches
- Senior (ages 14+): 57-63 inches, depending on height
- With skates: The stick should reach your chin. Some players prefer shorter sticks that reach their throat, while longer sticks might reach their eyebrows.
- Without skates: The stick should reach your nose.
- By percentage: A stick should be roughly 80% of your body height.
Impact of stick length
- Shorter sticks: Often preferred by players who focus on stickhandling. However, they may offer less leverage for shots.
- Using a short stick makes it a bit easier to move the hockey ball around because the stick will be lighter and a shorter stick is easier to move around the body. Many players who are good at stick-handling tend to bring the hockey ball in close to their body in order to protect the ball while pulling a deke. A short stick makes it easier to perform these moves.
- Longer sticks: Provide more leverage for powerful shots and are useful for defensemen for poke-checking and intercepting passes.
- A long hockey stick is usually the preferred choice of the Defensemen. A long hockey stick gives you a longer reach, which makes it easier for you to poke the hockey ball away from attackers, intercept passes, and stop a hockey ball before it leaves your end. Defensemen are also known to have hard slapshots, and a longer stick (with the right technique) will provide more power on the slapshots.
